• Automatic Installation of Solaris Software

• Platform Names and Groups

• 32-bit Kernel--Default on 200MHz or Lower UltraSPARC Systems

• System Kernel Support

For the Sun hardware listed in TABLE 1-1 , the Solaris 9 release requires no special installation or upgrade instructions. If you plan to perform an automatic installation of the Solaris 9 operating environment on your Sun hardware, refer to the Solaris 9 Installation Guide for all your installation needs.

You need to know your system architecture (platform group), if you are performing one of the following tasks:

• Setting up a boot server on a subnet

• Adding clients for network installation (standalone, servers, dataless, diskless)

If you are writing a custom JumpStart installation rules file, you need to know the platform name.

TABLE 1-1 shows the platform names and platform groups of various Sun hardware systems.

Refer to the Solaris 9 Installation Guide for further information on platform groups for all other systems.

On UltraSPARC systems with 200MHz or lower processors, it is possible for a user to run a 64-bit program designed to exploit a problem that could cause a processor to stall. Since 64-bit programs cannot run on the Solaris 32-bit kernel, the Solaris
32-bit kernel is booted by default on these systems.

The code sequence that exploits the problem is very unusual, and is not likely to be generated by a compiler. Assembler code had to be specifically written to demonstrate the problem. It is highly unlikely that a legitimate handwritten assembler routine would use this code sequence.

Users willing to assume the risk that a user might accidentally or deliberately run a program that was designed to cause a processor to stall may choose to run the Solaris 64-bit kernel on these systems.

You can determine the speed of your processor(s) by typing:

# /usr/sbin/psrinfo -v

You can change the default kernel from 32-bit on a system by modifying the boot policy file. Edit the /platform/ platform-name /boot.conf file so that it contains an uncommented line with the variable named ALLOW_64BIT_KERNEL_ON_UltraSPARC_1_CPU set to the value true as shown in the example that follows:

ALLOW_64BIT_KERNEL_ON_UltraSPARC_1_CPU=true

See boot (1M) for more information about changing the default kernel.

You may also purchase an upgrade to your system, contact your Sun representative for details.

All SPARC systems can run 32-bit applications. Systems using newer SPARC processors (that is, UltraSPARC-based systems) can boot and run a full 64-bit kernel, which allows those systems to run 32-bit and 64-bit applications concurrently.

Systems running a 64-bit kernel require 64-bit versions of drivers and other software modules that load directly into the kernel. A small number of applications may be dependent on such components and thus would require versions of these components specific to a 32-bit or 64-bit kernel. Also, 32-bit applications cannot link to 64-bit libraries and vice versa. (The Solaris 9 operating environment includes both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of system libraries.)

The following lists indicate which systems can run 64-bit as well as 32-bit applications and which systems can boot a 32-bit kernel, a 64-bit kernel, or both.

32-bit kernel/driver only platforms:

• SPARCclassic, SPARCstation LX

• SPARCstation 4, 5, 10, 20

• SPARCengine CP1200

64-bit platforms that can boot 32-bit kernel/driver:

• Ultra 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60, 80, 450

• Sun Enterprise 1, 2, 150, 220R, 250, 420R, 450

• Sun Enterprise 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 3500, 4500, 5500, 6500

• Sun Enterprise 10000

• Netra t1, t1120, t1125, t1400, t1405

• Ultra AX, AXi, AXdp, AXmp, AXmp+, AXe

• SPARCengine CP1400, CP1500

64-bit platforms that do not support a 32-bit kernel/driver:

• Sun Blade 100, 1000

• Sun Fire 280R, V480, V880

• Sun Fire V100, V120

• Sun Fire 3800, 4800, 4810, 6800

• Sun Fire 15K

• Netra X1, T1, 20

Solaris 9 Sun Hardware Platform Guide

816-1664-10

Copyright © 2002, Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.