gendisk(1)gendisk(1)NAMEgendisk - Produces magnetic disk distribution media
SYNOPSIS
/usr/bin/gendisk [-d] [-i] [-k filename] [-w] [-v] [hostname:] prodID
devname
OPTIONS
Creates a distribution disk in direct CD format. This means that the
distribution disk contains uncompressed file systems that are laid out
just as the software is installed on the system. Creates a distribu‐
tion disk in ISO 9660 format. This means that the distribution disk
contains an ISO 9660-compliant CD-ROM file system (CDFS). Uses an
alternate kit descriptor database, filename, on the local system. You
may use either a full absolute pathname or a relative pathname from the
directory where you run the gendisk utility. The file does not have to
be named kitcap. Writes the product media without verification, if
used without the -v option. If used with the -w option, the gendisk
utility writes and then verifies the product media. Verifies the prod‐
uct media without writing it first, if used without the -w option. This
assumes that you have already written kit files to the distribution
media. If used with the -w option, the gendisk utility writes and then
verifies the product media.
OPERANDS
The optional hostname: operand is the name of a remote machine that
contains the kit descriptor database. The gendisk utility searches the
kit descriptor database on the remote machine for the kit identifier
(prodIDHD) and uses it to create the distribution media. The colon (:)
is a required delimiter for TCP/IP networks, and space is permitted
between the colon and the prodID. For example, if the product code is
OAT100 and you are using the kit descriptor database on node mynode,
use mynode:OAT100 for this option. The mandatory prodID operand is a
kit identifier consisting of the product code and version number speci‐
fied in the CODE and VERS fields of the kit's key file. Refer to the
Guide to Preparing Product Kits for information about the key file.
The mandatory devname operand specifies the device special file name
for a raw or character disk device such as /dev/rdisk/dsk1. The gendisk
utility uses the disk partition specified in the kit descriptor and
ignores any partition specified on the command line.
DESCRIPTION
Use the gendisk utility to produce disk distribution media. The gendisk
utility performs the following tasks: Searches the kit descriptor data‐
base for the prodID specified on the command line. The default kit
descriptor database is the /etc/kitcap file. Creates a new file system
on the disk partition specified in the kit description. Mounts the
disk containing the new file system. Asks whether you want to clean
the whole disk before writing to it. If you do, the gendisk utility
erases the entire contents of the disk and writes a new disk label
using default information. Copies files and subsets specified in the
kit description to the distribution media. If you specified verifica‐
tion, uses the sum utility to verify file transfer accuracy. Refer to
the sum(1) reference page for more information about this utility.
Unmounts the file system.
If you use the -k option, you can use any valid file name for the
alternate kit descriptor database and may specify either an absolute or
relative path to the file location.
If you do not use either of the -w or -v options, the gendisk utility
writes and then verifies the files in the kit descriptor. This default
behavior is the same as when you use both the -w and -v options
together.
The gendisk utility can create multiple directories on the disk for
separate products or combine multiple products into one product, as
specified in the kit descriptor database.
RESTRICTIONS
You must have root privileges to run this program. If you use the
optional hostname operand, you must have root privileges to access
files on the remote host.
If you do not use the optional hostname operand, you can access the
files used by the gendisk utility only if you add the local hostname to
the local /.rhosts file, for example: hostname root.
The gendisk utility does not support chained disk kits. A kit written
to diskette must either fit onto a single diskette or be packaged as a
set of kits on separate diskettes.
FILES
Device special files for raw or character disk devices Default kit
descriptor database
SEE ALSOgentapes(1), sum(1)kitcap(4) Guide to Preparing Product Kits
gendisk(1)
