Solaris Systems Administrator’s Guide, Second Edition

INTRODUCTION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

CHAPTER 1—Introducing Solaris System Administration

Defining the System Administrator's Job

Understanding Superuser Status

Becoming Superuser (su)

Exiting Superuser Status

Logging In as Root

Communicating with Users

Displaying System-Specific Messages at Login

Creating a Message of the Day

Sending a Message to an Individual User

Typing a Short Message to an Individual User

Sending a Message from a File to an Individual User

Sending a Message to All Users on a System or Network

Sending a Message by E-Mail

Starting Up and Shutting Down Systems

Choosing an Init State

Finding the Run Level for a System

Using Power-Down State, Run Level 0

Using System Administrator State, Run Level 1

Using Multiuser State, Run Level 2

Using Remote Resource-Sharing State, Run Level 3

Using Alternative Multiuser State, Run Level 4

Using Interactive Reboot State, Run Level 5

Using Reboot State, Run Level 6

Using Single - User State, Run Level s or S

Changing Run Levels

Choosing Which Shutdown Command to Use

shutdown

telinit and init

halt

reboot

Booting a System

Booting in Multiuser State

Booting in Single-User State

Booting Interactively

Looking at the Boot Messages

Booting After Adding New Hardware

Aborting a Booting Process

Shutting Down a System

Shutting Down a Multiuser System

Shutting Down a System: Alternative Ways

Monitoring Processes

Commands for Monitoring Processes

The ps Command

What the ps Command Reports

Using the ps Report

Killing Processes

Using the /usr/proc/bin Commands

Displaying and Controlling Information About Processes

The Priority Control Command (priocntl)

Displaying Basic Information About Process Classes

Displaying the Global Priority of a Process

Designating a Process Priority

Changing the Scheduling Parameters of a Timeshare Process

Changing the Class of a Process

Changing the Priority of a Process (nice)

Troubleshooting Processes

Reviewing Essential Administration Tools

Frequently Used Commands

Getting Around in the File System

Finding Information About Files

Displaying File Information

Finding a File

Finding the Type of a File

Finding Information in Files

Looking at Files

Viewing a File

Looking at the End of a File

Looking at the Beginning of a File

Changing File Ownership or Permissions

Changing File Group Ownership

Setting or Displaying the System Environment

Common Desktop Environment Environment Variables

Defining Bourne and Korn Shell Environment Variables

Defining C Shell Environment Variables

Displaying Environment Variable Settings

Using the PATH Variable

Setting the Path for Bourne and Korn Shells

Setting the Path for the C Shell

Using Admintool

Starting Admintool

Introducing the Solstice AdminSuite Product

CHAPTER 2—Using Basic OS Commands

Finding User Information

Determining Who Is Logged In to a System (who, finger, rusers -l, whodo)

Using the who Command

Using the finger Command

Using the rusers - l Command

Using the whodo Command

Finding User UID and GID Settings (id)

Finding Environment Information

Creating and Editing Files

Using the cat Command

Using the touch Command

Copying (cp) or Renaming (mv) an Existing File

Using Text Editor

Using vi

Combining Commands and Redirecting Output

Typing Several Commands on the Same Command Line

Redirecting Output (<>)

Combining Commands (|)

Using Manual Pages

Displaying a Manual Page (man)

Finding the Section Number for a Manual Page (whatis, man)

Finding Disk Information

Displaying Used Disk Space in Kilobytes and Percentage of Capacity (df- k)

Determining If File Systems Are Local or NFS Mounted (df)

Finding All Mounted File Systems of a Specific Type (df-F)

CHAPTER 3—Administering Devices

Using Tapes

Tape Device - Naming Conventions

Specifying the Drive Number Using the Default Density

Specifying Different Densities for a Tape Drive

Specifying the No - Rewind Option

Understanding Device Abbreviations for—Different Tape Controllers and Media

Using Rack-Mounted Non-SCSI 1/2 - Inch Reel Drives

Using SCSI 1/4 - Inch Cartridge and 1/2 - Inch Front-Loaded Reel Drives

Specifying Helical Scan Drives

Useful Commands for Streaming Tapes

Retensioning a Magnetic Tape

Rewinding a Magnetic Tape

Showing the Status of a Magnetic Tape Drive

The tar Command

Copying Files to a Tape (tar)

Listing the Files on a Tape (tar)

Appending Files to a Tape (tar)

Retrieving Files and Directories from a Tape (tar)

The cpio Command

Copying All Files in a Directory to a Tape (cpio)

Listing the Files on a Tape (cpio)

Retrieving All Files from a Tape (cpio)

Retrieving a Subset of Files from a Tape (cpio)

The pax Command

Copying All Files in a Directory to a Tape (pax)

Retrieving All Files on a Tape (pax)

Volume Management

Volume Management Files

Volume Management Mount Points

CD-ROMs and Volume Management

Mounting a Local CD-ROM

Sharing Files from a Remote CD-ROM Drive

How to Access Shared CD-ROM Files

How to Unmount Shared CD-ROM Files

Diskettes and Volume Management

Command-Line Access

OpenWindows File Manager Access

CDE Front Panel Access

CDE File Manager Access

Using the tar and cpio Commands with Diskettes

Troubleshooting Volume Management

Using workman with Volume Management

Changes with Solaris 2.3 System Software

Disabling Volume Management

Using Diskettes Without Volume Management

Diskette Device Names

Diskettes for ufs File Systems

Formatting a ufs Diskette

Removing a Diskette from the Drive

Copying ufs Files to a Single Formatted Diskette

Listing the Files on a Diskette (tar)

Appending Files to a Formatted Diskette (tar)

Retrieving Files from a Diskette (tar)

Retrieving bar Files from Diskettes (cpio)

Multiple Diskettes for Archiving Files (cpio)

Making a ufs File System on a Diskette (newfs/dev/rdiskette)

Diskettes for pcfs (DOS) File Systems

Formatting a Diskette with a pcfs (DOS) File System

Mounting a pcfs Diskette

Unmounting a pcfs Diskette

Administering Disks

Disk-Naming Conventions

Using Disks with Bus Controllers

Using Disks with Direct Controllers

Setting Up Disk Slices

SPARC Disk Slices

x86 Disk Slices

Determining Which Slices to Use

Disk Use Check (du)

Disk Information Check (prtvtoc)

Bad-Disk Repair

Try Archiving the Files

Try Copying Data from the Disk

Try Repairing Any Bad Blocks

Try Reformatting the Disk

Replacing the Bad Disk

Adding Defect List, Format, Partition, and Label Disk (format)

Remaking the File Systems (Newfs)

Mounting the File System on a Temporary Mount Point (mount)

Restoring Files to the File System (ufsrestore)

Unmounting the File System from Its Temporary Mount Point (umount)

Checking the File System for Inconsistencies (fsck)

Performing a Level 0 Backup of the Restored File System (ufsdump)

Mounting the File System at Its Permanent Mount Point (mount)

Understanding the Service Access Facility

Admintool GUI for SAF Functionality

Starting Admintool

Port Monitors and Service Access

SAF Control of Port Monitors and Services

Setting Up Printer Port Monitors

Setting Up a Local Printer by Using Admintool

Setting Up a Bidirectional Modem

Using a Modem

CHAPTER 4—Administering File Systems

New File System Features in Solaris 2.6

Large Files

NFS Client Failover

WebNFS

Types of File Systems

Disk-Based File Systems

Network-Based File Systems

Virtual File Systems

The Cache File System

The Temporary File System (TMPFS)

The Loopback File System (LOFS)

The Process File System (PROCFS)

Enhancements to the /proc File System and Watchpoints

Additional Virtual File Systems

The Default SunOS 5.x File System

The Virtual File System Table (/etc/vfstab)

Creation of an Entry in the File System Table

File System Administrative Commands

Syntax of Generic Commands

Manual Pages for Generic and Specific Commands

How File System Commands Determine File System Type

Type of File System

Making File Systems Available

Understanding Mounting and Unmounting

Using Mount and Unmount File System Commands

Finding the Mounted File Systems

Mounting All File Systems in the /etc/vfstab File

Mounting All File Systems of a Specific Type

Mounting a Single File System (mount)

Remounting a UFS File System Without Large Files (mount)

Unmounting All Remote File Systems (umountall - F nfs)

Unmounting Individual File Systems (umount)

Automounting Directories

Sharing Files from a Server

Checking the Data Consistency of a File System (fsck)

Finding Out Whether a File System Needs Checking

Checking File Systems Interactively

Backing Up and Restoring File Systems

Specifying Tape Characteristics

Backing Up a File System Using QIC-150 Cartridge Tapes (ufsdump)

Accomplishing Incremental Backups

Restoring a Backed-Up File System (ufsrestore)

Determining Which Tapes to Use

Restoring a Full Backup

Restoring Files Interactively

Restoring a Single File from a Backup Tape (ufsrestore)

Creating Cache File Systems

Understanding CacheFS

Creating a Cache

Specifying a File System to Be Mounted in the Cache

Creating a Mount Point

Maintaining Caches

CHAPTER 5—Administering Network Services

Checking on Remote System Status

Determining How Long a Remote System Has Been Up (rup)

Determining Whether a Remote System Is Up (ping, rup, rpcinfo -p)

Logging In to a Remote System (rlogin)

Transferring Files Between Systems (rcp, ftp)

Using the rcp Command

Using the File Transfer Program (ftp)

Administering NIS+ Databases (solstice)

Solstice Host Manager

Add and Modify Support

Update System Types

Convert System Types

Add and Remove OS Services

Set Up Remote Installation Services

Queue Tasks

Set Root Passwords

Enable Scripts

Adding a Multihomed Host

Restrictions of Host Manager

Using NIS+ Tables

NIS+ Security

CHAPTER 6—Administering Printing

What's New in Printing

Redesign of Print Packages

Print Protocol Adaptor

SunSoft Print Client

Enhanced Network Printer Support

Print Administration Tools in the Solaris 2.6 Environment

Choosing a Method to Manage Printers

Introducing the LP Print Service

Administering Files and Scheduling Print Requests

Scheduling Network Print Requests

Filtering Print Files

Starting the Printer Interface Program

Tracking the Status of Print Jobs

Tracking Forms

Tracking Printwheels

Receiving Printing Problem Alerts

Understanding the Structure of the LP Print Service

User Commands

LP Configuration Files

Printer Definitions

Daemons and LP Internal Files

LP Administrative Commands

Log Files

Print Queue Logs

History Logs

Spooling Directories

Using the SunSoft Print Client

Printer Configuration Resources

Submitting Print Requests

Summary of the SunSoft Print Client Process

Setting Up Printing Services

Setting Up a Local Printer by Using Admintool

Setting Up a Print Server (Solaris 2.x)

Setting Up a PostScript Print Client by Using LP Commands

Using Printing Commands

Printing to the Default Printer

Printing to a Printer by Name

Requesting Notification When a File Is Done Printing

Printing Multiple Copies

Determining Printer Status

The Status of Your Print Requests

Availability of Printers

Display of All Status Information

Display of Status for Printers

Display of Printer Characteristics

Summary Table of lpstat Options

Canceling a Print Request

Canceling of Print Request by ID Number

Canceling a File That Currently Is Printing by Printer Name

CHAPTER 7—Administering User Accounts and Groups

Tools for Adding and Administering User Accounts

Adding User Accounts

Editing the /etc/passwd File

User ID Number

Large User IDs and Group IDs

Creating a Home Directory

NFS - Mounting the Home Directory

Defining the User's Environment

Defining Initialization Files

Setting Up a User's Mail Account

Setting Up a User's Printer

Creating a Password

The Admintool: Users Window

Adding a User Account

Administering User Accounts

Modifying User Accounts

Deleting User Accounts

Deleting a User Account Using Admintool

Disabling User Accounts

Setting Up and Administering Groups

Setting Up Fields in the Group Database

Setting Up a Group Name Field

Setting Up a Group ID Field

Setting Up a User (Member) List Field

Identifying Default UNIX User Groups

Creating New Groups

Modifying or Deleting Groups

Modifying a Group

Deleting a Group

Solaris User Registration

Error Conditions

Disabling User Registration

CHAPTER 8—Understanding Shells

Commands Common to All Shells

Setting a Default Shell

Changing Shells from a Command Line (csh, ksh, sh)

Quitting from a Shell (exit)

Clearing a Shell Window (clear)

The Bourne Shell

Reviewing the Bourne Shell Initialization File

Defining Bourne Shell Environment Variables

The C Shell

Reviewing C Shell Initialization Files

Defining C Shell Environment Variables

Creating Aliases for the C Shell

Setting history for the C Shell

Using history for the C Shell

Setting the Backspace Key for the C Shell (stty erase)

Incorporating a New Command for the C Shell (rehash)

Editing C Shell History Commands

The Korn Shell

Reviewing Korn Shell Initialization Files

Using Korn Shell Options

Creating Korn Shell Aliases

Editing Commands with the Korn Shell In-line Editor

Setting History for the Korn Shell

Displaying Korn Shell History Commands

Using Korn Shell History Commands

Editing Korn Shell History Commands

CHAPTER 9—Administering Systems

Displaying System-Specific Information

Determining the Host ID Number (sysdef -h)

Determining the Hardware Type (uname -m)

Determining the Processor Type (uname -p)

Determining the OS Release (uname -r)

Displaying System Configuration Information (prtconf)

Determining How Long a System Has Been Up (uptime)

Determining the System Date and Time (date)

Setting the System Date and Time (date)

Changing the System Time Zone (/etc/TIMEZONE)

Configuring Additional Swap Space (mkfile, swap)

Creating a Local Mail Alias (/etc/mail/aliases)

CHAPTER 10—Recognizing File Access Problems

Recognizing Problems with Search Paths

Displaying the Current Search Path

Setting the Path for Bourne and Korn Shells

Sourcing Bourne and Korn Shell Dot Files

Setting the Path for the C Shell

Sourcing C Shell Dot Files

Verifying the Search Path

Executing a Command

Recognizing Problems with Permissions and Ownership

Changing File Ownership

Changing File Permissions

Changing File Group Ownership