Solaris 8 fails to install after QEMU 8.1
Host environment
- Operating system: Fedora 42
- OS/kernel version: Linux yarr 6.16.3-200.fc42.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat Aug 23 17:02:17 UTC 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux
- Architecture: amd64
- QEMU flavor: qemu-system-sparc
- QEMU version: 8.1.5 (works) / 9.2.4 + latest from git (issue)
- QEMU command line:
./qemu-system-sparc -M SS-5 -m 256 -drive file=solaris8.qcow2,media=disk,if=scsi,bus=0,unit=3,format=qcow2 -prom-env 'auto-boot?=false' -nographic
Emulated/Virtualized environment
- Operating system: Solaris 8
- OS/kernel version: SunOS 5.8 Generic_108528-29 sun4m sparc SUNW,SPARCstation-5
- Architecture: SPARC
- Image: https://x-server.jgilje.net/qemu/solaris8.qcow2
Description of problem
The linked qcow image is created by the Solaris 8 installer CDROM, like the one found at https://archive.org/download/sun-solaris-8-0204-operating-environment-sparc. This first installation step is used just for partitioning the hardrive and copying over an installer runtime, before it will continue installation by booting from the harddrive.
Booting from the harddrive, it will eventually start an installation program in Java (because Sun...). That installation program never starts up correctly.
I started going back to earlier QEMU versions, the branch in stable-8.1 is the last one that works. Some of the versions in between 8.1 and the current git master fails in other ways, so I haven't been able to use bisect to pinpoint a particular commit.
In the attached boot logs below, I disabled graphics so that I could copy the boot logs directly. There is no change when running with graphics. If running with graphics and after the machine starts up X11, you can open additional terminals to inspect the system. At this point, a Java process can be found running, which is part of the installer - but again - it doesn't actually do anything. It appears stuck. prstat -m shows its issuing about 500 syscalls/sec. though.
An additional note is that Solaris 9 installs in a similar way (including a Java-based installer), but everything works fine there.
Steps to reproduce
- Use the linked qcow image or start install from the installation CD
- boot disk:b
- Wait for the installer to start
Additional information
Correct installer log from 8.1
Configuration device id QEMU version 1 machine id 32
Probing SBus slot 0 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 1 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 2 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 3 offset 0
Invalid FCode start byte
Probing SBus slot 4 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 5 offset 0
Invalid FCode start byte
CPUs: 1 x FMI,MB86904
UUID: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
Welcome to OpenBIOS v1.1 built on Feb 12 2025 13:03
Type 'help' for detailed information
0 > boot disk:b Not a bootable ELF image
Loading a.out image...
Loaded 7680 bytes
entry point is 0x4000
bootpath: /iommu@0,10000000/sbus@0,10001000/espdma@5,8400000/esp@5,8800000/sd@3,0:b
switching to new context:
SunOS Release 5.8 Version Generic_108528-29 32-bit
Copyright 1983-2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Configuring /dev and /devices
NOTICE: audiocs0:Couldn't set value (../../sun/io/audio/sada/drv/audiocs/audio_4231.c, Line #1749 0x00 0x88)
audiocs0:audio may not work correctly until it is stopped and restarted
Using RPC Bootparams for network configuration information.
Skipping interface le0
Searching for configuration file(s)...
syslog service starting.
Running in command line mode
(pause for about 2 seconds)
Please wait while the system information is loaded... /
Welcome to the Web Start Solaris Command Line installation!
The following questions will gather information about this system.
This information will be used to configure:
Network
Kerberos Security
Name Service
Date and Time
Root Password
Power Management
<Press Return to continue>Log from 9.2.4 / current master.
Configuration device id QEMU version 1 machine id 32
Probing SBus slot 0 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 1 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 2 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 3 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 4 offset 0
Probing SBus slot 5 offset 0
Invalid FCode start byte
CPUs: 1 x FMI,MB86904
UUID: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
Welcome to OpenBIOS v1.1 built on Feb 12 2025 13:03
Type 'help' for detailed information
0 > boot disk:b Not a bootable ELF image
Loading a.out image...
Loaded 7680 bytes
entry point is 0x4000
bootpath: /iommu@0,10000000/sbus@0,10001000/espdma@5,8400000/esp@5,8800000/sd@3,0:b
switching to new context:
SunOS Release 5.8 Version Generic_108528-29 32-bit
Copyright 1983-2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Configuring /dev and /devices
NOTICE: audiocs0:Couldn't set value (../../sun/io/audio/sada/drv/audiocs/audio_4231.c, Line #1749 0x00 0x88)
audiocs0:audio may not work correctly until it is stopped and restarted
Using RPC Bootparams for network configuration information.
Skipping interface le0
Searching for configuration file(s)...
syslog service starting.
Running in command line mode
(at this point, there is no more output)