IXF(1M) (Essential Utilities) IXF(1M)
NAME
ixf - software management package extraction facility
SYNOPSIS
ixf [ -Vvptdncax ] [ -{l|m} list ] [ -s dir ] tape_dev
DESCRIPTION
The ixf facility is used to read tapes created by igf (1M).
Depending on the options specified, it prints general
information about the contents of the tape, or it reads
archives. The tape_dev argument identifies the device node
for reading the tape; it must be a ``no-rewind'' device.
OPTIONS
-V Prints the version number of the package.
-v Specifies verbose mode.
-p Prints the name of the package.
-t Prints the table of contents, reporting on all the
archives on the media. In verbose mode, it includes
any operating system and ramdisk entries.
-d Prints a description of the package.
-n Specifies no rewind. Do not rewind the tape before
exiting.
-c Prints the creation date of the package.
-a Specifies all options. Combines the following options:
-t, -V, -p, -d, and -c.
-x exits with a special value (13 decimal) to indicate
that a SCRIPTS entry exists.
-l list
Extracts (or gives a table of contents when used with
the -t option) only the archives specified in list.
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The list is a series of archive numbers, separated by
commas.
-m list
Selects a list of archives to extract. Before any
extraction occurs, the user has a chance to
interactively change the input options and destination
directory of the selected archives. The list is a
series of archive numbers, separated by commas.
-s dir
Overrides the default destination directory for a
SCRIPTS entry. Uses dir instead.
The ixf facility has two operation modes. The first mode
prints information about the contents of the tape and
provides two types of information: general and table of
contents. The general information may be printed with any
combination of these options: -p, -d, -V, -c. A table of
contents may be printed using the -t option. The -a option
combines both types. The second mode is for extracting
files from archives. A combination of these two modes is not
allowed.
General information about the contents of the tape is always
printed to standard output. This information may include the
package name, description, version number, and media
creation date. Each piece of information is printed on its
own line. In verbose mode, each line is prepended with a
description of that line's contents. For example, ixf -vp
device may print ``Package Name - xyz''. Without the -v
option, it may print simply ``xyz''.
The table of contents is a list of the archives on the
specified tape. If the verbose mode is selected, the
operating system and ramdisk entries are also included. The
Archive Number (or Arc Num) is a unique file number assigned
to each archive, starting with 1 for the first archive
(which may be a SCRIPTS entry). The Tape File Number is the
actual record number of that file on the tape, starting at 0
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for the volume id. The Name is the original file name of the
operating system or ramdisk when the tape was made. This is
also the name that must be passed to the bootloader, ipl130,
to boot from an operating system other than the first OS on
the tape. The Destination Directory is the directory
pathlist that ixf changes to before executing the archive
command. The Input Command/Description field is the command
that will be run to read the archive. The optional
Description field is a small description of the archive's
contents enclosed in quotation marks.
In extraction mode, ixf reads the tape directory and then
goes to the first archive. Using the archiver, input
options, and destination directory stored in the tape
directory, it first changes to the destination directory and
then executes the command with the input options. It
assumes that if the archive command completes successfully,
it will advance the tape one record. To do this, the process
must open the ``no-rewind'' device, perform at least one
read, and close the device. If this is not done, successive
commands may read the wrong archive. If the command
completes without error, the next archive is read in the
same fashion until all archives are read. However, if the
first archive is a SCRIPTS entry, ixf changes to the default
destination directory /tmp (or the directory specified by
the -s option) and then executes the archive command. In
this case, no other archives are processed. Upon completion,
the tape is rewound.
SEE ALSO
igf(1M).
WARNINGS
The special-device name must be a ``no-rewind'' device and
the name must end with the character n (for example,
/dev/rmt/ctapen). A corresponding ``rewind'' device must
exist and its name should be the same as the special-device
name without the final n (corresponding to the previous
example, /dev/rmt/ctape).
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