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.
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
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
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
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).
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 devaliasSelect 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{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/diskConclusion
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
