Using a ramdisk for multiple floppy images

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From - Tue Aug 10 08:18:47 1999
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From: "Radek Tomis" <rts@mediumsoft.cz>
Subject: Re: Installing UOD426D remotely.
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Date: Sun, 8 Aug 1999 15:15:13 GMT
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> From: Jean-Pierre Radley <jpr@jpr.com>
> Sent: Friday, August 06, 1999 5:22 PM

> Radek Tomis averred (on Fri, Aug 06, 1999 at 09:35:39AM +0000):
> | > From: Rob Bernath <rob@ccs.COM>
> | > Sent: Thursday, August 05, 1999 7:25 PM
> |
> | > We want to install UOD426D (patch for 3.2v4.2 SCO UNIX) for y2k
> | > remotely, so we upload the necessary files. This update installs via
> | > custom, how do we get custom to look for the files in the appropriate
> | > directory? Please send replies to rob@ccs.com
> |
> | Look at my article "Re: 3.2v4.2 and custom" at deja.com.
> | I believe you will be able to figure out from this article how to
> | install uod426d images remotely (without asking someone onsite to
> | insert floppies).
>
> So far as I understand, the ramdisk trick is fine for single-volume
> patches.
>
> How do you use it for uod426d?

[uod426d consists of three 1440 KB floppy images]

The ramdisk trick is fine also for multiple-volume packages, because
`custom -m <device>` does work with multiple volumes and even if it
wouldn't, you could always replace temporarily standard floppy device used
by `custom` ("/dev/[r]install") with ramdisk device (which can be done with
`ramdisk` easily).

However, I must admit I forgot that some packages (mostly system patches),
including uod426d, require single-user mode to install (only one tty session
available...).

Nevermind.

uod426d installation in single-user mode on a local machine:
------------------------------------------------------------

To install uod426d on a local machine from floppy images (i.e. direct access
to the box, but for example no working floppy drive or no blank floppy disks
available), use either of the following:

  - easy and simple "job control" trick used for single-session
    remote installation described below
  - the following trick to create additional multiscreen sessions
    on the console in single-user mode
  - more complicated trick described below for remote installation
    in multi-user mode

IMPORTANT:
  Make sure you have enough free space on the root file system before
  installing uod426d (search for "28MB" in uod426d cover letter).
  (I went through this :-(, you may lost original files)


(Installation in single-user mode using additional multiscreen sessions on
the console:)

Download <http://members.xoom.com/rts101/tmp/ctrltty>.

1. Bring the system to single-user mode.
2. Create two additional shell sessions on multiscreens #2 and #3:

   ctrltty /dev/tty02 sh -c 'stty sane; exec ksh -o vi' &
   ctrltty /dev/tty03 sh -c 'stty sane; exec ksh -o vi' &

3. Follow these steps on corresponding multiscreens:

tty01:           tty02:                  tty03:
|                |                       |
v                v                       v

                                         ramdisk -do /tmp/ramdev 1440

custom -m /tmp/ramdev
Install -> A New Product -> Entire Product
"Insert Floppy Volume 1"

                 zcat uod426d.v1 > /tmp/ramdev

<Enter>
"Insert Floppy Volume 1"
<Enter>
[...]
"Insert Floppy Volume 2"

                 zcat uod426d.v2 > /tmp/ramdev

<Enter>
[...]
"Insert Floppy Volume 3"

                 zcat uod426d.v3 > /tmp/ramdev

<Enter>
[...]
<F2> (Quit)

                                         <Enter>

^                ^                       ^
|                |                       |
tty01:           tty02:                  tty03:


4. Terminate sessions on screen #2 and #3:

   tty02: <Ctrl><D>
   tty03: <Ctrl><D>


Remote uod426d installation in multi-user mode:
-----------------------------------------------

WARNING:
  This is NOT suggested method how to install uod426d, but if you insist
  on remote installation, I can tell you it works fine (I have done this).
  During the installation, certain system binaries are replaced with new
  ones or updated/fixed. If, for some reason, one or more of these binaries
  are in use while replacing/fixing process takes place, they will NOT be
  replaced/fixed and thus will remain "Y2K non-compliant" and may even
  leave your system in an inconsistent state if there are some other
  new/updated utilities that are dependant on new versions of those
  binaries that could not be updated. The following installation description
  includes steps that eliminate most (if not all) of such possibilities.

IMPORTANT:
  Make sure you have enough free space on the root file system before
  installing uod426d (search for "28MB" in uod426d cover letter).
  (I went through this :-(, you may lost original files)

1. Log in remotely on three different ttys as 'root'.

   If you can log in remotely only once at the same time (no ppp/slip,
   user-license restriction, etc.) use the "job control" trick in step 4.
   Now go to next step (2).

2. Log off all users, and shut down all services/daemons that aren't
   needed (i.e. everything except those that provide you with remote
   connection...). I've installed uod426d remotely via TCP/IP LAN rlogins,
   so I did this:

   cd /etc/rc0.d
   for i in K70uucp K75cron K80lp K86mmdf
   do
     sh $i stop
   done

   You may want to stop different and/or additional services on your
   system. Look at all file names in "/etc/rc0.d" directory...

   After that, try 'ps -ef' to see whether there are still some processes
   that aren't needed. If so, kill'em.

3. Fool the uod426d install script (or any other for that matter) by
   marking the system as being in single-user mode:

   cp /etc/utmp /etc/utmp.bak
   ksh
   s=`who -a | sed -n /run-level/=`
   for c in "22 S"  "28 S"  "30 2"
   do
     set -- $c
     echo "$2\c" | dd bs=1 oseek=$(((s-1)*36+$1)) of=/etc/utmp 2>/dev/null
   done

4. If you have been able to log in remotely on three different ttys, follow
   tty01-03 sessions described in single-user installation on a local
   machine above. Otherwise do the same within one session, using job
   control:

   stty susp '^Z'
   ksh -o vi
   ramdisk -do /tmp/ramdev 1440
     <Ctrl><Z>
   zcat uod426d.v1 > /tmp/ramdev
   custom -m /tmp/ramdev
     Install -> A New Product -> Entire Product
     "Insert Floppy Volume 1" (Distribution)
     <Enter>
     "Insert Floppy Volume 1" (SLS)
     <Enter>
     [...]
     "Insert Floppy Volume 2"
     <Ctrl><Z>
   zcat uod426d.v2 > /tmp/ramdev
   fg  # custom
     <Enter>
     [...]
     "Insert Floppy Volume 3"
     <Ctrl><Z>
   zcat uod426d.v3 > /tmp/ramdev
   fg  # custom
     <Enter>
     [...]
     <F2> (Quit)
   fg  # ramdisk
     <Enter>

5. Reboot (this will log you off of the remote machine, of course).

6. Log in remotely back after few minutes to see whether the system
   started up at all ;-) If not, rent a luxury jet plane for a looong
   flight, that you originally had wanted to desperately avoid
   in the first place.


I've forgotten that 'ramdisk' requires two additional utilities:

  http:/members.xoom/com/rts101/tmp/filesize
  http:/members.xoom/com/rts101/tmp/fn

--
Radek Tomis
rts@mediumsoft.cz

Take Control of Your Domain Names

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