11. Creating a package with pkgmk

pkgmk(1) takes all of the objects on your machine (as defined in the prototype(4) file), puts them in the fixed directory format and copies everything to the installation medium.

To package your software, execute:

   pkgmk [-d device] [-f filename]

pkgmk looks for a file named prototype. You can use the -f option to specify a package contents file named something other than prototype. This file must be in the prototype format.

For example, executing pkgmk -d diskette1 creates a package based on a file named prototype in your current directory. The package is formatted and copied to the diskette in the device diskette1.

Package file compression

In Release 4.2, the pkgmk(1) command has been enhanced to optionally compress package files. If the -c option is specified, pkgmk(1) will compress all non-information files. The following exceptions apply:

• If, as a result of compression, the size of the file is not reduced, pkgmk(1) will not compress the file.

• If the pathname for the file in the package's prototype(4) file is a relative pathname, (for example, ../mypkg/foo), the file will not be compressed.

Creating a package instance

pkgmk(1) creates a new instance of a package if one already exists on the device to which it is writing. It assigns the package an instance identifier. Use the -o option of pkgmk to overwrite an existing instance of a package rather than to create a new one.

Helping pkgmk locate package contents

The following list describes situations that might require supplying pkgmk(1) with extra information and an explanation of how to do so:

• Your development area is not structured in the same way that you want your package structured.

  Use the path1=path2 pathname format in your prototype(4) file.

• You have relocatable objects in your package.

  Use the path1=path2 pathname format in your prototype(4) file, with path1 as a relocatable name and path2 a full pathname to that object on your machine.

  You can use the search command in your prototype(4) file to tell pkgmk(1) where to look for objects. (You cannot use the -c option with search, however.)

  You can use the -b basedir option to define a pathname that informs pkgmk(1) where to find relocatable object names while creating the package. It does this by prepending basedir to relocatable object names while creating the package. For example, executing the following command looks in the directory /usr2/myhome/reloc for any relocatable object in your package:

     pkgmk -d /dev/diskette -b usr2/myhome/reloc
  

• You have variable object names.

  Use the search command in your prototype file to tell pkgmk where to look for objects. (You cannot use the -c option with search, however.)

  You can use the param="value" command in your prototype file to give pkgmk a value to use for the object name variables as it creates your package.

  Use the variable=value option on the pkgmk command line to define a temporary value for variable names.

• The root directory on your machine differs from the root directory described in the prototype file (and that will be used on the installation machine).

  Use the -r rootpath option to tell pkgmk to ignore the destination pathnames in the prototype file. Instead, pkgmk prepends rootpath to the source pathnames in order to find objects on your machine.