Application Packaging Developer's Guide

Defining Additional Objects to Be Created at Install Time

You can use the prototype file to define objects that are not actually delivered on the installation medium. During installation, using the pkgadd command, these objects are created with the required file types, if they do not already exist at the time of installation.

To specify that an object be created on the target system, add an entry for it in the prototype file with the appropriate file type.

For example, if you want a directory created on the target system, but do not want to deliver it on the installation medium, add the following entry for the directory in the prototype file:


d none /directory 0644 root other

If you want to create an empty file on the target system, an entry for the file in the prototype file might look like the following:


f none filename=/dev/null 0644 bin bin

The only objects that must be delivered on the installation medium are regular files and edit scripts (file types e, v, f) and the directories required to contain them. Any additional objects are created without reference to the delivered objects, directories, named pipes, devices, hard links, and symbolic links.