admin(4) admin(4)
NAME
admin - installation defaults file
DESCRIPTION
admin is a generic name for an ASCII file that defines default
installation actions by assigning values to installation
parameters. For example, it allows administrators to define
how to proceed when the package being installed already exists
on the system.
/var/sadm/install/admin/default is the default admin file
delivered with your system. The default file is not writable,
so to assign values different from this file, create a new
admin file. There are no naming restrictions for admin files.
Name the file when installing a package with the -a option of
pkgadd(1M). If the -a option is not used, the default admin
file is used.
Each entry in the admin file is a line that establishes the
value of a parameter in the following form:
param=value
Eleven parameters can be defined in an admin file. A file is
not required to assign values to all eleven parameters. If a
value is not assigned, pkgadd asks the installer how to
proceed.
The eleven parameters and their possible values are shown
below except as noted. They may be specified in any order.
Any of these parameters can be assigned the value ask, which
means that, if the situation occurs, the installer is notified
and asked to supply instructions at that time.
basedir
Indicates the base directory where relocatable packages
are to be installed. The value may contain $PKGINST to
indicate a base directory that is to be a function of
the package instance.
mail Defines a list of users to whom mail should be sent
following installation of a package. If the list is
empty, no mail is sent. If the parameter is not
present in the admin file, the default value of root is
used. The ask value cannot be used with this
parameter.
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admin(4) admin(4)
runlevel
Indicates resolution if the run level (system state) is
not correct for the installation or removal of a
package. Options are:
nocheck Do not check for run level (system state).
quit Abort installation if run level (system
state) is not met.
conflict
Specifies what to do if an installation expects to
overwrite a previously installed file, thus creating a
conflict between packages. Options are:
nocheck Do not check for conflict; files in
conflict will be overwritten.
quit Abort installation if conflict is detected.
nochange Override installation of conflicting files;
they will not be installed.
setuid Checks for executables which will have setuid or setgid
bits enabled after installation. Options are:
nocheck Do not check for setuid executables.
quit Abort installation if setuid processes are
detected.
nochange Override installation of setuid processes;
processes will be installed without setuid
bits enabled.
action Determines if action scripts provided by package
developers contain possible security impact. Options
are:
nocheck Ignore security impact of action scripts.
quit Abort installation if action scripts may
have a negative security impact.
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admin(4) admin(4)
partial
Checks to see if a version of the package is already
partially installed on the system. Options are:
nocheck Do not check for a partially installed
package.
quit Abort installation if a partially installed
package exists.
instance
Determines how to handle installation if a previous
version of the package (including a partially installed
instance) already exists. Options are:
quit Exit without installing if an instance of
the package already exists (does not
overwrite existing packages).
overwrite Overwrite an existing package if only one
instance exists. If there is more than one
instance, but only one has the same
architecture, it overwrites that instance.
Otherwise, the installer is prompted with
existing instances and asked which to
overwrite. If an instance of the package
was already fully installed, then it does
not do a space check.
unique Do not overwrite an existing instance of a
package. Instead, a new instance of the
package is created. The new instance will
be assigned the next available instance
identifier.
idepend
Controls resolution if other packages depend on the one
to be installed. Options are:
nocheck Do not check package dependencies.
quit Abort installation if package dependencies
are not met.
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rdepend
Controls resolution if other packages depend on the one
to be removed. Options are:
nocheck Do not check package dependencies.
quit Abort removal if package dependencies are
not met.
space Controls resolution if disk space requirements for
package are not met. Options are:
nocheck Do not check space requirements
(installation fails if it runs out of
space).
quit Abort installation if space requirements
are not met.
NOTICES
The value ask should not be defined in an admin file that will
be used for non-interactive installation (since by definition,
there is no installer interaction). Doing so causes
installation to fail when input is needed.
EXAMPLES
basedir=default
runlevel=quit
conflict=quit
setuid=quit
action=quit
partial=quit
instance=unique
idepend=quit
rdepend=quit
space=quit
REFERENCES
pkgadd(1M)
Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. Page 4