Release Supplement 506A Release and Installation Notes

Release Supplement 506A Release and Installation Notes

This document contains critical information you need to know before and just after installing Release Supplement 506A for SCO OpenServer(TM) Release 5.0.6. Familiarize yourself with the information in these notes that is relevant to your system, then install Release Supplement 506A according to the instructions below.

This document is available both in the media distribution and from the SCO download site:

ftp://ftp.sco.com/

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, this document supplements the SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 Release Notes, which are still relevant. As information becomes available after the publication of these Release Supplement 506A Release Notes, it is posted as Late News.

This document covers the following topics:

Highlights of this supplement

The following list highlights some of the more prominent changes that Release Supplement 506A makes to an SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 system:

If you have questions regarding this supplement, or the product on which it is installed, please contact your software supplier.

BIND 8.2.2

Release Supplement 506A updates Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) software, which implements the Domain Name Service (DNS), from Release 8.1.1 to 8.2.2. New features in BIND Release 8.2 include:

  • RFC 2308 (Negative Caching)

  • RFC 2181 (DNS Clarifications)

  • RFC 2065 (DNS Security)

  • TSIG (Transaction SIGnatures)

  • Support for multiple virtual name servers

  • ndc uses a "control channel" now (no more signals)

  • ndc uses a "control channel" now (no more signals)

  • Many bug fixes

  • Documentation improvements

  • Performance enhancements

For a complete listing of new features in BIND Release 8.2.2 (including patch level 7), see the Internet Software Consortium (ISC) home page:

http://www.isc.org/products/BIND/bind8.html

See also the updated named(ADMN) manual page.

NOTE: Chapter 6, ``Configuring the Domain Name Service'' in the Networking Guide has not been updated in this Release Supplement 506A release. However, the current Name Server Operations Guide for BIND is available in plain text and PostScript® versions; see the /info/bind directory of the media distribution or the ISC home page.

Client Manager

The new Client Manager provides a graphical interface for configuring network client services, including:

  • name service (DNS and /etc/hosts)

  • default routes

  • name service search order

  • Network Time Protocol (NTP)

  • a graphical interface for common network administration tools

See ``Configuring TCP/IP client services'' in the Networking Guide for more information.

Network configuration improvements

Release Supplement 506A provides access to new network configuration parameters in the /etc/default/tcp file using the Network Configuration Manager and the Client Manager. See the updated tcp(SFF) manual page for more information.

P6 microcode updates

Release Supplement 506A adds the latest P6 microcode updates from Intel to the existing p6update command.

Pentium 4 support

Release Supplement 506A adds support to ensure that the Pentium 4 chip will not run slow due to thermal speed-throttling.

WARNING: Do not run SCO OpenServer on Pentium 4 systems without Release Supplement 506A. Doing so might damage your hardware.

SCO OpenServer drivers have been upgraded to support Pentium 4 technology. Before using other drivers on your system, consult your vendor to ensure that they conform to Pentium 4 specifications.

SCSI III tape device support

Release Supplement 506A supports SCSI III tape devices. See the updated scsi(HW) manual page for more information on SCSI devices.

popper 3.0.2

New features in popper Release 3.0.2 include:

  • Bulletins can now be issued to users based on group membership.

  • Reverse-lookups on client IP addresses can now be disabled by using the -R run-time switch.

  • User names can be down-cased by using the -c run-time switch. This helps when users are in the habit of entering their user name in ALL CAPS.

  • Optional automatic deletion of downloaded messages. Can be used to prevent users from keeping mail on the server.

  • Add your own text to the greeting by editing the banner.h file.

See the updated popper(ADM) manual page for more details and a complete list of features.

FTPD 2.6.1

New features in FTPD Release 2.6.1 include:

  • Enhancements to the configuration script options

  • Fixed security leaks that could result in root shell compromises

  • Fixed port-allow in ftpaccess

  • Support for the virtual passwd/virtual shadow features of BeroFTPD

  • Corrections to SITE MINFO
See the updated ftpd(ADMN) manual page for more information.

Improved PPP Manager authentication and name service support

The PPP Manager now supports configuration of:

  • Microsoft extensions to the CHAP protocol (MSCHAP).

  • Domain Name Service (DNS) server addresses.

  • Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) server addresses.
For further information, see the updated pppauth(SFF) manual page and ``Configuring PPP'' in the Networking Guide.

DHCP client

Release Supplement 506A includes DHCP client functionality. For more information, see the new dhcpc(ADMN) and dhcpc.conf(SFF) manual pages.

IP Filter improvements

Release Supplement 506A includes an rc2.d script that automatically loads the IP Filter (IPF) and Network Address Translation (NAT) configuration files at startup. In addition, the mkdev command now supports IP filter configuration. See the updated mkdev(ADM) and ipf(ADMP) manual pages for more information.

Improved more command

The standard SCO OpenServer more(C) pager has been upgraded to include new functionality from the less command, including interactive commands and environment variable support. See the more(C) manual page for details.

MountCD icon

After installing Release Supplement 506A and rebooting, the root user desktop includes a new MountCD icon. To mount a CD with this icon, place a CD-ROM in the drive and click on the icon; the icon shows a mountain symbol when the CD-ROM is mounted. To unmount a CD-ROM, click on the drive again; when the mountain symbol disappears, the CD-ROM is unmounted.

Bug fixes

For a complete list of the changes that Release Supplement 506A makes to an SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 system, see the rs506a.fixlist file on the media distribution or the download site:

New and updated documentation

In addition to new and updated documentation for features described in this section, Release Supplement 506A provides:

NOTE: Localized documentation was not updated in this supplement release.

Installing the supplement

You can install Release Supplement 506A from distribution media (such as a CD-ROM or a floppy disk) or from media images on a software server or web site.

The supplement consists of a number of files with names of the form VOL.nnn.nnn. If you download the supplement as media images, make sure you have all the files.

To install the supplement:

  1. Log in as root.

  2. Start the Software Manager by double-clicking on its icon on the desktop, or by entering the following at the command-line prompt:

    scoadmin software

  3. From the Software menu, select Install New.

  4. When prompted for the host (machine), select the current host and then Continue.

  5. In the Select Media window:

    • If you are loading this release supplement from a media image, click on Media Device and select Media Images, then Continue. (You may need to pull down the scroll bar before you see the Media Images option.)

      In the Enter Image Directory window, enter the absolute pathname for the directory in which the media images reside. For example:

      \/tmp

      Click on OK.

    • If you are loading this release supplement from a CD-ROM or floppy disk, select the appropriate drive and then Continue.

  6. The Install Selection window lists the supplements included in Release Supplement 506A.

    You must install the Software Manager Supplement first.

    Select only the ``Software Manager Supplement'', then click on Install.

    There is a short delay while the installation takes place, and a message instructs you to restart the Software Manager before installing the rest of Release Supplement 506A and other supplements from the distribution media.

  7. In the Installation Complete window, click on OK. The Software Manager should now list the Software Manager Supplement.

  8. Exit the Software Manager by selecting Host, then Exit. Then restart the Software Manager, now patched by the supplement you just installed.

  9. From the Software menu, select Install New.

  10. When prompted for the host (machine), select the current host and then Continue.

  11. In the Select Media window:

    • If you are loading this release supplement from a media image, click on Media Device and select Media Images, then Continue. (You may need to pull down the scroll bar before you see the Media Images option.)

      In the Enter Image Directory window, enter the absolute pathname for the directory in which the media images reside; for example:

      \/tmp

      Click on OK.

    • If you are loading this release supplement from a CD-ROM or floppy disk, select the appropriate drive and then Continue.

  12. In the Install Selection window, select the remaining supplement. Click on Install.

    There is a short delay while the installation takes place.

  13. In the Installation Complete window, click on OK. The Software Manager should list the supplements you selected. The patched software is now installed.

  14. Exit the Software Manager by selecting Host, then Exit.

  15. Reboot the machine. The Software Manager automatically relinks the kernel after each installation. You must reboot before the new kernel takes effect.

Installing the supplement across the network

You can install the supplement from one SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 machine onto another across a TCP/IP network. To do so, you need a software server, which you can create as described in Chapter 21, ``Installing and managing software over the network'' in the Networking Guide. This server has a user account called swadmin.

Use the Software Manager to install or load Release Supplement 506A on the software server; see ``Installing the supplement''.

To install the supplement onto a local machine from the software server, start the Software Manager and select Install New. In the Begin Installation window, you are prompted for the source location of the patch. Select From Another Host. You will need to provide the name of the software server, as well as the password of the swadmin user on the software server.

Removing the supplement

NOTE: You must remove software patches (such as release supplements) in the reverse order of their installation. In other words, if you installed ``Patch1'', then ``Patch2'', then ``Patch3'', you must remove ``Patch3'', then ``Patch2'', before you can remove ``Patch1''.

To remove a supplement:

  1. Log in as root.

  2. Start the Software Manager by double-clicking its icon on the desktop, or by entering the following at the command-line prompt:

    scoadmin software

  3. Select the title of the supplement you are removing.

  4. From the Software menu, select Remove Software. In the confirmation window, verify that you selected the right supplement, then click on Remove.

    CAUTION: Removing a supplement (patch) in the current SCO OpenServer release corresponds to rolling it back and unloading it in earlier SCO OpenServer releases. If you need to keep a copy of a patch loaded, click on More Options in the Confirm Selected Software window. Then, specify Leave Loaded, and click on Remove.

    Some effects of certain supplements are irreversible because of the nature of the correction (for example, restoring correct permissions on system directories). However, removing the supplement will remove the patch name from the system.

    There is a short delay, then the Removal complete window appears. Click on OK. The Software Manager should no longer list the supplement you removed.

  5. When you have finished removing and installing software, exit the Software Manager by selecting Host, then Exit.

  6. Reboot the machine. The Software Manager automatically relinks the kernel after software is removed. You must reboot before the new kernel takes effect.

Preserving customized files

Release Supplement 506A backs up the following user-configurable files, then modifies or replaces them:

/var/opt/K/SCO/link/1.1.1Ga/etc/conf/pack.d/kbmouse/space.c
/var/opt/K/SCO/Unix/5.0.6Ga/etc/termcap
/var/opt/K/SCO/Unix/5.0.6Ga/usr/lib/terminfo/terminfo.src
/var/opt/K/SCO/Unix_FR/5.0.6Ga/usr/lib/nls/misc/fr_FR.ISO8859-1/Unix/magic
/var/opt/K/SCO/Unix_DE/5.0.6Ga/usr/lib/nls/misc/de_DE.ISO8859-1/Unix/magic

If you have customized any of these files, you can restore your changes from the backed-up copies after you install the supplement. The files are backed up to:

/opt/K/SCO/link/rs506a.link111.1.0a/patch_backup/pack.d/kbmouse/space.c
/opt/K/SCO/Unix/rs506a.Unix506.1.0a/patch_backup/termcap
/opt/K/SCO/Unix/rs506a.Unix506.1.0a/patch_backup/terminfo.src
/opt/K/SCO/Unix_FR/rs506a.Unix_FR506.1.0a/patch_backup/magic
/opt/K/SCO/Unix_DE/rs506a.Unix_DE506.1.0a/patch_backup/magic

Software notes and limitations

The following notes and limitations apply to Release Supplement 506A:

Unmounting with the MountCD icon

Before unmounting a CD-ROM with the MountCD icon, you must ensure that the mount point directory (usually /mnt) is not busy. If it is, the unmount operation will fail but the MountCD icon will show that the CD-ROM drive is not mounted. To work around this problem, you must unmount the CD-ROM drive manually from the root command line using the umount(ADM) command.

ftpd root password recognition

The updated ftpd(ADMN) in Release Supplement 506A differs from the previous release in its handling of certain long passwords. The root password will not be recognized by ftpd if all the following conditions are met:

  • a system was installed with the ``low'' or ``traditional'' security defaults,

  • its root password was set during system installation to a string longer than 8 characters, and

  • the root password has never been changed since installation.

To correct this, run passwd(C) as root and enter the same password (or a new one). This rewrites the password entry in a form that is understandable to the new ftpd.

POP server error messages

When connections are established by certain electronic mail clients, including some versions of Netscape Communicator, the popper(ADM) POP 3 server might generate messages in the /usr/adm/syslog file that contain the text:

ERR Unknown command: "xsender"

These messages are benign and can safely be ignored.

Changes in /usr/local directory layout

The SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 installation creates empty directories (including bin and lib) under /usr/local. This is a change from previous releases that is a potential source of problems, particularly if you have an existing /usr/local hierarchy on a separate filesystem. The /usr/local directories are symlinks in the /opt/K/SCO hierarchy, and during an upgrade, the original /usr/local directories are lost when the symlinks are created. Because the Release 5.0.6 directories are recorded in the custom(ADM) database, any changes made by an administrator after installation will be undone by custom verify operations (using the custom -v or -V options).

If you have added files to the /usr/local directory or its subdirectories, you must back up the directory manually before performing an upgrade. The contents of /usr/local are overwritten during an upgrade installation.

When the upgrade installation is complete, you can copy your files back into the directories within the root filesystem created by the installation. If you want these files elsewhere, create any desired links to other filesystems within the /opt/K/SCO hierarchy, which should make the files visible through the /usr/local directory once again.

Core dump tunables

A new undocumented feature in SCO OpenServer is the ability to control the processes that dump core using tunable parameters in the /etc/conf/pack.d/kernel/space.c file. For more information, see the comments in the file; further documentation will be available in a future release.

WARNING: Use extreme caution when modifying this file. Accidental changes may make your system unusable.

NTP subsystem update

The NTP (Network Time Protocol) subsystem was updated in SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 from NTPv3 to NTPv4. As part of this process, the xntpd and xntpdc binaries were removed and replaced with ntpd and ntpdc binaries. Other NTP binaries were also updated to newer versions. NTPv4 is compatible with NTPv3, and the same /etc/ntp.conf file is used, which is identical in most cases. For more information, see:

Installing with Adaptec 2916x host adapters

If you want to install SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 on a device connected to an Adaptec 2916x SCSI host adapter or compatible devices, you must use the ad160 driver from the CD boot image or from the SCSI host adapter Boot Time Loadable Driver (BTLD) disk. The ad160 driver is not included on the primary installation disk, and you will receive "Host adapter not found" error messages if you try to boot from this disk.

If you boot from the installation CD-ROM, the driver will be available for the installation process. If you boot from floppy disks, you must first install the ad160 driver from the SCSI host adapter BTLD disk as described in ``Installing boot-time loadable drivers'' in the SCO OpenServer Handbook. For more information, see ``Boot devices and media'' in the Release Notes.

Installing on Adaptec dual channel host adapters

If you want to install SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 on a device connected to an Adaptec 3916x Dual Channel SCSI host adapter or dual Adaptec 2916x SCSI adapters, your CD-ROM and hard drives should be on the primary bus of the first configured adapter. If the devices are attached to different channels or devices, the order of controllers may be changed after reboot and the devices may not be recognized. This is a known bug that will be addressed in a future driver release from Adaptec.

Installing on NCR 815XS host adapters

If you have installed SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 on a system where the primary hard disk is attached to an NCR 815XS host adapter, the system might hang during the first attempt to boot from the disk with the following message displayed: 

   F slhainit
To work around this problem, power cycle the system and enter the following after the "boot:" prompt:

defbootstr scsi.noscan

The system should now boot successfully.

For more information, see the bootstring(HW) manual page.

Non-primary hard disk divisions not available

Some divisions configured during installation on a second SCSI hard disk might not be available after installation and are displayed by divvy(ADM) as not named.

To make those divisions available, use divvy after installation to name the divisions, but do not make any other changes with divvy. Then, install the updated division table to make all divisions available as configured.

Video adapter might require accelerated video driver

Most video adapters can be operated with the generic VESA video driver. A more limited range of video adapters can be operated with accelerated, hardware-specific drivers. When a hardware-specific driver exists, the SCOadmin Video Configuration Manager will identify it. Accelerated drivers usually perform much faster than the VESA driver.

If you experience problems with the operation of a video adapter, try switching between its accelerated and VESA drivers. An adapter not behaving correctly with one driver might operate correctly with the other. Specifically, if you experience system hangs with the Number Nine SR9 AGP video adapter using the VESA driver, you should configure and use the accelerated video driver to avoid this problem.

Remove SCODB before upgrading

If SCODB, the kernel debugger, is linked into the kernel prior to an in-place upgrade, the upgrade fails with an error message similar to: 

   undefined symbol - scodbinit
To avoid this problem, before trying to upgrade to SCO OpenServer, deactivate SCODB in the link kit by changing Y to N in the file /etc/conf/sdevice.d/scodb.

If the system has already been upgraded, you can correct the problem by editing the file /etc/conf/cf.d/mdevice. but be careful not to damage the format of this file because you cannot reconstruct it without reinstalling the system. On the line for ``scodb'', change the second field from ``P'' to ``PI''. (Because of the risk involved in editing /etc/conf/cf.d/mdevice, it is safer to deactivate SCODB, as described above, before upgrading.)

Upgrading to the Enterprise configuration from Host or Desktop

During an upgrade installation of an SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 Host or Desktop System to Release 5.0.6 Enterprise System, you are prompted to enter your Enterprise license. Supply the license information from your Release 5.0.6 Enterprise System Certificate of License and Authenticity (COLA); do not choose to install the 60-day evaluation license because there is no built-in evaluation license for SCO OpenServer.

If you select the 60-day evaluation license, after installation the Enterprise system is in an unlicensed state, the License Manager shows the Host or Desktop license, and the Software Manager shows the Host or Desktop software as installed. To clear these unnecessary entries from the License Manager and Software Manager and to ensure that your system is licensed correctly, performing the following steps after installation:

  1. Remove the Host or Desktop license from the License Manager.

  2. Remove the product database for the Host or Desktop software:

    rm -r /opt/P/SCO/product

    Replace product, with unixos for the Host software or with odtps for the Desktop software.

  3. Change directory to /etc/conf/pack.d/kernel.

  4. Run the brand(ADM) command using the Enterprise license from your Release 5.0.6 COLA to make sure all the appropriate files are updated on the system.

    If your COLA has a license data string, enter:

    brand -g -a "license_data" license_number license_code os.a

    For example:

    brand -g -a "k1;q1;m9zyxwv" NUM123ENT xexfmyub os.a

    If your COLA does not have a license data string, enter:

    brand -g license_number license_code os.a

Then, relink the kernel and reboot the system.

For more information, see ``Upgrading to the Enterprise configuration from Host or Desktop'' in the SCO OpenServer Handbook.

/etc/default/lang errors

On a system installed in French or German, after reboot, you will see a series of errors similar to this: 

   iserrno = 117

This error can be ignored and should not cause any problems.

Configuration and startup changes for TCP/IP

Important changes to TCP/IP configuration have been introduced in SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 and Release Supplement 506A:

  • If you defer networking or do not enter DNS client configuration at installation, an /etc/resolv.conf is not created and you will not have TCP/IP network connections. To do, so you must run the Network Configuration Manager to configure network interfaces or run the Client Manager to configure DNS client services after installation. For more information, see:

  • Router daemons (routed, gated and irdd) are no longer started by default at installation. They must be started explicitly by editing the /etc/default/tcp file. For more information, see:

Changes to the contents of /etc/resolv.conf

Beginning in SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6, the /etc/resolv.conf file might be created for you during a fresh installation; however, if you examine this file, you might notice that the domain line is missing, which is intentional because the domain line is redundant with the search line. While the domain keyword is still legal, if the domain line appears after the search line, the search line is ignored. To prevent confusion or misunderstanding, the /etc/resolv.conf file is now created without the domain line.

Other configuration information placed in the /etc/resolv.conf file during installation includes:

  • primary nameserver

  • secondary nameserver

  • hostresorder (local first, BIND second)
The /etc/resolv.conf file is created only if nameserver addresses and the system domain name were entered during initial installation.

For more detailed instructions on resolver configuration, see the resolv.conf(SFF) manual page.

DOS session requires ansi terminal type

If you start a DOS session from a tty running the ``scoansi'' terminal type, DOS does not work correctly. If you exit the DOS environment and set the terminal type to ``ansi'', then DOS works correctly.

SCO Merge upgrade

Currently, it is not possible to upgrade existing Windows installations from Winsock networking to the new support for VNET (Network Neighborhood) networking. If you want VNET networking with existing SCO Merge(TM) and Windows® accounts, back up the accounts' user data files and reinstall Windows with the VNET option selected at installation time. See the SCO Merge documentation for instructions on installing Windows under SCO Merge.

WARNING: Do not use the fix_vnet function in SCO Merge. Use of this function can result in the need to reinstall Windows and perhaps SCO Merge as well.

A patch for SCO Merge that will enable the fix_vnet function will be available in the near future from the SCO Support website:

http://www.sco.com/support/

Documentation notes and errata

The following documentation notes apply to Release Supplement 506A:

Restarting the calendar server with IQM_LANGUAGE

The steps given in ``Calendars'' in the SCO OpenServer Handbook to restart the calendar server with the initial LANG setting are not correct.

Below are the correct steps:

  1. Change directory to /usr/lib/sco/oadb and remove all the data files in the caldata directory with:

    cd /usr/lib/sco/oadb
    rm caldata/*

  2. Enter:

    DBKEY=6373
    IQMFILE=/usr/adm/ISL/iqm_file
    . $IQMFILE
    LANG=$IQM_LANGUAGE
    export DBKEY IQMFILE LANG

  3. Change directory to /usr/lib/scosh/utilbin and rebuild the database with:

    cd /usr/lib/scosh/utilbin
    ./calbuild

You should now be able to administer the calendar database.

To make this change permanent on your system, you must also:

  1. Edit the file /etc/rc2.d/P95calserver and find the line: 
    DBKEY=6373;     export DBKEY

  2. Before that line, add: 
    IQMFILE=/usr/adm/ISL/iqm_file
. $IQMFILE
LANG=$IQM_LANGUAGE
export IQMFILE LANG
This will enable the calendar server to start using the locale that was set at installation time, regardless of the system locale setting.

NTP documentation

The ntpd(ADMN) and ntpdc(ADMN) man pages conform to NTP version 4. However, they have not been completely updated nor has other NTP documentation. The most current documentation is available at the NTP web site:

http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~ntp/ntp_spool/html/index.html

Network configuration at installation

Step 23 of the ``Installation and upgrade checklist'' in the SCO OpenServer Handbook incorrectly states that routed is started whether or not DNS client configuration is specified at installation. Router daemons are no longer start by default and must be started explicitly by editing the /etc/default/tcp file. For more information, see:

DNS documentation

Chapter 6, ``Configuring the Domain Name Service'' in the Networking Guide has not been updated in this Release Supplement 506A release. However, the current Name Server Operations Guide for BIND is available in plain text and PostScript® versions; see the /info/bind directory of the media distribution or the ISC home page.

APIs and the high-precision clock

The clock(HW) manual page that describes the high-precision clock used for SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 and later releases should include the following information about API support for this feature. The following information should be added to this manpage:

As of Release Supplement 506A for SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6, a subset of APIs that use the kernel clock have been modified to utilize the high-precision clock. These are:

select(S)
has microsecond precision, adjusted for kernel entry and exit times, time-sharing delays, and so forth.

usleep(S)
has microsecond precision (uses select(S)).

nap(S)
has microsecond precision, with one-millisecond granularity.

sleep(S)
has microsecond precision, with one second granularity.

gettimeofday(S)
returns microsecond precision.

settimeofday(S)
accepts and implements microsecond precision.

adjtime(S)
accepts and implements microsecond precision

ftime(S)
returns millisecond precision.

The following functions do not fully take advantage of the high-precision system clock as of Release Supplement 506A for SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6:

poll(S)
has 10-20 millisecond precision.

alarm(S)
has 10-20 millisecond precision.

setitimer(S)
has 10-20 millisecond precision.

ualarm(S)
has 10-20 millisecond precision (uses setitimer(S)).

timer_settime(S)
has 10-20 millisecond precision.

netstat manual page

The netstat(TC) manual page and usage message incorrectly list -M and -N options, which have not been implemented.

awk manual page

The version of awk(C) included in Release Supplement 506A for SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 has been extended to support the -We and -Wexec options from mawk, a GPL awk interpreter by Michael D. Brennan. The new syntax is:

awk [ -F <field_sep> ] [ -v <varname>=<value> ] ...
{{-f <srcfile> | -e '<progtext>' } ... | -We <srcfile> | '<progtext>' }
{ <varname>=<value> | <file> } ...

The description of the new arguments is:

-We and -Wexec
special means of passing the name of a srcfile, indicating that it is the last option on the command line and that the next argument, if any, is the name of a sourcefile. Thus the following two commands are identical: 
   awk -We srcfile [arg ...]
   awk -f srcfile -- [arg ...]
awk, like many utilities, allows the use of "--" to terminate the option list.

-We is mostly used in an executable awk program file that uses the #! mechanism documented on the exec(M) manual page. For awk, the #! line typically looks like this: 

   #!/usr/bin/awk -f
Such a line passes the following arguments to awk: 
   -f srcfile [args ...]
where [args ...] are any arguments with which the program is invoked. If only filenames are passed, this works properly. However, if the first argument begins with '-', it appears to awk as though it is an argument that should be interpreted according to awk's command line syntax. This prevents an awk program from using POSIX-style options, which are introduced with '-'.

The -We construct avoids these problems. If a program begins with: 

   #!/usr/bin/awk -We
the following is passed to awk: 
   -We srcfile [arg ...]
which is equivalent to: 
   awk -f srcfile -- [arg ...]
The -We version is used because the #! mechanism does not allow for the latter syntax. Because of the implicit "--", awk does not attempt to interpret any arguments as options to itself.

For example, passing the -q option to "#!/usr/bin/awk -f" will abort with an error. But passing -q to the following runs correctly: 

   #!/usr/bin/awk -We
With the -We option, -q is stored in ARGV[1], where it can be interpreted by the awk program as required.

-Wexec is a synonym for -We.

recon manual page

recon(C) has been extended to include logging capabilities with the -i, -o, -a, and -u options.

The new syntax is:

recon [-ahlSux] [-ttimeout | -cchar-times] [-mmin-time]
[-i<logfile1>] [-o<logfile2>] [-T<termtype>] [-pptyname]
[command_line]

The meaning of the new options is:

-a
Append information to the <logfile> rather than overwriting it. Used with the -i and -o options. Note that, when specifying both the -i and -o options and using the same <logfile> for both, you must use -a or the input and output will overwrite each other.

-u
Write data from the -i and -o options to the <logfile> immediately without buffering by recon. This lets another process that is monitoring the log files see the tty input and/or output immediately. Unbuffered logging is less efficient, so use this option only when necessary.

Note that, when specifying both the -i and -o options to use the same <logfile>, you must use -u if you want the input and output to appear in the <logfile> in the same order as they appeared.

-i<logfile1> and -o<logfile2>
Log all input (-i) or output (-o) to the specified <logfile>. "Input" is data sent to the application(s) run by recon as though it had been typed at a keyboard. Typically it is the real keyboard input typed by the user. "Output" is data output by the application being run by recon. The -o option is functionally equivalent to the script(TC) utility.

-i and -o can both be specified to log both input and output, and <logfile1> and <logfile2> can be the same filename. If you specify both -i and -o to use the same <logfile>, you should also use the -a option or the input and output will overwrite each other. The -u option is also advisable so that the input and output will appear in the same order as they occurred. Note, however, that it may be difficult to differentiate between the input and output from the contents of the <logfile>.

Copyright © 2001 Caldera International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Document Version: 5.0.6aa
31 May 2001

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