NAME

config − configure a UNIX system

SYNOPSIS

/etc/config [ −t ] [ −l file ] [ −c file ] [ −m file ] dfile

DESCRIPTION

Config is a program that takes a description of a UNIX system and generates two files.  One file provides information regarding the interface between the hardware and device handlers.  The other file is a C program defining the configuration tables for the various devices on the system. 

The −l option specifies the name of the hardware interface file; low.s is the default name on the PDP-11; univec.c is the default name on the VAX-11/780. 

The −c option specifies the name of the configuration table file; conf.c is the default name. 

The −m option specifies the name of the file that contains all the information regarding supported devices; /etc/master is the default name.  This file is supplied with the UNIX system and should not be modified unless the user fully understands its construction. 

The −t option requests a short table of major device numbers for character and block type devices.  This can facilitate the creation of special files. 

The user must supply dfile; it must contain device information for the user’s system. This file is divided into two parts. The first part contains physical device specifications. The second part contains system-dependent information. Any line with an asterisk (∗) in column 1 is a comment. 

All configurations are assumed to have the following devices:

one DL11 (for the system console)
one KW11-L line clock or KW11-P programmable clock

with standard interrupt vectors and addresses.  These two devices must not be specified in dfile. Note that UNIX needs only one clock, but can handle both types. 

First Part of dfile

Each line contains four or five fields, delimited by blanks and/or tabs in the following format:

devname    vector    address    bus    number

where devname is the name of the device (as it appears in the /etc/master device table), vector is the interrupt vector location (octal), address is the device address (octal), bus is the bus request level (4 through 7), and number is the number (decimal) of devices associated with the corresponding controller; number is optional, and if omitted, a default value which is the maximum value for that controller is used. 

There are certain drivers that may be provided with the system, that are actually pseudo-device drivers; that is, there is no real hardware associated with the driver.  Drivers of this type are identified on their respective manual entries.  When these devices are specified in the description file, the interrupt vector, device address, and bus request level must all be zero. 

Second Part of dfile

The second part contains three different types of lines.  Note that all specifications of this part are required, although their order is arbitrary.

1.  Root/pipe/dump device specification

Three lines of three fields each:

rootdevnameminor
pipedevnameminor
dumpdevnameminor

where minor is the minor device number (in octal). 

2.  Swap device specification

One line that contains five fields as follows:

swapdevnameminorswplonswap

where swplo is the lowest disk block (decimal) in the swap area and nswap is the number of disk blocks (decimal) in the swap area. 

3.  Parameter specification

Thirteen lines of two fields each as follows (number is decimal):

buffers number

sabufs number   (not on the VAX-11/780)

inodes number

files number

mounts number

coremap number   (not on the VAX-11/780)

swapmap number

calls number

procs number

maxproc number

texts number

clists number

power 0 or 1

EXAMPLE

Suppose we wish to configure a PDP-11/70 system with the following devices:

one RP04 disk drive controller with 6 drives
one DH11 asynchronous multiplexer with 16 lines (default number)
one DM11 modem control with 16 lines (for the DH11)
one DH11 asynchronous multiplexer with 8 lines
one DM11 modem control with 8 lines (for the DH11)
one LP11 line printer
one TU16 tape drive controller with 2 drives
one DL11 asynchronous interface

Note that UNIX only supports DH11 units that require corresponding DM11 units.  It is wise to specify them in DH-DM pairs to facilitate understanding the configuration.  Note also that, in the preceding case, the DL11 that is specified is in addition to the DL11 that was part of the initial system.  We must also specify the following parameter information:

root device is an RP04 (drive 0, section 0)
pipe device is an RP04 (drive 0, section 0)
swap device is an RP04 (drive 1, section 4),
       with a swplo of 6000 and an nswap of 2000
dump device is a TU16 (drive 0)
number of buffers is 35
number of system addressable buffers is 12
number of processes is 150
maximum number of processes per user ID is 25
number of mounts is 8
number of inodes is 120
number of files is 120
number of calls is 30
number of texts is 35
number of character buffers is 150
number of coremap entries is 50
number of swapmap entries is 50
power fail recovery is to be included

The actual system configuration would be specified as follows:

rp0425477670056
dh113207600205
dm113007705004
dh1133076004058
dm1130477051048
lp112007755145
tu1622477244052
dl113507756105
rootrp040
piperp040
swaprp041460002000
dumptu160
∗ Comments may be inserted in this manner
buffers35
sabufs12
procs150
maxproc25
mounts8
inodes120
files120
calls30
texts35
clists150
coremap50
swapmap50
power1

FILES

/etc/master default input master device table

low.s default output hardware interface file for PDP-11

univec.c default output hardware interface file for the VAX-11/780

conf.c default output configuration table file

SEE ALSO

master(5). 
Setting Up UNIX.

DIAGNOSTICS

Diagnostics are routed to the standard output and are self-explanatory. 

BUGS

The −t option does not know about devices that have aliases.  For example, an RP06 (an alias for an RP04) will show up as an RP04; however, the major device numbers are always correct. 

May 16, 1980