How to create bootable USB in solaris

How to Create a Bootable USB (Pen Drive) in Solaris

Creating a bootable USB in Solaris is a crucial task for system administrators, especially when dealing with server recovery, new installations, or maintenance scenarios. Whether you're recovering a root password or booting a server from ISO media, having a bootable USB ready can save valuable time.

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Why Is It Required?

There are several scenarios where booting from a USB ISO image becomes necessary:

• Root password recovery
• Fresh OS installation
• Server in maintenance mode
• Booting from ISO for troubleshooting

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Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Download the Solaris ISO

Search on Google:
Solaris 11.4 ISO download

Choose the correct ISO based on your server architecture:

• SPARC → Download SPARC USB Text Installer
• X86 → Download X86 USB Text Installer

For SPARC hardware, download:

SPARC Text Installer ISO

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Step 2: Transfer ISO to a Test Solaris Server

Once downloaded, copy the ISO to a working Solaris server.

root@cdom3:~# ls -lrth
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        1.1G Jul 18 13:09 sol-11_4-text-sparc.usb
root@cdom3:~#

Step 3: Write ISO to USB Drive

Insert the USB drive into the test server and run:

root@cdom3:~# usbcopy sol-11_4-text-sparc.usb

You’ll see output like:

image type: dd-able Sparc
Found the following USB devices:
0:      /dev/rdsk/c9t0d0s2      14.7 GB SanDisk  Cruzer Blade     1.00
Enter the number of your choice: 0
WARNING: All data on your USB storage will be lost.
Are you sure you want to install to
SanDisk Cruzer Blade 1.00, 14700 MB at /dev/rdsk/c9t0d0s2 ?  (y/n) y
Copying and verifying image to USB device
Finished 1160 MB in 234 seconds (4.9MB/s)
Successfully completed copy to USB

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Step 4: Remove USB and Insert into Target Server

Once the image is successfully copied, remove the USB from the test server and insert it into the target server (in maintenance mode).

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Step 5: Boot Server from USB

At the OK prompt, scan for connected devices

{0} ok probe-scsi-all       
Target 9
  Unit 0   Disk   HITACHI  H109030SESUN300G A606    585937500 Blocks, 300 GB
  SASDeviceName 5000cca043487328  SASAddress 5000cca043487329  PhyNum 0
Target a
  Unit 0   Disk   HITACHI  H109030SESUN300G A606    585937500 Blocks, 300 GB
  SASDeviceName 5000cca043487400  SASAddress 5000cca043487401  PhyNum 1
/pci@340/pci@1/pci@0/pci@3/usb@0/hub@8/storage@1
  Unit 0   Removable Disk     SanDiskCruzer Blade1.00

Identify the USB device:

{0} ok devalias

Select the USB disk (e.g., option h) and create a device alias:

{0} ok show-disks
a) /reboot-memory@0
b) /pci@380/pci@1/pci@0/pci@7/SUNW,qlc@0,1/fp@0,0/disk
c) /pci@380/pci@1/pci@0/pci@7/SUNW,qlc@0/fp@0,0/disk
d) /pci@380/pci@1/pci@0/pci@6/SUNW,qlc@0,1/fp@0,0/disk
e) /pci@380/pci@1/pci@0/pci@6/SUNW,qlc@0/fp@0,0/disk
f) /pci@3c0/pci@1/pci@0/pci@2/scsi@0/disk
g) /pci@300/pci@1/pci@0/pci@2/scsi@0/disk
h) /pci@340/pci@1/pci@0/pci@3/usb@0/hub@8/storage@1/disk
i) /iscsi-hba/disk
q) NO SELECTION
Enter Selection, q to quit: h
/pci@340/pci@1/pci@0/pci@3/usb@0/hub@8/storage@1/disk has been selected.
Type ^Y ( Control-Y ) to insert it in the command line.
e.g. ok nvalias mydev ^Y
         for creating devalias mydev for /pci@340/pci@1/pci@0/pci@3/usb@0/hub@8/storage@1/disk

Boot from the USB:

{0} ok boot mydev
Boot device: /pci@300/pci@1/pci@0/pci@2/scsi@0/disk@p0  File and args: mydev
/

If that fails, boot directly using the full device path:

{0} ok boot /pci@340/pci@1/pci@0/pci@3/usb@0/hub@8/storage@1/disk

Conclusion

Creating a bootable USB in Solaris is straightforward but powerful. It enables administrators to recover, reinstall, or troubleshoot servers efficiently. Always ensure you select the correct ISO and verify the USB copy process before proceeding.

Regards,

Kiren Jadhav