Manual Updates Installation
I managed to get 10 installed and running. Have root and one user setup and got a number of updates except several require manual installation. Haven't been able to find out the instructions to do that.
I have a good bit of years with Linux and WIndows but new to Solaris so I need a bit of guidance. I have a couple of reference books coming but they aren't here right now and I want to get this system running so I can start some real c/c++/java. It IS a bit different system than I'm familiar with . . .
A link to the necessary info or a short instruction would be much appreciated.
Jim
# 1
What "updates" are you referring to? Patches? What did you use to install the "updates"? What is the exact messages you received?If you are talking about patches, then read the documentation online about the patches. http://sunsolve.sun.com/
# 2
The updates are the updates that come up on the update manager on completion of the installation. There are 31 green arrow updates that are required to be installed manually. They are referenced as 'updates', not patches tho' I'm not sure there is a difference.
All I know at this point is that there are 31 updates in /var/sadm/spool that are required to be installed manually . . . and I have no idea how to complete that task.
JIm
# 3
You might be referring to patches that need a reboot to install.Just do a "shutdown -y -g0 -i6"
# 4
You can install patches with command patchadd and remove with patchrm. If they are marked as "download only", then read Install Requirements in readme file. It is obviously to install it in single user mode or reconfigure system.
# 5
Is there a /var/sadm/spool/disallowed_patches file?
As the others have said, rebooting may sometimes work (it never has for me).
What I do is drop to single user mode and run:
smpatch add -x idlist=/var/sadm/spool/disallowed_patches
This will install all the patches for you. As other have also said you should in theory read all the README files for each patch.
# 6
I'll try that - rebot hasn't worked so far but I'll try this one.Thank you
# 7
I did find that method - the attempt just comes back with a complaint about the signature on the file and nothing gets installed.Thank you
# 8
I'll try the smpatch next - I hope that works.Thank you
# 9
I've tried patchadd, shutdown, smpatch and still cannot install the green arrow updates located in /var/sadm/spool.
I know I'm missing something very simple but I cannot figure what.
After installing the os10, i have these .jar files in /var/sadm/spool that need to be installed manually. I've gone single usr, tried to install and no joy at all.
Help, please . . .
JIm
# 10
There were some bugs in update manager a while ago that had the symptom that patches werent installed at reboot.
If your suffering from that then the smpatch method should work.
And should install the patches that will fix the problems with reboot not installing patches.
You said something about a "signature problem". What command did you run that produced that error?
You should also be aware that it can sometimes take serveral patch/reboot cycles to install all patches. 118833-36 (or its x86 equivalent) in particular likes to be installed by itself. So it will block further patch installation. Once its in, just repeat the process to get the rest.
# 11
I have reinstalled three times with the same result each time. The Update Manager installs a number of the patches but insists many need manual installation. Things like kernel patches, etc., end up in /var/sadm/spool as jar files.
I just want to get all these tools/security patches installed so I can get on with evaluating 10 for my needs.
Is there a utility I need to use? Everything works but the Update Manager keeps listing the 'manual install' items and nothing seems to get them installed and working. I can't believe the grief this is - all I want to do is get the legit patches/updates installed. If I really need to intervene and put them in one at time, so be it - but HOW?
Many thanks for the response.
Jim
# 12
To recap Normally you need to reboot to install these patches.
You need to use the correct method to reboot, the "reboot" command won't do the right thing.
I normally use "shutdown -y -g0 -i6" but "init 6" will also work.
There have been bugs that stop this from working.
One workaround would be to download and install a recommended patch set.
That should the update manager/smpatch working..
# 13
I use shutdown to reboot as instructed. When the updates begin installation, there are several 'succeeded' messages for the ones that install, and several 'Failed' messages for the ones that don't. When finished, there are all the jar files left in /var/sadm/spool that reappear in the available updates shown in the Update Manager list. All are shown with a green arrow indicating they were downloaded but need 'manual installation', whatever that means.
Beyond that, I've come to the end of my resources to figure out how to 'manually install' the remaining, downloaded but not installed - 'updates'.
This has got to be one of the most discouraging episodes in too many years of windows, linux and SCO Unix practice.
Thanks for the response . . .
Jim
# 14
Sometimes it can take several repetitions to get all the patches in.So try the upgrade procedure again and see if the rest go in this time.In general one reboot is enough. But there have been patches recently that required 2 or at worst maybe 3 update/reboot cycles.
# 15
Solution found!
I looked at the log for the updates and found that the updates failed because 118855-36 (kernel update) was missing. The patch was in the directory with the others so I assumed 'missing' meant it was not installed.
I tried installing it alone but it failed because it coudn't get a signature validation, so - -
I ran patchadd with the -n option, ignoring validation - and behold! 118855-36 installed perfectly with patchadd -n.
I then returned to the Update Manager and found that ALL the remaining patches showed as blue restart icons so Iclicked on them all to install.
On restart (init) every one of the patches successfully installed, Update Manager shows no available updates, the little green shield in the task bar says no updates are available and I'm as happy as a pig in you-know-what.
The clue was using patchadd with the -n option to get the kernel updated - the rest was a piece of cake with all the frosting . . .
Anyone else seen this behavior?
Thanks for your help . . .
Jim
# 16
Yeah, I had forgotten that 118833-36 is tagged as an interactive patch.
Meaning it takes a manual intervention to get it installed.
Or at least its supposed to. However, a bug in the patching software causes it to get installed automatically most of the time, which is why it slipped my mind.
So you were caught out by the patching software working correctly for a change :-)
The patching software does not represent solaris's finest hour.
In fact its a heap of crap that fails spectacularly on a regular basis.
I just thank my lucky stars that the programmers who work on it arent let anywhere near the kernel or any important part of the system.
My personal theory is that the patching team is a kind of coventry where they dump programmers who are in disgrace. Or perhaps put new interns.
# 17
Well, at least I'm in business with a complete installation. Now maybe I can comfortably get immersed in real development projects. I see a number of odd things with Solaris - is that the reason they decided to make the OS available? It seems to be a good system but I have to admit Linux is much further along in user-friendly attributes like shutdown, update, etc.
Time will tell I suppose.
Many thanks for your responses . . .
Regards,
Jim
# 18
Here is a link that tells about installing the jar files. http://carltonorama.googlepages.com/Have fun,Carlton
