6    Full Installation Procedures

This chapter includes step by step instructions for invoking the Full Installation and supplying all information required by the Full Installation setup process.

Summary of Full Installation Procedures:

Make sure you have performed all prerequiste tasks and are ready to begin before beginning this procedure:

  1. Set console environment variables for certain processors.

  2. Set console environment variables for all processors.

  3. Boot the system from the distribution media.

  4. Provide the information requested by the Full Installation interface.

  5. Check your selections to make sure they are what you want; go back and change your responses if necessary.

  6. Give your final confirmation to start installing software.

  7. Optionally select kernel components to build into the kernel.

  8. Log in to the newly installed system.

  9. Review installation log files.

  10. Go to Chapter 7 to set up and configure the system for general use, the Full Installation is complete.

6.1    Are You Ready to Begin?

Before beginning the Full Installation, perform all prerequisite tasks described in Chapter 5. The last prerequisite task is to update the system firmware, so your system should be in console mode (at the >>> prompt). If your system is not in console mode, use the shutdown -h now command.

Caution

A Full Installation does not preserve user or data files on disks that you are installing onto, so make sure your current operating system has been backed up before you begin. If errors occur that prevent a successful installation of the operating system, you may need to restore the previous version of the operating system.

6.2    Step 1: Set Console Environment Variables for Certain Processors

Some system types require one or more special console environment variables to be set in addition to the standard console variables that are set for all processors (as shown in Section 6.3).

Follow this procedure to determine whether or not your processor type requires special console environment variable settings:

  1. Look for the corporate logo on the front panel of your hardware to determine what kind of processor you have.

  2. Look for your processor type in Table 6-1. If you find your processor, proceed to Step 3. If your processor does not appear in Table 6-1, do not execute any of the commands and go directly to Section 6.3.

  3. Execute the commands shown for your processor.

    Note

    Every attempt was made to make the information in Table 6-1 complete and accurate for every supported system. However, it is recommended that you also check the hardware documentation to make sure your system type does not require any other variables to be set before beginning a Full Installation. The hardware documentation is customized for each system type and is the definitive source for supported console variables.

Table 6-1:  Processor-Specific Console Variables

Processor Command to Set Console Variable

  • AlphaServer 800

  • AlphaServer 1000, 1000A

  • AlphaServer 1200

  • AlphaServer 2000

  • AlphaServer 2100/2100A

  • AlphaServer 4000/4100A

  • AlphaServer 4100A

  • Alpha VME 2100

>>> show bus_probe_algorithm

bus_probe_algorithm old

>>> set bus_probe_algorithm new

>>> init
AXPpci Single Board Computers with ATI Mach64 graphics controllers

>>> set pci_parity off

>>> init

  • AlphaServer 1000, 1000A

  • AlphaStation 500

  • AlphaStation 600/600A

  • AXPvme

  • AXPpci

  • Alpha VME

  • AlphaPC64, 164

  • EB64+, EB66+, EB164 Single Board Computers

  • PICMG Alpha CPUs

  • Personal Workstation XP1000

>>> set boot_file

  • Personal Workstation 433au, 500au, 600au

  • Ultimate Workstation 533-au2

>>> set os_type unix

>>> init

  • AlphaServer 8200

  • AlphaServer 8400

  • GS160 Server

  • GS140 Server

>>> set boot_reset on

>>> set os_type unix

>>> set console serial
DEC 10000

>>> set boot_reset on
DEC 7000

>>> set boot_reset on

>>> set keyboard type [Footnote 7]

DEC 3000

>>> set scsi_reset 4

>>> set boot_reset on
DEC 2000

>>> set keyboard type [Footnote 7]

6.3    Step 2: Set Console Environment Variables for All Processors

Set the following console environment variables for all processors:

  1. Clear and reset the boot_osflags variable: 

    >>> set boot_osflags ""

  2. Enter the following command to ensure that your system returns to the console prompt (>>>) after a system crash or power failure during installation: 

    >>> set auto_action halt
[Footnote 8]
 

Note

Most processors will reboot automatically after the software subsets are loaded. If you are installing the operating system on behalf of another user or customer, you may want to disable this feature. Disabling automatic reboot lets you run the installation interface, load the software, then hand the system to the eventual user thus allowing the user to boot it and enter host and site specific information.

Enter the following command to disable automatic reboot: 


>>> set boot_osflags h

Processors that do not support auto-reboot include the DEC 2000, 3000, and 7000 series, the AlphaStation 255, and the AlphaServer 8400.

6.4    Step 3: Boot the System

The procedure in this section applies to all supported systems and describes how to boot from CD-ROM. If you are performing the installation over the network from a remote installation services (RIS) server, refer to the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics for network boot instructions. If you have problems booting your system, refer to the hardware documentation for your particular processor. If the problem is not hardware related, refer to the System Administration guide. The System Administration guide provides information about booting a generic kernel (genvmunix) or booting an alternate custom kernel.

Note

If you are booting a DEC 3000 series processor from a SCSI TURBOchannel option card, see Section 6.4.1.

Use this procedure to boot your system from the operating system CD-ROM:

  1. Insert the CD-ROM labeled Operating System Volume 1 into the disk drive.

  2. If you have not already done so, enter the init command for AlphaServer 300, 400, 1000/1000a, 2000, 2100, 2100A, 4000/4100, VME 2100, AlphaStation 200, 250, 255, 400, 600, 800 and DEC 4000 and 7000 series processors: 

    >>> init

  3. Determine the console device name of your CD-ROM drive by entering the following command: 

    >>> show device

    Depending upon your system type, a device information table similar to the following is displayed: 

    dka0.0.0.0.0               DKA0                           RZ28
dkb0.0.0.1.0               DKB0                           RZ28
dkc0.0.0.2.0               DKC0                           RZ26
dkc100.1.0.2.0             DKC100                         RZ26
dkc200.2.0.2.0             DKC200                         RZ26
dkc300.3.0.2.0             DKC300                         RZ26
dke100.1.0.4.0             DKE100                         RRD43   <==
mka500.0.0.0.0             MKA500                         TLZ04
mke0.0.0.4.0               MKE0                           TZ85
ewa0.0.0.6.0               EWA0              08-00-2B-2C-CE-DE
p_d0.7.0.3.0                                          Bus ID 7
pka0.7.0.0.0               PKA0                  SCSI Bus ID 7
pkb0.7.0.1.0               PKB0                  SCSI Bus ID 7
pkc0.7.0.2.0               PKC0                  SCSI Bus ID 7
pke0.7.0.4.0               PKE0                  SCSI Bus ID 7

    In the third column to the right, look for the line with the characters RRD or CD-ROM. These characters denote a CD-ROM device. The second column in the table shows the console device name assigned to each device on your system.

    In this example, the RRD43 CD-ROM console device name is DKE100. You will enter this device name with the boot command in the next step.

    Note

    The show device command output for DEC nnnn series (example, DEC 3000) processors is different. In this case, look in the DEVNAM column for the characters RRD. The device name is in the BOOTDEV column.

  4. Enter the boot command with the following syntax:

    boot cdrom_device_name

    The cdrom_device_name is the name obtained in Step 3. Using this example, enter the following command to boot the system: 

    >>> boot dke100

    Output similar to the following is displayed: 

    (boot dke100.1.0.4.0)
block 0 of dke100.1.0.4.0 is a valid boot block
reading 16 blocks from dke100.1.0.4.0
bootstrap code read in
base = 1ee000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 2000
initializing HWRPB at 2000
initializing page table at 1e0000
initializing machine state
setting affinity to the primary CPU
jumping to bootstrap code
 
Tru64 UNIX boot - Fri Apr 28 15:49:49 EDT 2000

    .
    .
    .
    Starting installation from CD-ROM.  Please wait.

    Note

    The boot process can take several minutes. Several hardware-specific messages will be displayed. The more complex the system (several peripheral devices, and so on), the longer the boot process takes.

This completes system boot; go to Section 6.5.

6.4.1    DEC 3000 Series Processor: Booting from a SCSI TURBOchannel Option Card

Follow these steps to boot a DEC 3000 processor from a SCSI TURBOchannel option card:

To boot from the dual SCSI TURBOchannel option card (PMAZB or PMAZC), complete the following steps:

  1. Determine which controllers and devices are configured on your system by entering the following command at the console prompt: 

    >>> show conf

    Your system displays output similar to the following (the output differs depending on your system configuration): 

    DEC 3000 - M500
VPP PAL X5.37-82000101/OSF PAL X1.28-82000201 -
Built on 17-MAR-1998 13:39:58.02
 
TCINFO    DEVNAM   DEVSTAT
------    -------- --------
    CPU    OK KN15-AA -V2.0-S1F4-I039-sV1.0-DECchip 21064
P3.0
    ASIC   OK
    MEM    OK
8
    CXT    OK
7
    NVR    OK
    SCC    OK
     NI    OK
    ISDN   OK
6
    SCSI   OK
3-PMAF-AA   TC3
2-PMAZ-AA   TC2
1-PMAZB-AA  TC1
0-PMTNV-AA  TC0

    The numbers under the TCINFO column (and the entries in the DEVNAM column) represent the unit number assigned to the PMAZB or PMAZC option card.

  2. Determine the number of your boot device by entering a command with the following syntax:

    t tcslot_numbercnfg

    For example, to determine the device number of a disk on a PMAZB option card, enter the following command: 

    
>> t tc1 cnfg

    A table similar to the following is displayed: 

    DEC       PMAZB-AA  V1.0        (Dual SCSI [53C96])
BOOTDEV     ADDR   DEVTYPE NUMBYTES  RM/FX WP  DEVNAM  REV
-------     ----   ------- --------  ----- --  ------  ---
DKA200      A/2/0  DISK       426MB  FX        RZ25    0700
(rz200A)
DKA400      A/4/0  RODISK     409MB  RM    WP  RRD42   4.3d
(rz400A)
..HostID..  A/7    INITR
 
..HostID..  B/7    INITR

To boot from the PMAZB (or PMAZC) option card, enter the boot command with the following syntax:

boot "slot_number/device_number"

For example, to boot from disk number 4 on the PMAZB option card located in slot 1, enter the following command: 


>>> boot "1/dka400"

This completes system boot; go to Section 6.5.

6.5    Successful System Boot -- Select a Language for the User Interface

Upon successful system boot, you have the option to view the installation screens in one of three languages:

After making this selection, the remaining installation windows and dialog boxes will be displayed in the language you choose. The installation process continues as shown in Section 6.6.

6.6    The Welcome Screen

After you select a language in which to view the installation user interface, a Welcome message is displayed:

6.7    Step 4: Supplying the Setup Information Required for a Full Installation

Table 6-2 describes the information you have to supply to the Full Installation process.

The information you supply is the same regardless of the user interface, but the order in which it is requested may be different. For instance, the graphical interface begins by asking you to supply host-specific information; the text-based interface begins by asking you if you intend to install Worldwide Language Support software.

Table 6-2:  Information You Supply for a Full Installation

Information Requested by Full Installation User Action
Host Information

If you are installing from a CD-ROM, supply the following information:

If you do not enter this information during the installation setup, you will be prompted for it later in the configuration phase. Section 6.8, Section 6.9, and Section 6.10 provide guidelines for entering host- and site-specific information.

When installing the operating system from a RIS server, the host and site information is obtained automatically from the server.
Root Password Create a password for the root user. If you do not enter a password during installation setup, you will be asked to create and confirm a password before system configuration (after reboot). Guidelines for choosing an effective password are shown in Section 6.11.
Software Selection Select the type of software subsets you want to install. The default is to install only mandatory software subsets. But, you have the opportunity to install optional software or to install all mandatory and all optional software subsets. Section 6.12 describes the subset selection options.
Worldwide Language Support Specify whether or not you want to install support for additional languages. The text-based interface asks you to make this decision at the onset of the process; the graphical user interface asks you to specify the countries to support during the software selection step.
File System Layout You decide whether to use the default file system layout or to customize the file system layout for the /, /usr, /var, and i18n file systems and swap areas. You can accept the defaults if you are installing the operating system on a single disk and want to use the recommended file layout. Section 6.14 describes your file system layout options. Section 6.14.4 describes the option to install into Logical Storage Manager (LSM) volumes on each disk you use for the installation.
Kernel Component Options Select the type of kernel components to build into the kernel. You can choose the option to include mandatory components only, mandatory plus your choice of optional components, or all mandatory and all optional components. Section 6.18 describes these kernel options. If you select the option to customize kernel component selection, you perform that task later after the first system reboot.

The Full Installation procedures start in Section 6.8 and end in Section 6.16. These sections more closely follow the sequence of the graphical interface, however, you should use the same guidelines for the text-based interface. Any difference in how you supply information is noted.

Note

If you are installing the operating system on behalf of another user or customer, you may not want to supply any host or site-specific information. You can accomplish this by doing the following:

  1. Set the console environment variable boot_osflags to halt (see Section 6.3).

  2. Do not enter a host name, the date or time, location or area, or a root password; the Full Installation will halt after the software subsets load to request this information. This allows the eventual user of the system to boot the system and specify their own host- and site-specific information.

6.8    Setting a Host Name

The host name is used to identify your system on the network.

For the graphical interface, a variety of host and site-specific information is supplied on the Host Information dialog box shown in Figure 6-2. Refer to Section 6.9 and Section 6.10 for information about supplying information for the remaining fields on this dialog box.

Figure 6-2:  Host Information Dialog Box

If you do not supply a host name, the Full Installation stops after the system reboots but before building the tailored kernel to prompt you for a host name.

6.8.1    Guidelines for Choosing a Host Name

The following are guidelines for choosing a host name:

6.8.2    Host Name Samples

Table 6-3 shows samples of correct and incorrect host names:

Table 6-3:  Samples of Correct and Incorrect Host Names

Correct Host Names Incorrect Host Names
mysystem generic or binary [Footnote 9]
y2k-system.com 2000-system.com
system1 1.system
xyz-college.edu xyz_college.edu

6.9    Setting the System Date and Time

To set the system date, enter today's date in the following order:

Digits entered in the format and order 07 06 2000 and 07 06 00 both represent July 6, 2000. The text-based interface requires that a hyphen ( - ) separate each set of digits, for example, 07-06-00.

To set the system time, enter the time in two sets of two digits (using the 24-hour clock format) in the following order:

For example, the number 14 entered in the hh field represents 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and the number 06 entered in the mm field represents the sixth minute of the hour.

If you enter either a date or a time, you must enter the other. As soon as you enter a date and time, the system date and clock is set immediately.

If you do not supply a date and time, and did not set up your system to halt before system reboot, the Full Installation stops after the system reboots but before building the tailored kernel to prompt you for the current date and time.

6.10    Setting the Location and Area (Formerly Time Zones)

Starting with Version 5.0 of the operating system, the naming convention for time zones is the Area/Location format (for example, Asia/Tokyo or Pacific/Honolulu) where Area is the name of a continent or ocean, and Location is the name of a major city or locale within that area. Earlier versions of the operating system used the Country/Zone style (for example, US/Eastern). All /etc/zoneinfo directories and time zone files are still available for compatibility, however many of the files are now hard links to their renamed counterparts. Country/zone to location/area mappings are provided in Table 6-4.

Your location and area sets the time zone. You should select the location and area that best describes your geographic location. The default location is America/New York. You have the option to set the Location and Area to none if you are installing this system on behalf of another user.

Note

If a system is relocated to another site, you can change the time zone by using the tzselect utility. Refer to the tzselect(8) reference page and the System Administration for more information.

Table 6-4:  Mapping of Time Zones to Location/Area Style

Obsolete Time Zone New Location/Area
Australia/ACT Australia/Sydney
Australia/LHI Australia/Lord_Howe
Australia/NSW Australia/Sydney
Australia/North Australia/Darwin
Australia/Queensland Australia/Brisbane
Australia/South Australia/Adelaide
Australia/Tasmania Australia/Hobart
Australia/Victoria Australia/Melbourne
Australia/West Australia/Perth
Australia/Yancowinna Australia/Broken_Hill
Belfast Europe/Belfast
Brazil/Acre America/Porto_Acre
Brazil/DeNoronha America/Noronha
Brazil/East America/Sao_Paulo
Brazil/West America/Manaus
Canada/Atlantic America/Halifax
Canada/Central America/Winnipeg
Canada/East-Saskatchewan America/Regina
Canada/Eastern America/Montreal
Canada/Mountain America/Edmonton
Canada/Newfoundland America/St_Johns
Canada/Pacific America/Vancouver
Canada/Saskatchewan America/Regina
Canada/Yukon America/Whitehorse
Chile/Continental America/Santiago
Chile/EasterIsland Pacific/Easter
Cuba America/Havana
Dublin Europe/Dublin
Egypt Africa/Cairo
GB-Eire Europe/London
GMT Etc/GMT
GMT+0 Etc/GMT+0
GMT+1 Etc/GMT+1
GMT+10 Etc/GMT+10
GMT+11 Etc/GMT+11
GMT+12 Etc/GMT+12
GMT+13 Etc/GMT+13
GMT+2 Etc/GMT+2
GMT+3 Etc/GMT+3
GMT+4 Etc/GMT+4
GMT+5 Etc/GMT+5
GMT+6 Etc/GMT+6
GMT+7 Etc/GMT+7
GMT+8 Etc/GMT+8
GMT+9 Etc/GMT+9
GMT-0 Etc/GMT-0
GMT-1 Etc/GMT-1
GMT-10 Etc/GMT-10
GMT-11 Etc/GMT-11
GMT-12 Etc/GMT-12
GMT-2 Etc/GMT-2
GMT-3 Etc/GMT-3
GMT-4 Etc/GMT-4
GMT-5 Etc/GMT-5
GMT-6 Etc/GMT-6
GMT-7 Etc/GMT-7
GMT-8 Etc/GMT-8
GMT-9 Etc/GMT-9
GMT0 Etc/GMT0
GMT1 Etc/GMT+1
GMT10 Etc/GMT+10
GMT11 Etc/GMT+11
GMT12 Etc/GMT+12
GMT13 Etc/GMT+13
GMT2 Etc/GMT+2
GMT3 Etc/GMT+3
GMT4 Etc/GMT+4
GMT5 Etc/GMT+5
GMT6 Etc/GMT+6
GMT7 Etc/GMT+7
GMT8 Etc/GMT+8
GMT9 Etc/GMT+9
Greenwich Etc/Greenwich
Hongkong Asia/Hong_Kong
Iceland Atlantic/Reykjavik
Iran Asia/Tehran
Israel Asia/Jerusalem
Jamaica America/Jamaica
Japan Asia/Tokyo
Libya Africa/Tripoli
London Europe/London
Mexico/BajaNorte America/Tijuana
Mexico/BajaSur America/Mazatlan
Mexico/General America/Mexico_City
NZ Pacific/Auckland
NZ-CHAT Pacific/Chatham
Navajo America/Denver
PRC Asia/Shanghai
Poland Europe/Warsaw
ROC Asia/Taipei
ROK Asia/Seoul
Singapore Asia/Singapore
Turkey Europe/Istanbul
UCT Etc/UCT
US/Alaska America/Anchorage
US/Aleutian America/Adak
US/Arizona America/Phoenix
US/Central America/Chicago
US/East-Indiana America/Indianapolis
US/Eastern America/New_York
US/Hawaii Pacific/Honolulu
US/Indiana-Starke America/Indiana/Knox
US/Michigan America/Detroit
US/Mountain America/Denver
US/Pacific America/Los_Angeles
US/Samoa Pacific/Pago_Pago
UTC Etc/UTC
Universal Etc/Universal
W-SU Europe/Moscow
Zulu Etc/Zulu

If you do not supply a location and area, and did not set up your system to halt before system reboot (see Section 6.6), the Full Installation stops after system reboot and prompts you for location and area information.

6.11    Setting the Root Password

A UNIX operating system permits a superuser to have permissions that supersede those of ordinary users. This superuser is often referred to as the root user. The superuser is usually the person who is responsible for system administration tasks. This user has access to all files and all devices and is not restricted from changing anything on the operating system. For this reason, the root user (or root account), needs a special password. Section 6.11.1 contains guidelines for choosing an effective root password.

Figure 6-3 shows the Set root Password dialog box.

Figure 6-3:  Set Root Password Dialog Box

Choose a password that conforms to the following rules:

When you enter the password, it is not displayed on your screen for security reasons. You must enter the new password again for verification. Remember this password because you will need it to log in as the root user the first time you log in to the system after the installation. You can change the root password at any time (using the passwd command) after the system is installed.

If you do not supply a root password, and did not set up your system to halt before system reboot, the Full Installation stops after the system reboots but before building the tailored kernel to prompt you for a root password.

6.11.1    Guidelines for Choosing Effective Passwords

When choosing a root password, you should not use:

Do not choose a password that can be guessed by someone who knows you. Because the root user has absolute power over the operating system, the root password should be carefully protected. The basic guideline is to make the password something that you can remember but difficult for someone else to guess.

6.11.2    Root Password Samples

Table 6-5 shows examples of passwords that adhere to suggested guidelines and some that do not. These passwords are shown for illustrative purposes only; do not use any of them for your password.

Table 6-5:  Sample Root Passwords

Correct Root Passwords Passwords That Are Not Recommended Why Password Violates Guidelines
OhU8one2to johnsmith Proper name with all letters lower case
UrGr8t!! 123MainStreet Home address
parTe2knite MyDogLassie Name of pet
99Pnt.99% 7-6-58 Birth date of family member

6.12    Choosing the Type of Software to Be Installed

After supplying host information, setting the date and time, and specifying a root password, the next step in the Full Installation is to select the type of software to install. If you are using the graphical user interface, the Software Selection dialog box is shown in Figure 6-4. The text-based interface displays the same information.

Figure 6-4:  Software Selection Dialog Box

Table 6-6 describes the three classifications of software subsets. Appendix C provides descriptions of the individual software subsets.

Table 6-6:  Description of Software Selection Options

Option Description
Mandatory Only This option installs the software subsets that are the minimum required to run the base operating system. Mandatory software subsets are always installed. This is the default choice for the graphical user interface.
All Software This option installs all mandatory software subsets and all optional software subsets, excluding Worldwide Language Support subsets (unless you select additional country support).
Customize This option lets you choose which optional software subsets to install in addition to the mandatory software. Section 6.12.1 provides hints for customizing the software selection process.
Country Support This is where you select support for one or more additional languages if you are using the graphical user interface. Each country has a set of software subsets that is designed to allow localization of the operating system. The default is the United States English language. If you install all base operating system subset plus one or more additional languages, all WLS subsets for each selected country are installed.

Refer to Appendix C for a description of the mandatory, optional, and WLS software subsets.

6.12.1    Hints for Selecting Optional Software

Selecting the Customize option and clicking on the [Edit List...] button displays the Software Section: Edit List dialog box shown in Figure 6-5, which is where you select the optional software you want to install.

Note

The legend at the bottom of the dialog box describes the current status of each software subset. Click on a plus sign (+) to view the individual software subsets contained in a software category; click on a minus sign (-) to close a category.

Figure 6-5:  Software Subsets: Edit List Dialog Box

When making software subset selections, you can select a software subset category (such as General Applications), or an individual software subset within a category (such as DOS Tools). If you select a software subset that has a dependency with another subset that is not yet selected, the other subset is selected automatically. When a subset with dependencies is selected, a dialog box with a message similar to the following is displayed: 

The chosen subset(s) require one or more additional subset(s)
which will be loaded automatically:
  * Doc. Preparation Tools  (OSFDCMT505)

An alternative to selecting one software subset (or category) at a time is to select the topmost category, Tru64 UNIX V5.0 Operating System, and then click on the categories or subsets you do not want. Adding all subsets results in more software than your system needs, so remember to remove all of the hardware-specific subsets related to keyboard types, X servers, and fonts. The user interface will not let you remove software subsets that are mandatory for your system's hardware configuration.

A suggested procedure for selectively choosing optional software to install:

  1. Review Appendix C for a description of all software subsets.

  2. In the Software Selection Dialog Box, select Customize, then click on the [Edit List...] button.

  3. Select the optional software subsets you want. When you have completed selecting the subsets, note the Disk Space Required for the /, /usr, and /var file systems, which is shown at the bottom of the dialog box. Use this information to select disks and partitions that are large enough to hold the software you want to install

    Note

    If you do not want to use the recommended partitions offered by the Full Installation process, read the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics for information about partitioning disks, then use the Disk Space Required figures to select which disks to select later on in the Full Installation process.

6.13    Choosing the Type of Kernel Components to Build into the Kernel

The next step in the Full Installation is to choose the type of kernel components to build into the kernel later in the configuration phase of the installation process. Regardless of the interface, you have three options for including kernel components into the kernel. Figure 6-6 depicts what you see if you are using the graphical interface.

Figure 6-6:  Kernel Options Dialog Box

Table 6-7 describes the kernel component options:

Table 6-7:  Description of Kernel Selection Options

Option Description
Mandatory Only This option builds into the kernel the minimum kernel components required for the proper operation of the software subsets you plan to install. This is the default option for the graphical user interface.
All Options This option builds all kernel components into the kernel. Each kernel component loads additional code into the kernel; therefore, selecting All Options can significantly and unnecessarily increase the size of the kernel and impact performance.
Customize This option lets you select specific kernel components from a Kernel Options Selection menu that is presented after system reboot (see Section 6.17.2). The kernel components presented on the menu depend on the software subsets that were installed. See Section 6.18 for more information about selecting kernel components.

6.14    Selecting the Type of File System Layout

After selecting the software subsets to install, you have to decide where to install them. Selecting the file system layout involves selecting the disk or disks and disk partitions on which you want to install the standard UNIX file systems: /, /usr, /var, /usr/i18n (if you selected one or more additional languages), and swap space. You have to then decide whether you want to assign the Advanced File System (AdvFS), which is the default, or the UNIX File System (UFS) as the file system type for each file system. The Full Installation offers the option to choose a default file system layout or the option to completely customize the file system layout.

The dialog box shown in Figure 6-7 shows the file system layout choices.

Figure 6-7:  Select File System Layout Dialog Box

Section 6.14.1 describes the situations when you should choose the default file system layout, and Section 6.14.2 describes the situations when you should choose to customize the file system layout.

6.14.1    When Should I Use the Default File System Layout?

You should use the default file system layout if any one of the following statements is true:

Regardless of the interface you are using, you have to make a few choices if you want to use the default layout:

  1. Choose one disk -- The disk you choose to contain the operating system must be 1GB or greater in size. The a partition on this disk must be a minimum of 128 MB to hold the / (root) file system.

    As shown in Figure 6-8, instead of the rz* device names you may have been accustomed to in previous versions of the operating system, you will see dsk* device names. Refer to Appendix A for general information about device naming conventions. Refer to Section A.4 for information about preserving your existing device name database during a Full Installation if your system already is running a previous version of the operating system.

  2. Choose one file system type for all file systems -- Choices are the Advanced File System (AdvFS), which is the default, or the UNIX file system (UFS). For a description and comparison of UFS and AdvFS, see the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics.

    Note

    If this system is going to be a member of a cluster, you must use AdvFS as the file system type.

  3. Decide whether or not to install into LSM volumes -- Section 6.14.4 provides more information about the Logical Storage Manager (LSM) to help you decide whether or not you want to install into LSM volumes.

What you see if you choose the default file system layout depends upon the interface you are using:

When you have made your decisions for the default file system layout, the Full Installation continues as described in Section 6.15.

6.14.2    When Should I Customize the File System Layout?

You should customize the file system layout if any one of the following statements is true:

You have to make a few choices if you want to use the Custom File System Layout:

  1. Decide whether or not to install into LSM volumes -- Section 6.14.4 provides more information about LSM to help you decide whether or not you want to use it.

  2. Choose a disk and disk partition for each file system -- You must choose a disk and disk partition to hold each of the following file systems: /, /usr, /var, and /usr/i18n (if you want /usr/i18n to be a file system rather than a directory). The /usr/i18n file system contains the subsets required for internationalization (i18n) if you selected additional language support. The / file system must be on the a partition of the disk you choose to hold it; you cannot change this. You have the option to locate the /var and /usr/i18n file systems within the /usr file system instead of on their own disk partition.

    If you are unable to determine which of your physical disks is associated with a dsk* device name, click on the [Identify Disk...] button to open the identify disk dialog box shown in Figure 6-10, or enter ping disk_name if you are using the text-based interface.

    As shown in Figure 6-11, instead of the rz* device names you may have been accustomed to in previous versions of the operating system, you will see dsk* device names. Refer to Appendix A for general information about device naming conventions. Refer to Section A.4 for information about preserving your existing device name database during a Full Installation if your system is already running a previous version of the operating system.

  3. Choose a disk and disk partition for one or two swap areas -- You have the option to allocate two swap areas. It is recommended that you place swap areas on different disks and choose the fastest disks for swap areas. The Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics contains more recommendations for calculating the amount of swap space you need and where to place swap space. As a frame of reference, the recommended file system layout uses 128 MB as the default size of the swap partition.

  4. Choose a file system type for each file system -- Choose between the Advanced File System (AdvFS), which is the default, or the UNIX file system (UFS) for each file system. For a description and comparison of UFS and AdvFS, see the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics.

    Note

    If this system is going to be a member of a cluster, you must use AdvFS as the file system type.

What you see when customizing the file system layout depends upon the interface you are using:

When you have made your decisions for the customized file system layout, the Full Installation continues as described in Section 6.15.

6.14.3    Partitioning Disks for a Custom File System Layout

Both user interfaces provide access to disk configuration tools if you need to repartition a disk to accommodate a customized file system layout:

Note

Disk partitioning changes take effect immediately even if the installation is canceled.

Because disk partitioning is considered a task that only experienced users should attempt, the Disk Configuration application, tasks that can be performed from the UNIX shell, and how to use the disklabel command are documented in the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics.

6.14.4    Should I Install into LSM Volumes?

Whether you choose the default file system layout with one disk or decide to customize the file system layout on more than one disk, you have to decide whether or not to install into LSM volumes.

By selecting the LSM option, LSM is automatically configured and the /, /usr, and /var file systems and swap areas are directly configured within LSM volumes instead of disk partitions. LSM is an integrated, host-based disk storage management tool that protects against data loss, improves disk input/output performance, and customizes the disk configuration. LSM builds virtual disks, called volumes, on top of UNIX system disks. A volume is a special device that contains data used by file systems, databases, or other applications. LSM transparently places a volume between a physical disk and an application, which then operates on the volume rather than on the physical disk. The Full Installation automatically installs the software subsets required by LSM. Section 4.1.3 provides an overview of LSM features if you need more information to make the decision to use it. You need a separate license to use the mirroring and striping features of LSM. Section 6.14.4.1 contains information about selecting a partition to use for the LSM private region.

Installing into LSM volumes is not typical nor required during a Full Installation. But, if you have previous experience using this feature, it is offered as an option now to eliminate the need to install LSM as a separate task.

Note

Section 6.14.4.2 contains information about the special processing done by a Full Installation on a system that previously was configured to use LSM.

6.14.4.1    Selecting a Partition for the LSM Private Region

If LSM is selected, you are required to select a private region partition for each disk being installed. LSM uses these private regions to hold configuration information for the entire system. Multiple private regions on multiple disks provide backup functionality in the unlikely event of a disk failure. The LSM private region requires 2 MB of disk space. As such, the partitions for the LSM private region need to be at least 2 MB in size. Partitions can be larger, but the excess space will not be available for any other use. The recommended disk partition layout provided by the Full Installation interface includes a 2 MB d partition on all disks. This partition should be used for the LSM private region whenever possible.

6.14.4.2    Special Processing for Systems Previously Configured with LSM

If you decide to install and configure LSM on a system with an existing LSM configuration, a clean up procedure prepares the system for the new LSM selections. This procedure removes LSM from the following partitions so that your Full Installation selections can be applied:

This clean up procedure preserves all information (volumes, private regions, disks, and so on) from the existing LSM configuration that is not overwritten by your Full Installation selections. All existing LSM information that is not identified in the four LSM components listed in Table 6-9 will be preserved. This cleanup procedure is applied to any LSM partitions, even if you are installing to a different disk than your current boot disk.

If, for any reason, a component cannot be removed, the Full Installation exits to single user mode with an error message. From this point, various commands can be used to interrogate the existing LSM configuration and manually remove the source of the problem so that the installation can be restarted. See Section G.1.1.1 for more information about the commands that can be used to interrogate the existing LSM configuration and how to manually remove the source of the problem.

6.14.5    Preserving Data on Previously Used Disks

When you are installing the operating system onto a single disk and you want to preserve data on an existing partition, choose the Customize File System Layout option so that the existing partition sizes and offsets will not be changed.

By choosing the custom option, you can select the disk partitions on which the /, /usr, and /var file systems and swap areas will be installed. If the partitions you choose contain data or user files, the data is lost (overwritten) when the new file systems are built. Selecting a partition for one of these file systems that overlaps the partitions containing the data to be preserved has the same effect. Also, modifying the partition information in the disk label in such a way that the partitions containing data have their size and offset modified causes the data to be lost. However, if the partitions containing the data are undisturbed, their contents are preserved.

Assuming that the partitions to be preserved were undisturbed during the installation, the data in them can be used on the newly-installed system. If the partition contained a file system, it can be mounted and accessed again. Refer to the mount(8) reference page for more information about mounting file systems.

Note

The Full Installation procedure does not update the /etc/fstab file with the partitions that contain user data or user file systems. In order to mount these partitions to make the data available to users, you manually add the entries for partitions with preserved data to the new /etc/fstab file after the Full Installation is complete.

6.15    Step 5: Check Your Selections

Except for the system date and time, your system has not been changed in any way unless you have used the Disk Configuration application or disklabel command to reconfigure disk partitions. This is the last chance you have to verify your disk and software selections. If you are using the graphical interface, the Installation Summary dialog box shown in Figure 6-12 is displayed after you make your disk and file system layout selections. The summary data shown is based on a custom file system layout. You can change any of the information directly from this dialog box. Once you are satisfied with all your selections, click on [Finish]. You will have another opportunity to confirm the start of the installation.

If you are using the text-based interface, you are asked to confirm the file system layout. Use the history command to revisit any of your entries and change them.

Figure 6-12:  Installation Summary Dialog Box

6.16    Step 6: Final Confirmation

After verifying all of your selections, you have one more chance to confirm the start of the installation process:

Section 6.16.1 describes how to cancel the installation.

6.16.1    Canceling and Restarting the Full Installation

If for any reason you do not want to start the installation at this point, you can cancel it:

To restart the Full Installation setup process from single-user mode regardless of the interface you were using, enter the following commands: 

# cd /
# restart

If your system has graphics capabilities but you prefer to restart the installation setup process in the text-based interface, enter the following commands: 

# cd /
# restart nogui

6.17    What Happens Next?

Once you click on [OK] in the Ready to Begin dialog box or press the [Return] key in the text-based interface, the Full Installation process starts making changes to your system. First, file systems are created and software is loaded followed by a system reboot and software configuration phase.

The user interaction at this point in the installation process is:

6.17.1    File System Creation and Software Subset Load Phase

When the actual installation begins, the /, /usr, /var, and /usr/i18n file systems and swap areas are created on the disks and partitions you selected. The software subset load phase follows file system creation. A progress bar shows the percent complete of each phase to give you an indication of how far along the process is.

If you are using the text-based interface, messages similar to the following are displayed: 

Continuing installation...
 
Applying the selected disklabel on device dsk0
 
Creating the root file system on device dsk0a
 
Creating the usr file system on device dsk0g
 
Creating the var area in the usr file system
 
Creating the swap1 file system on device dsk0b
 
The installation procedure will now load a total of 31 software subsets
on your disk partitions. This total includes the following products:
 
        * 31 Base Operating System subsets
 
This process will take from 45 to 120 minutes to complete depending on
your distribution media and processor type.
 
LOADING THE BASE OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE SUBSETS
 
 

Note

The Full Installation process does not use the default inode density when creating UFS file systems for the /, /usr, and /var file systems. A lower density value is used to maximize available usable file system space.

6.17.2    System Reboot Phase

The boot commands required to boot from the newly created system disk are displayed on the screen. At the console mode prompt (>>>), enter the boot command sequence shown on your screen. Do not enter the boot variables that are shown in Example 6-5.

Example 6-5:  Sample Boot Command Sequence

Issue the following console commands to set your default bootpath
variable and to boot your system disk to multiuser:
 
        >>> set boot_osflags A
        >>> set bootdef_dev DKA0
        >>> boot
 
syncing disks... done
CPU 0: Halting... (transferring to monitor)
 
?05 HLT INSTR
  PC= FFFFFC00.0044CA90 PSL= 00000000.00000005

Write down your system's boot commands here for future reference: 

>>>
>>>
>>>

Software configuration begins after the system boots, which is followed by the kernel build procedure.

6.17.3    Software Configuration Phase

Software configuration occurs automatically after your system reboots from the system disk and refers to the process of tailoring the software subsets, setting the host name, root password, and time zone, system tuning, and building a tailored kernel for use by the operating system and by your hardware.

If you did not provide certain essential host- and site-specific information (such as a root password, your system's host name, the date and time, and location and time zone) earlier in the installation procedure, you will be prompted to enter that information now.

If you chose to install Worldwide Language Support (WLS) software, and you are installing from CD-ROM, you will see the dialog box shown in Figure 6-14 . Remove the CD-ROM labeled Operating System Volume 1 from the drive and insert the CD-ROM labeled Associated Products Volume 1, which contains the WLS software.

If, for any reason, you do not have the second CD-ROM available, you can skip WLS installation at this time, and install it later using the wwinstall script. The Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics provides instructions for running the wwinstall script.

Note

If you are performing the WLS installation from RIS, you are not prompted at all because the WLS software subsets are already available in the RIS area to which your system is registered and they were installed onto the system before the system reboot.

Figure 6-14:  Software Installation Dialog Box

If you chose the option to select optional kernel components during the Full Installation setup, go to Section 6.18 to select kernel options.

6.18    Optional Step 7: Select Kernel Components

If you chose the option to install mandatory or all kernel components during the Full Installation setup, the kernel is built automatically with the required kernel components for your system configuration. After the kernel build, continue with Section 6.19, which shows you how to log in to your system for the first time. If you want to build a kernel with optional components later, refer to the doconfig(8) reference page.

If you chose the option to customize kernel component selection during the Full Installation setup, a Kernel Option Selection menu is displayed after the system reboots.

The kernel components you see listed on the Kernel Option Selection menu depend on the software subsets that were installed. The installation procedure gives you the option to include or exclude the use of these components in the kernel. If you need to install a kernel component after Full Installation is complete, use the doconfig(8) command.

If you need a description of any kernel component, use the Help option to display an online description.

The Kernel Option Selection menu is similar to the following: 

    Selection   Kernel Option
--------------------------------------------------------------
        1       System V Devices
        2       NTP V3 Kernel Phase Lock Loop (NTP_TIME)
        3       Kernel Breakpoint Debugger (KDEBUG)
        4       Packetfilter driver (PACKETFILTER)
        5       Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)
        6       STREAMS pckt module (PCKT)
        7       Data Link Bridge (DLPI V2.0 Service Class 1)
        8       X/Open Transport Interface (XTISO, TIMOD, TIRDWR)
        9       ISO 9660 Compact Disc File System (CDFS)
        10      Audit Subsystem
        11      Alpha CPU performance/profiler (/dev/pfcntr)
        12      ACL Subsystem
        13      All of the above
        14      None of the above
        15      Help
        16      Display all options again
--------------------------------------------------------------
 
Enter your choices.
 
Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6) [14]: 5 9

Note

The ISO 9660 Compact Disc File System (CDFS) is a dynamically loadable kernel module. You can build it into the kernel by selecting it now, otherwise, it will be loaded on an as needed basis.

After entering your choice of kernel components, the system verifies the list of options you selected and asks you to confirm your choice. For example: 

You selected the following kernel options:
 
        Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)
        ISO 9660 Compact Disc File System (CDFS)
 
Is that correct? (y/n) [y]:

If the displayed kernel components are the ones you want, enter y or press [Return] to accept the default response. If the displayed kernel components are not the ones you want, enter n at the prompt. The Kernel Option Selection menu is redisplayed for you to select kernel components again.

6.18.1    Optional Step: Edit the Kernel File if Necessary

After you select and confirm your kernel options, you have the option to edit the kernel file. The kernel configuration file is a text file that defines the components built into the kernel; it is located in the /usr/sys/conf/ SYSTEM_NAME file.

Caution

Although you are given the option to edit this file, it is not recommended.

The Command and Shell User's Guide contains a tutorial that teaches you how to use the ed text editor (as well as the vi text editor).

You will see a prompt similar to the following: 

Do you want to edit the configuration file? (y/n) [n]:

If you enter n or press [Return] (to enter the default response) to skip the edit of the configuration file, the kernel build process begins as shown in Section 6.18.2.

If you enter y to edit the file, the following message is displayed: 

Using 'ed' to edit the configuration file.  Press return
when ready, or type 'quit' to skip the editing session:

Enter the word quit if you want to skip the editing session and start the kernel build process or press the [Return] key if you want to edit the file. The kernel build begins when you save and quit the editing session.

6.18.2    The Kernel Build Phase

When the subsets are configured, the installation procedure invokes the doconfig utility to automatically make the device special files needed by the hardware and build the kernel for your system. Messages similar to the following are displayed: 

The system will now automatically build a kernel
and then reboot. This will take approximately 15
minutes, depending on the processor type.
When  the login prompt appears after the system
has rebooted, use 'root' as the  login name and
the SUPERUSER  password that was entered during
this procedure, to log into the system.
 
 
*** PERFORMING KERNEL BUILD ***
Working....Fri Apr 28 15:45:24 EST 2000
Working....Fri Apr 28 15:47:24 EST 2000
Working....Fri Apr 28 15:49:25 EST 2000
Working....Fri Apr 28 15:51:26 EST 2000

6.18.3    If Your System Boots to Single-User Mode

Your system may boot to single-user mode if the boot_osflags variable was not set as described in Section 6.17.2. To bring the system to multiuser mode, press [Ctrl/d] at the root prompt ( # ). You are prompted to enter the run level. Four run levels are available:

Enter the following command to boot the system to multiuser mode: 

# init 3

6.19    Step 8: Log in to the System as the User root

After the final system reboot, the next step is to log into the newly installed system as the user root. On newly installed systems, the only user name recognized by the system is root. When prompted, enter the root password you set earlier.

6.20    Step 9: Review Installation Log Files

Before you configure the system for general use, it is recommended that you review the installation log files to make sure the software was installed and configured correctly. If any installation errors occurred, they will be listed in the log files, which are described in Appendix F.

6.21    Full Installation Is Done

After reviewing the installation log files, the Full Installation is done. Go to Chapter 7, which describes the SysMan (System Management) tools that you use to configure the system for general use by yourself and other users.