[net.unix] How Bell Distributes Software

fair@dual.UUCP (Erik E. Fair) (03/19/84)

We have this problem, see.

Bell has decided that dump/restor no longer exist for System V.

We have, for the past two years or so used standalone restor to load
software on disks both in the factory and in the field.  So our
standard software distribution method was to make a root filesystem
with all the trimmings, and take a dump of it. Now, unless we decide to
continue to support dump/restor, we have no decent way of doing a
distribution.

But wait! Doesn't Bell do software distribution? Of course they do!
So netlandians, the $64 question is, how does Bell do it? How do they
suggest that you, with your brand new VAX, with newly formatted disks,
get up a root filesystem and run System V UNIX?

Please send responses by Email. All responses have been/are/will be
appreciated.

	Erik E. Fair

	dual!fair@Berkeley.ARPA
	{ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd70,fortune,zehntel}!dual!fair
	Dual Systems Corporation, Berkeley, California

gwyn@brl-vgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) (03/20/84)

UNIX System V is distributed mostly in CPIO format with a couple of
binary files (including a root image).  As to backup, the commands
finc(1M) and frec(1M) are used for incremental dump/restore and there
is a volcopy(1M) for copying whole filesystems.  Personally I use
cpio(1) but then I don't have finc/frec/volcopy available to me.