thanks to Stephen LaBelle <labelles_at_mscd.edu> and Dr. Tom Blinn for their
answers. basically, the files were upgrade files from 3.2c and from patch
kit 2.
thanks!
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 99 21:43:27 -0500
From: "Dr. Tom Blinn, 603-884-0646" <tpb_at_doctor.zk3.dec.com>
To: Becki Kain <beckers_at_josephus.furph.com>
Subject: Re: multiple sysconfigtab files
> I realise it is probably not an issue, but why would I have multiple
> /etc/sysconfigtab files and a variety of /etc/.new..files? this is under
> 4.0d and no, I don't remember if the date of all of these files is the
> date of my 4.0d upgrade.
>
You're right, it's the expected setup. The various /etc/sysconfigtab.* files
are used (or at least, can be used) in "boot linking" a kernel, they have the
information needed to build a kernel "on the fly" at boot time from the files
in the /sys/BINARY directory (along with certain other stuff that can be found
in various places in the root file system). They aren't usually used in the
V4.0x releases, if you removed them, your system would still work, but you'd
probably have problems installing patch kits and other things that check for
their presence.
The .new.. files are normal, as well. And if you look, you'll probably see a
whole lot of .proto.. files also. These are in fact used in installupdate, in
a nutshell, during an initial installation, each of the .new.. files is copied
to be the .proto.. file, as well as being copied to be the unprefixed file.
So for example, during initial install, .new..hosts is copied to .proto..hosts
and to hosts (all in /etc). During an installupdate, a new copy of each of
the .new.. files is delivered in the kit, and placed on the system, replacing
the old .new.. file. Then, each .new.. file is compared to the corresponding
.proto.. file, and the changes are merged into the "real" file. As long as
there are no merge conflicts, the merged file becomes the active file; if any
merge conflicts are found, the old unmerged file becomes a .PreMRG file, and
the .new.. file becomes the live file. Also, the .new.. files are promoted to
be the .proto.. files, so that the next installupdate will have a basis for a
merge. (See the merge reference page for information on the utility used to
do the merging in most cases.)
Needless to say, if you remove the .new.. files or the .proto.. files, you may
have a hard time doing an installupdate later on.
Hope this helps. Probably more than you really wanted to know :^)
Tom
Dr. Thomas P. Blinn + UNIX Software Group + Compaq Computer Corporation
110 Spit Brook Road, MS ZKO3-2/U20 Nashua, New Hampshire 03062-2698
Technology Partnership Engineering Phone: (603) 884-0646
Internet: tpb_at_zk3.dec.com Digital's Easynet: alpha::tpb
ACM Member: tpblinn_at_acm.org PC_at_Home: tom_at_felines.mv.net
Worry kills more people than work because more people worry than work.
Keep your stick on the ice. -- Steve Smith ("Red Green")
My favorite palindrome is: Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas.
-- Phil Agre, pagre_at_ucsd.edu
Yesterday it worked / Today it is not working / UNIX is like that
-- apologies to Margaret Segall
Opinions expressed herein are my own, and do not necessarily represent
those of my employer or anyone else, living or dead, real or imagined.
Received on Sat Mar 27 1999 - 21:57:32 NZST