4 Setting Up a RIS Area

This chapter describes how to use the RIS utility to configure a Digital UNIX RIS server. After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Establish a new RIS server area using the ris utility
Install software kits in existing RIS area
Install graphics hardware device kits in existing RIS area

The ris utility can be invoked in two ways:

Interactively through a menu-driven interface
From the command line by issuing commands to perform the various tasks one at a time

This chapter describes how to use the utility's menu-driven interface. Chapter 6 describes how to use individual ris commands.

4.1 Installing Software into a New RIS Area

After you create a RIS area and install the first software kit there, you can install more kits into that area or create other areas as you need them. (Section 4.2 describes how to install additional software into an existing RIS environment.)

Use the following procedure to create a new risn.alpha environment and install the first software kit into it:

If your distribution media is CD-ROM, enter a mount command similar to the following before starting the utility:
# mount -rd /dev/rz4c /mnt

This example uses a CD-ROM drive that is unit 4 and specifies /mnt as the mount point; if your drive is a different unit, substitute the device special file name for that unit. If you are uncertain of your CD-ROM's unit number, enter the file command, specifying the raw device, as follows:
# file /dev/rrz*c
```
/dev/rrz1c: char special (8/1026) SCSI #0 RZ25 disk #8 (SCSI ID #1)
/dev/rrz2c: char special (8/2050) SCSI #0 RZ25 disk #16 (SCSI ID #2)
/dev/rrz3c: char special (8/3074) SCSI #0 RZ25 disk #24 (SCSI ID #3)
/dev/rrz4c: char special (8/4098) SCSI #0 RRD43 disk #32 (SCSI ID #4)
/dev/rrz9c: char special (8/17410) SCSI #1 RZ57 disk #72 (SCSI ID #1)
```
The CD-ROM device corresponds to an RRD device, in this example RRD43.
Enter the following command to invoke the RIS utility from the root system prompt:

# /usr/sbin/ris

The RIS Utility Main Menu is displayed. Each available menu item is preceded by a letter. The first time you invoke the utility, the display looks similar to the following:
```
 

Checking accessibility of RIS areas.... done

 

*** RIS Utility Main Menu ***

 

Choices without key letters are not available.

 

  ) ADD a client
  ) DELETE software products
 i) INSTALL software products
  ) LIST registered clients
  ) MODIFY a client
  ) REMOVE a client
  ) SHOW software products in remote installation environments
 x) EXIT

 

Enter your choice:
```
The RIS Utility Main Menu does not display option letters for menu items that cannot be accessed.
As you add environments, software, and clients to the system, options that were not available become available, and the menu displays their option letters.

Choose the Install software products option by entering i at the prompt:

Enter your choice: i

The RIS Installation menu displays the installation options. Choose option 1, the Install software into a new area option.

RIS Software Installation Menu:

 

    1)  Install software into a new area
    2)  Add software into an existing area
    3)  Return to previous menu

Enter your choice: 1

You have chosen to establish a new remote installation
environment.

Enter the full pathname or the device special file name for the distribution media. If your distribution media is CD-ROM mounted on /mnt, the directory where the software is located is /mnt/ALPHA/BASE. Enter a device specific file name only for magnetic tape media.
Enter the device special file name or the path of the directory where the software is located (for example, /dev/rmt0h): /mnt/ALPHA/BASE
The utility lets you choose whether you want to create symbolic links to the software or to extract the software into the RIS area.
```
Choose one of the following options:

 

    1)  Extract software from /mnt/ALPHA/BASE
    2)  Create symbolic link to /mnt/ALPHA/BASE

 

Enter your choice:
```
- If you choose to extract subsets (by choosing option 1), the subsets you select are copied from the device or directory specified into the RIS area. You must know which specific subsets to extract and the amount of disk space required. See Section 3.5 for information about planning disk space for RIS. Clients can install only the subsets that were extracted into RIS product areas for which they are registered. Using extracted subsets improves the performance of the RIS environment. This is because copying software from magnetic media as opposed to optical media is faster. You must provide an extracted RIS area if you want to install a graphics kit for a graphics device not currently supported by Digital UNIX . See Section 4.3 for additional information.
- If you choose to link to the device or directory specified, symbolic links are created in the RIS area that point to the subset directories on the device or directory specified. Disk space planning is not required because the subsets reside on the device or directory specified. However, the device or directory specified must be on line and mounted for clients to access the subsets. Unlike subset extraction, no subset selection is required. Clients registered for RIS product areas that are links to the device or directory specified can access all subsets.
  Caution
  Unmounting, deleting, or switching the device or directory where the RIS area is linked corrupts the RIS area. To restore the RIS area, remount the area pointed to by the RIS area.
  You are prompted to enter the client architecture for products that are not part of base operating system that the RIS environment will serve:
```
Choose the architecture of the clients that the environment
will serve:

 

    1) alpha
    2) custom
    3) mips
```
  Enter your choice: 1
```
The new environment is in /usr/var/adm/ris/ris0.alpha.
```

If you chose to extract subsets, the utility lists the mandatory and optional software subsets you can install. Choose the subsets that you want from the list. The utility displays your list for confirmation. In the example below, only the mandatory software subsets are chosen. Your screen will look similar to this:

*** Enter subset selections ***

 

The following subsets are mandatory and will be extracted
automatically unless you choose to exit without extracting
any subsets:

 

      * Adobe Fonts
      * Base System
      * Base System - Hardware Support
      * Base System Management Applications and Utilities
      * Basic Networking Configuration Applications
      * Basic Networking Services
      * Basic X Environment
      * CDE Desktop Environment
      * CDE Mail Interface
      * CDE Minimum Runtime Environment
      * Compiler Back End
      * DECwindows 100dps Fonts
      * Graphical Base System Management Utilities
      * Graphical Print Configuration Application
      * Graphical System Administration Utilities
      * Hardware Kernel Header and Common Files
      * Hardware Kernel Modules
      * Kernel Header and Common Files
      * Keyboard Support
      * Local Printer Support
      * NFS(tm) Configuration Application
      * NFS(tm) Utilities
      * Netscape Navigator V1.12I
      * Old X Environment
      * Standard Kernel Modules
      * Tcl Commands
      * Tk Toolkit Commands
      * X Fonts
      * X Servers Base
      * X Servers for TurboChannel, PCI, or QVision

 

Press RETURN to display the next screen:

 


 

Free space remaining after mandatory subsets (root/usr/var):
30.4 MB/1.7 GB/12MB

 

Optional subsets are listed below.  There may be more optional
subsets than can be presented on a single screen.  If this is
the case, you can choose subsets screen by screen, or all at
once on the last screen.  All of the choices you make will be
collected for your confirmation before any subsets are installed.

 

 - General Applications:
 1) Additional Terminfo databases
 2) Computer Aided System Tutor
 3) DOS tools
 4) GNU Emacs
 5) Local Area Transport (LAT)
 6) UNIX(tm) SVID2 Compatibility
 7) UNIX(tm) to UNIX(tm) Copy Facility

 

 - Kernel Build Environment:
 8) ATM Kernel Header and Common Files
 9) ATM Kernel Modules
10) Logical Storage Manager Kernel Header and Common Files
11) Logical Storage Manager Kernel Modules
12) POLYCTR advfs Kernel Modules

 

 - Mail Applications:
13) DECwindows Mail Interface
14) RAND Corp. Mail Handler (MH)

 


 

Add to your choices, or press RETURN for next page.
Free space remaining (root/usr/var): 30.4 MB/1.7 GB/127 MB
Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6):

 

 - Network-Server/Communications:
15) ATM Commands
16) Additional Networking Services
17) Dataless Management Services
18) Remote Installation Service

 

 - Printing Environment:
19) Adobe Font Metric Files

 

 - Reference Pages:
20) Ref Pages: Admin/User
21) Ref Pages: CDE Admin/User
22) Ref Pages: CDE Development
23) Ref Pages: Programming
24) Ref Pages: Realtime
25) Ref Pages: Windows Admin/User
26) Ref Pages: Windows Programming

 


 

Add to your choices, or press RETURN for next page.
Free space remaining (root/usr/var): 30.4 MB/1.7 GB/127 MB
Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6):

 

 - Software Development:
27) CDA(tm) Software Development
28) CDA(tm) for X/Motif Development
29) CDE Software Development
30) GNU Revision Control System
31) Ladebug Debugger Version 4.0-11
32) Ladebug Debugger Version 4.0-11 Release Notes
33) Ladebug Debugger Window Interface
34) Ladebug Debugger remote server
35) Programming Examples
36) Realtime Software Development
37) Software Development Desktop Environment
38) Software Development Tools and Utilities
39) Source Code Control System
40) Standard Header Files
41) Standard Programmer Commands
42) Static Libraries
43) X Window and X/Motif Header Files
44) X Window and X/Motif Programming Examples
45) X Window and X/Motif Software Development
46) X Window and X/Motif Static Libraries

 


 

Add to your choices, or press RETURN for next page.
Free space remaining (root/usr/var): 30.4 MB/1.7 GB/127 MB
Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6):

 

 - Supplemental Documentation:
47) XIE Version 5 Online Documentation

 

 - System Administration:
48) C2-Security
49) C2-Security GUI
50) Kernel Debugging Tools
51) Logical Storage Manager
52) Logical Storage Manager GUI
53) Logical Volume Manager
54) Obsolete Commands and Utilities
55) Obsolete Locale databases
56) POLYCTR advfs
57) Single-Byte European Locales
58) System Accounting Utilities
59) System Exercisers

 

 - Text Processing:
60) Doc. Preparation Tools
61) Doc. Preparation Tools Extensions

 

Add to your choices, or press RETURN for next page.
Free space remaining (root/usr/var): 30.4 MB/1.7 GB/127 MB
Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6):

 

 - Windowing Environment:
62) DECwindows 75dpi Fonts
63) LK201 Keyboard Support
64) LK411 Keyboard Support
65) LK421 Keyboard Support
66) LK444 Keyboard Support
67) PCXAL Keyboard Support
68) X Customizations for OEM
69) X Servers for Open3D
70) X Servers for PCbus
71) X/Motif 1.1

 

 - Windows Applications:
72) Additional DECwindows Applications
73) Additional X Applications
74) CDE Additional Applications
75) Demo X Applications
76) Nested X Server
77) Old Additional DECwindows Applications
78) Virtual X Frame Buffer

 

Add to your choices, or press RETURN for next page.
Free space remaining (root/usr/var): 30.4 MB/1.7 GB/127 MB
Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6):

 


 

The following choices override your previous selections:
79) ALL mandatory and all optional subsets
80) MANDATORY subsets only
81) CANCEL selections and redisplay menus

 

Add to your choices, or press RETURN to confirm previous choices.
Free space remaining (root/usr/var): 30.4 MB/1.7 GB/127 MB
Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6):

 

Enter your choices or press RETURN to redisplay menus.

Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6): 80

You are installing the following mandatory subsets:

 


 


 

      * Adobe Fonts
      * Base System
      * Base System - Hardware Support
      * Base System Management Applications and Utilities
      * Basic Networking Configuration Applications
      * Basic Networking Services
      * Basic X Environment
      * CDE Desktop Environment
      * CDE Mail Interface
      * CDE Minimum Runtime Environment
      * Compiler Back End
      * DECwindows 100dps Fonts
      * Graphical Base System Management Utilities
      * Graphical Print Configuration Application
      * Graphical System Administration Utilities
      * Hardware Kernel Header and Common Files
      * Hardware Kernel Modules
      * Kernel Header and Common Files
      * Keyboard Support
      * Local Printer Support
      * NFS(tm) Configuration Application
      * NFS(tm) Utilities
      * Netscape Navigator V1.12I
      * Old X Environment
      * Standard Kernel Modules
      * Tcl Commands
      * Tk Toolkit Commands
      * X Fonts
      * X Servers Base
      * X Servers for TurboChannel, PCI, or QVision
Is this correct? (y/n):

If you enter y, the subset extraction process begins. If you enter n, the list of subsets is displayed again and you can restart your selection process.

When you confirm your selections, the ris utility extracts the subsets and displays the name of the new RIS environment. The RIS Utility main menu is then displayed.

Once you set up the RIS areas and register clients in those areas, the clients can access the areas they need. Client registration is discussed in Chapter 6.

4.1.1 The /etc/exports File

Client RIS installations of the base operating system Version 2.0 and prior to Digital UNIX Version 4.0 rely on files located in the server's /var/adm/ris/risn.arch/kit directory. Therefore the server must export that directory. In the case of a Digital UNIX Version 4.0 operating system base product the directory that is exported, the /var/adm/ris/risn.arch/product_1 is the product directory which contains the Direct CD (DCD) image of the distribution. In this directory path, n is the number of the RIS area and arch is the architecture of the client systems that the area serves. When you create the RIS area, risn.arch , the ris utility supplies you with a name based on the choices you make during the area's creation.

The server's /etc/exports file must include an entry for each RIS area that it is exporting. When you create a RIS area, the ris utility automatically edits the /etc/exports file and adds the correct entry for that area. However, if you modify the path to a RIS area, you must also modify the corresponding line in the /etc/exports file. See Section 4.1.1.1 for an example of editing the /etc/exports file.

The RIS area entries in the /etc/exports file of a system that acts as a RIS server for two Alpha environments and one MIPS RISC environment look similar to the following:

/var/adm/ris/ris0.alpha/kit  -root=0  -ro
/var/adm/ris/ris1.alpha/kit  -root=0  -ro
/var/adm/ris/ris0.mips/kit  -root=0  -ro
/ris/ris2.a/product_1     -root=0 -ro

The entry in the previous example shows an entry in /etc/exports of /ris/ris2.a/product_1. This entry is created by RIS and is a symbolic link from /ris/ris2.a/product_1 to /var/adm/ris/ris2.alpha/product_1. This is done to shorten the path that needs to be sent to the client during the boot process.

Note
When you register the first client on your RIS server for Version 2.0 and prior to Digital UNIX Version 4.0, the ris utility creates the kit/isl directory, which contains tools that clients require to install software subsets.

4.1.1.1 Editing the /etc/exports File

There are certain instances when you must edit the /etc/exports file. When you create a /risn.alpha area, the path to the kit directory is /var/adm/ris/ris0.alpha/kit and the RIS utility places the following line in the /etc/exports file:

/var/adm/ris/ris0.alpha/kit -root=0 -ro

If you create another directory in this RIS area, for example, dsk1, mount another file system there, move the contents of ris0.alpha to that directory and then link it to ris0.alpha, a listing of the RIS area shows the following entry:

ris0.alpha -> ./dsk1/ris0.alpha

The path to the kit directory is now effectively /var/adm/ris/dsk1/ris0.alpha/kit. You must edit the corresponding line in the /etc/exports file to read:

/var/adm/ris/dsk1/ris0.alpha/kit -root=0 -ro

Failure to edit the /etc/exports file in this instance results in a mount failure of the kit directory when attempting a client installation.

4.2 Installing Software into an Existing RIS Area

You can install software subsets that are compatible with the Digital UNIX setld utility into an existing RIS environment by entering the following command as superuser and following the procedures as they appear on the screen:

# /usr/sbin/ris

Next the RIS Utility Main Menu is displayed. Choose the option INSTALL software products by entering i at the prompt:


 

Checking accessibility of RIS areas... done

 

*** RIS Utility Main Menu ***

 

Choices without key letters are not available.

 

    a) ADD a client
    d) DELETE software products
    i) INSTALL software products
     ) LIST registered clients
     ) MODIFY a client
     ) REMOVE a client
    s) SHOW software products in remote installation environments
    x) EXIT

Enter your choice: i

The RIS Software Installation Menu is displayed. Choose the option to Add software into an existing area by entering 2 at the prompt:

RIS Software Installation Menu:

 

    1)  Install software into a new area
    2)  Add software into an existing area
    3)  Return to previous menu

Enter your choice: 2

The utility displays a list of the existing RIS areas:

You have chosen to add a product to an existing environment.

 

Select the remote installation environment:

 

1) /usr/var/adm/ris/ris0.alpha
      'POLYCENTER advanced File System'
      'DECsafe Available Server Environment  (ASE)'
      'System V Environment'

 

2) /usr/var/adm/ris/ris1.alpha
      'Sort Runtime Library'
      'Free Software Foundation GNU Source (Rev xxx)'
      'DEC Ada Support Library'

 

Enter your choice or press RETURN to quit:

Choose the area that you want to use, and then proceed as before to mount the distribution media and choose subsets. Press the Return key if you want to return to the RIS Utility Main Menu.
Repeat this procedure for each additional group of subsets you want to install.

4.3 Installing Kits for Non-Digital Supported Graphics Devices

In Digital UNIX Version 4.0, a RIS server can service a client with graphics hardware which is currently not supported in the Digital UNIX operating system base product installed. This feature is implemented by overlaying an existing operating system base product with the new graphics kit. This section describes how to set up the RIS server to support this feature.

The following is a list of the installation requirements:

The installation of graphics kits can be done only on an extracted RIS area. If you attempt to install a graphics device kit into a new RIS area, an error message is displayed.
The RIS server must be capable of generating a new generic kernel for the clients. A Digital UNIX Version 4.0 kernel cannot be built on a previous release of the operating system. If you attempt to install a graphics kit on a server, which is not running Digital UNIX Version 4.0, the following message is displayed:
```
The server must be running Digital UNIX Version 4.0 or higher
to support graphics device kits.
```
The graphics software kit must be setld compatible to be installed into an existing RIS environment.

The extracted RIS area should contain all the subsets on the distribution media. If this is not possible due to disk space constraints, the following minimum set of subsets should be extracted:

All Mandatory Subsets

 


 

Kernel Build Environment:

 

- ATM Kernel Header and Common Files
- ATM Kernel Modules
- Logical Storage Manager Kernel Header and Common Files
- Logical Storage Manager Kernel Modules
- POLYCTR advfs Kernel Modules

 

Windowing Environment:

 

-  Adobe Fonts
-  DECwindows 100dpi Fonts
-  DECwindows 75dpi Fonts
-  LK201 Keyboard Support
-  LK401 Keyboard Support
-  LK411 Keyboard Support
-  LK421 Keyboard Support
-  LK444 Keyboard Support
-  PCXAL Keyboard Support
-  X Customizations for OEM
-  X Fonts
-  X Servers Base
-  X Servers for Open3D
-  X Servers for PCbus
-  X Servers for TurboChannel
-  X/Motif 1.1

To create the new product area for the graphics kit, hard links are made between the operating system base product and the new product that will contain the graphics device kit. This permits the operating system base product and graphics device kit to coexist in the same RIS area using minimum additional magnetic disk space.

Execute the following procedures as superuser to install a graphics kit into an existing environment. In the following example, the graphics kit being installed is named ESA100.

root

# /usr/sbin/ris

The RIS Utility Main Menu is displayed. Chose the option INSTALL software products by entering i at the prompt:


 

Checking accessibility of RIS areas... done

 

*** RIS Utility Main Menu ***

 

Choices without key letters are not available.

 

    a) ADD a client
    d) DELETE software products
    i) INSTALL software products
     ) LIST registered clients
     ) MODIFY a client
     ) REMOVE a client
    s) SHOW software products in remote installation environments
    x) EXIT

Enter your choice: i

The RIS Software Installation Menu is displayed. Choose the option Add software into an existing area by entering 2 at the prompt:

RIS Software Installation Menu:

 

    1)  Install software into a new area
    2)  Add software into an existing area
    3)  Return to previous menu

Enter your choice: 2

The utility displays a list of the existing RIS areas. Choose the area that you want to base the new graphics kit area against, or the existing graphics kit area where you would like to install the kit. You can install multiple kits in to a single RIS area.

Please select one of the following products to base against or
add the kit to.

 

     1   'Digital UNIX V4.0 Operating System ( Rev xxx )'

 

Enter your selection or (return) to quit :

You have chosen to add a product to an existing environment.

 

The existing environment is /usr/var/adm/ris/ris0.alpha.

Enter the location of the software:

Enter the device special file name or the path of the directory where the software is located (for example, /mnt/ALPHA/BASE): /mnt/ALPHA/ESA100

The new kit is now added to the area you selected.

During this phase the new product is created and the hard links between the products are made. Messages similar to the following are displayed at your terminal.

Preparing new product area...
	Working....Thu Aug 24 13:47:48 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 13:49:49 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 13:51:50 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 13:53:51 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 13:55:52 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 13:57:53 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 13:59:54 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 14:01:55 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 14:03:55 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 14:05:56 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 14:07:57 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 14:09:58 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 14:11:59 EDT 1995
	Working....Thu Aug 24 14:14:00 EDT 1995

 

The subsets listed below are optional:

 

There may be more optional subsets than can be presented on a single
screen. If this is the case, you can choose subsets screen by screen
or all at once on the last screen. All of the choices you make will
be collected for your confirmation before any subsets are extracted.

 

     1) SVGA Graphics Support Subset

 

Or you may choose one of the following options:

 

     2) ALL of the above
     3) CANCEL selections and redisplay menus
     4) EXIT without extracting any subsets

 

Enter your choices or press RETURN to redisplay menus.

Choices (for example, 1 2 4-6): 1


 

You are installing the following optional subsets:

 

        SVGA Graphics Support Subset

Is this correct? (y/n): y


 

Checking file system space required to extract selected subsets:

 

File system space checked OK.
Extracting ESABASE100...
Media extraction complete.

At this point, the new product area has been created and the graphics kit installed into it.

4.4 Using an NFS-Mounted RIS Area

The information in this section can be used only if you are serving a version of Digital UNIX prior to Version 4.0.

You can use an NFS mount point to install software from a RIS area or Digital UNIX distribution CD-ROM that you import from another machine. For example, if a system named salaam has a CD-ROM containing the Digital UNIX subsets mounted on /mnt and listed in its /etc/exports file, the system administrator on aladdin can NFS mount that CD-ROM with the following command:

aladdin_root# mount salaam:/mnt/ALPHA/BASE /mnt

After the CD-ROM is mounted, the system administrator on aladdin can use the ris utility to install software from it as if it were local to aladdin.

If another system has a RIS area with the needed subsets for a RIS area on the local system and exports that area, you can create a RIS area from the remote RIS area.

For example, if a system named abu has Digital UNIX subsets in its ris0.alpha product environment, the system administrator on aladdin can NFS-mount that product environment with the following command:

aladdin_root# mount abu:/var/adm/ris/ris0.alpha /mnt

After the remote product environment is mounted, the system administrator for aladdin can use the ris utility to install software from it as if it were local to aladdin.