Solaris Boot Process
Boot PROM
Firmware, referred to as the monitor program, controls operation of system before kernel is available.
Provides a user interface.
Generic device drivers.
Power On Self Test (POST).
No OpenBoot PROM in Intel environment.
NVRAM
Stores Ethernet address, host ID, and time-of-day clock (TOD).
Contains electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).
Lithium batter powered.
Boot Process
SPARC platform
Boot PROM phase
PROM runs POST
boot locates boot-device
boot reads and loads bootblk
Boot program phase
bootblk loads ufs boot program
ufsboot loads kernel
Kernel initialization phase
reads configuration from /etc/system
kernel initializes itself and loads modules
starts init
INIT phase
kernel starts /etc/init
init starts rc scripts
Intel platform
BIOS phase
loads mboot
BOOT program phase
mboot loads pboot
pboot loads bootblk
bootblk loads boot.bin (like ufsboot)
boot.bin read bootrc displays menu
boot.bin loads kernel
Kernel and INIT phase identical to SPARC
/etc/inittab file
What does /etc/inittab do?
defines system's default run level
which processes start, monitor, and restart if needed
which actions to take when system enters new run level
Format of file is id:rstate:action:process
id=1 or 2 character id for entry
rstate=1 or more run levels which entry applies
action=how process in next field is treated
process=command or script to execute
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