Full Table of Contents

Contents

IRIX Admin Manual Set

About This Guide

Using This Guide

Inst or Software Manager?

Installing Diskless Systems

What This Guide Contains

Part I

Part II

Audience for This Guide

Notation Conventions

Related Documentation

I - Installation

1. - Introduction

Software Product Releases

Anatomy of a Software Product

Product Descriptions

The Installation Database

Images

Subsystems

Required and Default Subsystems

Factory-Installed Subsystems

Patch Releases

Sources of Installable Software

Software Installation Methods

Introduction to Inst

Automatic Initialization

The Main Menu

Changing the Distribution Source

Viewing the Software Inventory

Selecting and Installing Software

Handling Conflicts

Ending a Session

Supplementary Menus

Getting Help During Installations

2. - Preparing for Installation

Selecting a Distribution Source

Setting Up an Installation Server

Enabling BOOTP Forwarding on Routers

Enabling TFTP Access on an Installation Server

Configuring an Installation Account

Creating a Distribution Directory

Backing Up the Target Systems

Planning the Order of Installation

Collecting the Information That You Need

Getting CD-ROM Device Numbers

Getting the Target's Name and Address

Getting the Server's Name and Address

Getting the Installation Account Name

Preparing the Remote CD-ROM Drive

3. - Starting an Installation

Determining the Installation Method

Preparations Checklist

About Miniroot Installations

Starting a Miniroot Installation

Preliminary PROM Monitor Procedure

Loading From a Local CD

Loading From a Remote Distribution Source

Starting a Live Installation

4. - Using the Main Menu

The Software Installation Procedure

Step 1: Invoking Inst

Step 2: Specifying the Source

Using the from Command

Automatic Initialization Functions

Step 3: Displaying Software Information

Using the list Command

Displaying Software Installed on the Target

Interpreting list Output

Interpreting Patch Information

Interpreting the Disk Space Summary

Step 4: Making Software Selections

Using the install, remove, and keep Commands

Simple Selection Command Entries

Using Arguments in Selection Commands

Checking Your Selections With list

Accepting Automatic Selections

Step 5: Launching the Installation

Step 6: Resolving Conflicts and Other Errors

Using the conflicts Command

Correcting Other Installation Errors

Step 7: Quitting the Installation Session

Handling Unresolved Conflicts

If Rebooting Is Needed

The Requickstart Sequence

If Inst Is Interrupted

Completing a Checkpoint Restart

If a Checkpoint Restart Fails

Stopping the Remote CD Manager

Managing Configuration Files

The Configuration File Notice

Merging Configuration Files

5. - Using Supplementary Menus

Giving Commands on Other Menus

Using the View Commands Menu

The target and distribution Commands

The filter Command

The level Command

The sort Command

The sizes and deltas Commands

The filesystems Command

Using the Administrative Commands Menu

The set Command

The date Command

The files Command

The space Command

The recalculate Command

The sh and shroot Commands

The mount and umount Commands

The mkfs Command

The sethostname and sethostipaddr Commands

The save and load Commands

The config Command

The hardware Command

Using the Interrupt Menu

Stopping an Installation

Using Other Interrupt Menu Commands

6. - Inst for Experts

Alternative Ways to Specify a Distribution

Using the $dist Variable

Specifying One Product as the Source

Specifying an Alternate User Account

Specifying the Source on the Command Line

Installing Software Noninteractively

Using Command Shortcuts

Giving Commands by Number

Abbreviating Command Names

Using Wildcards in Subsystem Names

Using Product and Image Names

Using Keywords as Arguments

Using step to Make Selections

Using Advanced step Features

7. - Maintenance Tips

Installing a Software Update

Installing Optional Software Products

Installing Patch Releases

Patch Installation Procedure

Removing Patches

Removing Original Product Files

Installing Software for Hardware Upgrades

Installing Accompanying Product Releases

Reinstalling the Same Software

Installing Reference Pages

Reinstalling an Older Software Release

Avoiding Compatibility Problems

Removing All Software

8. - Tailoring Installations

Using an Initialization Script

Syntax of the inst.init Script

Writing an inst.init Script

Additional inst.init Script Rules

Sample inst.init Scripts

Using README Files in a Distribution

Checking the Current Preference Settings

Controlling Menu Displays

Turning Off Menu Displays

Displaying Hidden Commands

Redisplaying the Menu

Controlling Disk Space Checks and Reports

Estimated and Detail Space Checks

Changing Detail Space Checking

Delaying Disk Space Checking

Minimizing Disk Space Checking Time

Controlling the Display of Filenames

Displaying the Current Distribution Source

Turning Off Initial Selection of Subsystems

Changing the Network Timeout Value

A Closer Look at Preferences

The Preferences File

Creating Additional Preferences Files

The Preferences List

I - Licensing

9. - Licensing

FLEXlm File and Utility Locations

The FLEXlm Startup Sequence

Changing FLEXlm Software Locations

A. - Inst Quick Reference

Condensed Installation Instructions

Main Menu Commands

View Menu Commands

Administrative Menu Commands

Interrupt Menu Commands

B. - Troubleshooting Installations

Types of Errors

Fatal

Error

Warning

Resolving Errors

Errors Loading the Miniroot

Errors Loading the Miniroot From Local CD

Errors Loading the Miniroot From Remote Host

Other Errors Loading the Miniroot

Errors While Starting an Installation Session

Wrong Diskless Modes

Errors Starting Live Installation

Inst Library libinst.so Errors

Errors in the Distribution

Pre-Installation Check Errors

Errors While Installing and Removing Software

Disk Space Errors

subcommand and Exitop Errors

Network Timeout Errors

Archive Corrupt Errors

Device Busy Errors

Errors On Leaving an Installation Session (RQS Errors)

Resolving Conflicts

Resolving Different Types of Conflicts

Pre-Existing Conflicts

Required Product Conflict

Prerequisite Conflict

Back Prerequisite Conflict

Incompatible Products Conflict

Downgrade Conflict

Overriding Conflicts

Resolving Network Problems

Checking Network Connections

Network Problem Diagnosis During an Inst Session

Network Problem Diagnosis During Miniroot Installation

Resolving Problems With CDs

Checking CD-ROM Drives

Verifying That a CD-ROM Drive Is Recognized

Verifying That a CD Is Mounted

Checking Distribution Directories and CDs

Using fx to Restore the Swap Partition

Calling Your Support Organization

Index