SLAC Solaris Installation Request

Please complete the form below to request installation of the Solaris operating system on your Sun computer. Solaris installations are done via the network from a central installation server. When you have supplied the necessary information, we will set up the server so that it will answer a "boot" request from your system. You will be given the instructions to start the installation on your machine. The installation should take less than two hours. During this time you should not try to login to the system. This procedure installs the operating system, recommended and security patches, and the modifications needed to ensure that your system will function in the SLAC computing environment.

After the installation, SCS maintains and monitors the system, applying patches as needed. Please note that you do not have root access to the system and we assume that you will be storing your data in AFS or NFS. Local filesystems are not backed up; if there is a problem that cannot be resolved within a reasonable timeframe, the system is re-installed.

Before you request an installation, you must have some SLAC-specific information about your computer. This is obtained by completing the IP/Node Name Request Form and taking it to the Help Desk in the Computer Building (Building 50). After the request has been processed, you will be provided with the following information:

• the hostname, a unique name chosen by you for your SLAC computer
• the IP address assigned to your computer

as well as some other details. In addition to the information above, you will also need to determine:

• the ethernet (also called MAC) address for your computer. This is a number of the form 8:0:20:xx:xx:xx that is displayed when the system is first booted. It is also found on a sticker, included with the packing slip, taped to the side of the system box.
• the architecture of the system. Providing the model number will give us the needed information (e.g., Sun Blade 1000, etc.)
• the amount of memory (RAM) in your system (e.g., 256 Megabytes). The minimum configuration is 128 MB.
• the size of the internal disk (e.g., 18 Gigabytes). The minimum workable disk configuration for Solaris is 9 GB.
• the "workgroup" that you are in. If you aren't sure, ask your computer czar or one of your colleagues.

Now you are ready to complete the form below.