Quick And Very Dirty Solaris 10 Install
Create a Solaris VM
- Edit the configuration, and point the CD at the Solaris10 ISO ( DVD preferably, saves swapping )
- Change the boot sequence to boot from CD first, and then power on the VM
- Select the top instance of Solaris
- Select option 4 ( Console Install )
- Pick your language of choice.
- Follow the prompts, and fill in the hostname, timezone settings, etc.
- When it asks for additional products to install, leave them blank. Same for the next screen.
- For the Solaris install, select Entire Plus OEM ( it's easiest for playing about with, once you're familiar with Solaris, it's easy to remove the packages you don't require. ).
- Disk Selection. This is what seems to be catching people out. There will be a device list showing a drive ( probably c0d0 ). Make sure it has an X against, and then select F4. Make sure there is an X against Edit Fdisk partitons, and then press F2. You will be presented with a list of 4 partitions, with a type <unused>. If one of them says SOLARIS against, just select back, else, select F4 to create new one. It should have filled in the type as Solaris, and a size of 10GB ( if the defaults were used when creating the VM ). Hit F2 to create it, and then F2 to return to the Select Disks screen. From there, select F2 to continue. If you are asked if you wish to preserve
the existing data on the disks ( if the VM has previously been used in an attempt to install Solaris, the installer will think there is data on the disk ), just select F2 to initialise the drive.
- Disk Layout. At this point, it's easier to select auto-layout by hitting F2. The installer will then present a list of partitions, make sure there is an X against / and swap. Hitting F2 again, will display a list of the partitions/disk slices with the sizes against them. The layout gives enough space to install the OS, and provides space for user data in the home directory. Hit F2.
- Mount Remote File Systems. Bypass this screen by hitting F2. It's for mounting NFS partitons, but as there is no usable network at this point, hit F2.
- Profile. This screen will list the options that have selected; the install type, locales, and disk layout. Hit F2 to begin the install. The screen will display messages that it is configuring the disk, and formatting the partitions. It will then change to a progress bar. Sit back and watch the twirly bar!
- Once it finishes, the installer will report that it is customising system files, system devices, before updating the boot_archive.
- Solaris will then reboot itself, and perform it's final install. The only things left to do, is configure Xorg, and say no when asked to override the NFS defaults.
- The realtek network driver will need installing, but seeing as that's described in the user manual, I won't repeat it here.
Hopefully, this should get people started.