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AIX Version 4.3 Installation Guide

To Install Optional Software and Service Updates

After completing the prerequisites in this section, your next step is deciding whether to install software with the Web-based System Manager Software application or with SMIT. Descriptions of both applications are included in this section.

Before you install optional software and service updates, refer to the specific instructions that accompany your installation media. If you ever need to reinstall your system, be sure to refer to the installation media instructions.

Note: Vendors who want information about how to develop software products that are to be installed using the installp command should refer to "Packaging Software for Installation" in AIX Version 4.3 General Programming Concepts: Writing and Debugging Programs.

Determine Your Starting Point

If either of the following conditions apply to you, go to the referenced item; otherwise, continue with the procedures in this chapter.

Prerequisites

Before installing optional software or service updates, complete the following prerequisites:

  1. BOS AIX Version 4.3 must be installed on your system. If BOS is not yet installed on your system, go to Installing BOS from CD-ROM or Tape, or if you are installing over a network, refer to the AIX Version 4.3 Network Installation Management Guide and Reference.
  2. The software you are installing is available on either CD-ROM, tape, or diskette, or it is located in a directory on your system (for example, the /usr/sys/inst.images directory), or if your computer is a configured Network Installation Management (NIM) client, it is in an available lpp_source resource.
  3. If you are installing service updates and do not have a current backup of your system, use the procedures in "Backing Up Your System". To create a system backup, you must have the backup fileset (bos.sysmgt.sysbr) installed on your system.
  4. If system files have been modified, it is a good idea to back them up separately before updates are applied, since it is possible that the update process may replace configuration files. You can use Web-based System Manager to find out which files have been updated:
    1. To start the Web-based System Manager Software application, enter: wsm software . The Software container displays.
    2. From either of the Software installation dialogs, click Advanced.
    3. Select Show detailed messages.

    Alternatively, use the installp command with the verbose option (installp -V2) to show you which files have been updated.

  5. Log in as root user if you have not already done so.
  6. If you are installing from CD-ROM and currently have a mounted AIX Version 4.3 Base Documentation CD or AIX Version 4.3 Extended Documentation CD in the same CD-ROM drive that you want to install from, do the following:
    1. If you are unmounting the AIX Version 4.3 Base Documentation CD, run the following commands in the sequence shown: 
      unlinkbasecd

umount /infocd
    2. If you are unmounting the AIX Version 4.3 Extended Documentation CD, run the following commands in the sequnce shown: 
      unlinkextcd

umount /exinfocd
    3. Press the eject button on the CD-ROM drive for at least two seconds to eject the documentation CD-ROM.
    If you install from CD-ROM, then the installation application that you use (the Web-based System Manager Software application or SMIT) will create a temporary mount point for the CD-ROM.
  7. If you are using CD-ROM, tapes, or diskettes, insert the media that contains the optional software or service updates into the appropriate drive. Some CD-ROM drives have a removable disc caddy, while others have a sliding drawer. If the CD-ROM drive on your system has a sliding drawer, place the CD-ROM in the drawer and push the drawer in. If the CD-ROM drive on your system does not have a sliding drawer, insert the CD-ROM into the disc caddy and then insert the caddy into the CD-ROM drive.
  8. Based on whether you are installing with the Web-based System Manager Software application or with SMIT, continue with either "To Install Optional Software and Service Updates with the Web-based System Manager Software Application" or "To Install Optional Software and Service Updates with SMIT".

To Install Optional Software with the Web-based System Manager Software Application

The graphical interface provides access to Web-based System Manager Software options for installing the following (you must have root authority to install software with these options):

See "Using Web-based System Manager" for further information about using the Web-based System Manager graphical interface.

Installing Optional Software and Service Updates

The Web-based System Manager Software application allows you to install software as well as to change the system's default install settings and specify other options. By default, the Web-based System Manager Software application applies and commits any software updates you are installing. You can, however, change this default setting and have software updates only applied during installation. (Base software applications are always committed. If a previous version of the software is installed, it cannot be saved.)

To install optional software:

  1. To start the Web-based System Manager Software application, enter: wsm software . The Software container displays.
  2. Select Software from the menu.
  3. From the pulldown, select New Software (Install/Update) > Install Additional Software (Custom).

To view extended help for the Web-based System Manager Software tasks, select Contents from the Help menu.

To install service updates:

  1. To start the Web-based System Manager Software application, enter: wsm software . The Software container displays.
  2. Select Software from the menu.
  3. From the pulldown, select New Software (Install/Update) > Update Software (Update All / Install Fixes).

To view extended help for the Web-based System Manager Software tasks, select Contents from the Help menu.

Neither the Install Additional Software (Custom) option nor the Update Software (Update All / Install Fixes) option allows you to remove a software fileset or to reject an applied update. To perform these tasks using a Web-based System Manager Software application, refer to "Maintaining Optional Software".

Installing Software Bundles

With a minimum of decision-making, you can install software bundles with the Web-based System Manager Software application. Selecting the software source, which software bundle is to be installed (the client or server bundle, for example), and whether only licensed software in the bundle is to be installed are the basic decisions required by this application.

This application is intended for users whose software needs are met by an existing bundle. Advanced options include whether to commit updates at the same time the bundle is installed without saving the previous version of the software.

To install software bundles:

  1. To start the Web-based System Manager Software application, enter: wsm software . The Software container displays.
  2. Select Software from the menu.
  3. From the pulldown, select New Software (Install/Update) and then select Install Bundles (Easy).

To view extended help for the Web-based System Manager Software tasks, select Contents from the Help menu.

Should a problem occur during the installation of optional software that interrupts the installation process, you may have to perform a cleanup procedure to remove the partially installed software from the system before attempting to reinstall it. If the system instructs you to do a cleanup, go to "Cleaning Up Optional Software and Service Updates".

To Install Optional Software and Service Updates with SMIT

This procedure describes how to use SMIT to install optional software and service updates. There are three installation paths available in SMIT: Bundles (easy install), Selective Install, and Fixes:

Bundles Using the Install Software Bundle (Easy Install) path, you need only specify the input device and which bundle you are installing. You can also preview a bundle install to see what software will be installed and how much space is required in the file system to install the bundle.
Install and Update Using Install and Update, you can choose specific software to install, apply or commit updates, and preview the install to see what software will be installed and how much space is required in the file system to install the software.
Fixes To install a specific fix for a problem, use the Update Software by Fix (APAR) menu. This menu allows you to list all service fixes on the media and select a fix to install. You can also preview the installation to see what software will be updated and how much space is required in the file system to apply the fix.
Note: Should a problem occur during the installation of optional software that causes the installation process to halt abnormally, you may have to complete a cleanup procedure to remove the partially installed software from the system before attempting to reinstall it. If the system instructs you to do a cleanup, go to "Cleaning Up Optional Software and Service Updates".

To Access SMIT Installation Menus

At the system prompt, enter the fast path: smit install_update .

The SMIT application opens with the Install and Update Software screen displayed. From this screen, you can choose whether to continue along the Easy Install or Custom Install path.

To Install Software and Service Updates with Easy Install

This section details the procedure for installing the bundle contents. The same procedure can be followed for viewing the bundle contents. The SMIT screens that you use vary depending on which option you choose.

Use the following procedure to install the bundle contents:

  1. Use the arrow keys to highlight the Install Software Bundle (Easy Install) option from the Install and Update Software screen and press Enter. The Install Software Bundle (Easy Install) screen is displayed.
  2. The INPUT device/directory for software option is highlighted. Press the F4 key to display a list of the available input devices or directories. The input device is the tape, diskette, or CD-ROM drive that you are using to install the software. The input directory is the directory on your system containing software for installation (for example, the /usr/sys/inst.images directory).
  3. Select an input device or directory and press Enter. The device or directory you selected is now displayed in the INPUT device/directory for software entry field.
    Note: If you are installing from CD-ROM, the CD-ROM device must be mounted to a CD-ROM file system. SMIT automatically creates this mount point for you. If you install from the command line using the installp command, however, you must specify the directory on which the CD-ROM is mounted with the -d option of the installp command.
  4. The Bundle field is now displayed below the INPUT device/directory for software field.
    1. The Bundle field is highlighted. Press the F4 key to display a list of bundles to be installed.
    2. Select a bundle from the list and press Enter. The bundle you selected is now displayed in the new entry field.
  5. Press Enter to begin the installation process. After you press Enter, an ARE YOU SURE? pop-up message displays to confirm that you want to continue with the installation.
    Note: If you are installing from tape, it may be several minutes before the contents of the bundle are displayed or installed.

To Install Software and Service Updates with Custom Install

This section details the procedure for installing software products at the latest level. The same procedure can be followed for the other options listed in the Install and Update Software screen in step 1 of the following procedure. The SMIT screens that you use vary depending on which option you choose to update your system.

Use the following procedure to install software products at the latest level:

  1. Select the Install and Update Software option from the Software Installation and Maintenance screen and press Enter. The Install and Update Software screen is displayed.

  2. Select the Install and Update from LATEST Available Software option from the Install and Install and Update Software screen and press Enter. After the option is selected, a screen asking you to specify the input device or directory is displayed.
  3. The INPUT device/directory for software option will be highlighted. Press the F4 key to display a list of the available input devices or directories. The input device is the tape, diskette, or CD-ROM drive that you are using to install the software. The input directory is the directory on your system containing software for installation (for example, the /usr/sys/inst.images directory).
  4. Select an input device or directory and press Enter. The device or directory you selected is now displayed in the INPUT device/directory for software entry field.
    Note: If you are installing from CD-ROM, the CD-ROM device must be mounted to a CD-ROM file system. SMIT automatically creates this mount point for you. If you install from the command line using the installp command, however, you must specify the directory on which the CD-ROM is mounted with the -d option of the installp command.

    The screen that is displayed next lists the different installation options.

  5. The default setting for the SOFTWARE to Install menu options is _all_latest, which installs all the software on the media, except devices and printers. Or select _all_licensed for the SOFTWARE to Install menu option, which installs all the software for which you have a license or for which no license is required (this is the default option on the Install Software Bundle (Easy Install) menu).

    To display a list of software products from which you can selectively install, press the F4 key to display a list of available software products or bundles. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys or the arrow keys to scroll through the list. To select one or more items, highlight the item and press the F7 key. A greater-than ( >) symbol is displayed next to the selected item. To deselect a previously selected item, move the cursor to highlight that item again and press the F7 key again.

    Note: The screen containing the default settings can include one of the following options. Which option appears on this screen depends on which option you selected from the Install and Update from LATEST Available Software screen.
    SOFTWARE to install [_all_latest]
    BUNDLE [_all_licensed]
    SOFTWARE to update [_update_all]
    [_update_all] applies only the updates for software that is installed on your system.

    If you are installing a maintenance level, it should be committed in order to receive all fixes issued since the base level release. If your disk space is limited, you can save space in the /usr and root file systems by not saving replaced files.

    Note: If you are installing from tape, it may take several minutes to display a listing of the tape's contents after pressing the F4 key.
  6. Verify whether you want to keep or change the remaining default installation settings. Use the SMIT online help for each field to determine if you want to use the default setting. To change the settings with a yes or no value, highlight the field and use the Tab key to toggle yes or no.
    Note: The elements selected for Include corresponding LANGUAGE filesets? are the elements that are used in the main Web-based System Manager and SMIT install applications. The values for these elements are stored in the file /var/adm/ras/bosinst.data. If you want different messages and locales installed when installing additional software or bundles of software, edit the /var/adm/ras/bosinst.data file and change the values of the locale stanza.

    If you wish to preview the results of the installation before actually installing the software, highlight the PREVIEW only? (install operation will NOT occur) field and change the setting to a yes value. The preview information indicates any software that is requisite to software you are installing.

  7. Press Enter when you are satisfied with all the settings on this screen. The ARE YOU SURE? pop-up message is displayed to confirm that you want to continue with the installation.

    If you set the preview function to yes, then installation will not actually occur. In this case, repeat this procedure with the preview function set to no when you want to install the software.

Completing the Installation and Reading the Status Messages

This section describes the system's activity and actions required of you after the installation process has begun.

  1. When you press Enter to start the installation, the COMMAND STATUS screen is displayed.

    A series of messages are displayed as the installation proceeds. The amount of time the installation takes varies depending on your system and the software you are installing and updating.

    Note: The system may prompt you, with a message similar to the following, to insert the next tape or diskette: 
    Mount volume 2 on /dev/rmt0.
Press the Enter key to continue.
    When this message is displayed, insert the specified tape or diskette and press Enter.

    When the installation finishes, the Command: status field on the COMMAND STATUS screen changes to OK or failed. OK means the installation ran to completion, though some filesets may not have installed successfully. The failed status means that not everything you requested was installed. A preview install always finishes with an OK status.

    For information about error messages, refer to "Error Messages and Output from the installp Command".

  2. When the installation halts or finishes, the screen returns to the top of the list of messages that are displayed during installation. You can review the message list as described in the next step, or you can exit SMIT and review the smit.log file. ( /smit.log or /home/user_id/smit.log)
  3. Review the message list for error messages and software products or service updates that may not have been successfully installed. Use the following procedure to correct any errors in the installation:
    1. Look at the pre- and post-installation summaries at the end of the message list to see whether any installation failure occurred.
    2. Use the message list to determine problems and find which software products or service updates were involved. For example, space limits may have been exceeded or the requisites may not have been met for some software. The system lists how much extra space is needed and which requisite software products or service updates to install.
    3. Any product that is marked as FAILED, BROKEN, or CANCELLED must be reinstalled. You do not need to reinstall any service update or software product that was marked as SUCCESS in the Installp Summary report. If you need to perform the installation again, change installation settings as appropriate. For example, if requisites were missing, set AUTOMATICALLY install requisite software? to yes. If there was not enough space to complete the installation, set EXTEND file systems if space needed? to yes.

      If you need to perform the installation again and you have more than one tape or diskette, remove the tape or diskette from the drive, press F10 to exit SMIT, and return to "Prerequisites". See "Acting on System and Error Messages" for information about bosboot command errors that may occur while the install program is running, and about recovery procedures for these errors.

    4. If the installation was interrupted (for example, a power failure), you may need to use the cleanup procedure before continuing. Press F10 to exit SMIT and refer to "Cleaning Up Optional Software and Service Updates".
    5. When all software has been installed successfully, continue with the next step.
  4. If you have additional software to install that is on a different CD-ROM, tape, or diskette, do the following:
    1. Remove the CD-ROM, tape, or diskette from the drive.
    2. Insert the CD-ROM, tape, or diskette for the software you are installing into the drive.
    3. Press F3 to return to the previous screen and continue installing the software product or service update from tape or diskette.
  5. Press F10 to exit SMIT.
  6. Remove the installation media from the drive.
  7. Reboot your system when a message directs you to do so. To reboot your system, enter: 
    shutdown -Fr

Where Do I Go Next?

At this point, you may want to do one or more additional tasks before using your system:

README Files

AIX Documentation

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