Configuring Solaris x86 machines
********************************

When configured correctly there should be no functional difference
between a Solaris x86 machine and a Solaris SPARC machine, including
access to software and all network services. In the case of more
recent Pentiums, they will easily be faster running locally than many
of the SparcStation 4's and 5's in the department.

Do this first!!
---------------
Before installing Solaris, mail support and ask that the machine name
be added to the NIS netgroup called 'res_pc_2'. This allows your
machine to mount home directory and mail spool disks on u2 and cedar
and also mount the software repository on derwent.

NB. as of 16/2/00 the res_pc_2 contains the following machines:

(Use the command 'ypmatch res_pc_2 netgroup')

bradfield.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
buxton.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
dungworth.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
edale.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
hope.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
raki.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
rivelin.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
strines.dcs.shef.ac.uk,
ughill.dcs.shef.ac.uk

During installation
-------------------
Solaris will ask you if you have a network installed. Answer yes and
when it asks if you have any network information service, check
'NIS'. The domain name for when it asks is yp1.dcs.shef.ac.uk. Solaris
should be quite capable of figuring out most of the other information
for itself after this. Even if you did not originally ask for your
machine to be added to the 'res_pc_2' netgroup at the time of
installation, but followed this step here for NIS correctly, then NIS
should be working on your machine and you can jump to 'setting up
network services' below. 

Uh-oh. I haven't done any of this but I have installed Solaris already
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The quickest and most complete way of resetting a Solaris machine is
to log on to the console as root (blank screen, # prompt) and type
'sys_unconfig'. This will wipe all current network settings and cause
the machine to reboot and go through the installation configuration
routine again. It will not wipe your installed software!

Setting up network services
---------------------------
After installing Solaris x86 on your pc you need to make the following
changes to allow it to make full use of the dcs network information
service:
(all the following must be done as root)

1. edit /etc/defaultrouter (will need to create it) and add one line:
   143.167.8.254
   this is the ip address of the departmental router - lets your
   machine find it's way out the dept.

2. edit /etc/hosts.equiv (need to create it) and add one line:
   +@all_unixes
   this allows you to rlogin to your machine from other machines
   without needing to type your password. Change the permissions of
   this file so that only root can read it!
   # chmod 600 /etc/hosts.equiv

Mounting /opt and /usr/local on derwent
---------------------------------------
Although derwent is a SPARC machine it serves x86 binaries to any
machine in the res_pc_2 netgroup. This allows these filesystems to be
backed up as part of the ordinary backup schedule. Because a SPARC
machine cannot compile x86 binaries, the machines chatter, babble,
and gasp have read/write and root permisson on the exported
partitions. New software should therefore be installed via one of
these machines - derwent merely serves the disk space.

In order to mount the partitions on your x86 box, you need to:

1. make sure your machine is a member of the res_pc_2 netgroup and
   that NIS is enabled (see 'do this first' above).

2. (as root) add the following lines to the file /etc/vfstab
   derwent:/export/local  -   /usr/local   nfs   -   yes     bg,ro
   derwent:/export/opt    -   /opt         nfs   -   yes     bg,ro

3. reboot the machine; you should see messages saying that /usr/local
   and /opt are 'already mounted'. This is correct (means the machine
   is rejecting cedar's offer to mount the SPARC versions of these
   filesystems). 

Your machine should now let you log on as yourself with access to your
filespace on u2 just as if you were working on a SPARC machine. You
should also have access to a whole suite of software such as netscape
and emacs capable of running locally on your x86 box. 


CPS 15/2/00
last modified 16/2/00