[2061] in Athena Bugs
6.2 install
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (probe@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Sun Apr 9 03:55:50 1989
From: <probe@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 89 03:55:29 EDT
To: geer@ATHENA.MIT.EDU, rel-eng@ATHENA.MIT.EDU, bugs@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Cc: probe@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Reply-To: Richard Basch <probe@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
The bug report is contained in the "workaround" for #1... It deals with
a proposed extension to "getcluster" which is easy to implement and will
allow for more flexibility in obtaining cluster information. Regardless
of how the main problem of this letter is solved, I would still claim
that the "getcluster" change is worth doing.
There is no way that we can install X11R3 cleanly on active packs...
Problems:
- Not enough space to keep backup copies
- Takes too long... this type of procedure took many hours to do when I
had only a handful of things (z0magic fixes).
- X is very complicated... I'd rather not try to emulate an installation
We need to test the installation procedure.
What can happen if I re-install on active packs? Anything up to and
including kernel panics!!!
Possible solutions:
1) Move everyone to a copy of the current packs.
2) Risk it... send a mail announcement and Zephyr filsrv messages
#1 has a few problems:
- We don't have enough Hesiod information... We have 3 6.1 releases,
a 6.0R release, and now a 6.2A... This is feasible, but once we add
6.2B, things are impossible (we are limited to 3 Hesiod entries...
actually 6, each takes up 2)
This has a workaround: change "getcluster" which will only compare up to
the first "n" characters in the version number will allow us to have one
set of generic "6.2" packs. Naturally, the default will have to point
to 6.1, since that has 3 and the 6.1 getcluster won't have that addition.
ie.
syslib bldge40-rtsys-60r 6.0R
syslib bldge40dev-rtsys 6.2
syslib bldge40test-rtsys61
usrlib bldge40-rtusr-60r 6.0R
usrlib bldge40dev-rtusr 6.2
usrlib bldge40test-rtusr61
- We need disk space to copy the 6.1 packs to do this job.
We were planning the re-organization of the "urvd", which I had
hoped we could do in 6.2, since it is easy enough, but if the
packs are active, it can't be done.
Since I doubt we'll get the disk space, I am just going to say, the
test packs (6.1) will not be stable during this re-installation
procedure, and machines may not fare well with this. The user
can use the 6.0R packs, if he wishes (all links point to the "srvd",
unless he has frobbed with them), thus he has an alternative.
I will warn people not to bug me during this install time as I will be
very short-tempered.
[jik: since I know you are the most likely to flame, I will warn you
to comment now - if you flame during this time of "havoc", I will be
more prone to errors, very short-tempered, and will probably "bite
your head off".]
-Richard
