1    Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of the concepts and features of the patch kits for the Tru64 UNIX operating system, the Available Server Environment (ASE), and TruCluster Software (TCR) products.

1.1    Overview

The Tru64 UNIX, ASE, and TCR patch kits contain official patches for critical problems for those software products. These kits, which are distributed as needed, provide interim maintenance that prevents the occurrence of known critical problems. The patch kits contain the following elements:

Note

Patch kits are not intended to provide general maintenance and new functionality; applying them to your system does not obviate the need to upgrade to later versions of Tru64 UNIX, ASE, and TCR.

1.1.1    Applicability of Patch Kits

Patch kits are applicable to a specific version of the software products, unless stated otherwise in the patch kit release notes. You cannot install version-specific kits on other software versions. Compaq recommends that you install all of the patches included in the kits and that you update the ASE or TCR products (if applicable) at the same time you update your operating system.

1.1.2    Patch Kit Distributions

Tru64 UNIX, ASE, and TCR patch kits are available from the Internet and on CD-ROM.

1.1.3    Patch Kit Contents

Each patch kit contains the following components:

1.2    Patch Kit Packaging

A patch is a collection of files that contain fixes to problems. When possible, patches are merged together, into one patch, if they have intersecting files or codependencies. A patch may correct one or more problems.

Each patch is packaged in its own setld subset. The subsets are managed by a utility named dupatch.

Each patch kit contains all of the product version-specific patches available at the time of its manufacturing. You can selectively install and remove each patch.

Note

Even though selective patch installation capabilities exist, Compaq recommends that you install all patches for Tru64 UNIX, ASE, and TCR to prevent the occurence of known and corrected software problems.

Tru64 UNIX, ASE, and TCR patches may be provided in two different packages:

You run dupatch to install, remove, and manage official patches for the Tru64 UNIX operating system, ASE, and TCR. After you install the patches, the following items are left on the system:

1.3    Internet Patch Distribution Naming

The following sections describe the syntax for the names of the patch distribution available from the Internet.

1.3.1    Aggregate Patch Distribution Naming

Aggregate patch kit names have the following syntax:

OS Product|Version|KitType|Kit#|-MfgDate|.FileType

The following list describes the attributes currently used in patch kit names:

OS Product

DU = DIGITAL UNIX

Version

V40A

V40B

V40C

V40D

V40E

V40F

V32G

KitType

AS = Aggregate Selective installation patch kit

SS = A patch kit containing a single patch

Kit#

The numeric identifier that Compaq uses to track the kit contents.

-MfgDate

This is the year, month, and day the kit was built and is in the form of YYYYMMDD.

.FileType

.tar

The following example shows the name of an aggregate patch kit for DIGITAL UNIX Version 4.0B, patch kit-2, manufactured on May 1, 1997:

 DUV40BAS00002-19970501.tar

1.3.2    Singular Patch Distribution Naming

Singular patch kit names have the following syntax:

OS Product|Version|KitType|Kit#|PatchID-MfgDate|.file_ type

The OS Product, Version, KitType, Kit#, MfgDate, and FileType have the same attributes as described in the Aggregate Patch Distribution Naming section.

The PatchID field has the following syntax:

PatchID

The numeric identifier used to track patches which are relative to the product version patch kit.

Where the patch identifiers have the following format:

MajorID

Five numeric digits, starting at 1

MinorID

Two numeric digits, starting at 0

The following example shows the name of an Internet patch distribution that contains a DIGITAL UNIX 4.0D Patch 37.00, from patch kit 3 which was manufactured on October 30, 1998:

DUV40DSS000030003700-19981030.tar

1.4    Patch Kit Installation Requirements

To successfully install Tru64 UNIX, ASE, or TCR patch kits, your system must meet the following requirements: