thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) (02/20/90)
horn@rt5.cs.wisc.edu (Mark Horn) in <4319@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> writes:
" I have another Q. What is the process for making installable
floppies? I have Interrnet access so it was rather easy for me to get
the recent FIXDISK. A friend of mine doesn't have internet access so
it's hard for him to get that self same FIXDISK.
.... "
Actually, the procedure to make an installable file or disk (on UNIXPC) is:
$ cat file.of.files | cpio -ocdBv > FILE+IN
or $ cat file.of.files | cpio -ocdBv > /dev/rfp021
where the ``file.of.files'' file simply contains the list of files to be
included, one file name per line (including a directory path when/if
necessary, though most installable cpio archives have a relative path (i.e.
"etc/foo.file" instead of "/etc/foo.file") from which the file(s) are later
moved during the actual install process.
If you look at the contents of the INSTALLDOC+IN file that was available on
"The STORE!" (and now available from the alfred archives), all the details of
creating installable applications are documented.
In essence, the installable archive (either file or disk) contains certain
"key" files referenced and used by the install script(s) on the UNIXPC; some
of the files are Size, Install, Files, Remove, etc. Suggest you look at
several extant FILE+IN archives to get an idea what's going on.
An installable disk(s) or file can be easily processed (note that "FILE+IN"
below can be replaced with "/dev/rfp021" (on UNIXPC)) per:
view contents: $ cpio -ictBv < FILE+IN
restore contents to curr. dir: $ cpio -icBdum < FILE+IN
another way to create one: $ find . -print | cpio -ocB > FILE+IN
Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]wjc@ho5cad.ATT.COM (Bill Carpenter) (02/21/90)
On 20 Feb 90 02:01:45 GMT, thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) said: thad> [explanation of installables and pointer to INSTALLDOC+IN] thad> In essence, the installable archive (either file or disk) thad> contains certain "key" files referenced and used by the install thad> script(s) on the UNIXPC; some of the files are Size, Install, thad> Files, Remove, etc. Suggest you look at several extant FILE+IN thad> archives to get an idea what's going on. In case you don't go to the trouble of reading INSTALLDOC+IN stuff, here's one common mistake you can avoid. Make "Size" the first file in your cpio archive when you write it to the floppy. That way, the install procedure doesn't bother to prompt you with the "number of floppies" screen. Notice that if you just do something like: ls | cpio -ocvB > /dev/rfp021 you will usually not get "Size" first because things will be list alphabetically, and there will be at least a couple things before "Size". This is really no big deal, but as long as we're all finding out how to do it, might as well do it right. -- Bill Carpenter att!ho5cad!wjc or attmail!bill
kak@hico2.UUCP (Kris A. Kugel) (02/26/90)
In article <27128@cup.portal.com>, thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) writes: > horn@rt5.cs.wisc.edu (Mark Horn) in <4319@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> writes: > > " I have another Q. What is the process for making installable > floppies? I have Interrnet access so it was rather easy for me to get > the recent FIXDISK. A friend of mine doesn't have internet access so > it's hard for him to get that self same FIXDISK. > .... " It's not much more complicated in Thad Floryan's article. The Size file has to be the first one in the archive, 'cause the system checks for space before processing the rest of the archive. The document to reference is in a bound section inside the manual set entitled, "AT&T UNIX PC Interface Specification", look in Chapter 5 (page 2-53) At one time, I had a makefile which produced Size, etc. automagicly from a list of files, it's gone now, but I remember it as not being all that difficult to produce. Kris A. Kugel {uunet,att,rutgers}!westmark!hico2!kak <--daily ssbn!hico2!kak <--semi-daily