A Framework for JumpStart Begin/Finish Scripts

Chris Josephes

If you've ever managed a large Solaris environment, you are probably familiar with JumpStart. JumpStart is a system for automating the installation of new Solaris systems, over a network. With JumpStart, an administrator can install an OS on multiple systems at once, with little or no user intervention.

This article covers one aspect of the JumpStart process -- the begin and finish scripts. It is presumed that the reader already has some knowledge of the JumpStart system. To learn more about JumpStart, I recommend reading "Automating Solaris Installations: A Custom JumpStart Guide" by Kasper/McCellen, or the "Solaris Advanced Installation Guide" that comes with your Solaris distribution.

Unlike other installation systems, JumpStart gives an administrator two points where she can customize the installation process -- the begin script, and the finish script. The scripts give you full access to the hardware and software, so it's possible to automate tasks that are normally performed manually after the installation.

Here is what happens during a JumpStart installation process:

1. When the new host is booted from the network, its configuration is examined to see which rules best identify the host. The rules specify how an installation proceeds based on the architecture of the host, the network the host is on, the size of the disks on the host, or other parameters.

2. The begin script runs. Because no operating system or software has been installed yet, there aren't very many things you can customize at this point.