System Requirements and Recommendations

The following tables list basic system requirements to install the Solaris OS.

Table 1-1 SPARC: Memory, Swap, and Processor Recommendations

SPARC Based System

Size

Memory to install or upgrade

512 MB is the recommended size. 256 MB is the minimum size.

Note - Some optional installation features are enabled only when sufficient memory is present. For example, if you install from a DVD with insufficient memory, you install through the Solaris installation program's text installer, not through the GUI. For more information about these memory requirements, see Table 1-3.

Swap area

512 MB is the default size.

Note - You might need to customize the swap space. Swap space is based on the size of the system's hard disk.

Processor requirements

200–MHz or faster processor is required.

Table 1-2 x86: Memory, Swap, and Processor Recommendations

x86 Based System

Size

Memory to install or upgrade

512 MB is the recommended size. 256 MB is the minimum size.

Swap area

512 MB is the default size.

Note - You might need to customize the swap space. Swap space is based on the size of the system's hard disk.

Processor requirements

120–MHz or faster processor is recommended. Hardware floating-point support is required.

Solaris Installation Program GUI or Text Installer Requirements

The Solaris installation program on the Solaris Operating System DVD or Solaris Software - 1 CD can be run with a graphical user interface (GUI) or as an interactive text installer in a desktop or console session. For x86 based systems, the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant is included in the Solaris installation program.

GUI – The Solaris installation GUI provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images to enable you to interact with the installation program. The GUI requires a local or remote DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive or network connection, video adapter, keyboard, monitor, and enough memory. For more information about these memory requirements, see Table 1-3 and Table 1-4.
Text installer – The Solaris interactive text installer enables you to type information in a terminal or console window to interact with the installation program. You can run the text installer in a desktop session with a windowing environment, or in a console session. The text installer requires a local or remote DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive or network connection, keyboard, and monitor. You can run the Solaris installation text installer with the tip command. For more information, see the man page, tip(1).

You can choose to install the software with a GUI or with or without a windowing environment. If there is sufficient memory, the GUI is displayed by default. Other environments are displayed by default if memory is insufficient for the GUI. You can override defaults with the nowin or text boot options. But, you are limited by the amount of memory in your system or by installing remotely. Also if the Solaris installation program does not detect a video adapter, it automatically displays in a console-based environment. Table 1-3 and Table 1-4 describe these environments and list memory requirements for displaying them.

Table 1-3 SPARC: Memory Requirements for Display Options

SPARC: Memory

Type of Installation

Description

256-511 MB

Text-based

Contains no graphics, but provides a window and the ability to open other windows.

If you install by using the text boot option and the system has enough memory, you are installing in a windowing environment. If you are installing remotely through a tip line or using the nowin boot option, you are limited to the console-based installation.

512 MB or greater

GUI-based

Provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images.

Table 1-4 x86: Memory Requirements for Display Options

x86: Memory

Type of Installation

Description

256–511 MB

Text-based

Contains no graphics, but provides a window and the ability to open other windows.

512 MB

GUI-based

Provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images.

You can also specify the installer you want to use during the installation by entering a selection or special command at a prompt. For instructions, see the procedures in Chapter 2, Installing With the Solaris Installation Program (Tasks).

General Disk Space Planning and Recommendations

Planning disk space is different for everyone. Consider allocating space for the following conditions, depending on your needs.

Table 1-5 General Disk Space and Swap Space Planning

Conditions for Space Allocations	Description
File systems	For each file system that you create, allocate an additional 30 percent more disk space than you need to enable you to upgrade to future Solaris versions. By default, the Solaris installation methods create only root (`/`) and `/swap`. When space is allocated for OS services, the `/export` directory is also created. If you are upgrading to a major Solaris release, you might need to reslice your system or allocate double the space that you need at installation time. If you are upgrading to an update, you could prevent having to reslice your system by allocating extra disk space for future upgrades. A Solaris update release needs approximately 10 percent more disk space than the previous release. You can allocate an additional 30 percent of disk space for each file system to allow space for several Solaris updates.
The `/var` file system	If you intend to use the crash dump feature `savecore`(1M), allocate double the amount of your physical memory in the `/var` file system.
Swap	The Solaris installation program allocates a default swap area of 512 Mbytes under the following conditions: If you use the installation program's automatic layout of disk slices If you avoid manually changing the size of the swap slice By default, the Solaris installation programs allocate swap space by placing swap so that it starts at the first available disk cylinder (typically cylinder 0 on SPARC based systems). This placement provides maximum space for the root (`/`) file system during the default disk layout and enables the growth of the root (`/`) file system during an upgrade. If you think you might need to expand the swap area in the future, you can place the swap slice so that it starts at another disk cylinder by using one of the following methods. For the Solaris installation program, you can customize the disk layout in cylinder mode and manually assign the swap slice to the desired location. For the custom JumpStart installation program, you can assign the swap slice in the profile file. For more information about the JumpStart profile file, see Creating a Profile in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations. For an overview of the swap space, see Chapter 20, Configuring Additional Swap Space (Tasks), in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems.
A server that is providing home directory file systems	By default, home directories are usually located in the `/export` file system.
The Solaris software group you are installing	A software group is a grouping of software packages. When you are planning disk space, remember that you can add or remove individual software packages from the software group that you select. For information about software groups, see Disk Space Recommendations for Software Groups.
Upgrade	If you are using Solaris Live Upgrade to upgrade an inactive boot environment and want information about disk space planning, see Solaris Live Upgrade Disk Space Requirements in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning If you are using other Solaris installation methods to plan disk space, see Upgrading With Disk Space Reallocation in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade.
Language support	For example, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. If you plan to install a single language, allocate approximately 0.7 Gbytes of additional disk space for the language. If you plan to install all language supports, you need to allocate up to approximately 2.5 Gbytes of additional disk space for the language supports, depending on the software group you install.
Printing or mail support	Allocate additional space.
Additional software or third-party software	Allocate additional space.

Disk Space Recommendations for Software Groups

The Solaris software groups are collections of Solaris packages. Each software group includes support for different functions and hardware drivers.

For an initial installation, you select the software group to install, based on the functions that you want to perform on the system.
For an upgrade, you must upgrade to a software group that is installed on the system. For example, if you previously installed the End User Solaris Software Group on your system, you cannot use the upgrade option to upgrade to the Developer Solaris Software Group. However, during the upgrade you can add software to the system that is not part of the currently installed software group.

When you are installing the Solaris software, you can choose to add or remove packages from the Solaris software group that you selected. When you are selecting which packages to add or remove, you need to know about software dependencies and how the Solaris software is packaged.

The following figure shows the grouping of software packages. Reduced Network Support contains the minimal number of packages and Entire Solaris Software Group Plus OEM Support contains all the packages.

Figure 1-1 Solaris Software Groups

Table 1-6 lists the Solaris software groups and the recommended amount of disk space that you need to install each group.

Note - The disk space recommendations in Table 1-6 include space for the following items.

Swap space
Patches
Additional software packages

You might find that the software groups require less disk space than the amount that is listed in this table.

For additional information about how to plan your disk space, see Allocating Disk and Swap Space in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade.

Table 1-6 Disk Space Recommendations for Software Groups

Software Group	Description	Recommended Disk Space
Entire Solaris Software Group Plus OEM Support	Contains the packages for the Entire Solaris Software Group plus additional hardware drivers, including drivers for hardware that is not on the system at the time of installation.	6.8 Gbytes
Entire Solaris Software Group	Contains the packages for the Developer Solaris Software Group and additional software that is needed for servers.	6.7 Gbytes
Developer Solaris Software Group	Contains the packages for the End User Solaris Software Group plus additional support for software development. The additional software development support includes libraries, include files, man pages, and programming tools. Compilers are not included.	6.6 Gbytes
End User Solaris Software Group	Contains the packages that provide the minimum code that is required to boot and run a networked Solaris system and the Common Desktop Environment.	5.3 Gbytes
Core System Support Software Group	Contains the packages that provide the minimum code that is required to boot and run a networked Solaris system.	2.0 Gbytes
Reduced Network Support Software Group	Contains the packages that provide the minimum code that is required to boot and run a Solaris system with limited network service support. The Reduced Network Support Software Group provides a multiuser text-based console and system administration utilities. This software group also enables the system to recognize network interfaces, but does not activate network services.	2.0 Gbytes