🚀 go-pugleaf

Is it possible to extract a single hardware-dependant file from a software
distribution package from SGI?.
I need to be able to extract CPU/GFXBOARD/SUBGR dependant files from the
software package to perform an upgrade on my systems.

Why ?, my systems are installed in a hybride manner between diskless an
standalone or dataless.  All the software is cascade across tree level of
mounted filesystems, from the central-server to lower servers to workstations.
This strategy gives the advantage that all the software is available from
all the machines and that the local disks are used at a maximum on all of
the machines.

I can deduce part the information that I need to do this from the *.idb files
in the software package (name/type/mode of the file and hardware it is 
compiled for).  But I need to be able to extract the file itself.

What would be perfect is if the next version of inst(1) could install software
on machines that have some of their package files on a rdonly-NFS mounted
filesytem. It could skip over NFS mounted files that are tagged has being
rd-only( i.e. not host private files).
It would give a warning for files that are not up to date (this
should not happen if the upgrade is started from the top of the cascade down).
** This feature is also needed by other sysadmins then me ***

I'd would not have all this trouble if I had 400 Megs of disk on every 
workstation but I dont have it.

Ideally, a complete description of the distribution package format would
be greatly apreciated (Oops, what did I just said ? :-) ...

-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| Luc Chouinard                   Services Informatiques  |
| Administrateur de Systeme       Universite de Montreal  |
+---------------------------------------------------------+