Kernel Configuration; Making A New Configuration - Sun Microsystems Sun Workstation 100U System Manager's Manual

Sun 100/150 Installation Manual Installing UNIX for the First Time
by this machine. Continue now with kernel configuration and, if you have an Ethernet, with
network configuration. Both of these steps are crucial for system performance reasons.
4.3.12. Kernel Configuration
Sun Microsystems' implementation of
UNIX
provides for a configurable kernel - that is, certain
system parameters that were hardwired in previous implementations can now be changed. As a
final step in system installation, all 1-MByte systems
must -
and all other systems should -
configure the
UNIX
system kernel to suit your
particul~r
system. This reconfiguration reduces
the kernel size, thus giving a larger effective memory size to programs. This is especially impor-
tant if you intend to run the Sun Window System.
This section begins with a lockstep walkthrough of configuration procedures, which we hope
provides enough information to take you safely through reconfiguration. If there is anything
you don't understand or feel comfortable with, please read the sections just following the walk-
through; they give some explanation of what's going on (describe the layout of the kernel code,
and the format of the configuration file used by the utility / etc/ config to build your system
configuration ).
For a full discussion of configuring and building system images, see the document Building Sun
Workltah'on Kernel, in the Tutorial, section
01
this manual.
.
This configurable sys'tem also provides for adding new device drivers to the system, since all the
kernel object files required to build a new system are present. For procedures, see the Device
Driver Tutorial in the Sun SlIltem Internal, Manual.
4.3.12.1. Making a New Configuration
This subsection walks you through the procedure for making a new system configuration. If
your system includes server(s) and client(s), you probably want to go through this procedure
twice, making one kernel for the 5erver machine (in5tall it in /
vmun;z),
and one kernel for all
the clients (install it in / pub/ vmuniz).
1.
Choose a name for your configuration of the system; here,
SYSjlAME.
Note that - by con-
vention - the name should be in all uppercase letters.
2.
Change directory to the
/'11'/
conI directory, and create the configuration file and the direc-
tory in which the new system will be built. In this example, we assume that you will make
a copy of the
GENERIC
file provided with this release, and edit the copy to create your new
configuration file. Another (perhaps easier) method is to copy one of the stripped-down files
in
/'11'/
conI and edit it, XY100, for example, makes a good starting point for a Model
100U with one Xylogics disk; XYAR100 is a standard file for a Model 100U with a Xylogics
disk and a 1/4" tape, XYMT150 is a Model 150U server with
2
Xylogics disks and a 1/2"
tape.
#:
cd Isys/conl
*
cp
GENERIC SYS_NAME
:/1=
chmod
+w
SYS_NAME
:/1=
mkdir •• /
SYS_NAME
3.
Edit
SYS_NAME
to reflect your system. This is the part of the procedure which takes some
thought. On the next page, we provide a copy of the
GENERIC
file. You will notice that the
file has two different 'types' of lines: lines which describe general aspects of the system
Revision H of 12 March 1984
4-31