3. Placing objects into classes

Installation classes allow a series of actions to be performed on a group of package objects at the time of their installation or removal. You place objects into a class in the prototype(4) file. All package objects must be given a class, although the class of none can be used for objects that require no special action.

The installation parameter CLASSES, defined in the pkginfo(4) file, is a list of classes to be installed (including the none class). Objects defined in the prototype file that belong to a class not listed in this parameter will not be installed. The actions to be performed on a class (other than simply copying the components to the installation machine) are defined in a class action script. These scripts are named after the class itself.

For example, to define and install a group of objects belonging to a class named class1, follow these steps:

1. Define the objects belonging to class1 as such in their prototype(4) file entry. For example:

      f class1 /usr/src/myfile
      f class1 /usr/src/myfile2
   

2. Ensure that the CLASSES parameter in the pkginfo(4) file has an entry for class1. For example:

      CLASSES="class1 class2 none"
   

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   NOTE: Package objects cannot be removed by class.

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3. Ensure that a class action script exists for this class. An installation script for a class named class1 would be named i.class1 and a removal script would be named r.class1.

   If you define a class but do not deliver a class action script, the only action taken for that class will be to copy components from the installation medium to the installation machine.