bffcreate Command

AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference, Volume 1

bffcreate Command

Purpose

Creates installation image files in backup format.

Syntax

bffcreate [ -q -S v X ] [ -d Device ] [ -t SaveDir ] [ -w Directory ] { -l | PackageName1 [ Level1 ] [ PackageName2 [ Level2 ] ... ] | All }

Description

The bffcreate command creates an installation image file in backup file format (bff) to support software installation operations.

The bffcreate command creates an installation image file from an installation image file on the specified installation media. This file can be used by the installp command, which is used to install software onto the system. The file is created in backup format and put into the directory specified by SaveDir. The .toc file in the directory specified by the SaveDir parameter is updated to include an entry for the image file.

The bffcreate command determines the bff name by using the information in the following table:

Image Type	Target bff Name
Install image	<package>.<part>.<v.r.m.f>
3.1 update	<package>.<v.r.m.f>.<service #>
3.2 update	<package>.<v.r.m.f.ptf>
*4.1 update	<fileset>.<part>.<v.r.m.f>

*4.1 updates contain one and only one fileset. Also, 4.1 updates do not contain ptf ids.

package = Package Name

part = [ "usr" | "shr" ]

v.r.m.f.ptf = version.release.modification.fix.ptf

The installation image file name has the form Package.Part.Level, where Package is the name of the software package, as described for the PackageName parameter. For root and /usr file tree parts of the software package, Part is usr. For the /usr/share file tree part of the package, Part is shr. For software packages that do not separate the root, /usr, and /usr/share parts, Part is usr. Level has the format of v.r.m.f, where: v=version, r=release, m=modification, f=fix.

For installation image files that contain an update package in the AIX Version 3.1 format, the fix ID field is replaced with Servicenum. The Servicenum parameter can be up to 4 digits in length. An example would be: xlccmp.usr.3.1.5.0.1234.

For installation image files that contain an update package in the AIX Version 3.2 format, the fix ID field is present; for example, bosnet.usr.3.2.0.0.U412345.

An example of an update installation image file in the AIX Version 4.1 format is bos.net.usr.4.1.0.1.

The PackageName parameter specifies the name of an installable software package, which must be in backup format. PackageName cannot specify an installable option. The All parameter indicates that installation image files are to be created for every installable software package contained on the device.

It is possible to exact a single update image with the AIX Version 4 bffcreate command. The fileset name and the v.r.m.f parameters must be given. An in example 3, the PackageName parameter must be the entire fileset name, bos.net.tcp.client, not just bos.net.

Attention: Extracting base-level images and update images to the same directory should be avoided, especially if there is a chance that the same fileset could exist in both forms with the same level. In cases such as this, installp selects the image it finds first in the table of contents ( .toc ) file. The installation image selected may not be the one that is intended, which can result in unexpected requisite failures. To avoid these problems, images from base-level media and update media should be extracted to separate directories.

Flags

-d Device	Specifies the name of the device where the original image resides. If the image is contained on tape, the tape device must be specified as no-rewind-on-close and no-retention-on-open (/dev/rmt.1 for high-density tape and /dev/rmt*.5 for low-density tape). The Device* parameter can specify a directory. The default device is /dev/rfd0.
-l	Lists the Package, Part, and Level of all packages on the media.
-q	Suppresses the request for media.
-t SaveDir	Specifies the directory where the installation image files are to be stored. The bffcreate command creates the specified directory if it does not exist. If the -t flag is not specified, the files are saved in the /usr/sys/inst.images directory.
-v	Writes the name of the backup format file to standard output.
-w Directory	Specifies the directory where a temporary working directory can be created. The bffcreate command creates the specified directory if it does not exist. The default directory is /tmp.
-S	Suppresses multiple volume processing when the installation device is a CD-ROM. Installation from a CD_ROM is always treated as a single volume, even if the CD-ROM contains information for a multiple volume CD set. This same suppression of multiple volume processing is performed if the INU_SINGLE_CD environment is set.
-X	Automatically extends the file system if space is needed.

Security

Access Control: You must have root authority to run this command.

Examples

To create an installation image file from the bosnet software package on the tape in the /dev/rmt0 tape drive and use /var/tmp as the working directory, enter:
```
bffcreate -d /dev/rmt0.1 -w /var/tmp bosnet
```
To create an installation image file from the package software package on the diskette in the /dev/rfd0 diskette drive and print the name of the installation image file without being prompted, enter:
```
bffcreate -q -v package
```
To create a single update image file from the bos.net.tcp.client software package on the tape in the /dev/rmt0 tape drive, enter:
```
bffcreate -d /dev/rmt0.1 bos.net 4.1.0.2
```
This command extracts only one image from the tape, because the 4.1.0.2 level was specified.
To list the packages on the media, enter:
```
bffcreate -l -d /dev/rmt0.1
```

Files

/usr/sbin/bffcreate	Contains the bffcreate command.
/usr/sys/inst.images	Directory that contains files in backup format for use in installing or updating a complete set or subset of software packages.
/usr/sys/inst.images/.toc	The table of contents file for the default directory in which a list of installation image files in the directory is maintained.

Related Information

The installp command, inutoc command.