Solaris 10 New Install hanging on Configuring Devices

[ericnipro]

Hi,

I have ESX running with a few virtual machines on a Sun 4100 X86 server. The OS's I'm running include Solaris 10X86, Redhad, Win2K. I am trying to install a new version of Solaris, and I'm getting stuck at a Configuring Devices prompt.

I have seen a few message threads on the Sun forums indicating that there are some BIOS issues that might be causing this. But I'm not sure how to reset the BIOS values, or if I should. I'm trying to load the OS using a remote mount of my MAC dvd drive which contains the Solaris dvd. It boots and gets to loading the OS and configuring the devices and then just hangs.

Wondered if anyone had seen this or knows what to do here.

Eric

[mike_laspina]

Hi, This sounds like the old 64Bit install issue, I usually try forcing the install to go 32bit when this occurs.

Here are the details to force it into 32 Bit install mode

[ericnipro]

Thanks good thought.. but its trying to boot a 32 bit kernel, but the link you did have the documentation for the grub boot loader and I can go play with some of those options. So that thread did give me some directions to explore.

Thanks

[azn2kew]

Have you heard of Transitive ->they have the appliance to virtualize greatly with Solaris, Linux, SPARC systems and if this is for development box you can download their appliance and use it to see if it works for 64-bit for you. www.transitive.com

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[mikepodoherty]

Eric,

Which version of Solaris 10 X86? The latest update - 5/08 U5 - was just released.

I am assuming ESX 3.5 - is that correct?

Thanks

Mike

[jondriscoll]

I have the same issues.

x4200 ESX (3.0.2) server

ISO: solaris-10-U5-ga-x86-iso (2.1GB)

... initial boot from the "iso" as the "cd" sits at the spinning "/" forever.

I still need to try the other suggestions (above) in this thread re: 32bit etc....

.. but just thought I'd throw in that I have seen the same thing on Solaris 10 U5

- jd (@sun.com)

[TomHowarth]

it is very expensive and requires a lot of manual configuration, it is to aid migrations form Sparc Solaris to Intel based machines in that it can run Sparc binaries on intel Solaris boxes or intel Linux machines.

Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

[ddecarlo]

Had the same problem with the Solaris 10 u5 install hanging at "configuring devices /....." Switching the SCSI adapter in the VM settings from LSI to BusLogic solved the problem for me.

Dave.

[fatbobsufc]

Just thought I'd say when switching from LSI to BUSLogic this also fixed the issue for me...

Oh! Until the install sequence looks for disks and doesn't find any - aaaargh! Back to Google!

[carsontu]

Update

Switching from LSI to BUSLogic, that make the it continue to boot, which is true. However, it stopped during the installation at some point say: No disk found.

I switch BUSLogic back to LSI. And refering by another post. I installed ESX 3.0.1 patche ESX-1003351. That fixed the issue.

[harryc]

I had "pauses" of several hours when installing on ESX 3.0.2 - went to the latest and greatest Sol10-X68 release and this seemed to resolve it.

[carsontu · Accepted solution]

Another thing I found out is that, I need to give the new VM 1GB memory instead of 512MB. That made the installation much faster and less froozen. (I think that might because I mount the 2GB DVD image in the installation media.) After the installation finished, I can put the memory back to 512MB without issue.

[ericnipro]

I run Solaris no problem these days, my problem was based on mounting the DVD image and installing off the DVD image itself. Once mounted properly with the correct amount of space and memory, it worked fine.

Eric

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