Hi,
The file /etc/path_to_inst is the list of devices that Solaris finds
in a "box"
Also the Directory /devices is an "image" of the present box as all
the
block and character devices created on the system for its unique hardware
devices are
located here.
These two "entities" must be regenerated to fit the new hardware.
Of course the the number one overriding problem here is the System Disc
Controller.
If you moved the System Disc from say a PC with a NForce SATA controller
to
another PC which uses a VIA or AMD or INTEL Chipset , the "nv-sata"
driver
would not be usable . As soon as the BIOS transfers control to the Kernel
and
the the Kernel tries to use the nv-sata driver to the AMD790 chipset in a
new
socket AM3 workstation the kernel will Crash as the disc driver cant talk
to the
new hardware.
Assuming you transfer the system disk to a new PC with an identical
Disc-Controller
things might be more feasible . ( Pls note that the Disk enumeration
needs to be identical as well, if the system disk was unit 0 in the old box it
cant be unit 2 in the new one, /etc/vfstab would be incorrect and unusable )
You just migth be able to edit the GRUB entry from the Menu and start
Solaris in
single user mode.
To boot the default kernel in single-user interactive mode,
edit the GRUB kernel command line to read:
kernel /platform/i86pc/kernel/amd64/unix -as
Then again you are dependent on that at least the Keyboard and the Graphics
card
are found at the same PCI buses and that you dont change from a PS2
Keyboard to a
USB keyboard. If thats O.K. you will get a prompt to give the system
password
and login in single user mode:
Now you can in theory perform a reconfiguration Boot which should
regenerate
/devices and /etc/Path_to_inst You do this with
# touch /reconfigure
# shutdown -y -g0 -i6
If the kernel manages to reboot and reconfigure it self It should have
adapted to the
the new hardware . The Solaris Kernel is Dynamic and selfconfiguring and
there is no need
to Recompile the kernel as in Linux and BSD.
I hope I have convinced you that replicating system discs is a bad Idea if
the target
hardware is dissimilar. If you are going to install more than 5 servers,
its a much better Solution
to set up the JUMPSTART network boot environment and boot/install every
system over the network.
Regards Lars
This message posted from opensolaris.org
