[SPARCbook] Solaris 2.6 install/patches (pls add to FAQ)

[Sunder]

If you can boot off the CD, you should be Ok.  Just to be safe, you might want
to hook up an external hard drive as well and dd your old one to it from the
CDROM.  (That is if you can still boot off the old drive)

Boot the cdrom from the Open Boot Prom this way: boot cdrom -SVR (-S says
single user mode, V says verbose R says reconfigure.)  This will keep the
install scripts from coming up.  If they do come up, hit Control-C to get at a
shell, then mount the external drive.  Run format to see the partitions on
your internal sparcbook disk and just do this:

dd if=/dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 of=/mnt/slice0.dd
dd if=/dev/dsk/c0t0d0s3 of=/mnt/slice3.dd
...
dd if=/dev/dsk/c0t0d0s7 of=/mnt/slice7.dd

etc... (change the paths as needed. Above assumes you mounted a big enough
slice off the external disk to /mnt, etc...)  Usually slice 1 is for swap,
slice 2 is the entire disk (don't bother dd'ing that) slice 4 is for the NCE
memory dump if your book has that enabled.

For Solaris newbies: c0 means SCSI controller 0, t0 means target 0 (scsi ID)
d0 means disk 0 or Logical Unit Number 0, s0 means slice 0 (partition 0).


I'd also get all the 2.6 Recommended and Y2K patches and install them right
after to bring Solaris up to date.

The installing and patching will take a long time, so make sure you have more
than adequate ventillation, since power management will not be working and
your CPU will run at full speed causing your powerbook to overheat.

Raising the feet is a good idea, aiming a fan/AC in addition is even better.

Re: version of 2.6:  I'm not sure which 2.6 I used, but it's likely a very old
one as Sun sent me CD's on the first edition of it.  I've had no problems with
the install.  It isn't sever though, it's the normal workstation, however I
suspect that won't affect anything.

Also: After you apply the Tadpole drivers, be sure to also apply the patches
to the tadpole drivers.

So your install should be:

1. Install Solaris 2.6
2. Reboot
3. Install Tadpole Drivers
4. Install Tadpole driver patches.
5. Install latest Solaris 2.6 Recommended patches
6. Install latest Solaris 2.6 Y2K patches.
7. Install GNU software, etc. :)  (Make sure you leave enough room on /opt and
/usr/local for GNU wares - it's best to give these their own slices.)

I usually ftp my GNU warez from sunsite.unc.edu (now renamed to
metalab.unc.edu) :)  Solaris patches you get from Sun's ftp sites.  Tadpole
patches from ftp.tadpole.com, etc...


"Scott D. Yelich" wrote:
> 
> The FAQ is not clear.  I'm asking now, but I'll know myself, for sure,
> soon... as I've hosed my 2.5.1 by playing with it.
> 
> I have Solaris 2.6 server, but only a 1997 version.  My question is, can
> I install this and put the 2.6 patches and still have a working system
> with a video driver?  The FAQ says that 3/98 (or 5/98?) seem to work
> fine... but does not state whether earlier or later versions work.


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