Introduction to Solaris Packages

Sun and its third-party vendors deliver software products in a form that is called a package. The term packaging generically refers to the method for distributing and installing software products to systems where the products will be used. A package is a collection of files and directories in a defined format. This format conforms to the application binary interface (ABI), which is a supplement to the System V Interface Definition. The Solaris OS provides a set of utilities that interpret this format and provide the means to install a package, to remove a package, or to verify a package installation.

Solaris packages are created in a file system format. The package is a directory or series of directories that contain the files and scripts necessary to install the package. You can convert the file system into a single datastream by using the pkgtrans(1) command.

Some Solaris packages contain a request script that asks you questions prior to installation. If you want to use the N1 Grid Service Provisioning System to install a package that has a request script, you must create a response file that contains the responses to the questions asked by the request script. Use the pkgask(1M) command to create the response file. For more information about creating and using response files, see Avoiding User Interaction When Adding Packages (pkgadd) in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.