SUMMARY: 5.8 Jumpstart "config_nsswitch" error

A big thankyou to Tim Evans who also discovered this problem and 
stepped through several jumpstart builds to test.....

It only seems to affect Ultra5 & 10 systems for some weird reason.....

It looks like the application of certain 5.8 patches is the cause of 
the problem.  I removed the install image and went to backups and 
got the install without these patches.

The closest info I got on Sunsolve regarded bugID 4446215 which refers to the 
problem patches in question.

Let's hope they fix it!

The one thing I am unclear about is if I can go ahead and install 
using 5.8 4/01 or if I have to stick to MU_3?


rachel


>From tkevans@tkevans.com Wed Jul 18 13:55:01 2001
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 07:01:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tim Evans <tkevans@tkevans.com>
To: rachel@excitehome.com.au
Subject: Re: 5.8 Jumpstart "config_nsswitch" error

>> Starting remote procedure call (RPC) services: sysidns
>> The following error occurred while trying to configure the name service 
switch
>> file: config_nsswitch error -5, errno 30, Read-only file system.

Just ran into this myself on Friday.  This is with the 4/01 release of
Solaris 8?  I haven't resolved it, but did get the 1/01 release to jump
without error, using the same profile/begin/end scripts.  I was going
to reload the CD today and try again.


>From Tim_Evans@troweprice.com Wed Jul 18 13:55:07 2001
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 08:10:15 -0400 

> This was with 01/01 and MU_3.  I just recently applied a couple of 
> patchs which I suspect are the issue.

Patches to your Jumpstart tree?  I had done this, and guessed it may have
been the problem. I'm recopying the 4/01 CDs now for a retry from the
unpatched distribution.  Stay tuned.



>From Tim_Evans@troweprice.com Wed Jul 18 13:55:16 2001
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 09:28:40 -0400 
Subject: RE: 5.8 Jumpstart "config_nsswitch" error

> This is just to get the U10 going.  I will have to 
> investigate further....

JumpStart successful on my U5 from the fresh CD-ROM copy; will patch it and
let you know how that works out.

....


OK, it's verified.  Applying the current (as of Tuesday) patch set to my
JumpStart tree (i.e., disk copy of the CD-ROM distribution) results in the
read-only error we've seen.

Jumping from the unpatched tree works fine.

You'll probably want to install your patches via a Finish script as a
workaround.

If you have a support contract, you may want to enter a call on this;
otherwise, I will and will let you know the result.


>From Tim_Evans@troweprice.com Wed Jul 18 13:55:26 2001
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 12:37:44 -0400 

Sun does not support general patching of JumpStart file trees.  While they
do support things like updating the kernel patch rev, or adding new/updated
device drivers, application of other patches is likely to fail.

The argument is that a JumpStart file tree is not an "installed" Solaris
system.  Packages not required for a network boot by JumpStart clients will
still be in uninstalled format, same as on the CD's; attempts to apply
patches to these packages will fail because the packages themselves are not
"installed."

I didn't get a specific answer to the read-only error, nor any explanation
of why this sort of patching doesn't result in a similar error in 2.6 and
2.7.

Hope this helps.
--
Tim Evans, T.Rowe Price Investment Technologies  | tkevans@troweprice.com
P.O. Box 89000                                   | (410) 345-8134
Baltimore, MD 21289-0374                         | (410) 345-8150 (Fax)

-- 
Rachel Polanskis			Optus/Excite@Home
UNIX Administrator			100 Harris Street
IT Operations				Pyrmont, Sydney NSW
rachel@excitehome.com.au		Ph: (+61 2) 900 51144