configure(ADM)

configure -- kernel parameter configuration program

Syntax

cd /etc/conf/cf.d
./configure [ options ] [ resource=value ... ]

Description

The configure program determines and alters different kernel resources. For end users, using configure is easier than modifying the system configuration files directly. For device driver writers, configure avoids the difficulties of editing configuration files that have already been edited by an earlier driver configuration script.

You must change directory to /etc/conf/cf.d to execute configure.

Resources are modified interactively or with command-line arguments.

The next section discusses how to use configure interactively. Command line options are discussed in the ``Command line options'' section.

Before using configure to modify the system configuration files, use the following command to make a backup copy of the kernel:

cp /unix /unix.old

Interactive usage

configure operates interactively when no options (including resource=value) are given or when -f is the only option specified on the command line.

When you invoke configure interactively, select the parameter category that you want to reconfigure by entering its number.

Each category contains a number of configurable resources. Each resource is presented by displaying its name, a short description, and its current value. To keep the current value, enter <Return>. Otherwise, enter a value for the resource followed by <Return>.

configure checks each value to make sure that it is within the range defined in mtune(F). If it is not, configure warns you that the value is inappropriate and asks you to confirm that you want to override the recommended value.

To exit from configure, enter ``q'' at the category menu prompt. If any changes are made, configure asks if it should update the configuration files with the changes. To keep the old configuration values, enter ``n'' at this prompt, and no changes are made. Otherwise, enter ``y'' and configure updates the required configuration files. After configure has completed, the kernel is ready for linking.

To link the kernel, enter:

cd /etc/conf/cf.d
./link_unix

Linking may take a few minutes. After the kernel is linked, enter the following command to reboot the system to run the new kernel:

/etc/shutdown

Follow the prompts for shutting the system off. Next, you see the boot prompt:

   Boot
   :

Press <Return>. The system is now running the new kernel.

Command line options

The command line options are designed for writers of system administration scripts and utilities.

You can alter kernel parameters from the command line. There is also an option for querying the current kernel configuration.

configure uses the following options:

-f master_file [ dfile ]: Much of the configuration data is maintained in two files, whose default names are mdevice and mtune. The -f option can be used to specify alternate names. Note that if -f is the only option present, the program is still interactive.
-o: This is the override flag. When invoked non-interactively, this option overrides the minimum and maximum values that are otherwise enforced. This option has no effect on interactive commands.
-w: When specifying a parameter value, this option works in the same way as the -o option, but suppresses all warning messages, when a parameter is set outside the current maximum and minimum values.
-x: This dumps all the resource prompts known to configure. These reveal the name, description, and current value of each parameter capable of being reconfigured. Category prompts are not dumped.
-y resource: The -y option displays the current value of the requested parameter.

Setting command-line parameters

Any number of arguments can be given on the command line of the form resource=value.

If one or more instances of resource=value are the only arguments on the command line, the changes are made non-interactively. If the values given are outside the permissible range for a parameter, no action is taken unless the -o or -w option is included to override them.

Some resources have values that are character strings. In this case, their values must be enclosed within a pair of the characters \ ". The quotes are syntactically necessary for them to be used as C-language strings, and the backslashes protect the quotes from being removed by the shell.

Examples

Note: these examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. Do not attempt to follow them; the values may be completely inappropriate to your system. If this is the case, an attempt to carry out these examples might result in unpredictable errors, including system failure and data loss.

Print the current value of the number of system buffers (NBUF):

configure -y NBUF

Change the current value of the number of system buffers (NBUF) to 512:

configure NBUF=512

Print the current value of the number of I/O mappings for European character mapping support (NEMAP) to 20 (note that the recommended maximum is 15):

configure -o NEMAP=20

Files

/etc/conf/cf.d/mdevice
/etc/conf/cf.d/sdevice
/etc/conf/cf.d/mtune
/etc/conf/cf.d/mtune_d
/etc/conf/cf.d/mtune_p
/etc/conf/cf.d/stune
/etc/conf/cf.d/mevent
/etc/conf/cf.d/sevent

Standards conformance

configure is not part of any currently supported standard; it is an extension of AT&T System V provided by The SCO Group, Inc.