Install / Enable GUI desktop on Solaris 11 x86 platform

By default, the soalris11 text based installation will not install complete package. It will install minimum / default packages. If you want to use GUI desktop, we have to install desktop GUI package from the IPS repository. 

We can install these package from online if you have a internet connection or if you have a local repository then you can install those packages from there. 

Generally Solaris11 will pickup all the dependency packages automatically while installing. In my environment I have configured local repository so I am installing from there. 

This installation will requires a reboot of the system to enable GUI desktop. 

Basically in solaris11 by default it will creates a backup Boot environment depend on the package requirement, for our GUI installation it creates a backup Boot environment and it can be revert back any time.


Installation Steps:
To check IPS repository info:

root@infravm:/# pkg publisher
PUBLISHER                   TYPE     STATUS P LOCATION
solaris                     origin   online F file:///solrepo/
root@infravm:/#

Check whether this package is available in local repository:

root@infravm:~# pkg list -g ///solrepo/ | grep -i solaris-desktop
group/system/solaris-desktop                      0.5.11-0.175.1.0.0.24.3    i--
root@infravm:/#

Check this package installed or not :

root@infravm:~# pkg list | grep -i  solaris-desktop
root@infravm:~# pkg info -r solaris-desktop
          Name: group/system/solaris-desktop
       Summary: Oracle Solaris Desktop
   Description: Provides an Oracle Solaris desktop environment
      Category: Meta Packages/Group Packages
         State: Not installed
     Publisher: solaris
       Version: 0.5.11
 Build Release: 5.11
        Branch: 0.175.1.0.0.24.3
Packaging Date: September 19, 2012 06:53:17 PM
          Size: 5.46 kB
          FMRI: pkg://solaris/group/system/solaris-desktop@0.5.11,5.11-0.175.1.0.0.24.3:20120919T185317Z
root@infravm:/#

Installing solaris-desktop package:

root@infravm:~# pkg install solaris-desktop
           Packages to install: 370
       Create boot environment:  No
Create backup boot environment: Yes
            Services to change:  14

DOWNLOAD                                PKGS         FILES    XFER (MB)   SPEED
Completed                            370/370   53216/53216  547.3/547.3    0B/s

PHASE                                          ITEMS
Installing new actions                   84196/85615
command output was:
------------------------------------------------------------
drvconfig: modctl failed to add major number binding.
------------------------------------------------------------
Installing new actions                   85615/85615
Updating package state database                 Done
Updating image state                            Done
Creating fast lookup database                   Done
root@infravm:~#

This Installation creates a BBE (Backup Boot Environment).
To check the BE details:

root@infravm:~# beadm list
BE               Active Mountpoint Space  Policy Created
--               ------ ---------- -----  ------ -------
solaris          NR     /          11.94G static 2014-03-29 02:46
solaris-backup-1 -      -          95.0K  static 2014-03-31 22:45
root@infravm:~#

After reboot server came up with GUI desktop:

root@infravm:~# shutdown -g0 -i6 -y

Shutdown started.    Monday, March 31, 2014 11:32:50 PM IST

Changing to init state 6 - please wait
Broadcast Message from root (pts/2) on infravm Mon Mar 31 23:32:50...
THE SYSTEM infravm IS BEING SHUT DOWN NOW ! ! !
Log off now or risk your files being damaged
root@infravm:~#