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Hi All,
A simple question (or ten). Are AIX fixes cumulative. I think that
they are, but I'd like some confirmation.

I have bos.rte.net.4.3.3.1 installed and WebSphere requires
box.rte.net.4.3.3.2 to be installed.

I have a choice of:

bos.rte.net.4.3.3.1
bos.rte.net.4.3.3.2
bos.rte.net.4.3.3.50
bos.rte.net.4.3.3.75
bos.rte.net.4.3.3.76

Do I just put 4.3.3.2 on or can I put on 4.3.3.76?

Why the jump in numbers anyway?

I also need X11.* fixes. There are not in the /aix/fixes/v4/os
directory on ftp.software.ibm.com, which is where I'd expect to find
them, so can anyone point me in the right direction.

I've not installed any custom fixes like this before under AIX.

If fixes have other prerequisites, do I have to manually manage
them? Does smit/installp automatically work out and find any
prerequisites?

Under HP-UX, software comes as .depot (tar) files. I can merge
them all back together to have one big fix bundle, any only install
that one depot file which has all of it's prerequisites together. Do I
have to do this under AIX? Can I do this under AIX?

Sorry for the newbie type question, but it has 4-5 years since
I've worked seriously on AIX.

Thanks for any and all responese.

-Chris

> Hi All,
> A simple question (or ten). Are AIX fixes cumulative. I think that
> they are, but I'd like some confirmation.
>
> I have bos.rte.net.4.3.3.1 installed and WebSphere requires
> box.rte.net.4.3.3.2 to be installed.
>
> I have a choice of:
>
> bos.rte.net.4.3.3.1
> bos.rte.net.4.3.3.2
> bos.rte.net.4.3.3.50
> bos.rte.net.4.3.3.75
> bos.rte.net.4.3.3.76
>
> Do I just put 4.3.3.2 on or can I put on 4.3.3.76?
>
> Why the jump in numbers anyway?
>
> I also need X11.* fixes. There are not in the /aix/fixes/v4/os
> directory on ftp.software.ibm.com, which is where I'd expect to find
> them, so can anyone point me in the right direction.

https://techsupport.services.ibm.com/s2g/fixdb.html
When you select a fileset and your patchlevel all requiered depencies are
generated too.

You can get the whole Maintenance Level together from
https://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/mlfixes/43/

If you find some filesets missing afterwards get the few missing through the
first link.

---
Uli

Uli & Steve,
Thanks for taking the time to reply. You answered by questions perfectly.

-Chris

Steve Nottingham wrote:
> chrisg@warpspeed.com.au (Chris Graham [WarpSpeed]) wrote in message news:<ac231360.0307262101.7f98680@posting.google.c om>...
>
>>Hi All,
>> A simple question (or ten). Are AIX fixes cumulative. I think that
>>they are, but I'd like some confirmation.
>
>
> They are cumulative.

Not always. See below.

>
>
>> Do I just put 4.3.3.2 on or can I put on 4.3.3.76?
>>
>
>
> If you do a update all, installp will install the highest version and
> not bother with the older ones at all as .76 supercedes all the others

Er, this is not always true. Some patches are complete supersedes and
some are incremental and will require you to put in an intermediate patch
first. There is no way to tell from the numbers that I know of. installp
will of course manage the dependencies and tell you when you need an
intermediate, and will automatically properly install prereq and then
requested patchlevel if you have the prereq available. If you are fetching
patches from IBM the website can tell you what patch files you will need.

Chris Mattern

Chris Mattern <syscjm@gwu.edu> wrote in message news:<3F2538E8.7030907@gwu.edu>...
> Steve Nottingham wrote:
> > chrisg@warpspeed.com.au (Chris Graham [WarpSpeed]) wrote in message news:<ac231360.0307262101.7f98680@posting.google.c om>...
> >
> >>Hi All,
> >> A simple question (or ten). Are AIX fixes cumulative. I think that
> >>they are, but I'd like some confirmation.
> >
> >
> > They are cumulative.
>
> Not always. See below.
>
> >
> >
> >> Do I just put 4.3.3.2 on or can I put on 4.3.3.76?
> >>
> >
> >
> > If you do a update all, installp will install the highest version and
> > not bother with the older ones at all as .76 supercedes all the others
>
> Er, this is not always true. Some patches are complete supersedes and
> some are incremental and will require you to put in an intermediate patch
> first. There is no way to tell from the numbers that I know of. installp
> will of course manage the dependencies and tell you when you need an
> intermediate, and will automatically properly install prereq and then
> requested patchlevel if you have the prereq available. If you are fetching
> patches from IBM the website can tell you what patch files you will need.
>
> Chris Mattern

In all the years I've worked on AIX, all operating system fixes are supercedes.

Other software, for examaple Java tends to be incremental.

As we were answering questions about the O/S then I believe I answers stand.

Steve

steve@wakefieldrfc.freeserve.co.uk (Steve Nottingham) writes:

>Chris Mattern <syscjm@gwu.edu> wrote in message news:<3F2538E8.7030907@gwu.edu>...
>> Steve Nottingham wrote:
>> > chrisg@warpspeed.com.au (Chris Graham [WarpSpeed]) wrote in message news:<ac231360.0307262101.7f98680@posting.google.c om>...
>> >
>> >>Hi All,
>> >> A simple question (or ten). Are AIX fixes cumulative. I think that
>> >>they are, but I'd like some confirmation.
>> >
>> > They are cumulative.
>>
>> Not always. See below.
....
>In all the years I've worked on AIX, all operating system fixes are supercedes.
>Other software, for examaple Java tends to be incremental.

I'm not sure about that. I believe one of the RSCT file sets was not
cumulative once in AIX 4.3.3, and possibly one of the X11 pieces.
These are not strictly O/S filesets, but they are part of many (most?)
installations.

Also, let me be careful here. The updates I am (possibly) remembering
*claimed* to be dependent on earlier, non-base versions of the same LPP.
Whether this dependency was justified or not, I cannot say.

In any case, my answer to the question is, "Most fixes are cumulative,
but not all. The fix web page and installp will do the right thing,
though, so you don't need to worry about it." For example, if you
present installp with two or more versions of fixes to the same
LPP, and the fixes are cumulative, installp will skip the superceded
fixes and install only the latest. It will tell you about the ones
it is skipping. If you have a non-cumulative fix and are missing the
earlier fix, it will tell you which one you need, and not try to install
the dependent fix.

--
Dale Talcott, IT Research Computing Services, Purdue University
aeh@quest.cc.purdue.edu http://quest.cc.purdue.edu/~aeh/

Chris Mattern <syscjm@gwu.edu> wrote in message news:<3F25730D.9050000@gwu.edu>...
> Steve Nottingham wrote:
> > Chris Mattern <syscjm@gwu.edu> wrote in message news:<3F2538E8.7030907@gwu.edu>...
> >
> >>Steve Nottingham wrote:
> >>
> >>>chrisg@warpspeed.com.au (Chris Graham [WarpSpeed]) wrote in message news:<ac231360.0307262101.7f98680@posting.google.c om>...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Hi All,
> >>>> A simple question (or ten). Are AIX fixes cumulative. I think that
> >>>>they are, but I'd like some confirmation.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>They are cumulative.
> >>
> >>Not always. See below.
> >>
> >>
> >>>
> >>>> Do I just put 4.3.3.2 on or can I put on 4.3.3.76?
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>If you do a update all, installp will install the highest version and
> >>>not bother with the older ones at all as .76 supercedes all the others
> >>
> >>Er, this is not always true. Some patches are complete supersedes and
> >>some are incremental and will require you to put in an intermediate patch
> >>first. There is no way to tell from the numbers that I know of. installp
> >>will of course manage the dependencies and tell you when you need an
> >>intermediate, and will automatically properly install prereq and then
> >>requested patchlevel if you have the prereq available. If you are fetching
> >>patches from IBM the website can tell you what patch files you will need.
> >>
> >> Chris Mattern
> >
> >
> > In all the years I've worked on AIX, all operating system fixes are supercedes.
> >
> > Other software, for examaple Java tends to be incremental.
> >
> > As we were answering questions about the O/S then I believe I answers stand.
> >
> Ah, OK. I did not know a) that bos.rte patches are always comprehensive, and
> b) that your answer only pertained to bos.rte.

So it is making the Maint Level's look good. I'm in the middle of
downloading ML11, all 270+Mb of it!

I've got the instructions that says to put the unpacked files in
/usr/sys/inst.images (or similar). It suggests that you put a file
system on that directory so /usr does not grow.

Does it have to be that directory, or can I simply burn it to a CD-ROM
and install all of the patches from /cdrom/whatever?

I do not have a support contract with IBM, so I can not get the ML
mailed to me on CD. :-(

-Chris

>
> I've got the instructions that says to put the unpacked files in
> /usr/sys/inst.images (or similar). It suggests that you put a file
> system on that directory so /usr does not grow.
>
> Does it have to be that directory, or can I simply burn it to a CD-ROM
> and install all of the patches from /cdrom/whatever?
>

Can be any directory, the disadvantage is: You have to point smit to your
directory manually.

---
Uli

Chris Graham [WarpSpeed] wrote:

> I've got the instructions that says to put the unpacked files in
> /usr/sys/inst.images (or similar). It suggests that you put a file
> system on that directory so /usr does not grow.
>
> Does it have to be that directory, or can I simply burn it to a CD-ROM
> and install all of the patches from /cdrom/whatever?
>

Can be any directory, but if you want to use a CD you need to put
a .toc file along with the unpacked files. The inutoc command will
create it. Since CD is not writeable, smit cannot build it at run-time
so you need to pre-build it before burning.

If it's too late try using symlinks from /usr/sys/inst.images to the
/cdrom files


--
Alberto 'JCN-9000' Varesio AKA BlueRider AIX pSeries System Admin
Datavision-PLM - Via Goito 51/A Biker on HONDA CB500 - LHG
10195 Grugliasco - TO - ITALY Jeeper on Black '01TJ4.0 - Wave
A-Varesio@matradatavision.it A-Varesio@eads.dnsalias.net
Please http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html, thanks!
--
If at first you don't succeed . . . . . . . . . get new batteries

Dale Talcott wrote:

>>In all the years I've worked on AIX, all operating system fixes are supercedes.
>>Other software, for examaple Java tends to be incremental.
>
> I'm not sure about that. I believe one of the RSCT file sets was not
> cumulative once in AIX 4.3.3,

That would have been a packaging error.

> and possibly one of the X11 pieces.

Same.

> These are not strictly O/S filesets, but they are part of many (most?)
> installations.

Doesn't matter. The VRMF (version.release.mod.fix) nomenclature
is designed such that changes to the fix number imply that a
later number is cumulative. Any filesets that don't adhere to
this concept haven't been constructed properly.

> Also, let me be careful here. The updates I am (possibly) remembering
> *claimed* to be dependent on earlier, non-base versions of the same LPP.
> Whether this dependency was justified or not, I cannot say.

If you have (e.g.) a fileset at 4.3.2.20, and you wish to install
the same fileset at 4.3.3.13, you would have to install the base
mod level (4.3.3.0) first, before installing the update. Smitty
is smart enough to know this, and take care of the two pieces
necessary to get you to where you want to be.

> In any case, my answer to the question is, "Most fixes are cumulative,
> but not all. The fix web page and installp will do the right thing,
> though, so you don't need to worry about it." For example, if you
> present installp with two or more versions of fixes to the same
> LPP, and the fixes are cumulative, installp will skip the superceded
> fixes and install only the latest.

There is no information in the .toc file, nor in the BFF file,
that indicates whether the fix is cumulative. It is supposed to
be cumulative by installp design.

> It will tell you about the ones
> it is skipping. If you have a non-cumulative fix and are missing the
> earlier fix, it will tell you which one you need, and not try to install
> the dependent fix.

Again, only in the case of changes to the mod level, or as a result
of bogus packaging.

But what do I know. I only dealt with this for AIX kernel
development for 5 years, and ran into my fair share of problems
and mistakes.

--
Gary R. Hook / AIX PartnerWorld for Developers / These opinions are MINE
__________________________________________________ ______________________