System Administration Guide: Basic Administration
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Managing Solaris Patches by Using the patchadd Command (Task Map)

Task

Description

For Instructions

1. (Optional) Set up the package keystore.

If you plan to apply signed patches to your system, you must first import Sun's Root CA certificate into your package keystore.

How to Import a Trusted Certificate to Your Package Keystore

2. (Optional) Specify a web proxy.

If your system is behind a firewall with a web proxy, you must specify the web proxy to obtain patches from the Sun patch server.

How to Specify a Web Proxy

3. Download and apply a patch.

You can download and apply a patch to your system by using the patchadd command.

How to Download and Apply a Solaris Patch

4. (Optional) Display information about patches that have been applied to your system.

If you want information about the patches that have already been applied to your system, use the patchadd, showrev, or pkgparam command.

How to Display Information About Solaris Patches

5. (Optional) Remove a patch from your system.

If necessary, remove a patch from your system by using the patchrm command.

How to Remove a Solaris Patch by Using the patchrm Command

How to Import a Trusted Certificate to Your Package Keystore

To apply signed patches to your system by using the patchadd command, you must add Sun's Root CA certificate, at the very least, to verify the signature of your signed patch. You can import this certificate from the Java keystore to the package keystore.

  1. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
  2. If you are using the patchadd command to install signed patches, add the new trusted Verisign certificate to the keystore.
    1. Download the Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2 trusted Verisign certificate from http://www.sun.com/pki/certs/ca/.

      The Subject Name of this certificate is:

      C=US, O=VeriSign, Inc., OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification
      Authority - G2, OU=(c) 1998 VeriSign, Inc. - For authorized use only,
      OU=VeriSign Trust Network
    2. Select the binary format (DER encoded).
    3. Copy the certificate to the file, /tmp/root.crt.

    Note - In the event you are unable to download the trusted Verisign certificate, see Exporting the Root CA Certificate From the Java Keystore for alternate instructions.


  3. Import the Root CA certificate from the temporary file to the package keystore.

    Unless changed by the system administrator, the default Java keystore password is changeit.

    For example:

    # pkgadm addcert -t -f der /tmp/root.crt
         Keystore Alias: /C=US/O=VeriSign, Inc./OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2/O
            Common Name: /C=US/O=VeriSign, Inc./OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2/O
       Certificate Type: Trusted Certificate 
    Issuer Common Name: /C=US/O=VeriSign, Inc./OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2/O
         Validity Dates: <May 18 00:00:00 1998 GMT> - <Aug  1 23:59:59 2028 GMT>
    MD5 Fingerprint: 2D:BB:E5:25:D3:D1:65:82:3A:B7:0E:FA:E6:EB:E2:E1
       SHA1 Fingerprint: B3:EA:C4:47:76:C9:C8:1C:EA:F2:9D:95:B6:CC:A0:08:1B:67:EC:9D
    
    Are you sure you want to trust this certificate? yes
    Trusting certificate </C=US/O=VeriSign, Inc./OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2/O>
    Type a Keystore protection Password. changeit
    Press ENTER for no protection password (not recommended):
    For Verification: Type a Keystore protection Password.
    Press ENTER for no protection password (not recommended):
    Certificate(s) from </tmp/root.crt> are now trusted 
    -t

    Indicates that the certificate is a trusted CA certificate. The command output includes the certificate details, which you are asked to verify.

    -f format

    Specifies the format of the certificate or private key. When importing a certificate, it must be encoded using either the PEM (pem) or binary DER (der) format.

    certfile

    Specifies the file that contains the certificate.

  4. Display the certificate information.
    # pkgadm listcert
    Enter Keystore Password: storepass
         Keystore Alias: /C=US/O=VeriSign, Inc./OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2/O
            Common Name: /C=US/O=VeriSign, Inc./OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2/O
       Certificate Type: Trusted Certificate
    Issuer Common Name: /C=US/O=VeriSign, Inc./OU=Class 2 Public Primary Certification Authority - G2/O
    Validity Dates: <May 18 00:00:00 1998 GMT> - <Aug 1 23:59:59 2028 GMT>
     MD5 Fingerprint: 2D:BB:E5:25:D3:D1:65:82:3A:B7:0E:FA:E6:EB:E2:E1
       SHA1 Fingerprint: B3:EA:C4:47:76:C9:C8:1C:EA:F2:9D:95:B6:CC:A0:08:1B:67:EC:9D
  5. Remove the temporary file.
    # rm /tmp/root.crt

Exporting the Root CA Certificate From the Java Keystore

If you are unable to download the trusted Verisign certificate from http://www.sun.com/pki/certs/ca/, as described in Step 2 of How to Import a Trusted Certificate to Your Package Keystore, you can export the Root CA certificate from the Java keystore to a temporary file.

For example:

# keytool -export -storepass changeit -alias verisignclass2g2ca \ -keystore /usr/java/jre/lib/security/cacerts -file /tmp/root.crt
Certificate stored in file </tmp/root.crt>
-export

Exports the trusted certificate.

-storepass storepass

Specifies the password that protects the integrity of the Java keystore.

-alias verisignclass2g2ca

Identifies the alias of the trusted certificate.

-keystore certfile

Specifies the name and location of the keystore file.

-file filename

Identifies the file in which to hold the exported certificate.

You are now ready to import the Root CA certificate from the temporary file to the package keystore. See the remaining steps in the section, How to Import a Trusted Certificate to Your Package Keystore, for instructions.

How to Specify a Web Proxy

If your system is behind a firewall with a web proxy, you must specify the web proxy to use patchadd to apply a patch.

  1. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
  2. Use one of the following methods to specify a web proxy:
    • Specify the web proxy by using the http_proxy, HTTPPROXY, or HTTPPROXYPORT environment variable.

      For example:

      # setenv http_proxy http://mycache.domain:8080

      Or, specify one of the following:

      # setenv HTTPPROXY mycache.domain
      # setenv HTTPPROXYPORT 8080
    • Specify the web proxy on the patchadd command line.

      For example:

      # patchadd -x mycache.domain:8080 \ -M http://www.sun.com/solaris/patches/latest 101223-02 102323-02

Restrictions on Using patchadd -R to Create an Alternate root Path

On systems that are running a Solaris release that is not zones aware, using the patchadd command, or any command that accepts the -R option to specify an alternate root path for a global zone that has non-global zones installed, does not work.

You can use of the -R option to add and remove software packages and patches, if the alternate boot environment has configured non-global zones, but no installed non-global zones.

To avoid a potential problem, restrict the use of the -R option for the creation of an alternate root path.

If you are running this Solaris release, you can alternately choose one of the following methods:

  • Upgrade any systems that are not running the current Solaris release.

  • Boot an alternate root as the active OS.

If you are running the Solaris 10 OS, you can alternately choose one of the following methods:

  • Upgrade any systems that are not running at least the Solaris 10 1/06 OS to the Solaris 10 1/06 release.

  • If you are running the Solaris 10 initial 3/05 release, you can install the following patch to enable the use of commands that accept the -R option for creation of an alternate root path.

    • For SPARC based systems – Install at least revision 19 of patch 119254.

    • For x86 based systems – Install at least revision 19 patch 119255.

  • Boot an alternate root, for example the Solaris 10 release, as the active OS. You can then install and uninstall packages and patches without using the -R option.

For more information, see the patchadd(1M), patchrm(1M), pkgadd(1M), and pkgrm(1M) man pages.

How to Download and Apply a Solaris Patch

Use this procedure to download either a signed or an unsigned Solaris patch and then apply it to your system.

If you want to apply signed patches, you must first set up the package keystore.

  1. Gain access to the system in one of the following ways:
    • Log in to the system where you want to apply the patch.
    • Download the patch and use the ftp command to copy the patch to the target system.
  2. Start a web browser and go to the SunSolve Online Patch Portal at http://sunsolve.Sun.COM.
  3. Determine whether to download a specific patch or a patch cluster, then do one of the following:
    • Type the patch number (patch-id) in the Find Patch search field, then click Find Patch.

      Entering patch-id downloads the latest patch revision.

      If this patch is freely available, the patch README appears. If this patch is not freely available, an ACCESS DENIED message appears.

      Note that patch numbers for SPARC based and x86 based systems are different. The patch IDs are listed in the patch README. Ensure that you apply the patch that matches your system architecture.

    • Select the Recommended Patch Cluster that matches the Solaris release that is running on the system that you want to patch.
  4. Download the patch by following these instructions:
    • To download a copy of the signed patch, click the Download Signed Patch (n bytes) button.
    • To download an unsigned patch, click the Download Patch (n bytes) button.

    When the patch or patches are successfully downloaded, close the web browser.

  5. Change to the directory that contains the downloaded patch.
  6. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
  7. (Unsigned patch) If you downloaded an unsigned patch, unzip the patch.
    # unzip patch-id
  8. Apply the signed or unsigned patch.
    • If you downloaded a signed patch, apply it.

      For example:

      # patchadd /tmp/111879-01.jar
    • If you downloaded an unsigned patch, apply it.

      For example:

      # patchadd /tmp/111879-01
  9. Verify that the patch has been successfully applied.

    For example:

    # patchadd -p | grep 111879
    Patch: 111879-01 Obsoletes:  Requires:  Incompatibles:  Packages: SUNWwsr

How to Display Information About Solaris Patches

Before applying patches, you might want to know more about patches that have been previously applied.

The following commands provide useful information about patches that are already applied to a system.

  • patchadd -p or showrev -p

    Shows all patches that have been applied to the system.

  • pkgparam pkgid PATCHLIST

    Shows all patches that have been applied to the package identified by pkgid, for example, SUNWadmap.

  • patchadd -S Solaris-OS -p

    Shows all the /usr patches that have been applied to an OS server.

  • Use one of the following patchadd command lines to display information about patches that have been applied to your system.
    • To obtain information about all patches that have been applied to your system, type:

      $ patchadd -p
    • To verify whether a particular patch has been applied to your system, type, for example:

      $ patchadd -p | grep 111879

How to Remove a Solaris Patch by Using the patchrm Command

  1. Become superuser.
  2. Remove the patch.
    # patchrm 111879-01
    Checking installed patches...
    
    Backing out patch 111879-01...
    
    Patch 111879-01 has been backed out.
  3. Verify that the patch was removed.
    # patchadd -p | grep 111879
    #
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