Creates installation image files in backup format.
bffcreate [ -q ] [ -S ] [ -U ] [ -v ] [ -X ] [ -d Device ] [ -t SaveDir ] [ -w Directory ] [ -M Platform ] { [ -l | -L ] | -c [ -s LogFile ] | Package [Level ] ... | -f ListFile | all }
The bffcreate command creates an installation image file in backup file format (bff) to support software installation operations.
The bffcreate command creates an installation image file from an installation image file on the specified installation media. Also, it automatically creates an installation image file from hyptertext images (such as those on the operating system documentation CD-ROMs). The installp command can use the newly created installation file to install software onto the system. The file is created in backup format and saved to the directory specified by SaveDir. The .toc file in the directory specified by the SaveDir parameter is updated to include an entry for the image file.
The bffcreate command determines the bff name according to this information:
Item | Description |
---|---|
Neutral Packages | package.v.r.m.f.platform.installtype |
POWER® processor-based platform Packages | package.v.r.m.f.installtype |
Image Type | Target bff Name |
---|---|
Installation image for the POWER processor-based platform | package.v.r.m.f.I |
Installation image for Neutral | package.v.r.m.f.N.I |
3.1 update for the POWER processor-based platform | package.v.r.m.f.service# |
3.2 update for the POWER processor-based platform | package.v.r.m.f.ptf |
4.X** or later updates for the POWER processor-based platform | package.part.v.r.m.f.U |
Update image for Neutral | package.v.r.m.f.N.U |
** 4.X or later updates contain one package only. In addition, AIX® Version 4 and later updates do not contain ptf IDs.
package = the name of the software package as described by the PackageName parameter
v.r.m.f = version.release.modification.fix, the level associated with the software package. The PackageName is usually not the same as the fileset name.
ptf = program temporary fix ID (also known as FixID)
The installation image file name has the form Package.Level.I. The Package is the name of the software package, as described for the Package Name parameter. Level has the format of v.r.m.f, where v = version, r = release, m = modification, f = fix. The I extension means that the image is an installation image rather than an update image.
Update image files containing an AIX 3.1 formatted update have a service number extension following the level. The Servicenum parameter can be up to 4 digits in length. One example is xlccmp.3.1.5.0.1234.
Update image files containing an AIX 3.2 formatted update have a ptf extension following the level. One example is bosnet.3.2.0.0.U412345.
AIX Version 4 and later update image file names begin with the fileset name, not the PackageName. They also have U extensions to indicate that they are indeed update image files, not installation images. One example of an update image file is bos.rte.install.4.3.2.0.U.
The all keyword indicates that installation image files are created for every installable software package on the device.
You can extract a single update image with the AIX Version 4 and later bffcreate command. Then you must specify the fileset name and the v.r.m.f. parameter. As in example 3 in the Examples section, the PackageName parameter must be the entire fileset name, bos.net.tcp.client, not just bos.net.
Item | Description |
---|---|
-c | Change image names to package name format. |
-d Device | Specifies the name of the device where the original image resides. The device can be a CD, tape, diskette, or a directory. If the image is contained on tape, the tape device must be specified as no-rewind-on-close and no-retension-on-open (/dev/rmt*.1 for high-density tape and /dev/rmt*.5 for low-density tape). The default device is /dev/rfd0. |
-f ListFile | Reads a list of PackageNames and Levels from ListFile. PackageNames, each optionally followed by a level, should appear one per line of text. Any text following the second set of spaces or tabs on a line is ignored. |
-l | Lists the Package, Level, Image Type (I for installation images and U for update images), and Part(s) of all packages on the media. |
-MPlatform | Specifies that any of the following Platform values
may be used to list or to create backup file format (bff) images
of installable software products for a specific platform:
|
-q | Suppresses the request for media. |
-s LogFile | Save changed image names in file indicated by LogFile. |
-t SaveDir | Specifies the directory where the installation image files are to be created. The bffcreate command creates the specified directory if it does not exist. If the -t flag is not specified, the files are saved in the /usr/sys/inst.images directory. |
-U | Upgrades the directory structure of the destination repository to the current standard, if necessary. The current standard requires images to be organized into subdirectories according to package type and architecture. For example, installp images reside in the SaveDir/installp/ppc directory. When copying from a source containing this structure, the destination is required to conform. Specifying the -U flag permits the bffcreate command to create the appropriate subdirectory structure in your repository and move any existing images into the appropriate locations. Unless invalid manual copying is performed thereafter, this flag should only need to be used once. |
-v | Writes the name of the backup format file to standard output. |
-w Directory | Specifies the directory where a temporary working directory can be created. The bffcreate command creates the specified directory if it does not exist. The default directory is /tmp. |
-S | Suppresses multiple volume processing when the installation device is a CD-ROM. Installation from a CD-ROM is always treated as a single volume, even if the CD-ROM contains information for a multiple volume CD set. This same suppression of multiple volume processing is performed if the INU_SINGLE_CD environment is set. |
-X | Automatically extends the file system if space is needed. |
-L | Displays information as a list separated by colons. |
Access Control
You must have root authority to run this command.
Attention RBAC users and Trusted AIX users: This command can perform privileged operations. Only privileged users can run privileged operations. For more information about authorizations and privileges, see Privileged Command Database in Security. For a list of privileges and the authorizations associated with this command, see the lssecattr command or the getcmdattr subcommand.
bffcreate -d
/dev/cd0 bos.net.tcp.client 4.2.2.1
bffcreate -d /dev/cd0 all
bffcreate -d /usr/sys/inst.images/bos.games -l
bffcreate -d /dev/cd0 -MN -l
Item | Description |
---|---|
/usr/sbin/bffcreate | Contains the bffcreate command. |
/usr/sys/inst.images | Contains files in backup format for use in installing or updating a complete set or subset of software packages. |
/usr/sys/inst.images/.toc | The table of contents file for the default directory where a list of installation image files in the directory is maintained. |