Boot Solaris from CD-ROM to solve problems

Contributor Icon Contributed by qmchenry Date Icon September 29, 2003  
Tag Icon Tagged: Solaris system administration

Some problems cannot be fixed through the operating system, for example not remembering the root password or changes to configuration files that prevent the system from booting. Solaris allows booting from the CD-ROM into single user mode which will allow you to mount your filesystems and repair the problem.


To boot into single user mode from CD-ROM, from the ok (bootprom) prompt:

boot cdrom -s

This will give you a root prompt (#) with a functional but limited Solaris filesystem from the cdrom. To access your filesystems, you need to mount them. For example, if your root filesystem is c0t0d0s0, use:

mount /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 /mnt

Then you can work in the /mnt filesystem and make changes to your real root filesystem. You can mount other filesystems on their usual mount points within the root (/mnt) filesystem. Once you have fixed whatever you need, just reboot.

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  • bob
    i did a boot with CDROM using Solaris OS on Netra says the mount is busy or for ex:

    # mount /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 /mnt

    says already mounted and when i try to do cd /mnt

    similar when trying to mount /a already exists and when i try to unmount it says always busy
  • kem
    yes because you are on /a mount (root). you must type pwd to see where you are ? and thereafter to go on root/ to cdrom and type umount /a so that ok
  • Anonymous
    <ul id="quote">
    bob wrote:
    i did a boot with CDROM using Solaris OS on Netra says the mount is busy or for ex:

    # mount /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 /mnt

    says already mounted and when i try to do cd /mnt

    similar when trying to mount /a already exists and when i try to unmount it says always busy</ul>
  • Anonymous
    run fsck <devicename>

    btw, thanks for original tip. it saved me from hours of reinstall.
  • qmchenry
    I'm glad it helped. This technique has saved me many a reinstall, too.

    Bob, If you still can't see your boot disk, it may be called something different than c0t0d0s0. You can run iostat -En to find the names of disks, although this won't tell you which slice you need.

    Quinn
  • Anonymous
    I'm glad for your help :twisted: ...we were living in a hell!!



    8O 8O 8O :P
    From spanish frikies DIELab
  • bunjibry
    All - :?

    I consoled in because its off the network. I used the aforementioned process to boot by cdrom, but have had a 'NULL' result. after removing the password entry from /etc/shadow and saving (wq!), I issued an init 6 to reboot. from this point it asked me for the user login (no problem, its root so i typed root) but when just hitting enter when propted for password I get Login incorrect. :?:

    please help
  • Anonymous
    Hi,

    My SunFire V440 won't boot from Solaris 9 Installation CDROM, Solaris 9 CD 1 of 2, or from Solaris 9 DVD. (boot cdrom)

    In all cases, it gets through the POST, initialises all memory, tells me the boot file and device, gives me the spinner and then tells me it cannot open kernel/sparcv9/unix

    That's the 64-bit file, so I've tried giving it the normal location of the 32-bit file:
    kernel/unix

    It cannot open that file either.

    All I want to do is wipe its disks before sending it back to the leasing company.

    It has a working Solaris OS onboard. Any ideas how I can boot from the CD/DVD or how I can wipe the disks while booted from one of them?

    Thanks,
    cla.
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