Using .copy_files and .link_files

The Trusted Solaris files .copy_files and .link_files are useful for multilevel accounts. The files help to automate the copying or linking of startup files into every SLD in an account's home directory MLD. Whenever a user creates a workspace at a new label, dtsession runs the updatehome(1M) command to read the contents of .copy_files and .link_files in the account's minimum label SLD, and copy or link every listed file into the new workspace.

The .copy_files file is useful when a user wants a slightly different startup file in different SLDs. Copying is desirable, for example, if users need to use different mail aliases when they are working at different labels. See "To Set Up Startup Files for Users" for an example.

The .link-files file is useful when a startup file should be identical at any label that it is invoked. For example, if there is one printer to handle labeled print jobs, that printer can be defined once in a startup file, like .cshrc. When the .cshrc file is listed in the file .link-files, .cshrc is linked to SLDs at other labels when those SLDs are created. See "To Set Up Startup Files for Users" for an example.

The following worksheet provides some examples of common files to copy or link.