maximum number of instances of the package

Sometimes there is a need of existence of concurrent versions of the same package.
It is not a issue why, but how to achieve this behaviour.

During the normal installation procedure of the package, with the same name but different version then already installed one,
there is a chance to see a similar message:

# pkgadd -d somepkg*dstream
[...]
Current administration requires that a unique instance of the
<somepkg> package be created.  However, the maximum number of
instances of the package which may be supported at one time on the
same system has already been met.

No changes were made to the system.

To resolve the conflict change the value of MAXINST variable from inside the pkginfo file
(during the package build process).

For example, to allow the coexistence of maximum number of two packages use the following:

MAXINST=2


# pkgadd -d somepkg*dstream
[...]

Installation of <somepkg.2> was successful.

Make yourself a package

In the world where the Good Security Practices becomes Science Fiction, there was an Admin who wants to train himself in Solaris Packaging.
He has written down the script, which has made his Lord the Legend ;-)
Now, let's put some light on it.

The script takes .ssh folder files from the specified user of template machine, and turns it into .ssh folder of root user on target host. There are also the configuration changes, inside of either /etc/default/login file, or /etc/ssh/sshd_config one.
Do not try this at (production) home!

# ./rootbox.sh
Generating package files
prototype
pkginfo
checkinstall
postinstall
postremove
login.sed
sshd_config.sed
Making package MMWrootbox.1.0.i386.pkg [/tmp]
success
Translating package format to a datastream
success
# cd /tmp
# pkgadd -d MMWrootbox.1.0.i386.pkg

The following packages are available:
1 MMWrootbox Root box
(i386) 1.0

Select package(s) you wish to process (or 'all' to process
all packages). (default: all) [?,??,q]:

Processing package instance from

Root box(i386) 1.0
Marcin Marian Wisnios
## Executing checkinstall script.
## Processing package information.
## Processing system information.
## Verifying disk space requirements.
## Checking for conflicts with packages already installed.
## Checking for setuid/setgid programs.

This package contains scripts which will be executed with super-user
permission during the process of installing this package.

Do you want to continue with the installation of [y,n,?] y

Installing Root box as

## Installing part 1 of 1.
/root/.ssh/authorized_keys
[ verifying class ]
Modifying /etc/default/login
Modifying /etc/ssh/sshd_config
[ verifying class ]
## Executing postinstall script.

Installation of was successful.
# date;svcs -x ssh| grep -i state
Sun Nov 22 08:50:57 CET 2009
State: online since Sun Nov 22 08:50:42 2009
# diff /etc/ssh/sshd_config /tmp/rootbox.bak/sshd_config
128c128
< PermitRootLogin without-password
---
> PermitRootLogin no
# diff /etc/default/login /tmp/rootbox.bak/login
18c18
< #CONSOLE=/dev/console
---
> CONSOLE=/dev/console
# pkginfo MMWrootbox
system MMWrootbox Root box
# pkginfo -l MMWrootbox
PKGINST: MMWrootbox
NAME: Root box
CATEGORY: system
ARCH: i386
VERSION: 1.0
BASEDIR: /
VENDOR: Marcin Marian Wisnios
DESC: Methods and keys to allow remote root user access
PSTAMP: 20091122085002
INSTDATE: Nov 22 2009 08:50
EMAIL: wisnios@gmail.com
STATUS: completely installed
FILES: 4 installed pathnames
2 shared pathnames
1 directories
3 blocks used (approx)

# pkgrm MMWrootbox

The following package is currently installed:
MMWrootbox Root box
(i386) 1.0

Do you want to remove this package? [y,n,?,q] y

## Removing installed package instance

This package contains scripts which will be executed with super-user
permission during the process of removing this package.

Do you want to continue with the removal of this package [y,n,?,q] y
## Verifying package dependencies in global zone
## Processing package information.
## Removing pathnames in class
Modifying /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Modifying /etc/default/login
## Removing pathnames in class
/root/.ssh/authorized_keys
/root/.ssh
## Executing postremove script.
## Updating system information.

Removal of was successful.
# svcs -x ssh|grep -i state; date
State: online since Sun Nov 22 08:52:33 2009
Sun Nov 22 08:52:50 CET 2009
# diff /etc/ssh/sshd_config /tmp/rootbox.bak/sshd_config
# diff /etc/default/login /tmp/rootbox.bak/login


http://cs-tools.googlecode.com/files/rootbox.sh

Enjoy.

Core system support - the journey begins

OK, I've installed 'core system support' software group. Solaris has started.
What now? There's for ex. no ssh service, no bash or zsh shell.
So I've decided to mount dvd image and install additional packages.

But... which dsk device is the right one?
No mounted device, no vfstab entry, no cdrom life marks on planet Solaris.

I've found it finally with:

for d in `ls /dev/dsk/*s2`; do prtvtoc $d; sleep 2; done

The right one is that with only one slice, with sector count of 4509440 (dvd image size):

*                          First     Sector    Last
* Partition  Tag  Flags    Sector     Count    Sector  Mount Directory
       0      5    01          0   4509440   4509439
       2      5    01          0   4509440   4509439

Mount:

mount -F hsfs -o ro /dev/dsk/c1t0d0s2 /cdrom

and install desired software:

pkgadd -R /a -d /cdrom/Solaris_10/Product
[...]

Select package(s) you wish to process (or 'all' to process all packages).
(default: all) [?,??,q]: SUNWsshcu,SUNWsshr,SUNWsshu,SUNWsshdr,SUNWsshdu,SUNWbash,SUNWzsh

I've used the -R switch because I've done the work inside the shell session invoked from the Installation menu.
The root system has been mounted at /a directory.