Sparc Solaris install on flash devices (USB Flash and Compact Flash) fails with following errors:
Preparing system for Solaris install
Configuring disk (c1t0d0)
- Creating Solaris disk label (VTOC)
Creating and checking UFS file systems
- Creating / (c1t0d0s0)
ERROR: File system creation failed for / (c1t0d0s0)
ERROR: Could not check or create system critical file systems
ERROR: Could not update disks with new configuration
mkdir: "/a/var/sadm/launcher": Read-only file system
Could not update disks with new configuration
It just hangs at this point. I have to reset the system from service processor or send break to get to the OK prompt and then reset the system to recover.
The installer knows the size of some devices and it doesn't for some. If the device size isn't detected (shows the device, but size is set to 0) then that's it for the install. If the device size is detected, I can continue to choose partitions and such. Then the install starts and I get the above errors.
There are actually two problems here:
1) Size of flash device is not detected for some devices
2) If the size is detected, the install proceeds further, but fails as above
Failure modes are identical on snv_61 and S10U4 build 4. This needs to be fixed in both Nevada and S10.
Debug output during the install process is attached.
Work Around
boot net or in a booted system, format/type/other, manually enter the type of the device. Then the device is availbel to install solaris.