System Administration Guide: Basic Administration

Adding and Removing Software Packages With Package Commands

This section describes how to add, check, and remove packages with the package commands.

How to Add Software Packages (`pkgadd`)

Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

Remove any already installed packages with the same names as the ones you are adding.

This step ensures that the system keeps a proper record of software that has been added and removed. There might be times when you want to maintain multiple versions of the same application on the system. For strategies on maintaining multiple software copies, see Guidelines for Removing Packages, and for task information, see How to Remove Software Packages (pkgrm).

Add a software package to the system.

# pkgadd -a admin-file -d device-name pkgid ...

`-a` `admin-file`	(Optional) Specifies an administration file that the `pkgadd` command should consult during the installation. For details about using an administration file, see Using an Administration File in the previous chapter.
`-d` `device-name`	Specifies the absolute path to the software packages. `device-name` can be the path to a device, a directory, or a spool directory. If you do not specify the path where the package resides, the `pkgadd` command checks the default spool directory (`/var/spool/pkg`). If the package is not there, the package installation fails.
`pkgid`	(Optional) Is the name of one or more packages, separated by spaces, to be installed. If omitted, the `pkgadd` command installs all available packages.

If the pkgadd command encounters a problem during installation of the package, it displays a message related to the problem, followed by this prompt:

Do you want to continue with this installation?

Respond with yes, no, or quit. If more than one package has been specified, type no to stop the installation of the package being installed. The pkgadd command continues to install the other packages. Type quit to stop the installation.

Verify that the package has been installed successfully.
# pkgchk -v pkgid
If no errors occur, a list of installed files is returned. Otherwise, the pkgchk command reports the error.

Example—Adding Software Packages From a Mounted CD

The following example shows how install the SUNWpl5u package from a mounted Solaris 9 CD. The example also shows how to verify that the package files were installed properly.

# pkgadd -d /cdrom/cdrom0/s0/Solaris_9/Product SUNWpl5u
	.
	.
	.
Installation of <SUNWpl5u> was successful.
# pkgchk -v SUNWpl5u
/usr
/usr/bin
/usr/bin/perl
/usr/perl5
/usr/perl5/5.00503
.
.
.

Example—Installing Software Packages From a Remote Package Server

If the packages you want to install are available from a remote system, you can manually mount the directory that contains the packages (in package format) and install packages on the local system.

The following example shows how to install software packages from a remote system. In this example, assume that the remote system named package-server has software packages in the /latest-packages directory. The mount command mounts the packages locally on /mnt, and the pkgadd command installs the SUNWpl5u package.

# mount -F nfs -o ro package-server:/latest-packages /mnt
# pkgadd -d /mnt SUNWpl5u
	.
	.
	.
Installation of <SUNWpl5u> was successful.

If the automounter is running at your site, you do not need to mount the remote package server manually. Instead, use the automounter path, in this case, /net/package-server/latest-packages, as the argument to the -d option.

# pkgadd -d /net/package-server/latest-packages SUNWpl5u
	.
	.
	.
Installation of <SUNWpl5u> was successful.

The following example is similar to the previous example, except that it uses the -a option and specifies an administration file named noask-pkgadd, which is illustrated in Avoiding User Interaction When Adding Packages. In this example, assume that the noask-pkgadd administration file is in the default location, /var/sadm/install/admin.

# pkgadd -a noask-pkgadd -d /net/package-server/latest-packages SUNWpl5u
	.
	.
	.
Installation of <SUNWpl5u> was successful.

Adding a Software Package to a Spool Directory

For convenience, you can copy frequently installed packages to a spool directory. If you copy packages to the default spool directory, /var/spool/pkg, you do not need to specify the source location of the package (-d device-name argument) when you use the pkgadd command. The pkgadd command, by default, checks the /var/spool/pkg directory for any packages specified on the command line. Note that copying packages to a spool directory is not the same as installing the packages on a system.

How to Add Software Packages to a Spool Directory (`pkgadd`)

Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

Remove any already spooled packages with the same names as the packages you are adding.

For information on removing spooled packages, see Example—Removing a Spooled Software Package.

Add a software package to a spool directory.

# pkgadd -d device-name -s spooldir pkgid ...

`-d` `device-name`	Specifies the absolute path to the software packages. `device-name` can be the path to a device, a directory, or a spool directory.
`-s` `spooldir`	Specifies the name of the spool directory where the package will be spooled. You must specify a `spooldir`.
`pkgid`	(Optional) Is the name of one or more packages, separated by spaces, to be added to the spool directory. If omitted, the `pkgadd` command copies all available packages.

Verify that the package has been copied successfully to the spool directory.
$ pkginfo -d spooldir| grep pkgid
If pkgid is copied correctly, the pkginfo command returns a line of information about the pkgid. Otherwise, the pkginfo command returns the system prompt.

Example—Setting Up a Spool Directory From a Mounted CD

The following example shows how to transfer the SUNWman package from a mounted SPARC Solaris 9 CD to the default spool directory (/var/spool/pkg).

# pkgadd -d /cdrom/cdrom0/s0/Solaris_9/Product -s /var/spool/pkg SUNWman
Transferring <SUNWman> package instance

Example—Setting Up a Spool Directory From a Remote Software Package Server

If packages you want to copy are available from a remote system, you can manually mount the directory that contains the packages, in package format, and copy them to a local spool directory.

The following example shows the commands to do this scenario. In this example, assume that the remote system named package-server has software packages in the /latest-packages directory. The mount command mounts the package directory locally on /mnt, and the pkgadd command copies the SUNWpl5p package from /mnt to the default spool directory (/var/spool/pkg).

# mount -F nfs -o ro package-server:/latest-packages /mnt
# pkgadd -d /mnt -s /var/spool/pkg SUNWpl5p
Transferring <SUNWpl5p> package instance

If the automounter is running at your site, you do not have to mount the remote package server manually. Instead, use the automounter path, in this case, /net/package-server/latest-packages, as the argument to the -d option.

# pkgadd -d /net/package-server/latest-packages -s /var/spool/pkg SUNWpl5p
Transferring <SUNWpl5p> package instance

Example—Installing Software Packages From the Default Spool Directory

The following example shows how to install the SUNWpl5p package from the default spool directory. When no options are used, the pkgadd command searches the /var/spool/pkg directory for the named packages.

# pkgadd SUNWpl5p
	.
	.
	.
Installation of <SUNWpl5p> was successful.

How to List Information About All Installed Packages (`pkginfo`)

List information about installed packages with the pkginfo command.

$ pkginfo

Example—Listing All Packages Installed

The following example shows the pkginfo command to list all packages installed on a local system, whether that system is a standalone or server. The output shows the primary category, package name, and the description of the package.

$ pkginfo
system      SUNWaccr       System Accounting, (Root)
system      SUNWaccu       System Accounting, (Usr)
system      SUNWadmap      System administration applications
system      SUNWadmc       System administration core libraries
.
.
.

Example—Displaying Detailed Information About Software Packages

$ pkginfo -l SUNWcar
   PKGINST:  SUNWcar
      NAME:  Core Architecture, (Root)
  CATEGORY:  system
      ARCH:  sparc.sun4u
   VERSION:  11.9.0,REV=2001.10.16.17.05
   BASEDIR:  /
    VENDOR:  Sun Microsystems, Inc.
      DESC:  core software for a specific hardware platform group
    PSTAMP:  crash20011016171723
  INSTDATE:  Nov 02 2001 08:53
   HOTLINE:  Please contact your local service provider
    STATUS:  completely installed
     FILES:    111 installed pathnames
                36 shared pathnames
                40 directories
                56 executables
             17626 blocks used (approx)

How to Check the Integrity of Installed Software Packages (`pkgchk`)

Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

Check the status of an installed package.

# pkgchk -a| -c -v pkgid ...
# pkgchk -d spooldir pkgid ...

`-a`	Specifies to audit only the file attributes, that is, the permissions, rather than the file attributes and contents, which is the default.
`-c`	Specifies to audit only the file contents, rather than the file contents and attributes, which is the default.
`-v`	Specifies verbose mode, which displays file names as they are processed.
`-d` `spooldir`	Specifies the absolute path of the spool directory.
`pkgid`	(Optional) Is the name of one or more packages, separated by spaces. If you do not specify a `pkgid`, all the software packages installed on the system are checked.

Example—Checking the Contents of Installed Software Packages

The following example shows how to check the contents of a package.

# pkgchk -c SUNWbash

If no errors occur, the system prompt is returned. Otherwise, the pkgck command reports the error.

Example—Checking the File Attributes of Installed Software Packages

The following example shows how to check the file attributes of a package.

# pkgchk -a SUNWbash

If no errors occur, the system prompt is returned. Otherwise, the pkgck command reports the error.

Example—Checking Software Packages Installed in a Spool Directory

The following example shows how to check a software package that was copied to a spool directory (/export/install/packages).

# pkgchk -d /export/install/packages
## checking spooled package <SUNWadmap>
## checking spooled package <SUNWadmfw>
## checking spooled package <SUNWadmc>
## checking spooled package <SUNWsadml>

Note –

The checks made on a spooled package are limited because not all information can be audited until a package is installed.

Removing Software Packages

Caution –

Always use the pkgrm command to remove installed packages. Do not use the rm command, which will corrupt the system's record-keeping of installed packages.

How to Remove Software Packages (`pkgrm`)

Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

Remove an installed package.
# pkgrm pkgid ...
pkgid identifies the name of one or more packages, separated by spaces, to be removed. If omitted, pkgrm removes all available packages.

Example—Removing Software Packages

This example shows how to remove a package.

# pkgrm SUNWctu

The following package is currently installed:
   SUNWctu         Netra ct usr/platform links (64-bit)
                   (sparc.sun4u) 11.9.0,REV=2001.07.24.15.53

Do you want to remove this package? y

## Removing installed package instance <SUNWctu>
## Verifying package dependencies.
## Processing package information.
## Removing pathnames in class <none>
.
.
.

Example—Removing a Spooled Software Package

This example shows how to remove a spooled package.

# pkgrm -s /export/pkg SUNWdmfex.u
The following package is currently spooled:
   SUNWdmfex.u           Sun Davicom 10/100Mb Ethernet Driver (64-bit)
                         (sparc.sun4u) 11.9.0,REV=2001.07.24.15.53

Do you want to remove this package? y

Removing spooled package instance <SUNWdmfex.u>