SUMMARY: Getting software from OS 4.1.1 CD

From: Len Evens (len@poincare.math.nwu.edu)
Date: Wed Nov 06 1991 - 11:58:22 CST


        I posted the following inquiry.

> I am trying to get OpenWindows from the OS 4.1.1 CD.
> I want it for the sun3 architecture. I have tried the command
> /usr/etc/install/extract files sr0 OpenWindows_Users -a sun3
> but I keep getting the sun4c version instead... I would rather
> do it from the CD. Most of all, I would like to understand
> why extract_files is apparently ignoring the -a option.

        Immediately after posting my question, I realized that since
the files on the distribution tape were tar files, the corresponding
files on the CD must also be tar files. (I posted a followup, but it
somehow got lost.) Thus, the simplest way to get the desired files
(OpenWindows_Users, in this case) was to mount the CD, locate the
appropriate tar file (not very difficult to do), and tar it to the
desired location.
        I got many responses telling me to do the above. I thank those
who responded and I apologize for wasting their time, since I had
already done it.
        Some people suggested using add_services instead.
        I am still puzzled about why extract_files ignores the -a
option. A couple of people suggested it might be a bug in the program
and a couple of people suggested putting the -a option immediately
after the command. (I was doing it exactly as indicated in the
manual page.) Since extract_files is a shell script, one can
presumably look and see as apparently one correspondent (see
below) did.

Here are some of the relevant responses I got:

>From feldt@phyast.nhn.uoknor.edu Tue Nov 5 10:30:41 1991
Subject: Re: Getting software from distribution CD

Len,

  It looks to me (from an examination of extract_files) that it is
simply a bug in extract_files. The 'usr_arch' variable is never
modified from the result of `arch` on the local machine, although
the 'kernel_arch' variable is...

Andy Feldt
System Support Programmer
+-------------------------------------------------+
| Andy Feldt | feldt@phyast.nhn.uoknor.edu
+----------------+ Dept. Physics & Astronomy \ feldt@uokniels (BITnet)
                 | The University of Oklahoma |UOKHEP::FELDT (HEPnet)
 This | * | phone: (405)-325-3961
  space | 440 W. Brooks |
   for \ Norman, OK 73019 |
    rent ~\_____________________________ |
     ... ~'

>From mike@jupiter.nmt.edu Tue Nov 5 10:33:14 1991
To: len@poincare.math.nwu.edu
Subject: Re: Getting software from distribution CD

        If you have 4.1.1 running on the machine in question, you
should be able to get stuff off the cd by doing this:

        cd /usr/etc/install
        add_services

I was able to use this method to add software to a preinstalled
system.

                                Mike Ames
                                Computer Center Director
                                New Mexico Tech

>From @MCC.COM:vasey@mcc.com Tue Nov 5 11:20:24 1991

I usually prefer the brute force approach -- very straightforward,
no setup files to mess with, and you know exactly what you're getting
( ...um...er... most of the time, anyway :^) ...

# mount -t hsfs -o ro /dev/sr0 /mnt
# cd /mnt/export/exec/sun3_sunos_4_1_1
# ls -FC
debugging* openwindows_programmers* system_v*
demo* openwindows_users* text*
games* rfs* tli*
graphics* security* user_diag*
install* shlib_custom* usr*
networking* sunview_demo* uucp*
openwindows_demo* sunview_programmers* versatec*
openwindows_fonts* sunview_users*

# tar tvf openwindows_users
rwxr-xr-x 0/10 32768 Jun 22 08:11 1990 ./openwin/bin/cps
rwxr-xr-x 0/10 24576 Jun 27 00:53 1990 ./openwin/bin/kbd_mode
rwxr-xr-x 0/10 2357 Jun 27 00:53 1990 ./openwin/bin/newshost
rwxr-xr-x 0/10 24576 Jun 27 00:53 1990 ./openwin/bin/newsserverstr
rwxr-xr-x 0/10 155648 Jun 27 00:57 1990 ./openwin/bin/olwm
rwxr-xr-x 0/10 4400 Jun 22 08:20 1990 ./openwin/bin/openwin
... [ just checking it out ]

# cd /usr
# foreach i ( /mnt/export/exec/sun3_sunos_4_1_1/openwindows_* )
# tar xvplf $i
# end

... or extract the files individually if you don't want all four.

This technique works great for all the software bundled with SunOS.
As you can see, the tar files correspond to the extract categories.
There is a corresponding directory for sun4 "application" files.

Explore the CD a bit and you'll discover many more of the pieces
which are frequently useful during installations or restorations
(proto_root shellscript, miniroots under "kvm", other kvm_stuff).

Example: to install a diskful Sun3, don't mess with cartridge tapes
and those confusing instructions. :^) Format/partition the disk on
ANY system, then cat (or dd) the sun3 "miniroot" file to /dev/sd0b,
move the disk to the target system, boot from the "b" partition,
enter "suninstall" (which can read the SunOS CD over the network)
...and go! (Takes 30-45 plus format time.)

Hope this helps!

 ++ Ron Vasey@mcc.com MCC:ES_Lab Austin_TX_78759 512+338-3461

PS: Don't let on how easy this is getting ... I still need the job! :^)

>From deltam!dm!mark@uunet.UU.NET Tue Nov 5 12:38:28 1991
Subject: Getting software from distribution CD

Try putting the -a option first, like this:

        /usr/etc/install/extract -a sun3 files sr0 OpenWindows_Users

Most commands that use flag options require the flags to be first on
the command line. Parsing of flags ends with the first non-flag
argument.

--Mark Galbraith Voice: +1 510 449 6881--
--Software Engineer UUCP: uunet!deltam!mark--
--Delta Microsystems, Inc. Domain: mark@deltam.com--



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