Tips on Installing/Updating with Low Disk Space

Contents

About this Document

This document contains tips for installing or updating with low disk space in AIX 3.2 and 4.1

Tips

• Make a system image backup of your system.

• To use the least amount of disk space, install or update with the commit option set to "yes" and the save-replaced-files option set to "no". Keep in mind that using these options can result in "BROKEN" PTFs if an error occurs during the install that the installation process cannot successfully clean up. Remember - committed software cannot be rejected.

  NOTE: If you use this option and get "BROKEN" PTFs, use the installp options documented in InfoExplorer under the installp command to correct the "BROKEN" PTFs.

  Under 4.1 you have the option of storing the save-replaced files using an alternate save directory with an NFS mounted file system.

• If you do not wish to install with the commit option set to "yes", you can free disk space by committing previously applied software. Committing software will remove the saved copies of files needed when software is rejected.

• Every RISC System/6000 running AIX version 3.2 or 4.1 is capable of supporting diskless clients and remote /usr clients. This feature is made possible, in part, by the duplicate existence of many AIX commands. However, systems that are never configured to be diskless servers or remote /usr servers do not need these duplicate commands. Therefore, you can free up additional disk space by removing these duplicate commands.

  If you have installed Preventive Maintenance Package (PMP) 3240 or PMP 3250, you can use the ptfdir_clean utility to remove these files. The ptfdir_clean utility is provided by PTF U420008 (324) and U422463 (325). You can run the following command to identify how much disk space will be recovered by removing these files:

   
     /usr/sbin/ptfdir_clean 
  

  You can remove the files by running:

   
     /usr/sbin/ptfdir_clean -y 
  

  If you have not installed a PMP, you can still remove these files, but you will have to remove them manually. If a PTF is committed and your system is not a diskless server or remote /usr server, you can remove the files in the directory

   
     /usr/lpp/<LPPNAME>/inst_<PTF#> 
  

  where <LPPNAME> is the basename of the LPP for the PTF and <PTF#> is the PTF number. For example, for PTF X11rte.obj 01.02.000.000.U402470, the <LPPNAME> is X11rte and the <PTF#> is U402470, so you could remove the files in directory

   
     /usr/lpp/X11rte/inst_U402470 
  

  NOTE: Make sure to only remove files in directories of the format inst_U###### (i.e., do not remove /usr/lpp/bos/inst_root or /usr/lpp/bos/inst_ptf).

  NOTE: Under 4.1, ptfdir_clean does not exist. The way that the BOS package has been restructured, ptfdir_clean is not needed. However, there is a new command: /usr/lib/instl/inurid which is part of the bos.rte.install fileset and is used for removing client install information on standalone machines (machines that are not install servers for Network Management Installation (NIM) install).

  The command will set a variable in the Software Vital Product Database (SWVPD) that informs installp that this system does not need to leave client information on the system for root parts of base levels and updates. This variable is called BIRON, or blast inst_root ON. It is not as liberal in freeing space as ptfdir_clean under 3.2, but again with the restructuring that has taken place with the BOS packaging, space requirements are not as constraining as before.