Aix 72

AIX Version 7.
Operating system management
IBM
Note
Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page
393 .
This edition applies to AIX Version 7.1 and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new
editions.
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2010, 2018.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with
IBM Corp.
Contents
About this document..............................................................................................v

Highlighting...................................................................................................................................................v
Case-sensitivity in AIX................................................................................................................................. v
ISO 9000.......................................................................................................................................................v
Operating system management..............................................................................1

What's new................................................................................................................................................... 1
Operating system administration................................................................................................................ 1
Available system management interfaces.............................................................................................1
Software vital product data....................................................................................................................2
Operating system updates..................................................................................................................... 2
System startup....................................................................................................................................... 3
System backup..................................................................................................................................... 19
Shutting down the system................................................................................................................... 46
System environment............................................................................................................................ 47
AIX Usage Metric (SLM tags) for ILMT................................................................................................. 58
AIX Runtime Expert..............................................................................................................................59
Commands and processes.................................................................................................................121
Managing system hang ......................................................................................................................140
Process management........................................................................................................................ 143
System accounting.............................................................................................................................150
System Resource Controller.............................................................................................................. 176
Operating system files....................................................................................................................... 181
Operating system shells.................................................................................................................... 198
Operating system security................................................................................................................. 298
User environment...............................................................................................................................311
BSD systems reference......................................................................................................................325
Input and output redirection............................................................................................................. 346
AIX kernel recovery............................................................................................................................353
AIX Event Infrastructure for AIX and AIX clusters-AHAFS.................................................................... 354
Introduction to the AIX Event Infrastructure....................................................................................354
AIX Event Infrastructure components.............................................................................................. 354
Setting up the AIX Event Infrastructure............................................................................................ 357
High-level view of how the AIX Event Infrastructure works.............................................................357
Using the AIX Event Infrastructure................................................................................................... 359
Monitoring events...............................................................................................................................359
Pre-defined event producers............................................................................................................. 371
Cluster events.................................................................................................................................... 383
Pre-defined event producers for a Cluster Aware AIX instance ......................................................384
Notices..............................................................................................................393
Privacy policy considerations.................................................................................................................. 394
Trademarks..............................................................................................................................................395
Index................................................................................................................ 397
iii
iv
About this document
This document provides users and system administrators with complete information that can affect your
selection of options when performing such tasks as backing up and restoring the system, managing
physical and logical storage, sizing appropriate paging space, and so on. It provides complete information
about how to perform such tasks as managing logical volumes, storage, and resources. System users can
learn how to perform such tasks as running commands, handling processes, handling files and
directories, and basic printing.
Other topics useful to users and system administrators include creating and resizing paging space,
managing virtual memory, backing up and restoring the system, managing hardware and pseudodevices,
using the System Resource Controller (SRC), securing files, using storage media, customizing
environment files, and writing shell scripts. This document is also available on the documentation CD that
is shipped with the operating system.
Highlighting
The following highlighting conventions are used in this document:
Bold Identifies commands, subroutines, keywords, files, structures, directories, and other
items whose names are predefined by the system. Also identifies graphical objects
such as buttons, labels, and icons that the user selects.
Italics Identifies parameters whose actual names or values are to be supplied by the user.
Identifies examples of specific data values, examples of text similar to what you
Monospace
might see displayed, examples of portions of program code similar to what you might
write as a programmer, messages from the system, or information you should
actually type.
Case-sensitivity in AIX
Everything in the AIX® operating system is case-sensitive, which means that it distinguishes between
uppercase and lowercase letters. For example, you can use the ls command to list files. If you type LS,
the system responds that the command is not found. Likewise, FILEA, FiLea, and filea are three
distinct file names, even if they reside in the same directory. To avoid causing undesirable actions to be
performed, always ensure that you use the correct case.
ISO 9000
ISO 9000 registered quality systems were used in the development and manufacturing of this product.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2010, 2018 v

vi AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management
Operating system management
System administrators and users can learn how to perform such tasks as running commands, handling
processes, handling files and directories, backing up and restoring the system, managing physical and
logical storage, and basic printing.
Other topics useful to users and system administrators include creating and re-sizing paging space,
managing virtual memory, backing up and restoring the system, managing hardware and pseudo devices,
using the System Resource Controller (SRC), securing files, using storage media, customizing
environment files, and writing shell scripts. This topic is also available on the documentation CD that is
shipped with the operating system.
Operating system management is the task of an individual who is usually referred to, in UNIX literature, as
the system administrator. Unfortunately, only a few system administrator activities are straightforward
enough to be correctly called administration. This and related guides are intended to help system
administrators with their numerous duties.
This operating system provides its own particular version of system-management support in order to
promote ease of use and to improve security and integrity.
What's new in Operating system management

Read about new or significantly changed information for the Operating system and device management
topic collection.
How to see what's new or changed

In PDF files, you might see revision tags (>| and |<) surrounding new and changed information.
September 2018
The following information is a summary of the updates that are made to this topic collection:
• Added information about the “AIX usage metric data (SLM tags) for IBM License Metric Tool” on page
58 topic.
Operating system administration

You can use commands to manage system startup and backup, shutting down the system, system shells
and environments, system resources, and other different parts of AIX.
Operating system management is the task of an individual who is usually referred to, in UNIX literature, as
the system administrator. Unfortunately, only a few system administrator activities are straightforward
enough to be correctly called administration. This and related guides are intended to help system
administrators with their numerous duties.
This operating system provides its own particular version of system-management support in order to
promote ease of use and to improve security and integrity.
Available system management interfaces

In addition to conventional command line system administration, this operating system provides the
SMIT interfaces.
The following are the SMIT interfaces:
• System Management Interface Tool (SMIT), a menu-based user interface that constructs commands
from the options you choose and executes them.
With SMIT, you can:
– Install, update, and maintain software
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2010, 2018 1

– Configure devices
– Configure disk storage units into volume groups and logical volumes
– Make and extend file systems and paging space
– Manage users and groups
– Configure networks and communication applications
– Print
– Perform problem determination
– Schedule jobs
– Manage system resources and workload
– Manage system environments
– Manage cluster system data
• An object-oriented graphical user interface that supports the same system management tasks as SMIT,
but eases system management tasks by:
– Reducing user errors through error checking and dialog design
– Offering step-by-step procedures for new or complex tasks
– Offering advanced options for more experienced administrators
– Making it easier to visualize complex data or relationships among system objects
– Monitoring system activity and alerting the administrator when predefined events occur
– Providing context-sensitive helps, overviews, tips, and links to online documentation
Software vital product data

Certain information about software products and their installable options is maintained in the Software
Vital Product Data (SWVPD) database.
The SWVPD consists of a set of commands and Object Data Manager (ODM) object classes for the
maintenance of software product information. The SWVPD commands are provided for the user to query
(lslpp) and verify (lppchk) installed software products. The ODM object classes define the scope and
format of the software product information that is maintained.
The installp command uses the ODM to maintain the following information in the SWVPD database:
• Name of the installed software product
• Version of the software product
• Release level of the software product, which indicates changes to the external programming interface of
the software product
• Modification level of the software product, which indicates changes that do not affect the external
programming interface of the software product
• Fix level of the software product, which indicates small updates that are to be built into a regular
modification level at a later time
• Fix identification field
• Names, checksums, and sizes of the files that make up the software product or option
• Installation state of the software product: applying, applied, committing, committed, rejecting, or
broken.
Operating system updates

The operating system package is divided into filesets, where each fileset contains a group of logically
related customer deliverable files. Each fileset can be individually installed and updated.
Revisions to filesets are tracked using the version, release, maintenance, and fix (VRMF) levels. By
convention, each time an AIX fileset update is applied, the fix level is adjusted. Each time an AIX
maintenance package or technology level is applied, the modification level is adjusted, and the fix level is
2 AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management

reset to zero. The initial installation of an AIX version, for example, AIX 6.1, is called a base installation.
The operating system provides updates to its features and functionality, which might be packaged as a
maintenance package, a technology level, a program temporary fix (PTF), or a service pack (a group of
PTFs).
Maintenance Packages and Technology Levels
Maintenance packages and technology levels provide new functionality that is intended to upgrade
the release. The maintenance part of the VRMF is updated in a maintenance package. For example,
the first maintenance package for AIX 6.1 is 6.1.1.0; the second is 6.1.2.0, and so on. To list the
maintenance package, use the oslevel -r command.
To determine the maintenance package or technology level installed on a particular system, type:
oslevel
To determine which filesets need an update for the system to reach a specific maintenance package
or technology level (in this example, 6.1.1.0), use the following command:
oslevel -l 6.1.1.0
To determine if a recommended maintenance package or technology level is installed (in this

example, 6100-02), use the following command:
oslevel -r 6100-02
To determine which filesets need an update for the system to reach the 6100-02 maintenance
package or technology level, use the following command:
oslevel -rl 6100-02
To determine the maintenance package or technology level of a particular fileset (in this example,
bos.mp), use the following command:
lslpp -L bos.mp
PTFs
Between releases, you might receive PTFs to correct or prevent a particular problem. A particular
installation might need some, all, or even none of the available PTFs.
Recommended Maintenance Packages
A recommended maintenance package is a set of PTFs between technology levels that have been
extensively tested together and are recommended for preventive maintenance.
Interim Fixes
An interim fix is similar to a PTF, but it is usually offered when a PTF is not available. Interim fixes are
also released when the PTF would upgrade a system to the next maintenance level and users might
want their systems to remain at the current level.
To determine the version and release level, maintenance package, technology level, and service pack
level, as well as which filesets need to be updated to reach a particular level, see the oslevel and the lslpp
commands in Commands Reference.
System startup
When the base operating system starts, the system initiates a complex set of tasks. Under normal
conditions, these tasks are performed automatically.
There are some situations when you want to instruct the system to reboot; for example, to cause the
system to recognize newly installed software, to reset peripheral devices, to perform routine maintenance
tasks like checking file systems, or to recover from a system hang or crash. For information on these
procedures, see:
Related tasks
Recreating a corrupted boot image
Operating system management 3

The following procedure describes how to identify a corrupted boot image and re-create it.
Administering system startup

There are multiple scenarios that you might encounter when you want to boot or reboot your system. To
shut down or reboot your system you can use either the shutdown or reboot command. You should use
the shutdown command when multiple users are logged on to the system.
Rebooting a running system

Because processes might be running that should be terminated more gracefully than a reboot permits,
shutdown is the preferred method for all systems.
There are two methods for shutting down and rebooting your system, shutdown and reboot. Always use
the shutdown method when multiple users are logged on to the system.
Task SMIT Fast Path Command or File

Rebooting a Multiuser System smit shutdown shutdown -r
Rebooting a Single-User System smit shutdown shutdown -r or reboot
Rebooting a unresponsive system remotely

The remote reboot facility allows the system to be rebooted through a native (integrated) system port.
The POWER5 integrated system ports are similar to serial ports except that system ports are available
only for specifically supported functions.
The system is rebooted when the reboot_string is received at the port. This facility is useful when the
system does not otherwise respond but is capable of servicing system port interrupts. Remote reboot can
be enabled on only one native system port at a time. Users are expected to provide their own external
security for the port. This facility runs at the highest device interrupt class and a failure of the UART
(Universal Asynchronous Receive/Transmit) to clear the transmit buffer quickly may have the effect of
causing other devices to lose data if their buffers overflow during this time. It is suggested that this facility
only be used to reboot a machine that is otherwise hung and cannot be remotely logged into. File systems
will not be synchronized, and a potential for some loss of data which has not been flushed exists. It is
strongly suggested that when remote reboot is enabled that the port not be used for any other purpose,
especially file transfer, to prevent an inadvertent reboot.
Two native system port attributes control the operation of remote reboot.
reboot_enable
Indicates whether this port is enabled to reboot the machine on receipt of the remote reboot_string, and
if so, whether to take a system dump prior to rebooting.
no - Indicates remote reboot is disabled

reboot - Indicates remote reboot is enabled
dump - Indicates remote reboot is enabled, and prior to rebooting a system dump
will be taken on the primary dump device
reboot_string
Specifies the remote reboot_string that the serial port will scan for when the remote reboot feature is
enabled. When the remote reboot feature is enabled and the reboot_string is received on the port, a >
character is transmitted and the system is ready to reboot. If a 1 character is received, the system is
rebooted; any character other than 1 aborts the reboot process. The reboot_string has a maximum length
of 16 characters and must not contain a space, colon, equal sign, null, new line, or Ctrl-\ character.
Remote reboot can be enabled through SMIT or the command line. For SMIT the path System
Environments -> Manage Remote Reboot Facility may be used for a configured TTY. Alternatively, when
configuring a new TTY, remote reboot may be enabled from the Add a TTY or Change/Show
Characteristics of a TTY menus. These menus are accessed through the path Devices -> TTY.
From the command line, the mkdev or chdev commands are used to enable remote reboot. For example,
the following command enables remote reboot (with the dump option) and sets the reboot string to
ReBoOtMe on tty1.

chdev -l tty1 -a remreboot=dump -a reboot_string=ReBoOtMe
This example enables remote reboot on tty0 with the current reboot_string in the database only (will
take effect on the next reboot).
chdev -P -l tty0 -a remreboot=reboot
If the tty is being used as a normal port, then you will have to use the pdisable command before
enabling remote reboot. You may use penable to reenable the port afterwards.
Related information
Function differences between system ports and serial ports
Booting from hard disk for maintenance

You can boot a machine in maintenance mode from a hard disk.
Prerequisites
A bootable removable media (tape or CD-ROM) must not be in the drive. Also, refer to the hardware
documentation for the specific instructions to enable maintenance mode boot on your particular model.
Procedure
To boot a machine in maintenance mode from a hard disk:
1. To reboot, either turn the machine off and then power it back on, or press the reset button.
2. Press the key sequence for rebooting in maintenance mode that is specified in your hardware
documentation.
3. The machine will boot to a point where it has a console device configured.
If there is a system dump that needs to be retrieved, the system dump menu will be displayed on the
console.
Note:
a. If the console fails to configure when there is a dump to be retrieved, the system will hang. The
system must be booted from a removable medium to retrieve the dump.
b. The system automatically dumps to the specified dump device when the reset button is pressed.
To change the primary or secondary dump device designation in a running system, see the
sysdumpdev command.
4. If there is no system dump, or if it has been copied, the diagnostic operating instructions will be
displayed. Press Enter to continue to the Function Selection menu.
5. From the Function Selection menu, you can select diagnostic or single-user mode:
Single-User Mode: To perform maintenance in a single-user environment, choose this option
(option 5). The system continues to boot and enters single-user mode. Maintenance that requires the
system to be in a standalone mode can be performed in this mode, and the bosboot command can be
run, if required.
Related information
Starting a System Dump
Booting a system that has crashed

In some instances, you might have to boot a system that has stopped (crashed) without being properly
shut down.
The prerequisites for this procedure are:
• Your system crashed and was not properly shut down due to unusual conditions.
• Your system is turned off.
This procedure covers the basics of how to boot if your system was unable to recover from a crash.
Perform the following steps:

1. Ensure that all hardware and peripheral devices are correctly connected.
2. Turn on all of the peripheral devices.
3. Watch the screen for information about automatic hardware diagnostics.
a) If any hardware diagnostics tests are unsuccessful, refer to the hardware documentation.
b) If all hardware diagnostics tests are successful, turn the system unit on.
Resetting an unknown root password

The following procedure describes how to recover access to root privileges when the system's root
password is unavailable or unknown.
The following procedure requires some system downtime. If possible, schedule your downtime when it
least impacts your workload to protect yourself from a possible loss of data or functionality.
The information in this how-to scenario was tested using specific versions of AIX. The results you obtain
might vary significantly depending on your version and level of AIX.
1. Insert the product media for the same version and level as the current installation into the
appropriate drive.
2. Power on the machine.
3. When the screen of icons appears, or when you hear a double beep, press the F1 key repeatedly until
the System Management Services menu appears.
4. Select Multiboot.
5. Select Install From.
6. Select the device that holds the product media and then select Install.
7. Select the AIX version icon.
8. Define your current system as the system console by pressing the F1 key and then press Enter.
9. Select the number of your preferred language and press Enter.
10. Choose Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery by typing 3 and press Enter.
11. Select Access a Root Volume Group.
A message displays explaining that you will not be able to return to the Installation menus without
rebooting if you change the root volume group at this point.
12. Type 0 and press Enter.
13. Type the number of the appropriate volume group from the list and press Enter.
14. Select Access this Volume Group and start a shell by typing 1 and press Enter.
15. At the # (number sign) prompt, type the passwd command at the command line prompt to reset the
root password.
For example:
# passwd
Changing password for "root"
root's New password:
Enter the new password again:
16. To write everything from the buffer to the hard disk and reboot the system, type the following:
sync;sync;sync;reboot
When the login screen appears, the password you set in step 15 should now permit access to root
privileges.
Related information
passwd command
reboot command

Booting systems with planar graphics
If the machine has been installed with the planar graphics susbsystem only, and later an additional
graphics adapter is added to the system, the following occurs:
1. A new graphics adapter is added to the system, and its associated device driver software is installed.
2. The system is rebooted, and one of the following occurs:
a. If the system console is defined to be /dev/lft0 (lscons displays this information), the user is
asked to select which display is the system console at reboot time. If the user selects a graphics
adapter (non-TTY device), it also becomes the new default display. If the user selects a TTY device
instead of an LFT device, no system login appears. Reboot again, and the TTY login screen is
displayed. It is assumed that if the user adds an additional graphics adapter into the system and
the system console is an LFT device, the user will not select the TTY device as the system console.
b. If the system console is defined to be a TTY, then at reboot time the newly added display adapter
becomes the default display.
Note: Since the TTY is the system console, it remains the system console.
3. If the system console is /def/lft0, then after reboot, DPMS is disabled in order to show the system
console selection text on the screen for an indefinite period of time. To re-enable DPMS, reboot the
system again.
Deploying run level script execution

Run level scripts allow users to start and stop selected applications while changing the run level.
Put run level scripts in the subdirectory of /etc/rc.d that is specific to the run level:
• /etc/rc.d/rc2.d
• /etc/rc.d/rc3.d
• /etc/rc.d/rc4.d
• /etc/rc.d/rc5.d
• /etc/rc.d/rc6.d
• /etc/rc.d/rc7.d
• /etc/rc.d/rc8.d
• /etc/rc.d/rc9.d
The /etc/rc.d/rc will run the scripts it finds in the specified directory when the run level changes - first
running the stop application scripts then running the start application scripts.
Note: Scripts beginning with K are stop scripts, while scripts beginning with S are start scripts.
Modifying the /etc/inittab file

Four commands are available to modify the records in the etc/inittab file.
Adding records - mkitab command
To add a record to the /etc/inittab file, type the following at a command prompt:
mkitab Identifier:Run Level:Action:Command
For example, to add a record for tty2, type the following at a command prompt:
mkitab tty002:2:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2
In the above example:
Item Description
tty002 Identifies the object whose run level you are defining.
2 Specifies the run level at which this process runs.

Item Description
respawn Specifies the action that the init command should take for
this process.
/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2 Specifies the shell command to be executed.
Changing records - chitab command

To change a record to the /etc/inittab file, type the following at a command prompt:
chitab Identifier:Run Level:Action:Command
For example, to change a record for tty2 so that this process runs at run levels 2 and 3, type:
chitab tty002:23:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2
In the above example:
Item Description
tty002 Identifies the object whose run level you are defining.
23 Specifies the run levels at which this process runs.
respawn Specifies the action that the init command should take for
this process.
/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2 Specifies the shell command to be executed.
Listing records - lsitab command

To list all records in the /etc/inittab file, type the following at a command prompt:
lsitab -a
To list a specific record in the /etc/inittab file, type:
lsitab Identifier
For example, to list the record for tty2, type: lsitab tty2.
Removing records - rmitab command
To remove a record from the /etc/inittab file, type the following at a command prompt:
rmitab Identifier
For example, to remove the record for tty2, type: rmitab tty2.
Related concepts
System run level
The system run level specifies the system state and defines which processes are started.
Reactivation of an inactive system

Your system can become inactive because of a hardware problem, a software problem, or a combination
of both.
This procedure guides you through steps to correct the problem and restart your system. If your system is
still inactive after completing the procedure, refer to the problem-determination information in your
hardware documentation.
Use the following procedures to reactivate an inactive system:

Hardware check
There are several procedures you can use to check your hardware.
Check your hardware by:
Checking the power:
If the Power-On light on your system is active, go to Checking the operator panel display, below.
If the Power-On light on your system is not active, check that the power is on and the system is plugged
in.
Checking the operator panel display:
If your system has an operator panel display, check it for any messages.
If the operator panel display on your system is blank, go to Activating your display or terminal, below.
If the operator panel display on your system is not blank, go to the service guide for your unit to find
information concerning digits in the Operator Panel Display.
Activating your display or terminal:
Check several parts of your display or terminal, as follows:
• Make sure the display cable is securely attached to the display and to the system unit.
• Make sure the keyboard cable is securely attached.
• Make sure the mouse cable is securely attached.
• Make sure the display is turned on and that its Power-On light is lit.
• Adjust the brightness control on the display.
• Make sure the terminal's communication settings are correct.
If your system is now active, your hardware checks have corrected the problem.
Related tasks
Restarting the system
In addition to checking the hardware and checking the processes, you can restart you system to
reactivate an inactive system.
Checking the processes
A stopped or stalled process might make your system inactive.

Check your system processes by:
1. Restarting line scrolling
2. Using the Ctrl+D key sequence
3. Using the Ctrl+C key sequence
4. Logging in from a remote terminal or host
5. Ending stalled processes remotely
Restarting line scrolling:
Restart line scrolling halted by the Ctrl-S key sequence by doing the following:
1. Activate the window or shell with the problem process.
2. Press the Ctrl-Q key sequence to restart scrolling.
The Ctrl-S key sequence stops line scrolling, and the Ctrl-Q key sequence restarts line scrolling.
If your scroll check did not correct the problem with your inactive system, go to the next section, Using
the Ctrl-D key sequence.
Using the Ctrl-D key sequence:

2. Press the Ctrl-D key sequence. The Ctrl-D key sequence sends an end of file (EOF) signal to the
process. The Ctrl-D key sequence may close the window or shell and log you out.
If the Ctrl-D key sequence did not correct the problem with your inactive system, go to the next section,
Using the Ctrl-C key sequence.
Using the Ctrl-C key sequence:
End a stopped process by doing the following:
2. Press the Ctrl-C key sequence. The Ctrl-C key sequence stops the current search or filter.
If the Ctrl-C key sequence did not correct the problem with your inactive system, go to the next section,
Logging in from a remote terminal or host:.
Logging in from a remote terminal or host:
Log in remotely in either of two ways:
• Log in to the system from another terminal if more than one terminal is attached to your system.
• Log in from another host on the network (if your system is connected to a network) by typing the tn
command as follows:
tn YourSystemName
The system asks for your regular login name and password when you use the tn command.
If you were able to log in to the system from a remote terminal or host, go to the next section, Ending
stalled processes remotely.
If you were not able to log in to the system from a remote terminal or host you need to restart the system.
You can also start a system dump to determine why your system became inactive.
Ending stalled processes remotely:
End a stalled process from a remote terminal by doing the following:
1. List active processes by typing the following ps command:
ps -ef
The -e and -f flags identify all active and inactive processes.

2. Identify the process ID of the stalled process.
For help in identifying processes, use the grep command with a search string. For example, to end the
xlock process, type the following to find the process ID:
ps -ef | grep xlock
The grep command allows you to search on the output from the ps command to identify the process
ID of a specific process.
3. End the process by typing the following kill command:
Note: You must have root user authority to use the kill command on processes you did not initiate.
kill -9 ProcessID
If you cannot identify the problem process, the most recently activated process might be the cause of
your inactive system. End the most recent process if you think that is the problem.
If your process checks have not corrected the problem with your inactive system you need to restart the
system.

Related concepts
Hardware check
Related tasks
Related information
System Dump Facility

If the procedures for “Hardware check” on page 9 and “Checking the processes” on page 9 fail to correct
the problem that makes your system inactive, you need to restart your system.
Note: Before restarting your system, complete a system dump.
1. Check the state of the boot device.
Your system boots with either a removable medium, an external device, a small computer system
interface (SCSI) device, an integrated device electronics (IDE) device, or a local area network (LAN).
Decide which method applies to your system, and use the following instructions to check the boot
device:
• For a removable medium, such as tape, make sure the medium is inserted correctly.
• For IDE devices, verify that the IDE device ID settings are unique per adapter. If only one device is
attached to the adapter, the IDE device ID must be set to the master device.
• For an externally attached device, such as a tape drive, make sure:
– The power to the device is turned on.
– The device cables are correctly attached to the device and to the system unit.
– The ready indicator is on (if the device has one).
• For external SCSI devices, verify that the SCSI address settings are unique.
• For a LAN, verify that the network is up and operable.
If the boot device is working correctly, continue to the next step.
2. Load your operating system by doing the following:
a) Turn off your system's power.
b) Wait one minute.
c) Turn on your system's power.
d) Wait for the system to boot.
If the operating system failed to load, boot the hard disk from maintenance mode or hardware
diagnostics.
If you are still unable to restart the system, use an SRN to report the problem with your inactive system to
your service representative.
Related concepts
Hardware check
Related tasks

Related information
System Dump Facility
Creating boot images

To install the base operating system or to access a system that will not boot from the system hard drive,
you need a boot image. This procedure describes how to create boot images. The boot image varies for
each type of device.
When the system is first installed, the bosboot command creates a boot image from a RAM (random
access memory) disk file system image and the operating system kernel. The boot image is transferred to
a particular media such as the hard disk. When the machine is rebooted, the boot image is loaded from
the media into memory. For more information about the bosboot command, see bosboot.
The associated RAM disk file system contains device configuration routines for the following devices:
• Disk
• Tape
• CD-ROM
• Network Token-Ring, Ethernet, or FDDI device
• You must have root user authority to use the bosboot command.
• The /tmp file system must have at least 20 MB of free space.
• The physical disk must contain the boot logical volume. To determine which disk device to specify, type
the following at a command prompt:
lsvg -l rootvg
The lsvg -l command lists the logical volumes on the root volume group (rootvg). From this list you can
find the name of the boot logical volume.
Then type the following at a command prompt:
lsvg -M rootvg
The lsvg -M command lists the physical disks that contain the various logical volumes.
Creating a boot image on a boot logical volume

If the base operating system is being installed (either a new installation or an update), the bosboot
command is called to place the boot image on the boot logical volume. The boot logical volume is a
physically contiguous area on the disk created through the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) during
installation.
For a list of prerequisites for this procedure, see “Creating boot images” on page 12.
The bosboot command does the following:
1. Checks the file system to see if there is enough room to create the boot image.
2. Creates a RAM file system using the mkfs command and a prototype file.
3. Calls the mkboot command, which merges the kernel and the RAM file system into a boot image.
4. Writes the boot image to the boot logical volume.
To create a boot image on the default boot logical volume on the fixed disk, type the following at a
command prompt:
bosboot -a
OR:
bosboot -ad /dev/ipldevice

Note: Do not reboot the machine if the bosboot command fails while creating a boot image. Resolve the
problem and run the bosboot command to successful completion.
You must reboot the system for the new boot image to be available for use.
Creating boot images for network devices

You can create boot images for an Ethernet boot or Token-Ring boot.
For a list of prerequisites for this procedure, see “Creating boot images” on page 12.
To create a boot image for an Ethernet boot, type the following at a command prompt:
bosboot -ad /dev/ent
For a Token-Ring boot:
bosboot -ad /dev/tok
System run level

The system run level specifies the system state and defines which processes are started.
For example, when the system run level is 3, all processes defined to operate at that run level are started.
Near the end of the system boot phase of the boot process, the run level is read from the initdefault entry
of the /etc/inittab file. The system operates at that run level until it receives a signal to change it. The
system run level can be changed with the init command. The /etc/inittab file contains a record for
each process that defines run levels for that process. When the system boots, the init command reads
the /etc/inittab file to determine which processes to start.
The following are the currently-defined run levels:
Item Description
0-9 When the init command changes to run levels 0-9, it kills all processes at the current run
levels then restarts any processes associated with the new run levels.
0-1 Reserved for the future use of the operating system.
2 Default run level.
3-9 Can be defined according to the user's preferences.
a, b, c When the init command requests a change to run levels a, b, or c, it does not kill
processes at the current run levels; it simply starts any processes assigned with the new run
levels.
Q, q Tells the init command to reexamine the /etc/inittab file.
Related tasks
Modifying the /etc/inittab file
Four commands are available to modify the records in the etc/inittab file.
Identifying the system run level

Before performing maintenance on the operating system or changing the system run level, you might
need to examine the various run levels.
This procedure describes how to identify the run level at which the system is operating and how to display
a history of previous run levels. The init command determines the system run level.
Identification of the current run level

At the command line, type cat /etc/.init.state. The system displays one digit; that is the current
run level. See the init command or the /etc/inittab file for more information about run levels.

Displaying a history of previous run levels
You can display a history of previous run levels using the fwtmp command.
Note: The bosext2.acct.obj code must be installed on your system to use this command.
1. Log in as root user.
2. Type the following at a command prompt:
/usr/lib/acct/fwtmp </var/adm/wtmp |grep run-level
The system displays information similar to the following:
run-level 2 0 1 0062 0123 697081013 Sun Feb 2 19:36:53 CST 1992

run-level 4 0 1 0062 0123 698180044 Sat Feb 15 12:54:04 CST 1992
run-level 5 0 1 0062 0123 698967773 Mon Feb 24 15:42:53 CST 1992
Configuring run levels on multiuser systems

You can change run levels on multiuser systems.
1. Check the /etc/inittab file to confirm that the run level to which you are changing supports the
processes that you are running.
The getty process is particularly important, since it controls the terminal line access for the system
console and other logins. Ensure that the getty process is enabled at all run levels.
2. Use the wall command to inform all users that you intend to change the run level and request that
users log off.
For more information about the wall command, see wall.
3. Use the smit telinit fast path to access the Set System Run Level menu.
4. Type the new run level in the System RUN LEVEL field.
5. Press Enter to implement all of the settings in this procedure.
The system responds by telling you which processes are terminating or starting as a result of the
change in run level and by displaying the message:
INIT: New run level: n
where n is the new run-level number.
Configuring run levels on single-user systems

You can change run levels on single-user systems.
1. Check the /etc/inittab file to confirm that the run level to which you are changing supports the
processes that you are running.
The getty process is particularly important, since it controls the terminal line access for the system
console and other logins. Ensure that the getty process is enabled at all run levels. For more
information about the inittab file, see inittab.
2. Use the smit telinit fast path to access the Set System Run Level menu.
For more information about the telinit command, see telinit.
3. Type the new system run level in the System RUN LEVEL field.
4. Press Enter to implement all of the settings in this procedure.
The system responds by telling you which processes are terminating or starting as a result of the
change in run level and by displaying the message:
INIT: New run level: n
where n is the new run-level number.

Boot process
There are three types of system boots and two resources that are required in order to boot the operating
system.
During the boot process, the system tests the hardware, loads and runs the operating system, and
configures devices. To boot the operating system, the following resources are required:
• A boot image that can be loaded after the machine is turned on or reset.
• Access to the root (/) and /usr file systems.
There are three types of system boots:
Item Description
Hard Disk Boot A machine is started for normal operations.
Diskless Network Boot A diskless or dataless workstation is started remotely over a
network. A machine is started for normal operations. One or more
remote file servers provide the files and programs that diskless or
dataless workstations need to boot.
Maintenance Boot A machine is started from a hard disk, network, tape, or CD-ROM in
maintenance mode. A system administrator can perform tasks
such as installing new or updated software and running diagnostic
checks.
During a hard disk boot, the boot image is found on a local disk created when the operating system was
installed. During the boot process, the system configures all devices found in the machine and initializes
other basic software required for the system to operate (such as the Logical Volume Manager). At the end
of this process, the file systems are mounted and ready for use.
The same general requirements apply to diskless network clients. They also require a boot image and
access to the operating system file tree. Diskless network clients have no local file systems and get all
their information by way of remote access.
Related concepts
Processing the system boot
Most users perform a hard disk boot when starting the system for general operations. The system finds all
information necessary to the boot process on its disk drive.
Maintenance boot process
Occasions might arise when a boot is needed to perform special tasks such as installing new or updated
software, performing diagnostic checks, or for maintenance. In this case, the system starts from a
bootable medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, tape drive, network, or disk drive.
RAM file system
The RAM file system, part of the boot image, is totally memory-resident and contains all programs that
allow the boot process to continue. The files in the RAM file system are specific to the type of boot.
Processing the system boot

Most users perform a hard disk boot when starting the system for general operations. The system finds all
information necessary to the boot process on its disk drive.
When the system is started by turning on the power switch (a cold boot) or restarted with the reboot or
shutdown commands (a warm boot), a number of events must occur before the system is ready for use.
These events can be divided into the following phases:
Related concepts
Boot process

system.
Firmware phase
The firmware prepares the system to load and run the operating system.
Its initialization phase involves the following steps:
1. The firmware performs basic testing on the system resources that are required for starting the
operating system.
2. The firmware checks the user boot list, a list of available boot devices. This boot list can be changed to
suit your requirements by using the bootlist command. If the user boot list in non-volatile random
access memory (NVRAM) is not valid or if a valid boot device is not found, the default boot list is then
checked. In either case, the first valid boot device found in the boot list is used for system startup. If a
valid user boot list exists in NVRAM, the devices in the list are checked in order. If no user boot list
exists, all adapters and devices on the bus are checked. In either case, devices are checked in a
continuous loop until a valid boot device is found for system startup.
Note: The system maintains a default boot list that is stored in NVRAM for normal mode boot. A
separate service mode boot list is also stored in NVRAM, and you must refer to the specific hardware
instructions for your model to learn how to access the service-mode boot list.
3. When a valid boot device is found, the first record or program sector number (PSN) is checked. If it is a
valid boot record, it is read into memory and is added to the IPL control block in memory. Included in
the key boot record data are the starting location of the boot image on the boot device, the length of
the boot image, and instructions on where to load the boot image in memory.
4. The boot image is read sequentially from the boot device into memory starting at the location specified
in NVRAM. The disk boot image consists of the kernel, a RAM file system, and base customized device
information.
5. Control is passed to the kernel, which begins system initialization.
6. The kernel runs init, which runs phase 1 of the rc.boot script.
When the kernel initialization phase is completed, base device configuration begins.
Base device configuration phase

The init process starts the rc.boot script. Phase 1 of the rc.boot script performs the base device
configuration.
Phase 1 of the rc.boot script includes the following steps:
1. The boot script calls the restbase program to build the customized Object Data Manager (ODM)
database in the RAM file system from the compressed customized data.
2. The boot script starts the configuration manager, which accesses phase 1 ODM configuration rules to
configure the base devices.
3. The configuration manager starts the sys, bus, disk, SCSI, and the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) and
rootvg volume group configuration methods.
4. The configuration methods load the device drivers, create special files, and update the customized
data in the ODM database.
Booting the system

This procedure completes the system boot phase.
1. The init process starts phase 2 running of the rc.boot script. Phase 2 of rc.boot includes the
following steps:
a) Call the ipl_varyon program to vary on the rootvg volume group.
b) Mount the hard disk file systems onto their normal mount points.
c) Run the swapon program to start paging.

d) Copy the customized data from the ODM database in the RAM file system to the ODM database in
the hard disk file system.
e) Exit the rc.boot script.
2. After phase 2 of the rc.boot script is complete, the boot process switches from the RAM file system
to the file systems that are stored on the hard disk.
3. Then the init process runs the processes defined by records in the /etc/inittab file. One of the
instructions in the /etc/inittab file runs phase 3 of the rc.boot script, which includes the
following steps:
a) Mount the /tmp hard disk file system.
b) Start the configuration manager phase 2 to configure all remaining devices.
c) Use the savebase command to save the customized data to the boot logical volume.
d) Exit the rc.boot script.
At the end of this process, the system is up and ready for use.
Maintenance boot process

Occasions might arise when a boot is needed to perform special tasks such as installing new or updated
software, performing diagnostic checks, or for maintenance. In this case, the system starts from a
bootable medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, tape drive, network, or disk drive.
The maintenance boot sequence of events is similar to the sequence of a normal boot.
1. The firmware performs basic testing on the system resources that are required for starting the
operating system.
2. The firmware checks the user boot list. You can use the bootlist command to change the user boot
list to suit your requirements. If the user boot list in non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) is
not valid or if no valid boot device is found, the default boot list is checked. In either case, the first
valid boot device found in the boot list is used for starting the system.
Note: For a normal boot, the operating system also maintains a default boot list and a user boot list,
which are stored in NVRAM. Separate default boot list and user boot list are also maintained for
starting the system in maintenance mode.
3. When a valid boot device is found, the first record or program sector number (PSN) is checked. If it is a
valid boot record, it is read into memory and is added to the initial program load (IPL) control block in
memory. Included in the key boot record data are the starting location of the boot image on the boot
device, the length of the boot image, and the offset to the entry point to start running when the boot
image is in memory.
4. The boot image is read sequentially from the boot device into memory, starting at the location
specified in NVRAM.
5. Control is passed to the kernel, which begins running programs in the RAM file system.
6. The ODM database contents determine which devices are present, and the cfgmgr command
dynamically configures all devices found, including all disks which are to contain the root file system.
7. If a CD-ROM, DVD, tape, or the network is used to boot the system, the rootvg volume group (or
rootvg) is not varied on, because the rootvg might not exist (as is the case when installing the
operating system on a new system). Network configuration can occur at this time. No paging occurs
when a maintenance boot is performed.
At the end of this process, the system is ready for installation, maintenance, or diagnostics.
Note: If the system is started from the hard disk, the rootvg is varied on, the hard disk root file system and
the hard disk /usr file system are mounted in the RAM file system, a menu is displayed that allows you to
enter various diagnostics modes or single-user mode. If you select single-user mode, you can continue
the boot process and enter single-user mode, where the init run level is set to the letter S. The system
is then ready for maintenance, software updates, or for running the bosboot command.
Related concepts
Boot process

system.
RAM file system

The RAM file system, part of the boot image, is totally memory-resident and contains all programs that
allow the boot process to continue. The files in the RAM file system are specific to the type of boot.
A maintenance boot RAM file system might not have the logical volume routines, because the rootvg
might not need to be varied on. During a hard disk boot, however, it is desirable that the rootvg be varied
on and paging activated as soon as possible. Although there are differences in these two boot scenarios,
the structure of the RAM file system does not vary to a great extent.
The init command, which is located on the RAM file system, is a basic boot command interpreter
program that is designed for use during the boot process. This boot command interpreter program
controls the boot process by calling the rc.boot script. The rc.boot script determines from which
device the machine was started. The boot device determines which devices must be configured on the
RAM file system. If the machine is started over the network, the network devices need to be configured so
that the client file systems can be remotely mounted. In the case of a tape, CD-ROM, or DVD boot, the
console is configured to display the base operating system (BOS) installation menus. After the rc.boot
script identifies the boot device, the appropriate configuration routines are called from the RAM file
system. The rc.boot script is called twice by the boot command interpreter program to match the two
configuration phases during the boot process. A third call to rc.boot occurs during a disk or a network
boot when the real init command is called. The inittab file contains an rc.boot stanza that
completes the final configuration of the machine.
The RAM file system for each boot device is also unique because of the various types of devices to be
configured. A prototype file is associated with each type of boot device. The prototype file is a template of
files making up the RAM file system. The bosboot command uses the mkfs command to create the RAM
file system using the various prototype files. See the bosboot command for more details.
Related concepts
Boot process
system.
Troubleshooting system startup

Use these troubleshooting methods to tackle some of the basic problems that might occur when your
system is starting. If the troubleshooting information does not address your problem, contact your service
representative.
Systems that will not boot

If a system will not boot from the hard disk, you may still be able to gain access to the system in order to
ascertain and correct the problem.
If you have a system that will not boot from the hard disk, see the procedure on how to access a system
that will not boot in Troubleshooting your installation in the Installation and migration.
This procedure enables you to get a system prompt so that you can attempt to recover data from the
system or perform corrective action enabling the system to boot from the hard disk.
Note:
• This procedure is intended only for experienced system managers who have knowledge of how to boot
or recover data from a system that is unable to boot from the hard disk. Most users should not attempt
this procedure, but should contact their service representative.
• This procedure is not intended for system managers who have just completed a new installation,
because in this case the system does not contain data that needs to be recovered. If you are unable to
boot from the hard disk after completing a new installation, contact your service representative.
Related reference
Boot problem diagnostics

A variety of factors can cause a system to be unable to boot.
Boot problem diagnostics

A variety of factors can cause a system to be unable to boot.
Some of these factors are:
• Hardware problems
• Defective boot tapes or CD-ROMs
• Improperly configured network boot servers
• Damaged file systems
• Errors in scripts such as /sbin/rc.boot
If the boot process halts with reference code 2702 and displays the message "INSUFFICIENT ENTITLED
MEMORY" use the HMC to increase the amount of entitled memory available for that partition.
Related concepts
Systems that will not boot
If a system will not boot from the hard disk, you may still be able to gain access to the system in order to
ascertain and correct the problem.
System backup
Once your system is in use, your next consideration should be to back up the file systems, directories, and
files. If you back up your file systems, you can restore files or file systems in the event of a hard disk
crash. There are different methods for backing up information.
Backing up file systems, directories, and files represents a significant investment of time and effort. At the
same time, all computer files are potentially easy to change or erase, either intentionally or by accident.
Attention: When a hard disk crashes, the information contained on that disk is destroyed. The only
way to recover the destroyed data is to retrieve the information from your backup copy.
If you use a careful and methodical approach to backing up your file systems, you should always be able
to restore recent versions of files or file systems with little difficulty.
Several methods exist for backing up information. One of the most frequently used methods is called
backup by name, file name archive, or regular backup. This is a copy of a file system, directory, or file that
is kept for file transfer or in case the original data is unintentionally changed or destroyed. This method of
backup is done when the i flag is specified and is used to make a backup copy of individual files and
directories. It is a method commonly used by individual users to back up their accounts.
Another frequently used method is called backup by i-node, file system archive, or archive backup. This
method of backup is done when the i flag is not specified. This is used for future reference, historical
purposes, or for recovery if the original data is damaged or lost. It is used to make a backup copy of an
entire file system and is the method commonly used by system administrators to back up large groups of
files, such as all of the user accounts in /home. A file system backup allows incremental backups to be
performed easily. An incremental backup backs up all files that have been modified since a specified
previous backup.
The compress and pack commands enable you to compress files for storage, and the uncompress and
unpack commands unpack the files once they have been restored. The process of packing and unpacking
files takes time, but once packed, the data uses less space on the backup medium. For more information
about these commands, see compress, pack, uncompress, and unpack.
Several commands create backups and archives. Because of this, data that has been backed up needs to
be labeled as to which command was used to initiate the backup, and how the backup was made (by
name or by file system).
Item Description
backup Backs up files by name or by file system. For more information, see backup.

Item Description
mksysb Creates an installable image of the rootvg. For more information, see mksysb.
cpio Copies files into and out of archive storage. For more information, see cpio.
dd Converts and copies a file. Commonly used to convert and copy data to and from systems
running other operating systems, for example, mainframes. dd does not group multiple
files into one archive; it is used to manipulate and move data. For more information, see
dd.
tar Creates or manipulates tar format archives. For more information, see tar.
rdump Backs up files by file system onto a remote machine's device. For more information, see
rdump.
pax (POSIX-conformant archive utility) Reads and writes tar and cpio archives. For more
information, see pax.
Related concepts
Backup for BSD 4.3 system managers
BSD 4.3 system managers can back up data.
Related tasks
Backing up user files or file systems
Two procedures can be used to back up files and file systems: the SMIT fast paths smit backfile or
smit backfilesys, and the backup command.
Backup concepts
Before you start backing up your data, you need to understand the types of data, policies, and media that
you can use.
Backup policies
No single backup policy can meet the needs of all users. A policy that works well for a system with one
user, for example, could be inadequate for a system that serves one hundred users. Likewise, a policy
developed for a system on which many files are changed daily would be inefficient for a system on which
data changes infrequently.
Whatever the appropriate backup strategy for your site, it is very important that one exist and that
backups be done frequently and regularly. It is difficult to recover from data loss if a good backup strategy
has not been implemented.
Only you can determine the best backup policy for your system, but the following general guidelines
might be helpful:
• Make sure you can recover from major losses.
Can your system continue to run after any single fixed disk failure? Can you recover your system if all
the fixed disks should fail? Could you recover your system if you lost your backup diskettes or tape to
fire or theft? If data were lost, how difficult would it be to re-create it? Think through possible, even
unlikely, major losses, and design a backup policy that enables you to recover your system after any of
them.
• Check your backups periodically.
Backup media and their hardware can be unreliable. A large library of backup tapes or diskettes is
useless if data cannot be read back onto a fixed disk. To make certain that your backups are usable,
display the table of contents from the backup tape periodically (using restore -T or tar -t for
archive tapes). If you use diskettes for your backups and have more than one diskette drive, read
diskettes from a drive other than the one on which they were created. You might want the security of
repeating each level 0 backup with a second set of media. If you use a streaming tape device for
backups, you can use the tapechk command to perform rudimentary consistency checks on the tape.
For more information about these commands, see restore -T, tar -t, and tapechk.
• Keep old backups.

Develop a regular cycle for reusing your backup media; however, do not reuse all of your backup media.
Sometimes it is months before you or some other user of your system notices that an important file is
damaged or missing. Save old backups for such possibilities. For example, you could have the following
three cycles of backup tapes or diskettes:
– Once per week, recycle all daily diskettes except the Friday diskette.
– Once per month, recycle all Friday diskettes except for the one from the last Friday of the month. This
makes the last four Friday backups always available.
– Once per quarter, recycle all monthly diskettes except for the last one. Keep the last monthly
diskette from each quarter indefinitely, preferably in a different building.
• Check file systems before backing up.
A backup made from a damaged file system might be useless. Before making your backups, it is good
policy to check the integrity of the file system with the fsck command. For more information, see fsck.
• Ensure files are not in use during a backup.
Do not use the system when you make your backups. If the system is in use, files can change while they
are being backed up, and the backup copy will not be accurate.
• Back up your system before major changes are made to the system.
It is always good policy to back up your entire system before any hardware testing or repair work is
performed or before you install any new devices, programs, or other system features.
• Other factors.
When planning and implementing a backup strategy, consider the following factors:
– How often does the data change? The operating system data does not change very often, so you do
not need to back it up frequently. User data, on the other hand, usually changes frequently, so you
should back it up frequently.
– How many users are on the system? The number of users affects the amount of storage media and
frequency required for backups.
– How difficult would it be to re-create the data? It is important to consider that some data cannot be
re-created if there is no backup available.
Having a backup strategy in place to preserve your data is very important. Evaluating the needs of your
site will help you to determine the backup policy that is best for you. Perform user information backups
frequently and regularly. Recovering from data loss is very difficult if a good backup strategy has not been
implemented.
Note: For the backup of named pipes (FIFO special files) the pipes can be either closed or open. However,
the restoration fails when the backup is done on open named pipes. When restoring a FIFO special file, its
i-node is all that is required to recreate it because it contains all its characteristic information. The
content of the named pipe is not relevant for restoration. Therefore, the file size during backup is zero (all
the FIFOs closed) before the backup is made.
Attention: System backup and restoration procedures require that the system be restored on the
same type of platform from which the backup was made. In particular, the CPU and I/O planar
boards must be of the same type.
Backup media
Several different types of backup media are available. The different types of backup media available to
your specific system configuration depend upon both your software and hardware.
Several types of backup media are available. The types of backup media available to your specific system
configuration depend upon your software and hardware. The types most frequently used are tapes (8-mm
tape and 9-track tape), diskettes (5.25-inch diskette and 3.5-inch diskette), remote archives, and
alternate local hard disks. Unless you specify a different device using the backup -f command, the
backup command automatically writes its output to /dev/rfd0, which is the diskette drive.

Attention: Running the backup command results in the loss of all material previously stored on
the selected backup medium.
Diskettes
Diskettes are the standard backup medium. Unless you specify a different device using the backup -
f command, the backup command automatically writes its output to the /dev/rfd0 device, which is
the diskette drive. To back up data to the default tape device, type /dev/rmt0 and press Enter.
Be careful when you handle diskettes. Because each piece of information occupies such a small area
on the diskette, small scratches, dust, food, or tobacco particles can make the information unusable.
Be sure to remember the following:
• Do not touch the recording surfaces.
• Keep diskettes away from magnets and magnetic field sources, such as telephones, dictation
equipment, and electronic calculators.
• Keep diskettes away from extreme heat and cold. The recommended temperature range is 10
degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Proper care helps prevent loss of information.
• Make backup copies of your diskettes regularly.
Attention: Diskette drives and diskettes must be the correct type to store data successfully. If
you use the wrong diskette in your 3.5-inch diskette drive, the data on the diskette could be
destroyed.
The diskette drive uses the following 3.5-inch diskettes:
• 1 MB capacity (stores approximately 720 KB of data)
• 2 MB capacity (stores approximately 1.44 MB of data)
Tapes
Because of their high capacity and durability, tapes are often chosen for storing large files or many
files, such as archive copies of file systems. They are also used for transferring many files from one
system to another. Tapes are not widely used for storing frequently accessed files because other
media provide much faster access times.
Tape files are created using commands such as backup, cpio, and tar, which open a tape drive,
write to it, and close it.
Backup strategy
There are two methods of backing up large amounts of data.
• Complete system backup
• Incremental backup
To understand these two types of backups and which one is right for a site or system, it is important to
have an understanding of file system structure and data placement. After you have decided on a strategy
for data placement, you can develop a backup strategy for that data.
Related tasks
Implementing scheduled backups
This procedure describes how to develop and use a script to perform a weekly full backup and daily
incremental backups of user files.
System data versus user data

Data is defined as programs or text and for this discussion is broken down into two classes:
• System data, which makes up the operating system and its extensions. This data is always to be kept in
the system file systems, namely / (root), /usr, /tmp, /var, and so on.
• User data is typically local data that individuals need to complete their specific tasks. This data is to be
kept in the /home file system or in file systems that are created specifically for user data.

User programs and text are not to be placed in file systems designed to contain system data. For
example, a system manager might create a new file system and mount it over/local. An exception is /
tmp, which is used for temporary storage of system and user data.
Backups
In general, backups of user and system data are kept in case the data is accidentally removed or if there
is a disk failure. It is easier to manage backups when user data is kept separate from system data.
The following are reasons for keeping system data separate from user data:
• User data tends to change much more often than operating system data. Backup images are much
smaller if the system data is not backed up into the same image as the user data. The number of users
affects the storage media and frequency that is required for backup.
• It is quicker and easier to restore user data when it is kept separate. Restoring the operating system
along with the user data requires extra time and effort. The reason is that the method that is used to
recover the operating system data involves starting the system from removable media (tape or CD) and
installing the system backup.
To back up the system data, unmount all user file systems, including /home with the umount command.
If these file systems are in use, you cannot unmount them. Schedule the backups at low usage times so
they can be unmounted; if the user data file systems remain mounted, they are backed up along with the
operating system data. Use the mount command to ensure that only the operating system file systems
are mounted.
The only mounted file systems are /, /usr, /var, and /tmp, and the result of the mount command can
be similar to the following output:
node mounted mounted over vfs date options
/dev/hd4 / jfs Jun 11 10:36 rw,log=/dev/hd8
/dev/hd2 /usr jfs Jun 11 10:36 rw,log=/dev/hd8
/dev/hd9var /var jfs Jun 11 10:36 rw,log=/dev/hd8
/dev/hd /tmp jfs Jun 11 10:36 rw,log=/dev/hd8
After you are certain that all user file systems are unmounted, you are now ready to back up the operating
system data.
When you finish backing up the operating system, mount the user file system by using the smit mount
command. Next, you can back up files, file systems, or other volume groups, depending on your needs.
Related concepts
System image and user-defined volume groups backup
The rootvg is stored on a hard disk, or group of disks, and contains start up files, the BOS, configuration
information, and any optional software products. A user-defined volume group (also called nonrootvg
volume group) typically contains data files and application software.
System replication (cloning)

Cloning saves configuration data along with user or system data. For example, you might want to replicate
a system or volume group; it is sometimes called cloning.
You can then install this image onto another system and can use it just like the first system. The mksysb
command is used to clone the rootvg volume group, which contains the operating system, while the
savevg command is used to clone a volume group.
Command summary for backup files and storage media

Commands are available for backing up files and storing data.
Item Description
backup Backs up files and file systems
compress Compresses and expands data

Item Description
cpio Copies files into and out of archive storage and directories
fdformat Formats diskettes
flcopy Copies to and from diskettes
format Formats diskettes
fsck Checks file system consistency and interactively repairs the file system
pack Compresses files
restore Copies previously backed-up file systems or files, which were created by the backup
command from a local device
tapechk Checks consistency of the streaming tape device
tar Manipulates archives
tcopy Copies a magnetic tape
uncompress Compresses and expands data
unpack Expands files
Administering system backups

There are multiple ways to backup your system and restore a system backup.
Backing up user files or file systems

Two procedures can be used to back up files and file systems: the SMIT fast paths smit backfile or
smit backfilesys, and the backup command.
• If you are backing up by i-node file systems that may be in use, unmount them first to prevent
inconsistencies.
Attention: If you attempt to back up a mounted file system, a warning message is displayed. The
backup command continues, but inconsistencies in the file system may occur. This warning
does not apply to the root (/) file system.
• To prevent errors, make sure the backup device has been cleaned recently.
To back up user files and file systems, you can use the SMIT fast paths smit backfile or smit
backfilesys.
You can use the SMIT interface for backing up single and small file systems by name, such as /home on
your local system. Note that SMIT cannot make archives in any other format than that provided by the
backup command. Also, not every flag of the backup command is available through SMIT. SMIT might
hang if multiple tapes or disks are needed during the backup. For more information, see the backup
command description in Commands Reference, Volume 1.
Use the backup command when you want to back up large and multiple file systems. You can specify a
level number to control how much data is backed up (full, 0; incremental, 1-9). Using the backup
command is the only way you can specify the level number on backups.
The backup command creates copies in one of the two following backup formats:
• Specific files backed up by name using the -i flag.
• Entire file systems backed up by i-node using the -Level and FileSystem parameters. The file
system is defragmented when it is restored from backup.
Attention: Backing up by i-node does not work correctly for files that have a user ID (UID) or a
group ID (GID) greater than 65535. These files are backed up with UID or GID truncated and will,
therefore, have the wrong UID or GID attributes when restored. For these cases, you must back up
by name.

Backing Up User Files or File Systems Tasks
Back Up User Files smit 1. Log in to your user account.
backfile
2. Backup: find . -print |
backup -ivf /dev/rmt0
Back Up User File Systems smit 1. Unmount files systems that you
backfilesys plan to back up. For example:
umount all or umount /home /
filesys1
2. Verify the file systems. For
example: fsck /home /
filesys1
3. Back up by i-node. For example:
backup -5 -uf/dev/rmt0 /
home/libr
4. Restore the files using the following
command: restore -t
Note: If this command generates an error message, you must repeat the entire backup.
Related concepts
System backup
Restoring backed-up files

After the data has been correctly backed up, there are several different methods of restoring the data
based upon the type of backup command you used.
You need to know how your backup or archive was created to restore it correctly. Each backup procedure
gives information about restoring data. For example, if you use the backup command, you can specify a
backup either by file system or by name. That backup must be restored the way it was done, by file
system or by name. For information about the backup command, see backup.
Several commands restore backed up data, such as:
Item Description
restore Copies files created by the backup command. For more information about using this
command, see the section below.
rrestore Copies file systems backed up on a remote machine to the local machine. For more
information, see rrestore.
cpio Copies files into and out of archive storage. For more information, see cpio .
tar Creates or manipulates tar archives. For more information, see tar.
pax (POSIX-conformant archive utility) Reads and writes tar and cpio archives. For more
information, see pax.
The following sections discuss the restore and smit commands.

Note:
• Files must be restored using the same method by which they were backed up. For example, if a file
system was backed up by name, it must be restored by name.

• When more than one diskette is required, the restore command reads the diskette that is mounted,
prompts you for a new one, and waits for your response. After inserting the new diskette, press the
Enter key to continue restoring files.
Restoring files using the restore command
Use the restore command to read files written by the backup command and restore them on your
local system.
See the following examples:
• To list the names of files previously backed up, type the following:
restore -T
Information is read from the /dev/rfd0 default backup device. If individual files are backed up,
only the file names are displayed. If an entire file system is backed up, the i-node number is also
shown.
• To restore files to the main file system, type the following:
restore -x -v
The -x flag extracts all the files from the backup media and restores them to their proper places in
the file system. The -v flag displays a progress report as each file is restored. If a file system backup
is being restored, the files are named with their i-node numbers. Otherwise, only the names are
displayed.
• To copy the /home/mike/manual/chap1 file, type the following:
restore -xv /home/mike/manual/chap1
This command extracts the /home/mike/manual/chap1 file from the backup medium and
restores it. The /home/mike/manual/chap1 file must be a name that the restore -T command
can display.
• To copy all the files in a directory named manual, type the following:
restore -xdv manual
This command restores the manual directory and the files in it. If the directory does not exist, a
directory named manual is created in the current directory to hold the files being restored.
See the restore command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Restoring files using the smit command
Use the smit command to run the restore command, which reads files written by the backup
command and restores them on your local system.
1. At the prompt, type the following:
smit restore
2. Make your entry in the Target DIRECTORY field. This is the directory where you want the restored
files to reside.
3. Proceed to the BACKUP device or FILE field and enter the output device name, as in the following
example for a raw magnetic tape device:
/dev/rmt0
If the device is not available, a message similar to the following is displayed:
Cannot open /dev/rmtX, no such file or directory.
This message indicates that the system cannot reach the device driver because there is no file for
rmtX in the /dev directory. Only items in the available state are in the /dev directory.

4. For the NUMBER of blocks to read in a single input field, the default is recommended.
5. Press Enter to restore the specified file system or directory.
Creating a remote archive

Use this procedure to archive files to a remote tape device.
Running AIX systems cannot mount a remote tape device as if it were local to the system; however, data
can be sent to a remote machine tape device using the rsh command. The following procedure writes to
a single tape only. Multiple-tape archives require specialized application software.
In the following procedure, assume the following:
blocksize
Represents the target tape device blocksize.
remotehost
Is the name of the target system (the system that has the tape drive).
sourcehost
Is the name of the source system (the system being archived).
/dev/rmt0
Is the name of the remote tape device
pathname
Represents the full pathname of a required directory or file.
When using the following instructions, assume that both the local and remote user is root.
1. Ensure you have access to the remote machine.
The source machine must have access to the system with the tape drive. (The target system can be
accessed using any of the defined users on that system, but the user name must have root authority to
do many of the following steps.)
2. Using your favorite editor, create a file in the / (root) directory of the target system called .rhosts
that allows the source system access to the target system.
You need to add the authorized host name and user ID to this file. To determine the name of the
source machine for the .rhosts file, you can use the following command:
host SourceIPaddress
For the purposes of this example, assume you add the following line to the .rhosts file:
sourcehost.mynet.com root
3. Save the file and then change its permissions using the following command:
chmod 600 .rhosts
4. Use the rsh command to test your access from the source machine. For example:
rsh remotehost
If everything is set up correctly, you should be granted shell access to the remote machine. You should
not see a login prompt asking for a user name. Type exit to log out of this test shell.
5. Decide on the appropriate tape device blocksize.
The following are the recommended values:
Item Description
9-track or 0.25-in. media blocksize: 512
8-mm or 4-mm media blocksize: 1024

If you are unsure and want to check the current block size of the tape device, use the tctl command.
For example:
tctl -f /dev/rmt0 status
If you want to change the tape blocksize, use the chdev command. For example:
chdev -l rmt0 -a block_size=1024
6. Create your archive using one of the following methods:

Backup by Name
To remotely create a backup archive by name, use the following command:
find pathname -print | backup -ivqf- | rsh remotehost \

"dd of=/dev/rmt0 bs=blocksize conv=sync"
Backup by inode
To remotely create a backup archive by inode, first unmount your file system then use the backup
command. For example:
umount /myfs
backup -0 -uf- /myfs | rsh remotehost \
Create and Copy an Archive to Remote Tape

To create and copy an archive to the remote tape device, use the following command:
find pathname -print | cpio -ovcB | rsh remotehost \

"dd ibs=5120 obs=blocksize of=/dev/rmt0"
Create a tar Archive

To remotely create a tar archive, use the following command:
tar -cvdf- pathname | rsh remotehost \

Create a Remote Dump

To remotely create a remote dump of the /myfs file system, use the following command:
rdump -u -0 -f remotehost:/dev/rmt0 /myfs
The -u flag tells the system to update the current backup level records in the /etc/dumpdates
file. The -0 is the setting of the Level flag. Backup level 0 specifies that all the files in the /myfs
directory are to be backed up. For more information, see the rdump command description in
Commands Reference, Volume 4.
7. Restore your remote archive using one of the following methods:
Restore a Backup by Name
To restore a remote backup archive by name, use the following command:
rsh remotehost "dd if=/dev/rmt0 bs=blocksize" | restore \

-xvqdf- pathname
Restore a Backup by inode

To restore a remote backup archive by inode, use the following command:
rsh remotehost "dd if=/dev/rmt0 bs=blocksize" | restore \

-xvqf- pathname
Restore a Remote cpio Archive

To restore a remote archive created with the cpio command, use the following command:
rsh remotehost "dd if=/dev/rmt0 ibs=blocksize obs=5120" | \

cpio -icvdumB

Restore a tar Archive
To restore a remote tar archive, use the following command:
rsh remotehost "dd if=/dev/rmt0 bs=blocksize" | tar -xvpf- pathname
Restore a Remote Dump

To restore a remote dump of the /myfs file system, use the following command:
cd /myfs
rrestore -rvf remotehost:/dev/rmt0
Restoring user files from a backup image

If you need to restore a backup image destroyed by accident, your most difficult problem is determining
which of the backup tapes contains this file. The restore -T command can be used to list the contents
of an archive. It is a good idea to restore the file in the /tmp directory so that you do not accidentally
overwrite the user's other files.
Make sure the device is connected and available. To check availability, type:
lsdev -C | pg
If the backup strategy included incremental backups, then it is helpful to find out from the user when the
file was most recently modified. This helps to determine which incremental backup contains the file. If
this information cannot be obtained or is found to be incorrect, then start searching the incremental
backups in reverse order (7, 6, 5, ...). For incremental file system backups, the -i flag (interactive mode) of
the restore command is very useful in both locating and restoring the lost file. (Interactive mode is also
useful for restoring an individual user's account from a backup of the /home file system.)
The procedures in the following table describe how to implement a level 0 (full) restoration of a directory
or file system.
Restoring from Backup Image Tasks

Restore Individual User Files smit restfile See restore command.
Restoring a User File System smit restfilesys 1. mkfs /dev/hd1
2. mount /dev/hd1 /
filesys
3. cd /filesys
4. restore -r
Restoring a User Volume Group smit restvg See restvg -q command.
Restoring access to an unlinked or deleted system library

When the existing libc.a library is not available, most operating system commands are not recognized.
The most likely causes for this type of problem are the following:
• The link in /usr/lib no longer exists.
• The file in /usr/ccs/lib has been deleted.
The following procedure describes how to restore access to the libc.a library. This procedure requires
system downtime. If possible, schedule your downtime when it least impacts your workload to protect
yourself from a possible loss of data or functionality.
Related information
mount command

unmount command
reboot command
Restoring a deleted symbolic link

Use the following procedure to restore a symbolic link from the /usr/lib/libc.a library to
the /usr/ccs/lib/libc.a path.
1. With root authority, set the LIBPATH environment variable to point to the /usr/ccs/lib directory by
typing the following commands:
# LIBPATH=/usr/ccs/lib:/usr/lib
# export LIBPATH
At this point, you should be able to execute system commands.

2. To restore the links from the /usr/lib/libc.a library and the /lib directory to the /usr/lib
directory, type the following commands:
ln -s /usr/ccs/lib/libc.a /usr/lib/libc.a
ln -s /usr/lib /lib
At this point, commands should run as before. If you still do not have access to a shell, skip the rest of
this procedure and continue with the next section, “Restoring a deleted system library file” on page
30.
3. Type the following command to unset the LIBPATH environment variable.
unset LIBPATH
Restoring a deleted system library file

This procedure to restore a deleted system library file requires system downtime. The system is booted
and then the library is restored from a recent mksysb tape.
1. Before your reboot, ensure the PROMPT field in the bosinst.data file is set to yes.
2. Insert a recent mksysb tape into the tape drive.
The mksysb must contain the same OS and maintenance package or technology level as the installed
system. If you restore a libc.a library from a mksysb that conflicts with the level on the installed
system, you will not be able to issue commands.
3. Reboot the machine.
4. When the screen of icons appears, or when you hear a double beep, press the F1 key repeatedly until
the System Management Services menu is displayed.
5. Select Multiboot.
6. Select Install From.
7. Select the tape device that holds the mksysb and then select Install.
It can take several minutes before the next prompt appears.
8. Define your current system as the system console by pressing the F1 key and press Enter.
9. Select the number of your preferred language and press Enter.
10. Select Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery by typing 3 and press Enter.
11. Select Access a Root Volume Group. A message displays explaining that you will not be able to
return to the Installation menus without rebooting if you change the root volume group at this point.
12. Type 0 and press Enter.
13. Type the number of the appropriate volume group from the list and press Enter.
14. Select Access this Volume Group by typing 2 and press Enter.
15. Mount the / (root) and /usr file systems by typing the following commands:

mount /dev/hd4 /mnt
mount /dev/hd2 /mnt/usr
cd /mnt
16. To restore the symbolic link for the libc.a library, if needed, type the following command:
ln -s /usr/ccs/lib/libc.a /mnt/usr/lib/libc.a
After the command runs, do one of the following:

• If the command is successful, skip to step 20.
• If a message displays that the link already exists, continue with step 17.
17. Set the block size of the tape drive by issuing the following commands, where X is the number of the
appropriate tape drive.
tctl -f /dev/rmtX rewind

tctl -f /dev/rmtX.1 fsf 1
restbyname -xvqf /dev/rmtX.1 ./tapeblksz
cat tapeblksz
If the value from the cat tapeblksz command is not equal to 512, type the following commands,
replacing Y with the value from the cat tapeblksz command:
ln -sf /mnt/usr/lib/methods /etc/methods

/etc/methods/chgdevn -l rmtX -a block_size=Y
You should receive a message that rmtX has been changed.

18. Ensure the tape is at the correct location for restoring the library by typing the following commands
(where X is the number of the appropriate tape drive):
tctl -f /dev/rmtX rewind

tctl -f /dev/rmtX.1 fsf 3
19. Restore the missing library using one of the following commands (where X is the number of the
appropriate tape drive):
• To restore the libc.a library only, type the following command:
restbyname -xvqf /dev/rmtX.1 ./usr/ccs/lib/libc.a
• To restore the /usr/ccs/lib directory, type the following command:
restbyname -xvqf /dev/rmtX.1 ./usr/ccs/lib
• To restore the /usr/ccs/bin directory, type the following command:
restbyname -xvqf /dev/rmtX.1 ./usr/ccs/bin
20. Flush the data to disk by typing the following commands:
cd /mnt/usr/sbin
./sync;./sync;./sync
21. Unmount the /usr and / (root) file systems by typing the following commands:
cd /
umount /dev/hd2
umount /dev/hd4
If either umount command fails, cycle power on this machine and begin this procedure again.
22. Reboot the system by typing the following command:
reboot
After the system is rebooted, operating system commands should be available.

Recreating a corrupted boot image
The following procedure describes how to identify a corrupted boot image and re-create it.
If your machine is currently running and you know the boot image has been corrupted or deleted,
recreate the boot image by running the bosboot command with root authority.
Attention: Never reboot the system when you suspect the boot image is corrupted.
The following procedure assumes your system is not rebooting correctly because of a corrupted boot
image. If possible, protect your system from a possible loss of data or functionality by scheduling your
downtime when it least impacts your workload.
1. Insert the product media into the appropriate drive.
2. Power on the machine following the instructions provided with your system.
3. From the System Management Services menu, select Multiboot.
4. From the next screen, select Install From.
5. Select the device that holds the product media and then select Install.
6. Select the AIX version icon.
7. Follow the online instructions until you can select which mode you use for installation. At that point,
select Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery.
8. Select Access a Root Volume Group.
9. Follow the online instructions until you can select Access this Volume Group and start a shell.
10. Use the bosboot command to re-create the boot image. For example:
bosboot -a -d /dev/hdisk0
If the command fails and you receive the following message:
0301-165 bosboot: WARNING! bosboot failed - do not attempt to boot device.
Try to resolve the problem using one of the following options, and then run the bosboot command
again until you have successfully created a boot image:
• Delete the default boot logical volume (hd5) and then create a new hd5.
Or
• Run diagnostics on the hard disk. Repair or replace, as necessary.
If the bosboot command continues to fail, contact your customer support representative.
Attention: If the bosboot command fails while creating a boot image, do not reboot your
machine.
11. When the bosboot command is successful, use the reboot command to reboot your system.
Related concepts
System startup
When the base operating system starts, the system initiates a complex set of tasks. Under normal
conditions, these tasks are performed automatically.
Related information
bosboot command

Making an online backup of a JFS
Making an online backup of a mounted journaled file system (JFS) or enhanced journaled file system
(JFS2) creates a static image of the logical volume that contains the file system.
To make an online backup of a mounted JFS, the logical volume that the file system resides on and the
logical volume that its log resides on must be mirrored.
Note: Because the file writes are asynchronous, the split-off copy might not contain all data that was
written immediately before the split. Any modifications that begin after the split begins might not be
present in the backup copy. Therefore, it is recommended that file system activity be minimal while the
split is taking place.
To split off a mirrored copy of the /home/xyz file system to a new mount point named /
jfsstaticcopy, type the following:
chfs -a splitcopy=/jfsstaticcopy /home/xyz
You can control which mirrored copy is used as the backup by using the copy attribute. The second
mirrored copy is the default if a copy is not specified by the user. For example:
chfs -a splitcopy=/jfsstaticcopy -a copy=1 /home/xyz
At this point, a read-only copy of the file system is available in /jfsstaticcopy. Any changes made to
the original file system after the copy is split off are not reflected in the backup copy.
To reintegrate the JFS split image as a mirrored copy at the /testcopy mount point, use the following
command:
rmfs /testcopy
The rmfs command removes the file system copy from its split-off state and allows it to be reintegrated
as a mirrored copy.
Making and backing up a snapshot of a JFS2

You can make a snapshot of a mounted JFS2 that establishes a consistent block-level image of the file
system at a point in time.
The snapshot image remains stable even as the file system that was used to create the snapshot, called
the snappedFS, continues to change. The snapshot retains the same security permissions as the
snappedFS had when the snapshot was made.
In the following scenario, you create a snapshot and back up the snapshot to removable media without
unmounting or quiescing the file system, all with one command: backsnap. You can also use the
snapshot for other purposes, such as accessing the files or directories as they existed when the snapshot
was taken. You can do the various snapshot procedures by using SMIT or the backsnap and snapshot
commands.
To create a snapshot of the /home/abc/test file system and back it up (by name) to the tape
device /dev/rmt0, use the following command:
backsnap -m /tmp/snapshot -s size=16M -i f/dev/rmt0 /home/abc/test
This command creates a logical volume of 16 megabytes for the snapshot of the JFS2 file system (/
home/abc/test). The snapshot is mounted on /tmp/snapshot and then a backup by name of the
snapshot is made to the tape device. After the backup completes, the snapshot remains mounted. Use
the -R flag with the backsnap command if you want the snapshot removed when the backup completes.

Related information
File Systems
backsnap command
chfs command
rmfs command
snapshot command
Making and backing up an external snapshot of a JFS2

In the following scenario, you use the backsnap command to create an external snapshot and back up
the snapshot to removable media without un mounting or quiescing the file system. You can also use the
was taken. You can do the various snapshot procedures using SMIT, or the backsnap and snapshot
commands.
To create an external snapshot of the /home/abc/test file system and back it up, by name, to
the /dev/rmt0 tape device, run the following command:
backsnap -m /tmp/snapshot -s size=16M -if/dev/rmt0 /home/abc/test
The previous command creates a logical volume of 16 MB for the snapshot of the /home/abc/test JFS2
file system. The snapshot is mounted on the /tmp/snapshot directory and then a backup of the
snapshot, by name, is made to the tape device. After the backup is complete, the snapshot is unmounted
but remains available. Use the -R flag with the backsnap command if you want the snapshot removed
when the backup is completed.
Related information
File Systems
Making and backing up an internal snapshot of a JFS2

In the following scenario, you use the backsnap command to create an internal snapshot and back up
the snapshot to removable media without un mounting or quiescing the file system. You can also use the
was taken. You can do the various snapshot procedures using SMIT, or the backsnap and snapshot
commands.
To create an internal snapshot of the /home/abc/test file system and back it up, by name, to
the /dev/rmt0 tape device , run the following command:
backsnap -n mysnapshot -if/dev/rmt0 /home/abc/test
The previous command creates an internal snapshot, named mysnapshot, of the /home/abc/test file
system. The snapshot is accessed from the /home/abc/test/.snapshot/mysnapshot directory and
then a backup is made to the tape device. Use the -R flag with the backsnap command if you want the
snapshot removed after the backup is completed.
Related information
File Systems

Compressing files (compress and pack commands)
Use the compress command and the pack command to compress files for storage.
Use the uncompress command and the unpack command to expand the restored files.
The process of compressing and expanding files takes time; however, after the files are packed, the data
uses less space on the backup medium.
To compress a file system, use one of the following methods:
• Use the -p flag with the backup command.
• Use the compress or pack commands.
Advantages for compressing files include:
• Saving money and time by compressing files before sending them over a network.
• Saving storage and archiving system resources:
– Compress file systems before making backups to preserve tape space.
– Compress log files created by shell scripts that run at night; it is easy to have the script compress the
file before it exits.
– Compress files that are not currently being accessed. For example, the files belonging to a user who
is away for extended leave can be compressed and placed into a tar archive on disk or to a tape and
later be restored.
Note:
• The compress command might run out of working space in the file system while compressing. The
command creates the compressed files before it deletes any of the uncompressed files, so it needs a
space about 50% larger than the total size of the files.
• A file might fail to compress because it is already compressed. If the compress command cannot
reduce file sizes, the command fails.
See the compress command for details about the return values but, in general, the problems
encountered when compressing files can be summarized as follows:
• The command might run out of working space in the file system while compressing. Because the
compress command creates the compressed files before it deletes any of the uncompressed files, it
needs extra space-from 50% to 100% of the size of any given file.
• A file might fail to compress because it is already compressed. If the compress command cannot
reduce the file size, it fails.
Compressing files using the compress command

Use the compress command to reduce the size of files using adaptive Lempel-Zev coding.
Each original file specified by the File parameter is replaced by a compressed file with a .Z appended to
its name. The compressed file retains the same ownership, modes, and access and modification times of
the original file. If no files are specified, the standard input is compressed to the standard output. If
compression does not reduce the size of a file, a message is written to standard error and the original file
is not replaced.
Use the uncompress command to restore compressed files to their original form.
The amount of compression depends on the size of the input, the number of bits per code specified by the
Bits variable, and the distribution of common substrings. Typically, source code or English text is reduced
by 50 to 60 percent. The compression of the compress command is generally more compact and takes
less time to compute than the compression achieved by the pack command, which uses adaptive
Huffman coding.
For example, to compress the foo file and write the percentage compression to standard error, type the
following:
compress -v foo

See the compress command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Compressing files using the pack command

Use the pack command to store the file or files specified by the File parameter in a compressed form
using Huffman coding.
The input file is replaced by a packed file with a name derived from the original file name (File.z), with the
same access modes, access and modification dates, and owner as the original file. The input file name
can contain no more than 253 bytes to allow space for the added .z suffix. If the pack command is
successful, the original file is removed.
Use the unpack command to restore packed files to their original form.
If the pack command cannot create a smaller file, it stops processing and reports that it is unable to save
space. (A failure to save space generally happens with small files or files with uniform character
distribution.) The amount of space saved depends on the size of the input file and the character frequency
distribution. Because a decoding tree forms the first part of each .z file, you do not save space with files
smaller than three blocks. Typically, text files are reduced 25 to 40 percent.
The exit value of the pack command is the number of files that it could not pack. Packing is not done
under any of the following conditions:
• The file is already packed.
• The input file name has more than 253 bytes.
• The file has links.
• The file is a directory.
• The file cannot be opened.
• No storage blocks are saved by packing.
• A file named File.z already exists.
• The .z file cannot be created.
• An I/O error occurred during processing.
For example, to compress the files chap1 and chap2, type the following:
pack chap1 chap2
This compresses chap1 and chap2 and replaces them with files named chap1.z and chap2.z. The
pack command displays the percent decrease in size for each file.
See the pack command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Expanding compressed files (uncompress and unpack commands)

Use the uncompress and unpack commands to expand compressed files.
Expanding files using the uncompress command
Use the uncompress command to restore original files that were compressed by the compress
command. Each compressed file specified by the File variable is removed and replaced by an
expanded copy. The expanded file has the same name as the compressed version but without the .Z
extension. The expanded file retains the same ownership, modes, and access and modification times
as the original file. If no files are specified, standard input is expanded to standard output.
Although similar to the uncompress command, the zcat command always writes the expanded
output to standard output.
For example, to uncompress the foo file, type the following:
uncompress foo
See the uncompress command in Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.

Expanding files using the unpack command
Use the unpack command to expand files created by the pack command. For each file specified, the
unpack command searches for a file called File.z. If this file is a packed file, the unpack command
replaces it with its expanded version. The unpack command renames the new file by removing the .z
suffix from File. The new file has the same access modes, access and modification dates, and owner
as the original packed file.
The unpack command operates only on files ending in .z. As a result, when you specify a file name
that does not end in .z, the unpack command adds the suffix and searches the directory for a file
name with that suffix.
The exit value is the number of files that the unpack command was unable to unpack. A file cannot be
unpacked if any of the following situations exists:
• The file name (exclusive of .z) has more than 253 bytes.
• The file cannot be opened.
• The file is not a packed file.
• A file with the unpacked file name already exists.
• The unpacked file cannot be created.
Note: The unpack command writes a warning to standard error if the file it is unpacking has links.
The new unpacked file has a different i-node (index node) number than the packed file from which it
was created. However, any other files linked to the original i-node number of the packed file still
exist and are still packed.
For example, to unpack the packed files chap1.z and chap2.z, type the following:
unpack chap1.z chap2
This expands the packed files chap1.z and chap2.z, and replaces them with files named chap1 and
chap2.
Note: You can provide the unpack command with file names with or without the .z suffix.
See the unpack command in Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
System image and user-defined volume groups backup

The rootvg is stored on a hard disk, or group of disks, and contains start up files, the BOS, configuration
information, and any optional software products. A user-defined volume group (also called nonrootvg
volume group) typically contains data files and application software.
You can backup an image of the system and volume groups using, SMIT, or command procedures. A
backup image serves two purposes. One is to restore a corrupted system using the system backup image.
The other is to transfer installed and configured software from one system to others.
The SMIT procedures use the mksysb command to create a backup image that can be stored either on
tape or in a file. If you choose tape, the backup program writes a boot image to the tape, which makes it
suitable for installing.
Note:
• Startup tapes cannot be made on or used to start a PowerPC-based personal computer.
• If you choose the SMIT method for backup, you must first install the sysbr fileset in the bos.sysmgt
software package.
Related concepts
Backups

In general, backups of user and system data are kept in case the data is accidentally removed or if there
is a disk failure. It is easier to manage backups when user data is kept separate from system data.
Backing up the system image and user-defined volume groups

You can make backups of the system image and the user-defined volume groups.
Before backing up the rootvg volume group:
• All hardware must already be installed, including external devices, such as tape and CD-ROM drives.
• This backup procedure requires the sysbr fileset, which is in the BOS System Management Tools and
Applications software package. Type the following command to determine whether the sysbr fileset is
installed on your system:
lslpp -l bos.sysmgt.sysbr
If your system has the sysbr fileset installed, continue the backup procedures.
If the lslpp command does not list the sysbr fileset, install it before continuing with the backup
procedure.
installp -agqXd device bos.sysmgt.sysbr
where device is the location of the software; for example, /dev/rmt0 for a tape drive.
Before backing up a user-defined volume group:
• Before being saved, a volume group must be varied on and the file systems must be mounted.
Attention: Executing the savevg command results in the loss of all material previously stored
on the selected output medium.
• Make sure the backup device has been cleaned recently to prevent errors.
The following procedures describe how to make an installable image of your system.
Backing Up Your System Tasks

Backing up the rootvg volume 1. Log in as root. 1. Log in as root.
group
2. Mount file systems for 2. Mount file systems for backup.1 See
backup.1smit mountfs mount command.
3. Unmount any local 3. Unmount any local directories that are
directories that are mounted mounted over another local directory.
over another local directory. See umount command.
smit umountfs 4. Make at least 8.8MB of free disk space
4. Make at least 8.8MB of free available in the /tmp directory.2
disk space available in 5. Back up. See mksysb command.
the /tmp directory.2
6. Write-protect the backup media.
5. Back up: smit mksysb
7. Record any backed-up root and user
6. Write-protect the backup passwords.
media.
7. Record any backed-up root
and user passwords.
Verify a Backup Tape3 smit lsmksysb

Backing Up Your System Tasks (continued)
Backing up a user-defined smit savevg 1. Modify the file system size before
volume group4 backing up, if necessary.5 mkvgdata
VGName then edit /tmp/vgdata/
VGName/VGName.data
2. Save the volume group. See the
savevg command.
Note:
1. The mksysb command does not back up file systems mounted across an NFS network.
2. The mksysb command requires this working space for the duration of the backup. Use the df
command, which reports in units of 512-byte blocks, to determine the free space in the /tmp
directory. Use the chfs command to change the size of the file system, if necessary.
3. This procedure lists the contents of a mksysb backup tape. The contents list verifies most of the
information on the tape but does not verify that the tape can be booted for installations. The only way
to verify that the boot image on a mksysb tape functions correctly is by booting from the tape.
4. If you want to exclude files in a user-defined volume group from the backup image, create a file
named /etc/exclude.volume_group_name, where volume_group_name is the name of the volume
group that you want to back up. Then edit /etc/exclude.volume_group_name and enter the
patterns of file names that you do not want included in your backup image. The patterns in this file are
input to the pattern matching conventions of the grep command to determine which files are
excluded from the backup.
5. If you choose to modify the VGName.data file to alter the size of a file system, you must not specify
the -i flag or the -m flag with the savevg command, because the VGName.data file is overwritten.
Related information
Installing optional software products and service updates
Installing system backups
Pre-backup configuration
Configure the source system before creating a backup image of it. If, however, you plan to use a backup
image for installing other, differently configured target systems, create the image before configuring the
source system.
The source system is the system from which you created the backup copy. The target system is the
system on which you are installing the backup copy.
The installation program automatically installs only the device support required for the hardware
configuration of the installed machine. Therefore, if you are using a system backup to install other
machines, you might need to install additional devices on the source system before making the backup
image and using it to install one or more target systems.
Use the SMIT fast path, smit devinst, to install additional device support on the source system.
• If there is sufficient disk space on the source and target systems, install all device support.
• If there is limited disk space on the source and target systems, selectively install device support.
A backup transfers the following configurations from the source system to the target system:
• Paging space information
• Logical volume information
• rootvg information
• Placement of logical partitions (if you have selected the map option).

Related information
Installing optional software and service updates
Customizing your installation
File system mounts and unmounts

Before performing a backup, you must mount all file systems you want to back up and unmount all file
systems you do not want to back up.
The Backup Methods procedure backs up only mounted file systems in the rootvg. You must, therefore,
mount all file systems you want to back up before starting. Similarly, you must unmount file systems you
do not want backed up.
This backup procedure backs up files twice if a local directory is mounted over another local directory in
the same file system. For example, if you mount /tmp over /usr/tmp, the files in the /tmp directory are
backed up twice. This duplication might exceed the number of files a file system can hold, which can
cause a future installation of the backup image to fail.
Security considerations for backups

If you install the backup image on other systems, you might not, for security reasons, want passwords
and network addresses copied to the target systems.
Also, copying network addresses to a target system creates duplicate addresses that can disrupt network
communications.
Backup image restoration

When installing the backup image, the system checks whether the target system has enough disk space
to create all the logical volumes stored on the backup. If there is enough space, the entire backup is
recovered. Otherwise, the installation halts and the system prompts you to choose more destination hard
disks.
File systems created on the target system are the same size as they were on the source system, unless
the SHRINK variable was set to yes in the image.data file before the backup image was made. An
exception is the /tmp directory, which can be increased to allocate enough space for the bosboot
command. For information about setting variables, see the image.data file.
When the system finishes installing the backup image, the installation program reconfigures the ODM on
the target system. If the target system does not have exactly the same hardware configuration as the
source system, the program might modify device attributes in the following target system files:
• All files in /etc/objrepos beginning with Cu
• All files in the /dev directory.
Related information
Installing system backups
Implementing scheduled backups

This procedure describes how to develop and use a script to perform a weekly full backup and daily
incremental backups of user files.
• The amount of data scheduled for backup cannot exceed one tape when using this script.
• Make sure the tape is loaded in the backup device before the cron command runs the script.
• Make sure the device is connected and available, especially when using scripts that run at night. Use the
lsdev -C | pg command to check availability.
• Make sure the backup device has been cleaned recently to prevent errors.
• If you are backing up file systems that might be in use, unmount them first to prevent file system
corruption.
• Check the file system before making the backup. Use the procedure described in File system
verification or run the fsck command.

The script included in this procedure is intended only as a model and needs to be carefully tailored to the
needs of the specific site.
Related concepts
Backup strategy
There are two methods of backing up large amounts of data.
Backing up file systems using the cron command

This procedure describes how to write a crontab script that you can pass to the cron command for
execution.
The script backs up two user file systems, /home/plan and /home/run, on Monday through Saturday
nights. Both file systems are backed up on one tape, and each morning a new tape is inserted for the next
night. The Monday night backups are full archives (level 0). The backups on Tuesday through Saturday are
incremental backups.
1. The first step in making the crontab script is to issue the crontab-e command. This opens an empty
file where you can make the entries that are submitted to the cron script for execution each night (the
default editor is vi). Type:
crontab -e
2. The following example shows the six crontab fields. Field 1 is for the minute, field 2 is for the hour on
a 24-hour clock, field 3 is for the day of the month, and field 4 is for the month of the year. Fields 3 and
4 contain an * (asterisk) to show that the script runs every month on the day specified in the day/wk
field. Field 5 is for the day of the week, and can also be specified with a range of days, for example,
1-6. Field 6 is for the shell command being run.
min hr day/mo mo/yr day/wk shell command
0 2 * * 1 backup -0 -uf /dev/rmt0.1 /home/plan
The command line shown assumes that personnel at the site are available to respond to prompts
when appropriate. The -0 (zero) flag for the backup command stands for level zero, or full backup.
The -u flag updates the backup record in the /etc/dumpdates file and the f flag specifies the device
name, a raw magnetic tape device 0.1 as in the example above.
3. Type a line similar to that in step 2 for each file system backed up on a specific day. The following
example shows a full script that performs six days of backups on two file systems:
0 2 * * 1 backup -0 -uf/dev/rmt0.1 /home/plan

0 3 * * 1 backup -0 -uf/dev/rmt0.1 /home/run
4. Save the file you created and exit the editor. The operating system passes the crontab file to the
cron script.
Related information
rmt Special File
Backup of files on a DMAPI-managed JFS2 file system

There are options in the tar and backbyinode commands that allow you to back up the extended
attributes (EAs).
With the backbyinode command on a DMAPI file system, only the data resident in the file system at the
time the command is issued is backed up. The backbyinode command examines the current state of

metadata to do its work. This can be advantageous with DMAPI, because it backs up the state of the
managed file system. However, any offline data will not be backed up.
To back up all of the data in a DMAPI file system, use a command that reads entire files, such as the tar
command. This can cause a DMAPI-enabled application to restore data for every file accessed by the tar
command, moving data back and forth between secondary and tertiary storage, so there can be
performance implications.
Formatting diskettes (format or fdformat command)

You can format diskettes in the diskette drive specified by the Device parameter (the /dev/rfd0 device
by default) with the format and fdformat commands.
Attention: Formatting a diskette destroys any existing data on that diskette.
The format command determines the device type, which is one of the following:
• 5.25-inch low-density diskette (360 KB) containing 40x2 tracks, each with 9 sectors
• 5.25-inch high-capacity diskette (1.2 MB) containing 80x2 tracks, each with 15 sectors
• 3.5-inch low-density diskette (720 KB) containing 80x2 tracks, each with 9 sectors
• 3.5-inch high-capacity diskette (2.88 MB) containing 80x2 tracks, each with 36 sectors
The sector size is 512 bytes for all diskette types.
Use the format command to format a diskette for high density unless the Device parameter specifies a
different density.
Use the fdformat command to format a diskette for low density unless the -h flag is specified. The
Device parameter specifies the device containing the diskette to be formatted (such as the /dev/rfd0
device for drive 0).
Before formatting a diskette, the format and fdformat commands prompt for verification. This allows
you to end the operation cleanly if necessary.
• To format a diskette in the /dev/rfd0 device, type the following:
format -d /dev/rfd0
• To format a diskette without checking for bad tracks, type the following:
format -f
• To format a 360 KB diskette in a 5.25-inch, 1.2 MB diskette drive in the /dev/rfd1 device, type the
following:
format -l -d /dev/rfd1
• To force high-density formatting of a diskette when using the fdformat command, type the following:
fdformat -h
See the format command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Checking the integrity of a file system (fsck command)

Use the fsck command to check and interactively repair inconsistent file systems.
It is important to run this command on every file system as part of system initialization. You must be able
to read the device file on which the file system resides (for example, the /dev/hd0 device). Normally, the
file system is consistent, and the fsck command merely reports on the number of files, used blocks, and
free blocks in the file system. If the file system is inconsistent, the fsck command displays information
about the inconsistencies found and prompts you for permission to repair them. The fsck command is
conservative in its repair efforts and tries to avoid actions that might result in the loss of valid data. In
certain cases, however, the fsck command recommends the destruction of a damaged file.

Attention: Always run the fsck command on file systems after a system malfunction. Corrective
actions can result in some loss of data. The default action for each consistency correction is to
wait for the operator to type yes or no. If you do not have write permission for an affected file, the
fsck command will default to a no response.
• To check all the default file systems, type the following:
fsck
This form of the fsck command asks you for permission before making any changes to a file system.
• To fix minor problems automatically with the default file systems, type the following:
fsck -p
• To check the /dev/hd1 file system , type the following:
fsck /dev/hd1
This checks the unmounted file system located on the /dev/hd1 device.
Note: The fsck command does not make corrections to a mounted file system.
See the fsck command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Copying to or from diskettes (flcopy command)

Use the flcopy command to copy a diskette (opened as /dev/rfd0) to a file named floppy created in
the current directory.
The message Change floppy, hit return when done displays as needed. The flcopy command
then copies the floppy file to the diskette.
• To copy /dev/rfd1 to the floppy file in the current directory, type the following:
flcopy -f /dev/rfd1 -r
• To copy the first 100 tracks of the diskette, type the following:
flcopy -f /dev/rfd1 -t 100
See the flcopy command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Copying files to tape or disk (cpio -o command)

Use the cpio -o command to read file path names from standard input and copy these files to standard
output, along with path names and status information.
Path names cannot exceed 128 characters. Avoid giving the cpio command path names made up of
many uniquely linked files because it might not have enough memory to keep track of the path names and
would lose linking information.
• To copy files in the current directory whose names end with .c onto diskette, type the following:
ls *.c | cpio -ov >/dev/rfd0
The -v flag displays the names of each file.

• To copy the current directory and all subdirectories onto diskette, type the following:
find . -print | cpio -ov >/dev/rfd0
This saves the directory tree that starts with the current directory (.) and includes all of its
subdirectories and files.

• To use a shorter command string, type the following:
find . -cpio /dev/rfd0 -print
The -print entry displays the name of each file as it is copied.

See the cpio command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Copying files from tape or disk (cpio -i command)

Use the cpio -i command to read from standard input an archive file created by the cpio -o
command and copy from it the files with names that match the Pattern parameter.
These files are copied into the current directory tree. You can list more than one Pattern parameter by
using the file name notation described in the ksh command. The default for the Pattern parameter is an
asterisk (*), which selects all files in the current directory. In an expression such as [a-z], the hyphen
(-) means through, according to the current collating sequence.
Note: The patterns "*.c" and "*.o" must be enclosed in quotation marks to prevent the shell from
treating the asterisk (*) as a pattern-matching character. This is a special case in which the cpio
command itself decodes the pattern-matching characters.
• To list the files that have been saved onto a diskette with the cpio command, type the following:
cpio -itv </dev/rfd0
This displays the table of contents of the data previously saved onto the /dev/rfd0 file in the cpio
command format. The listing is similar to the long directory listing produced by the ls -l command.
• To list only the file path names, use only the -it flags.
• To copy the files previously saved with the cpio command from a diskette, type the following:
cpio -idmv </dev/rfd0
This copies the files previously saved onto the /dev/rfd0 file by the cpio command back into the file
system (specify the -i flag). The -d flag allows the cpio command to create the appropriate directories
if a directory tree is saved. The -m flag maintains the last modification time in effect when the files are
saved. The -v flag causes the cpio command to display the name of each file as it is copied.
• To copy selected files from diskette, type the following:
cpio -i "*.c" "*.o" </dev/rfd0
This copies the files that end with .c or .o from diskette.

See the cpio command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Copying to or from tapes (tcopy command)

Use the tcopy command to copy magnetic tapes.
For example, to copy from one streaming tape to a 9-track tape, type the following:
tcopy /dev/rmt0 /dev/rmt8
See the tcopy command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
Checking the integrity of a tape (tapechk command)

Use the tapechk command to perform rudimentary consistency checking on an attached streaming tape
device.
Some hardware malfunctions of a streaming tape drive can be detected by simply reading a tape. The
tapechk command provides a way to perform tape reads at the file level.
For example, to check the first three files on a streaming tape device, type the following:

tapechk 3
See the tapechk command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
Archiving files (tar command)

The archive backup method is used for a copy of one or more files, or an entire database that is saved for
future reference, historical purposes, or for recovery if the original data is damaged or lost.
Usually, an archive is used when that specific data is removed from the system.
Use the tar command to write files to or retrieve files from an archive storage. The tar command looks
for archives on the default device (usually tape), unless you specify another device.
When writing to an archive, the tar command uses a temporary file (the /tmp/tar* file) and maintains
in memory a table of files with several links. You receive an error message if the tar command cannot
create the temporary file or if there is not enough memory available to hold the link tables.
• To write the file1 and file2 files to a new archive on the default tape drive, type the following:
tar -c file1 file2
• To extract all files in the /tmp directory from the archive file on the /dev/rmt2 tape device and use the
time of extraction as the modification time, type the following:
tar -xm -f/dev/rmt2 /tmp
• To display the names of the files in the out.tar disk archive file from the current directory, type the
following:
tar -vtf out.tar
See the tar command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for more information and the complete
syntax.
File backup
Use either the backup command or the smit command to create copies of your files on backup media,
such as a magnetic tape or diskette.
Attention: If you attempt to back up a mounted file system, a message displays. The backup
command continues, but inconsistencies in the file system can occur. This situation does not apply
to the root (/) file system.
The copies you created with the backup command or the smit command are in one of the following
backup formats:
• Specific files backed up by name, using the -i flag.
• Entire file system backed up by i-node number, using the -Level and FileSystem parameters.
Note:
– The possibility of data corruption always exists when a file is modified during system backup.
Therefore, make sure that system activity is at a minimum during the system backup procedure.
– If a backup is made to 8-mm tape with the device block size set to 0 (zero), it is not possible to
directly restore data from the tape. If you have done backups with the 0 setting, you can restore data
from them by using special procedures described under the restore command.
Attention: Be sure the flags you specify match the backup media.

Backing up files using the backup command
Use the backup command to create copies of your files on backup media.
For example, to back up selected files in your $HOME directory by name, type the following:
find $HOME -print | backup -i -v
The -i flag prompts the system to read from standard input the names of files to be backed up. The find
command generates a list of files in the user's directory. This list is piped to the backup command as
standard input. The -v flag displays a progress report as each file is copied. The files are backed up on the
default backup device for the local system.
• To back up the root file system, type the following:
backup -0 -u /
The 0 level and the / tell the system to back up the / (root) file system. The file system is backed up to
the /dev/rfd0 file. The -u flag tells the system to update the current backup level record in the /etc/
dumpdates file.
• To back up all files in the / (root) file system that were modified since the last 0 level backup, type the
following:
backup -1 -u /
See the backup command in Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Backing up files using the smit command

Use the smit command to run the backup command, which creates copies of your files on backup
media.
1. At the prompt, type the following:
smit backup
2. Type the path name of the directory on which the file system is normally mounted in the DIRECTORY
full pathname field:
/home/bill
3. In the BACKUP device or FILE fields, enter the output device name, as in the following example for a
raw magnetic tape device:
/dev/rmt0
4. Use the Tab key to toggle the optional REPORT each phase of the backup field if you want error
messages printed to the screen.
5. In a system management environment, use the default for the MAX number of blocks to write on
backup medium field because this field does not apply to tape backups.
6. Press Enter to back up the named directory or file system.
7. Run the restore -t command.
If this command generates an error message, you must repeat the entire backup.
Shutting down the system

The shutdown command is the safest and most thorough way to halt the operating system.
You might want to shut down your system:
• After installing new software or changing the configuration for existing software
• When a hardware problem exists
• When the system is irrevocably hung

• When system performance is degraded
• When the file system is possibly corrupt.
When you designate the appropriate flags, this command notifies users that the system is about to go
down, kills all existing processes, unmounts file systems, and halts the system. See shutdown for more
information.
Review the following information for details on specific shutdown situations:
Shutting down the system without rebooting

There are two ways of shutting down the system with no reboot.
You can use two methods to shut down the system without rebooting: the SMIT fastpath, or the
shutdown command.
Prerequisites
You must have root user authority to shut down the system.
To shut down the system using SMIT:
1. Log in as root.
2. At the command prompt, type:
smit shutdown
To shut down the system using the shutdown command:

1. Log in as root.
2. At the command prompt, type:
shutdown
Shutting down the system to single-user mode

In some cases, you might need to shut down the system and enter single-user mode to perform software
maintenance and diagnostics.
1. Type cd / to change to the root directory.
You must be in the root directory to shut down the system to single-user mode to ensure that file
systems are unmounted cleanly.
2. Type shutdown -m.
The system shuts down to single-user mode.
A system prompt displays and you can perform maintenance activities.
Shutting down the system in an emergency

Use the shutdown command to stop the system quickly without notifying other users.
You can use the shutdown command to shut down the system under emergency conditions.
Type shutdown -F. The -F flag instructs the shutdown command to bypass sending messages to other
users and shut down the system as quickly as possible.
System environment
The system environment is primarily the set of variables that define or control certain aspects of process
execution.
They are set or reset each time a shell is started. From the system-management point of view, it is
important to ensure the user is set up with the correct values at log in. Most of these variables are set
during system initialization. Their definitions are read from the /etc/profile file or set by default.

Profiles
The shell uses two types of profile files when you log in to the operating system.
The shell evaluates the commands contained in the files and then runs the commands to set up your
system environment. The files have similar functions except that the /etc/profile file controls profile
variables for all users on a system whereas the .profile file allows you to customize your own
environment.
The following profile and system environment information is provided:
• /etc/profile file
• .profile file
• System environment variable setup
• Changing the Message of the Day
• “Time data manipulation services” on page 48.
/etc/profile file
The first file that the operating system uses at login time is the /etc/profile file. This file controls
system-wide default variables such as:
• Export variables
• File creation mask (umask)
• Terminal types
• Mail messages to indicate when new mail has arrived.
The system administrator configures the profile file for all users on the system. Only the system
administrator can change this file.
.profile File
The second file that the operating system uses at login time is the .profile file. The .profile file
is present in your home ($HOME) directory and enables you to customize your individual working
environment. The .profile file also overrides commands and variables set in the /etc/profile
file. Because the .profile file is hidden, use the ls -a command to list it. Use the .profile file to
control the following defaults:
• Shells to open
• Prompt appearance
• Environment variables (for example, search path variables)
• Keyboard sound
The following example shows a typical .profile file:
PATH=/usr/bin:/etc:/home/bin1:/usr/lpp/tps4.0/user:/home/gsc/bin::
epath=/home/gsc/e3:
export PATH epath
csh
This example has defined two paths (PATH and epath), exported them, and opened a C shell (csh).
You can also use the .profile file (or if it is not present, the .profile file) to determine login shell
variables. You can also customize other shell environments. For example, use the .chsrc
and .kshrc files to tailor a C shell and a Korn shell, respectively, when each type shell is started.
Time data manipulation services

The time functions access and reformat the current system date and time.
You do not need to specify any special flag to the compiler to use the time functions. Include the header
file for these functions in the program. To include a header file, use the following statement:

#include <time.h>
The time services are the following:
Item Description
adjtime Corrects the time to allow synchronization of the
system clock.
ctime, localtime, gmtime, mktime, Converts date and time to string representation.
difftime, asctime, tzset
getinterval, incinterval, absinterval, Manipulates the expiration time of interval timers.
resinc, resabs, alarm, ualarm, getitimer,
setitimer
gettimer, settimer, restimer, stime, Gets or sets the current value for the specified
time systemwide timer.
gettimerid Allocates a per-process interval timer.
gettimeofday, settimeofday, ftime Gets and sets date and time.
nsleep, usleep, sleep Suspends a current process from running.
reltimerid Releases a previously allocated interval timer.
Filesets and hardware needed for 64-bit mode

The kernel runs in 64-bit mode, allowing fast access to large amounts of data and efficient handling of 64-
bit data types.
The base operating system 64-bit runtime fileset is bos.64bit. Installing bos.64bit also installs
the /etc/methods/cfg64 file. The /etc/methods/cfg64 file is a command that enables the 64-bit
runtime environment. This command is invoked by the rc.boot script during phase 3 of the boot
process.
Beginning with AIX 6.1, the 32-bit kernel has been deprecated. Installing the AIX 6.1 base operating
system enables the 64-bit mode.
Note: Hardware must be 64-bit capable to run AIX 6.1. The following RS/6000® models use 604e
processors and are not 64-bit capable:
• 7025 F50 Series
• 7026 H50 Series
• 9076 H50 Series
• 7043 150 Series
• 7046 B50 Series
To verify the capability of your processor, run the following command:
/usr/sbin/prtconf -c
The prtconf command returns either 32 or 64, depending on the capability of your processor. If your
system does not have the prtconf command, you can use the bootinfo command with the -y flag.
Hardware required for 64-bit mode

You must have 64-bit hardware to run 64-bit applications.
To determine whether your system has 32-bit or 64-bit hardware architecture:
1. Log in as a root user.
2. At the command line, enter bootinfo -y.

This produces the output of either 32 or 64, depending on whether the hardware architecture is 32-bit or
64-bit. In addition, if you enter lsattr -El proc0 at any version of AIX, the type of processor for your
server displays.
32-bit and 64-bit performance comparisons

In most cases, running 32-bit applications on 64-bit hardware is not a problem, because 64-bit hardware
can run both 64-bit and 32-bit software. However, 32-bit hardware cannot run 64-bit software.
To find out if any performance issues exist for applications that are running on the system, refer to those
application's user guides for their recommended running environment.
Dynamic Processor Deallocation

AIX can detect and automatically stop using a faulty processor.
Starting with machine type 7044 model 270, the hardware of all systems with two or more processors is
able to detect correctable errors, which are gathered by the firmware. These errors are not fatal and, as
long as they remain rare occurrences, can be safely ignored. However, when a pattern of failures seems to
be developing on a specific processor, this pattern might indicate that this component is likely to exhibit a
fatal failure in the near future. This prediction is made by the firmware based on the failure rates and
threshold analysis.
On these systems, AIX implements continuous hardware surveillance and regularly polls the firmware for
hardware errors. When the number of processor errors hits a threshold and the firmware recognizes that
there is a distinct probability that this system component will fail, the firmware returns an error report. In
all cases, the error is logged in the system error log. In addition, on multiprocessor systems, depending
on the type of failure, AIX attempts to stop using the untrustworthy processor and deallocate it. This
feature is called Dynamic Processor Deallocation.
At this point, the processor is also flagged by the firmware for persistent deallocation for subsequent
reboots, until maintenance personnel replaces the processor.
Processor deallocation impacts to applications

Processor deallocation is transparent for the vast majority of applications, including drivers and kernel
extensions. However, you can use the published interfaces to determine whether an application or kernel
extension is running on a multiprocessor machine, find out how many processors there are, and bind
threads to specific processors.
The bindprocessor interface for binding processes or threads to processors uses bind CPU numbers. The
bind CPU numbers are in the range [0..N-1] where N is the total number of CPUs. To avoid breaking
applications or kernel extensions that assume no "holes" in the CPU numbering, AIX always makes it
appear for applications as if it is the "last" (highest numbered) bind CPU to be deallocated. For instance,
on an 8-way SMP, the bind CPU numbers are [0..7]. If one processor is deallocated, the total number of
available CPUs becomes 7, and they are numbered [0..6]. Externally, it looks like CPU 7 has disappeared,
regardless of which physical processor failed.
Note: In the rest of this description, the term CPU is used for the logical entity and the term processor for
the physical entity.
Potentially, applications or kernel extensions that are binding processes or threads could be broken if AIX
silently terminated their bound threads or forcefully moved them to another CPU when one of the
processors needs to be deallocated. Dynamic Processor Deallocation provides programming interfaces so
that such applications and kernel extensions can be notified that a processor deallocation is about to
happen. When these applications and kernel extensions receive notification, they are responsible for
moving their bound threads and associated resources (such as timer request blocks) away from the last
bind CPU ID and for adapting themselves to the new CPU configuration.
After notification, if some threads remain bound to the last bind CPU ID, the deallocation is aborted, the
aborted deallocation is logged in the error log, and AIX continues using the ailing processor. When the
processor ultimately fails, it causes a total system failure. Therefore, it is important that applications or
kernel extensions receive notification of an impending processor deallocation and act on this notice.
Even in the rare cases that the deallocation cannot go through, Dynamic Processor Deallocation still gives
advanced warning to system administrators. By recording the error in the error log, it gives them a chance

to schedule a maintenance operation on the system to replace the ailing component before a global
system failure occurs.
Processor deallocation process

AIX can stop a failing processor by deallocating it.
The typical flow of events for processor deallocation is as follows:
1. The firmware detects that a recoverable error threshold has been reached by one of the processors.
2. The firmware error report is logged in the system error log, and, when AIX is executing on a machine
that supports processor deallocation, AIX starts the deallocation process.
3. AIX notifies non-kernel processes and threads bound to the last bind CPU.
4. AIX waits up to ten minutes for all the bound threads to move away from the last bind CPU. If threads
remain bound, AIX aborts the deallocation.
5. If all processes or threads are unbound from the ailing processor, the previously registered High
Availability Event Handlers (HAEHs) are invoked. An HAEH might return an error that aborts the
deallocation.
6. Unless aborted, the deallocation process ultimately stops the failing processor.
If there is a failure at any point of the deallocation, the failure and its cause are logged. The system
administrator can look at the error log, take corrective action (when possible) and restart the deallocation.
For instance, if the deallocation was aborted because an application did not unbind its bound threads, the
system administrator can stop the application, restart the deallocation, and then restart the application.
Enabling Dynamic Processor Deallocation

If your machine supports Dynamic Processor Deallocation, you can use SMIT or system commands to
turn the feature on or off.
Dynamic Processor Deallocation is enabled by default during installation, provided the machine has the
correct hardware and firmware to support it.
SMIT fastpath procedure

1. With root authority, type smit system at the system prompt, then press Enter.
2. In the Systems Environment window, select Change / Show Characteristics of Operating System.
3. Use the SMIT dialogs to complete the task.
To obtain additional information for completing the task, you can select the F1 Help key in the SMIT
dialogs.
Commands procedure
With root authority, you can use the following commands to work with the Dynamic Processor
Deallocation:
• Use the chdev command to change the characteristics of the device specified. For information about
using this command, see chdev in the Commands Reference, Volume 1.
• If the processor deallocation fails for any reason, you can use the ha_star command to restart it after
it has been fixed. For information about using this command, see ha_star in the Commands Reference,
Volume 2.
• Use the errpt command to generate a report of logged errors. For information about using this
command, see errpt in the Commands Reference, Volume 2.
Methods of turning processor deallocation on and off

Dynamic Processor Deallocation can be enabled or disabled by changing the value of the cpuguard
attribute of the ODM object sys0.
The possible values for the attribute are enable and disable.

The default is enabled (the attribute cpuguard has a value of enable). System administrators who
want to disable this feature must use either the system menus, the SMIT System Environments menu, or
the chdev command. (In previous AIX versions, the default was disabled.)
Note: If processor deallocation is turned off (disabled), the errors are still logged. The error log will
contain an error such as CPU_FAILURE_PREDICTED, indicating that AIX was notified of a problem with a
CPU.
Restarting an aborted processor deallocation

Sometimes the processor deallocation fails because an application did not move its bound threads away
from the last logical CPU.
Once this problem has been fixed, either by unbinding (when it is safe to do so) or by stopping the
application, the system administrator can restart the processor deallocation process using the ha_star
command.
The syntax for this command is:
ha_star -C
where -C is for a CPU predictive failure event.
Processor state considerations

There are several things you should consider about processor states.
Physical processors are represented in the ODM database by objects named procn where n is a decimal
number that represents the physical processor number. Like any other device represented in the ODM
database, processor objects have a state, such as Defined/Available, and attributes.
The state of a proc object is always Available as long as the corresponding processor is present,
regardless of whether it is usable. The state attribute of a proc object indicates if the processor is used
and, if not, the reason. This attribute can have three values:
Item Description
enable The processor is used.
disable The processor has been dynamically deallocated.
faulty The processor was declared defective by the firmware at startup time.
If an ailing processor is successfully deallocated, its state goes from enable to disable. Independently of
AIX, this processor is also flagged in the firmware as defective. Upon reboot, the deallocated processor
will not be available and will have its state set to faulty. The ODM proc object, however, is still marked
Available. You must physically remove the defective CPU from the system board or remove the CPU board
(if possible) for the proc object to change to Defined.
In the following example, processor proc4 is working correctly and is being used by the operating system,
as shown in the following output:
# lsattr -EH -l proc4

attribute value description user_settable
state enable Processor state False

type PowerPC_RS64-III Processor type False
#
When processor proc4 gets a predictive failure, it gets deallocated by the operating system, as shown in
the following:

state disable Processor state False

#

At the next system restart, processor proc4 is reported by firmware as defective, as shown in the
following:

state faulty Processor state False

#
But the status of processor proc4 remains Available, as shown in the following:
# lsdev -CH -l proc4

name status location description
proc4 Available 00-04 Processor

#
Deallocation error log entries

Three different error log messages are associated with CPU deallocation.
The following are examples.
errpt short format - summary
The following is an example of entries displayed by the errpt command (without options):
# errpt
IDENTIFIER TIMESTAMP T C RESOURCE_NAME DESCRIPTION
804E987A 1008161399 I O proc4 CPU DEALLOCATED
8470267F 1008161299 T S proc4 CPU DEALLOCATION ABORTED
1B963892 1008160299 P H proc4 CPU FAILURE PREDICTED
#
• If processor deallocation is enabled, a CPU FAILURE PREDICTED message is always followed by

either a CPU DEALLOCATED message or a CPU DEALLOCATION ABORTED message.
• If processor deallocation is not enabled, only the CPU FAILURE PREDICTED message is logged.
Enabling processor deallocation any time after one or more CPU FAILURE PREDICTED messages
have been logged initiates the deallocation process and results in a success or failure error log
entry, as described above, for each processor reported failing.
errpt long format - detailed description
The following is the form of output obtained with errpt -a:
• CPU_FAIL_PREDICTED
Error description: Predictive Processor Failure
This error indicates that the hardware detected that a processor has a high probability to fail in a
near future. It is always logged whether or not processor deallocation is enabled.
DETAIL DATA: Physical processor number, location
Example error log entry - long form
LABEL: CPU_FAIL_PREDICTED
IDENTIFIER: 1655419A
Date/Time: Thu Sep 30 13:42:11

Sequence Number: 53
Machine Id: 00002F0E4C00
Node Id: auntbea
Class: H
Type: PEND
Resource Name: proc25
Resource Class: processor
Resource Type: proc_rspc
Location: 00-25
Description
CPU FAILURE PREDICTED

Probable Causes
CPU FAILURE
Failure Causes
CPU FAILURE
Recommended Actions
ENSURE CPU GARD MODE IS ENABLED
RUN SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS.
Detail Data
PROBLEM DATA
0144 1000 0000 003A 8E00 9100 1842 1100 1999 0930 4019
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 4942 4D00 5531
2E31 2D50 312D 4332 0000
0002 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
... ... ... ... ...
• CPU_DEALLOC_SUCCESS
Error Description: A processor has been successfully deallocated after detection of a predictive
processor failure. This message is logged when processor deallocation is enabled, and when the
CPU has been successfully deallocated.
DETAIL DATA: Logical CPU number of deallocated processor.
Example: error log entry - long form:
LABEL: CPU_DEALLOC_SUCCESS
IDENTIFIER: 804E987A

Sequence Number: 63
Node Id: auntbea
Class: O
Type: INFO
Description
CPU DEALLOCATED
Recommended Actions
MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED BECAUSE OF CPU FAILURE
Detail Data
LOGICAL DEALLOCATED CPU NUMBER
In this example, proc24 was successfully deallocated and was logical CPU 0 when the failure
occurred.
• CPU_DEALLOC_FAIL
Error Description: A processor deallocation, due to a predictive processor failure, was not
successful. This message is logged when CPU deallocation is enabled, and when the CPU has not
been successfully deallocated.
DETAIL DATA: Reason code, logical CPU number, additional information depending of the type of
failure.
The reason code is a numeric hexadecimal value. The possible reason codes are:
Item Description
2 One or more processes/threads remain bound to the last logical CPU. In this case,
the detailed data give the PIDs of the offending processes.

Item Description
3 A registered driver or kernel extension returned an error when notified. In this
case, the detailed data field contains the name of the offending driver or kernel
extension (ASCII encoded).
4 Deallocating a processor causes the machine to have less than two available CPUs.
This operating system does not deallocate more than N-2 processors on an N-way
machine to avoid confusing applications or kernel extensions using the total
number of available processors to determine whether they are running on a Uni
Processor (UP) system where it is safe to skip the use of multiprocessor locks, or a
Symmetric Multi Processor (SMP).
200 (0xC8) Processor deallocation is disabled (the ODM attribute cpuguard has a value of
disable). You normally do not see this error unless you start ha_star manually.
Examples: error log entries - long format

Example 1:
LABEL: CPU_DEALLOC_ABORTED
IDENTIFIER: 8470267F
Sequence Number: 50
Node Id: auntbea
Class: S
Type: TEMP
Description
CPU DEALLOCATION ABORTED
Probable Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM
Failure Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM
Recommended Actions
SEE USER DOCUMENTATION FOR CPU GARD
Detail Data
DEALLOCATION ABORTED CAUSE
0000 0003
DEALLOCATION ABORTED DATA
6676 6861 6568 3200
In this example, the deallocation for proc26 failed. The reason code 3 means that a kernel
extension returned an error to the kernel notification routine. The DEALLOCATION ABORTED DATA
above spells fvhaeh2, which is the name the extension used when registering with the kernel.
Example 2:
Sequence Number: 71
Node Id: auntbea
Class: S
Type: TEMP
Description
Probable Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM
Failure Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM

Recommended Actions
MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED BECAUSE OF CPU FAILURE;
Detail Data
0000 0002
0000 0000 0000 4F4A
In this example, the deallocation for proc19 failed. The reason code 2 indicates thread(s) were
bound to the last logical processor and did not unbind after receiving the SIGCPUFAIL signal. The
DEALLOCATION ABORTED DATA shows that these threads belonged to process 0x4F4A.
Options of the ps command (-o THREAD, -o BND) allow you to list all threads or processes along
with the number of the CPU they are bound to, when applicable.
Example 3:

Sequence Number: 106
Node Id: auntbea
Class: S
Type: TEMP
Description
Probable Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM
Failure Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM
Recommended Actions
Detail Data
0000 0004
0000 0000 0000 0000
In this example, the deallocation of proc2 failed because there were two or fewer active processors
at the time of failure (reason code 4).
System environment variable setup

The system environment is primarily the set of variables that define or control certain aspects of process
execution.
They are set or reset each time a shell is started. From the system-management point of view, it is
important to ensure the user is set up with the correct values at login. Most of these variables are set
during system initialization. Their definitions are read from the /etc/profile file or set by default.
Testing the system battery

If your system is losing track of time, the cause might be a depleted or disconnected battery.
1. To determine the status of your system battery, type the following diag command:
diag -B -c
2. When the Diagnostics main menu appears, select the Problem Determination option.
If the battery is disconnected or depleted, a problem menu will be displayed with a service request
number (SRN). Record the SRN on Item 4 of the Problem Summary Form and report the problem to
your hardware service organization.

If your system battery is operational, your system time might have been reset incorrectly because either
the date or setclock command was run incorrectly or unsuccessfully.
Related concepts
Setting up the system clock
The system clock records the time of system events, allows you to schedule system events (such as
running hardware diagnostics at 3:00 a.m.), and tells when you first created or last saved files.
Setting up the system clock

The system clock records the time of system events, allows you to schedule system events (such as
running hardware diagnostics at 3:00 a.m.), and tells when you first created or last saved files.
Use the date command to set your system clock. Use the setclock command to set the time and date
by contacting a time server.
Related tasks
Testing the system battery
If your system is losing track of time, the cause might be a depleted or disconnected battery.
date command
The date command displays or sets the date and time.
Enter the following command to determine what your system recognizes as the current date and time:
/usr/bin/date
Attention: Do not change the date when the system is running with more than one user.
The following formats can be used when setting the date with the Date parameter:
• mmddHHMM[YYyy] (default)
• mmddHHMM[yy]
The variables to the Date parameter are defined as follows:
Ite Description
m
mm Specifies the number of the month.
dd Specifies the number of the day in the month.
HH Specifies the hour in the day (using a 24-hour clock).
MM Specifies the minute number.
YY Specifies the first two digits of a four-digit year.
yy Specifies the last two numbers of the year.
With root authority, you can use the date command to set the current date and time. For example:
date 021714252002
Sets the date to Feb. 17, 2002, and time to 14:25. For more information about the date command, see
its description in Commands Reference, Volume 2.
setclock command
The setclock command displays or sets the time and date by requesting the current time from a time
server on a network.
To display your system's date and time, enter:
/usr/sbin/setclock

The setclock command takes the first response from the time server, converts the calendar clock
reading found there, and shows the local date and time. If no time server responds, or if the network is
not operational, the setclock command displays a message to that effect and leaves the date and time
settings unchanged.
Note: Any host running the inetd daemon can act as a time server.
With root authority, you can use the setclock command to send an Internet TIME service request to a
time server host and sets the local date and time accordingly. For example:
setclock TimeHost
Where TimeHost is the host name or IP address of the time server.

Related information
setclock command
Olson time zone support and setup

Beginning with AIX 6.1, support for time zone values consistent with the Olson database are provided.
The POSIX time zone specification supported in previous AIX releases, does not adequately handle
changes to time zone rules such as daylight saving time. The Olson database maintains a historical record
of time zone rules, so that if the rules change in a specific location, AIX interprets dates and time correctly
both in the present and in the past.
Time zone definitions conforming to the POSIX specification are still supported and recognized by AIX.
AIX checks the TZ environment variable to determine if the environment variable matches an Olson time
zone value. If the TZ environment variable does not match an Olson time zone value, AIX then follows the
POSIX specification rules.
For more details about the TZ environment variable, refer to Environment file.
To set the time zone using Olson defined values, use the following SMIT path: System Environments >
Change / Show Date, Time and Time Zone > Change Time Zone Using System Defined Values.
Message of the day setup

The message of the day is displayed every time a user logs in to the system.
It is a convenient way to communicate information to all users, such as installed software version
numbers or current system news. To change the message of the day, use your favorite editor to edit
the /etc/motd file.
AIX usage metric data (SLM tags) for IBM License Metric Tool
The Software License Metric (SLM) tags generated by the AIX operating system serve as a usage metric
data that is used by the IBM License Metric Tool. The usage metric data records the virtual CPU
(vCPU) information that represents the number of virtual CPUs that are online in the system.
To use the IBM License Metric Tool, you must install the slm.rte fileset that is available in the AIX
operating system expansion pack and the fileset can also be downloaded from the website.
The IBM License Metric Tool generates a vcpu.slmtag Software License Metric Tag (SLMTAG) file that
expands dynamically. The vcpu.slmtag file is located in the /var/opt/slm directory. This file is used
by the BigFix® Agent (BESClient) to incorporate the IBM License Metric Tool Agent software and to send
the file to the IBM License Metric Tool server.
The IBM License Metric Tool can be used with the BigFix Agent (BESClient) that is installed and
configured in the system. The BigFix Agent must be separately obtained from IBM License Metric Tool
server and installed in the client. If the BigFix agent is not installed in the system, the SLMTAG file is
created, but data is not sent to the IBM License Metric Tool server.
You can configure the IBM License Metric Tool with the environment variables that are defined in
the /etc/environment file. At the time of installation, these variables are set to default values. The
following configurable variables can be configured.

Variable Details
SLM_VCPU_PERIOD_HOURS Time period that is specified in hours, for adding a
new metric entry. The default value is 720 hours
(30 days). This value must be a multiple of 4. If you
specify a value that is not a multiple of 4, the next
multiple of 4 is considered by the IBM License
Metric Tool. The minimum value is 4 hours.
SLM_VCPU_MAX_FSIZE Maximum file size that is specified in bytes is the
maximum size (in bytes) for the record file. If the
file size exceeds this limit, the file is archived. The
default value is 2097152 bytes (2 MB). The
minimum value is 10 KB. If you specify a lower
value, the IBM License Metric Tool considers it as
10 KB.
SLM_VCPU_COUNT_ARCH Number of archives retained by the tool. The
default value is 4. The minimum value is 1. If you
specify a lower value, the IBM License Metric Tool
considers it as 1.
The usage metric data is displayed in the Resource Utilization page of the IBM License Metric Tool Server
GUI. The usage metric data is displayed next to the host name as the VCPUmetric type and the COUNT
subtype.
Related information
IBM License Metric Tool 9.2.0
AIX Runtime Expert

AIX Runtime Expert provides a simplified set of actions that can be used against a single consolidation for
collecting, applying, and verifying the runtime environment for one or more AIX instances.
There are tools provided by AIX components, such as Reliability Availability Serviceability (RAS), Security,
or Kernel, which allow you to change settings within each component layer in order to tune the operating
system to a particular need or requirement. AIX Runtime Expert enables system-wide configuration by
using an extendable framework to handle the many different configuration methods that currently exist in
AIX.
AIX Runtime Expert executes multiple-component configuration commands as a single action using a
configuration profile. You can use this profile to apply identical system settings across multiple systems.
AIX Runtime Expert provides a simplified alternative for managing the runtime configuration of one or
more systems, but it does not prevent the use of other methods to change system settings.
AIX Runtime Expert concepts

You must have basic knowledge of AIX Runtime Expert before you start using it.
AIX Runtime Expert base capabilities support configuration profile management and application for a
single AIX system. To enable multiple system scalable consumption for a single profile, an LDAP based
profile description can be discovered and consumed by AIX systems as they start or as the system is
directed by administrative operations at the target AIX endpoints. Remote management for AIX Runtime
Expert can only be done with the Network Install Manager (NIM) component. Using existing NIM
functions, you can run AIX Runtime Expert remotely on several stand-alone NIM clients from a NIM
master machine.

AIX Runtime Expert profiles
AIX Runtime Expert profiles are used to set values on a running system, extract values for a running
system, and compare values against a running system or against another profile.
A profile describes one or more runtime configuration controls and their settings for the targeted
functional area. A profile can represent a full set of controls or a subset of controls and their values.
Configuration profiles are standard XML files. Using AIX Runtime Expert you can manage profiles and
apply them on the defined system.
A profile can contain configuration parameters and tuning parameters without any values, like sample
profiles. The purpose of a profile without any parameters is to extract the current systems values from the
specified profile. Profiles containing at least one parameter without any values have the following
limitations:
• Using the artexset command fails with an error.
• Using the artexdiff command returns a warning message for each parameter that has no value.
The value of a parameter in a profile can contain the following:
• No value
• A blob value, which is a base64 encoded binary data as an in-line text file. The blob value is used to
replace existing files, like /etc/motd or /etc/hosts.
• A non-blob value, which is a value assigned to system configuration parameters, like an integer or
string.
In the /etc/security/artex/samples directory you can view existing sample profiles. The sample
profiles only contain parameter names that are supported by the default settings installed with AIX
Runtime Expert. The parameters in the sample profiles do not have any values. Sample profiles are read
only files. Use the sample profiles as a template to create new configuration profiles. You cannot apply
existing samples to a running system.
The following examples are some of the base configuration commands that can be controlled through
configuration profiles:
• Network configuration
– no
– mktcpip
• Kernel configuration
– ioo
– schedo
• RAS configuration
– alog
• Security configuration
– setsecattr
Example
The following example displays a configuration profile for different catalogs and sub-catalogs with
assigned values for different parameters. You could edit this profile with any XML editor or use the vi
command and change the existing values for the defined parameters.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<Profile origin="get" version="1.0" date="2009-04-25T15:33:37Z">
<Catalog id="vmoParam">
<Parameter name="kernel_heap_psize" value="0" applyType="nextboot" reboot="true" />
<Parameter name="maxfree" value="1088" />
</Catalog>
<Catalog id="noParam">
<SubCat id="tcp_network">
<Parameter name="tcp_recvspace" value="16384" />

<Parameter name="tcp_sendspace" value="16384" />
</SubCat>
<SubCat id="general_network">
<Parameter name="use_sndbufpool" value="1" applyType="nextboot" reboot="true" />
</SubCat>
</Catalog>
<Catalog id="lvmoParam">
<Parameter name="max_vg_pbuf_count" value="0">
<Target class="vg" instance="rootvg" />
</Parameter>
<Parameter name="pv_pbuf_count" value="512">
<Target class="vg" instance="rootvg" />
</Parameter>
</Catalog>
Related tasks
Modifying AIX Runtime Expert profiles
AIX Runtime Expert profiles are XML files and can be modified with any XML editor or any text editor.
Creating AIX Runtime Expert profiles
Use existing samples in the /etc/security/artex/samples directory to create a new profile with the
artexget command. The sample profiles are a template for you to create a profile that you can modify
and save into a custom file.
Getting AIX Runtime Expert profile values
Use the artexget command to find information about a profile.
Applying AIX Runtime Expert profiles
To set a system with the configuration and tunable parameters from a profile, apply a profile using the
artexset command.
AIX Runtime Expert catalogs

Catalogs are the mechanism that defines and specifies configuration controls that can be operated on by
AIX Runtime Expert.
Catalogs are provided for the controls that are currently supported by the AIX Runtime Expert. Catalogs
are definition files that map configuration profile values to parameters that run commands and
configuration actions.
AIX Runtime Expert provides you with existing read-only catalogs, located in the /etc/security/
artex/catalogs directory, that identify values that can be modified. Do not modify these catalogs.
Each catalog contains parameters for one component. However, some catalogs can contain parameters
from more than one closely related components. The names of the catalogs describe the components
that are contained in the catalog. The <description> XML element in each catalog provides a
description of the catalog.
AIX Runtime Expert and LDAP

AIX Runtime Expert can retrieve profiles from the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server.
The AIX Runtime Expert profiles must be stored as ibm-artexProfile objects and have the following
mandatory attributes:
• Ibm-artexProfileName. The AIX Runtime Expert profile name.
• Ibm-artexProfileXMLData. The XML content of the AIX Runtime Expert profile that is stored as an
octetString.
The AIX Runtime Expert schema must be installed on the LDAP server before storing any AIX Runtime
Expert profiles. Setting up an LDAP server for AIX Runtime Expert is similar to setting up an LDAP server
for user authentication. For more information about setting up LDAP, see Setting up an ITDS security
information server.
Setting up an LDAP client for AIX Runtime Expert is similar to setting up an LDAP client for user
authentication. For more information, view the Setting up an LDAP client topic. To set up an LDAP client,
use the mksecldap -c command to correctly configure the secldapclntd daemon. AIX Runtime Expert
relies on the secldapclntd daemon to access the LDAP server. By default, AIX Runtime Expert looks for

profile entries under the identifier DN: ou=artex,cn=AIXDATA. You can customize this DN by updating
the artexbasedn key in the /etc/security/ldap/ldap.cfg secldapclntd configuration file.
Uploading an AIX Runtime Expert profile

To upload an AIX Runtime Expert profile, you can either create an LDAP data interchange formatted
(LDIF) file and use the ldapadd command or use an LDAP administration tool such as Tivoli® Directory
Server Web Administration Tool.
The following is an example of a profile that is saved in LDIF:
dn: ou=artex,cn=AIXDATA
objectClass: organizationalUnit
objectClass: top
ou: artex
dn: ibm-artexProfileName=alogProfile.xml,ou=artex,cn=AIXDATA
objectClass: ibm-artexProfile
objectClass: top
ibm-artexProfileName: alogProfile.xml
ibm-artexProfileXMLData:< file:///etc/security/artex/samples/alogProfile.xml
The following is an example of uploading a profile using the ldapadd command and a sample LDIF file
named sample.ldif:
ldapadd -c -h <ldaphost> -D cn=admin -w <password> -f sample.ldif
Related tasks
Related information
IBM Security Directory Server
AIX Runtime Expert and RBAC

Role Based Access Control (RBAC) can be used to give non root users the ability to execute the AIX
Runtime Expert commands.
AIX Runtime Expert authorizations

On installing the artex.base.rte fileset three system authorizations get created that allow different levels
of access to the AIX Runtime Expert functionality:
• The aix.system.config.artex.read authorization allows the execution of the artexlist and
artexmerge commands. The artexget and artexdiff commands are also allowed, but only to
obtain the profile values. The values cannot be captured from the system (that is the artexget
command cannot be run with the –r, –n or –p flags, and artexdiff command can only be run between
two profiles).
• The aix.system.config.artex.get authorization allows all operations allowed by the
artex.system.config.read authorization, and additionally allows the unrestricted execution of the
artexget and artexdiff command.
• The aix.system.config.artex.set authorization allows all operations allowed by the
artex.system.config.get authorization and additionally allows the execution of the artexset
command.
AIX Runtime Expert roles

AIX Runtime Expert does not create any new role however the artex.base.rte filesets add the
aix.system.config.artex authorization to the SysConfig role. Any user with SysConfig role or any

enclosing role (such as the isso role) will be able to run the artexlist, artexmerge, artexdiff,
artexget and artexset commands.
Restrictions
For security reasons, the use of the ARTEX_CATALOG_PATH environment variable is restricted to the
root user. Non root users who are granted the right to execute the AIX Runtime Expert commands through
the RBAC cannot use the ARTEX_CATALOG_PATH environment variable.
Administering AIX Runtime Expert

AIX Runtime Expert uses a few simple commands to create profiles, modify profiles, combine profiles,
and apply profiles.
Configuring AIX Runtime Expert

AIX Runtime Expert uses the configuration file /etc/security/artex/config/artex.conf.
An entry in the configuration file consists of the name of a configuration option, followed by one or more
spaces and a value. Blank lines and lines starting with a # sign are ignored.
The following options are supported:
Table 1. Configuration Options

Options Description
ARTEX_CATALOG_PATH Colon-separated list of directories searched for
catalog files. This option is overridden by the
ARTEX_CATALOG_PATH environment variable.
Default path is /etc/security/artex/
catalogs.
ARTEX_PROFILE_PATH Colon-separated list of directories searched for
profile files by the artexlist command if no
directory is specified. This option is overridden by
the ARTEX_PROFILE_PATH environment variable.
Default path is /etc/security/artex/
samples.
DEBUG_LOG_CATEGORY Debug category for the log file. This option can be
repeated to select multiple debug categories.
DEBUG_LOG_LEVEL Debug level for the log file between 0 (no debug
traces) and 3 (most verbose).
MAX_CMDS Maximum number of external commands executed
concurrently. External commands executed by AIX
Runtime Expert are queued so that no more than
MAX_CMDS external commands are executed
simultaneously at any given time. Default is 10.

To create a profile with all of the parameters supported by AIX Runtime Expert, complete the following
steps:
1. Configure and tune your system to have the desired settings for a new profile.
2. Go to the samples directory: /etc/security/artex/samples
3. Run the following command to create a new profile named custom_all.xml:

artexget -p all.xml > /directory_for_new_profile/custom_all.xml
Note: The custom_all.xml profile can be used to configure other systems that have a similar
current system configuration.
To create a profile for a specific component, such as network options, complete the following steps:
1. Configure and tune your system to have the desired settings for a new profile.
2. Go to the samples directory: /etc/security/artex/samples.
3. Create a new profile named custom_no.xml from the existing sample profile, noProfile.xml, by
running the following command:
artexget -p noProfile.xml > /directory_for_new_profile/custom_no.xml
The newly created profiles can be customized by changing or removing the values of the parameters using
an XML editor or any text editor.
The custom profiles can be uploaded to LDAP server to use from multiple AIX systems. To upload the
profiles to LDAP server, use the tools provided by LDAP.
Related concepts
AIX Runtime Expert and LDAP
AIX Runtime Expert can retrieve profiles from the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server.
Related tasks
artexset command.
Related information
artexget command

User-created profiles using artexget command can be customized by changing the values of the
parameters or by removing some of the parameters that are not required to modify or monitor the profile.
To modify AIX Runtime Expertprofiles, complete the following steps:
1. From the directory where custom_all.xml is located, run the following commands to save a copy of
the profile:
cp custom_all.xml custom_all_backup.xml
2. From the directory where custom_all.xml is located, run the following command to edit the profile:
vi custom_all.xml
Note: You can use any XML editor or text editor.

3. Modify the values of the parameters or remove the parameters that are not required to change or
monitor the profile.
4. Run the following command to verify that the profile changes have been saved correctly by comparing
them against the current system settings:
artexdiff -c -r custom_all.xml custom_all_backup.xml

The artexdiff command displays the parameters that were modified by the editor. The
<FirstValue> displays the value of the profile, and the <SecondValue> displays the value of the
current system.
Related concepts
Related tasks
artexset command.
Related information
artexdiff command
Combining AIX Runtime Expert profiles

A profile can represent a full set of controls or any subset of controls. Another useful way to modify
profiles is to combine profiles that represent a subset of controls using the artxmerge command.
You can use the artexmerge command to combine one or more profiles into a single profile.
To combine profiles complete, the following steps:
1. From the directory where the profiles are stored run the following command:
artexmerge profile_name1.xml profile_name2.xml > new_profile_name.xml
2. Run the following command to view the profile and verify that it is a valid profile:
artexget new_profile_name.xml
Note: If the profiles you are combining have duplicate parameters, the process of combining the
profiles will fail. Alternatively, if you use the -f flag, then the parameter values from the latest profile
are used.
Related information
artexmerge command
Finding AIX Runtime Expert profiles

Use the artexlist command to find profiles in a given path and from an LDAP server.
To find profiles, complete the following steps:
1. If the profile is on the local system, run the following command:
artexlist
2. If the profile is located on an LDAP server, run the following command:
artexlist -l
By default, the command lists the profiles in the /etc/security/artex/samples directory. To

override the default path with an environment variable, set the ARTEX_PROFILE_PATH to one or more
semicolon delimited paths, or a path that can be passed as an argument.
Related information
artexlist command

Using a profile, you can display the values from the profile or from the system in different formats (XML,
CSV, or text) with different filters, such as parameters that need a reboot to take effect and parameters
that need some services to be stopped and restarted.
Getting values from the system is useful in the following situations:
To take a snapshot of a system
When a system is configured correctly, you can save the configuration of the system by taking a
snapshot. You can use this snapshot at a later date, if any of the parameters are changed and you do
not remember which parameters were changed. The snapshot profile can be used to bring the system
back to the desired configuration.
To clone the configuration of a system for use on other systems
After a system is configured and tuned in an environment, you can extract the system settings into an
AIX Runtime Expert profile and apply the profile on other systems.
To debug a problem
When a problem is found on a production system, you can use a profile to set up the same system
settings on a test system and than debug the problems on the test system.
To get information about a profile, complete the following steps:
1. Go to the directory where the profile you want to get information about is located.
2. To get information about the profile run the following command:
artexget name_of_profile.xml
Limitation: When a system has many users defined, the AIX Runtime Expert commands artexget,
artexset, and artexdiff applied to profiles such as, chuserProfile.xml, coreProfile.xml, or all.xml
profiles, requires more time to complete than usual.
Related concepts
Related tasks
Related information
artexget command

artexset command.
To apply a user-created profile, complete the following steps:
1. Go to the directory where the profile you want to apply is stored.
2. To apply the profile to the system, run the following command:
artexset -c name_of_profile.xml
3. Optional: If you want to apply a profile every time the system restarts to maintain a consistent
configuration, run the following command:

artexset -b name_of_profile.xml
Note: The restricted parameters are supported as read-only parameters. Therefore, the values of
these parameters can be retrieved with theartexget command, but cannot be set with the
artexset command.
Related concepts
Related tasks
Related information
artexset command
Rolling back AIX Runtime Expert profiles

Use the artexset –u command to reset the configuration settings to the previous configuration setting
of a system. You can apply the system settings that were being used before the profile was applied.
You cannot use the rollback command if you have not changed the system settings during your current
session.
Rolling back is not considered a re-imaging of an operating system. When you use the rollback
command, you are not deleting or creating resources, you are not deleting or creating resources but
instead reverting the runtime configuration values to the system's previous settings. With the rollback
command you cannot roll back to settings from a particular time or date. You can only roll back to the
systems previous settings before you made a change.
The rollback command can be used in the following cases:
• Testing configuration changes to a system. If the new configuration works poorly, you can quickly revert
to a previously trusted configuration.
• Debugging a system. If a system starts running poorly, a roll back could confirm if configuration changes
have played a part in a newly detected problem.
• Implementing a new profile in order to satisfy some special exception situation. For example, a
specified action only occurs once a month on the system, and after it has been applied to your system
you want to restore the system to its previous configuration.
To roll back to the previous system settings, complete the following steps:
1. To roll back a profile, run the following command:
artexset -u
2. To verify that the roll back completed correctly, run the following command to compare system
settings:
artexdiff -f txt -r -profile_name.xml
Note: The profile_name.xml is the name of the latest applied profile to the system.
The differences between the system and the profile are displayed.
Related information
artexget command

artexlist command
Comparing AIX Runtime Expert profiles

Use the artexdiff command to compare two profiles or a profile values with system values.
To compare the profiles for two different systems complete the following steps:
1. Run the following command from system 1:
artexget -p all.xml > all_system1.xml
2. Run the following command from system 2:
artexget -p all.xml > all_system2.xml
To verify any configuration parameters are changed on a system after a period of time, for example, if you
go on vacation and want to verify any changes while you were gone, run the following commands:.
• After you return from vacation, run the following command:
$ artexget -p all.xml > all_before_vacation.xml
• To view any configuration changes that occurred during your vacation, run the following command:
$ artexdiff -c -p all_before_vacation.xml
Related information
artexget command
artexlist command
Writing AIX Runtime Expert profiles

You can expand the scope of AIX Runtime Expert by adding catalogs and profiles that the program can
use. You must be familiar with AIX Runtime Expert concepts before attempting to write new catalogs.
The smallest piece of information handled by AIX Runtime Expert is a parameter. Parameters can be
tunable, configuration files, environment variables, properties of objects such as users, devices or
subsystems (such objects are called targets in the AIX Runtime Expert context).
Parameters are aggregated into profiles according to the domain of activity (such as user, tcpi). Profiles
are the intended means of interaction between the users and the AIX Runtime Expert framework. Profiles
are input to the artexget command that retrieve the parameter value on the system and return a profile.
Profiles (including values) are input to the artexset command that set the parameters to the value read
into the profile.
Concepts in writing AIX Runtime Expert profile

AIX Runtime Expert profiles are XML files that contain a list of configuration parameters and optionally
the parameter values and the usage flags.
Profiles can be located on the system being tuned when using the AIX Runtime Expert commands directly
on the command line.
Profile locations
AIX Runtime Expert sample profiles are located in the directory /etc/security/artex/samples.
When you are writing a new catalog for the AIX Runtime Expert to support, it is recommended that you
also write a sample profile that can be used as an entry for the artexget command. A sample profile is a
read-only profile with no values assigned to the parameters. Existing sample profiles are located in
the /etc/security/artex/samples directory. By default, the artexlist command lists only the
profiles located in the default directory, but the default directory can be modified by setting the
ARTEX_PROFILE_PATH environment variable. Multiple directories can be specified in this environment
variable by using the : separator.
All profiles from the samples directory are merged during the installation of the artex.base.samples
fileset, to form the default.xml profile that is used by the snap command. A profile that should not be

part of the default.xml profile should not be delivered in the samples directory. Example of profiles that
should not be included in the default.xml profile are the profiles that have the potential to include
thousands of parameters (for example if it uses users as a target class) and profiles that should be run
only on specific systems (for instance the vios attributes profile).
Profile naming
AIX Runtime Expert profiles are named based on the commands.
Profiles are usually built around a single command or a set of commands. Profiles may include several
catalogs if the catalogs are closely related. The convention is to name the files based on a command say,
commandProfile.xml for the sample profile and commandParam.xml for the catalog, but this is not
mandatory. Only the.xml file extension is required.
Profile process
Discusses the process to write a new AIX Runtime Expert profile.
The following steps are required to be performed when writing a new AIX Runtime Expert profile:
1. Make a list of the parameters you want in the profile.
2. Create an <Parameter name=“...”> element for each of the parameters, setting the name attribute to
the name used in the catalog file <ParameterDef> element.
3. Group all parameters defined in a same catalog file inside the same <Catalog id=“...”> element,
setting the id attribute to the same id used in the catalog file <Catalog> element.
4. For each <Parameter> element, do the following:
a. If the parameter is defined with the reboot=true in the catalog file, add the reboot=true and
applyType=nextboot attributes.
b. If the parameter must be only captured and not set, add the readOnly=true attribute.
c. If the parameter is defined with a non-empty targetClass attribute in the catalog file, do the
following:
1) If target discovery is desired for this parameter, then define a single <Parameter> element for
this parameter and use the special <Target class=“” instance=“” > target for this element.
2) If specific targets need to be defined for this parameter, then define one <Parameter> element
for each target. Under each <Parameter> element, define the appropriate <Target class=“...”
instance=“...” /> elements to specify the target completely.
5. Test the profile by running the artexget –r command.
AIX Runtime Expert profile elements
<Profile> element
The <Profile> element is the root element for all profile files.
Syntax
The following attributes are supported:
Table 2. Attributes
Attribute Required Type Description
origin no string Origin of the profile.
date no dateTime Date of creation or last
modification of the
profile. Format is YYYY-
MM-DDThh:mm:ss.

Table 2. Attributes (continued)
readOnly no boolean Tells whether this profile
can be used in a set
operation. Default value
isfalse.
version no string Version number of the
profile.
The following child elements are supported:
Table 3. Child Elements

Child element Required Number Description
<ShortDescription> no 0-1 Short textual description
of the catalog.
<Description> no 0–1 Long textual description
of the catalog.
<Comments> no 0–1 User-provided
comments.
<Catalog> no 0 – any Catalog required to
handle the operations
on a profile.
Attributes
The origin attribute
The origin attribute is an informational attribute that can be assigned the following values:
• When creating a sample profile, the origin attribute must be set to reference.
• When a profile is created by using the artexget command, the origin attribute is automatically set to
get.
Child elements
The <Comments> element is an optional string reserved for other purposes. This element must not be
used when a profile is created manually, and it not used by the base AIX Runtime Expert commands.
Examples
1. An empty sample profile would look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<Profile origin="reference" version="2.0.0" readOnly="true">
</Profile>
2. The artexget -r /etc/security/artex/samples/smtctmProfile.xml command outputs a

profile similar to following example:

<Profile origin="get" version="2.0.1" date="2010-09-29T07:50:56Z">
<Catalog id="smtctlParam" version="2.0">
<Parameter name="enableSMT" value="1"/>
</Catalog>
</Profile>

Related information
The <Catalog> element
The <Description> and <ShortDescription> element.
<Description> and <ShortDescription> elements

The <Description> and the <ShortDescription> elements can be used to provide a textual description for
profiles and parameters.
Syntax
The parent element of the <ShortDescription> element is:
• <Profile> element
The parent element of the <Description> element can be:
• <Profile> element
• <Parameter> element
Both the <Description> and <ShortDescription> elements have the same format. The text contained by
the <Description> element is the string content of the XML tag.
Usage
Descriptions in profile files are not currently used by the AIX Runtime Expert framework. AIX Runtime
Expert commands ignore any comments included in the input profile.
Examples
Following is an example of the <Description> and <ShortDescription> elements:
<ShortDescription>
Short summary of field contents.
</ShortDescription>
<Description>
This text field can be used to display in full detail the use of the parent element.
</Description>
Related information
The <Profile> element.
The <Parameter> element.
<Catalog> element
The <Catalog> element indicates the name of the catalog file that contains the definitions for the child
<Parameter> elements.
Syntax
Parent element: <Profile>
Table 4. Attributes
id yes string Specifies the catalog id.
This name should be
unique on the system.

version no string Specifies the version of
the catalog used to build
this profile.
Table 5. Child elements

<Parameter> no 0 – any Parameter included in
the catalog.
<SubCat> no 0 – any Subcategory included in
the catalog.
<Seed> no 0 – any Seed included in the
catalog.
Attributes
id attribute
The id attribute must be set to the name of the catalog that defines the parameters listed under the
<Catalog> element. The id attribute is the base name of the catalog file on the disk, with the .xml
extension removed. For example, a profile will use the <Catalog id=“commandParam”> element to
reference the commandParam.xml catalog file.
By default, the catalog files are searched under the/etc/security/artex/catalogs directory.
However it is possible, for the root user only, to search other directories by setting the
ARTEX_CATALOG_PATH environment variable. Multiple directories can be specified in this
environment variable using the : separator.
version attribute
The version attribute is written as MM.mm where MM is the major number and mm is the minor
number.
The version attribute must match the version of the referenced catalog file (see The <Catalog>
element in the section Writing AIX Runtime Expert catalogs). If an AIX Runtime Expert command is
run on a profile that references a catalog with the incorrect version, the following warning message is
displayed:
0590-218 Catalog version differs from the one referenced in profile

Local catalog version is '2.1'. Version used to build profile was '2.0'
Usage
The <Catalog> element identifies the catalog file that contains the definition of the listed seeds and
parameters. All seeds and parameter elements in a profile must be located in the appropriate <Catalog>
element.
A profile may reference several catalogs. For example, the default.xml profile is built during the
installation of the artex.base.sample fileset by merging a select set of other sample profiles.

Examples
The security attributes profile secattrProfile.xml uses three catalogs, each catalog handling, one of
the security tables:
<Profile origin="reference" readOnly="true" version="2.0.0">

<Catalog id="privcmdParam" version="2.0"
<Parameter name="privatecommands" />
</Catalog>
<Catalog id="privdevParam" version="2.0">
<Parameter name="privatedevices"/>
</Catalog>
<Catalog id="privfileParam" version="2.0">
<Parameter name="privatefiles" />
</Catalog>
</Profile>
Related information
The <Catalog> element (in catalog files).
<SubCat> element
The <SubCat> element provides a means to create logical subcategories under a <Catalog> element.
Syntax
Parent element: <Catalog>, <SubCat>
Table 6. Attributes
id yes string Specifies the
subcategory name. This
name should be unique
within a same
<Catalog> element.
The following child elements are supported

<Parameter> no 0 – any Contains a parameter
name.
<SubCat> no 0 – any Nested subcategory
Attributes
The id attribute uniquely identifies a subcategory within a catalog. A profile may include several
subcategories with the same id, provided that these are not used under the same <Catalog> element.
Child elements
A <SubCat> element may have another <SubCat> as a child element. There is no limit to the number of
nested subcategories you can define.
Usage
Subcategories are only included for readability. They do not affect the way parameters are handled.

Examples
The noProfile.xml profile includes several subcategories. Following is an example:

<Catalog id="noParam" version="2.0">
<SubCat id="general_network"
<Parameter name="fasttimo"/>
<Parameter name="nbc_limit"/>
</SubCat>
<SubCat id="tcp_network">
<Parameter name="clean_partial_conns"/>
<Parameter name="delayack"/>
</SubCat>
<SubCat id="restricted">
<Parameter name="extendednetstats" readOnly="true"/>
<Parameter name="inet_stack_size" readOnly="true"/>
</SubCat>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
Related information
The <Parameter> element.
<Parameter> element
The <Parameter> element defines a configuration parameter.
Syntax
Table 8. Attributes
name yes string Specifies the name of
the parameter. This
name must be unique
within a catalog.
value no string Value of the parameter,
if it is defined.
applyType no string Specifies whether the
runtime or next boot
value of the parameter
must be retrieved or set
if no flag is specified.
Default value is
runtime.
reboot no boolean When true, indicates
that a reboot is required
before a value change is
effective. Default value
is false.
readOnly no boolean Specifies whether the
value of the parameter
cannot be set. Default:
value is false.

disruptive no boolean Specifies whether the
method used to set the
parameter implies
disruptive constraints.
Default value is false.
setDiscover no boolean Specifies whether the
set method must be set
to the value for all
discovered instances of
a target class. Default
value is false.
The following child elements are supported

<Value> no 0-1 Value of the parameter.
<Target> no 0 - any Target to which the
parameter applies.
<Description> no 0-1 Description of the
parameter.
<Property> no 0 - any Property of the
parameter.
Attributes
Table 10. Attributes

Attribute Description
name The name of the parameter is the only required
attribute of the <Parameter> element. Along with
the catalog name specified in the parent
<Catalog> element, the parameter name uniquely
identifies a parameter definition in the catalog file.
value The value of the parameter can be specified either

as an attribute or as a child element.

applyType The applyType attribute can take the values
runtime (the default value) or nextboot. This
attribute determines the command that is used to
handle the parameter.
For set operations, applyType=runtime indicates
that the <Set type=“permanent”> command from
the catalog file should be used to set the
parameter. The applyType=nextboot indicates
that the <Set type=“nextboot”> command should
be used instead.
For get operations, when the –p flag is used,
applyType=runtime indicates that the <Get
type=“current”> command from the catalog file
must be used to obtain the parameter. The
<applyType>=nextboot indicates that the <Get
type=“nextboot”> command should be used
instead.
The applyType attribute must be set to nextboot
if the reboot attribute is set to true.
reboot This attribute has a default value of false. When set

to true, it means that the system must be rebooted
before any change to the parameter is effective.
This attribute must match the reboot attribute
defined in the corresponding <ParameterDef>
element of the catalog file.
When this attribute is set to true, the applyType
attribute must be set to nextboot.
When you set a parameter that has the reboot
attribute set, a warning is displayed to the user,
stating that a reboot operation is needed:
0590-206 A manual post-operation is

required for the changes to take effect
Please reboot the system
Only set the reboot attribute to true when a change

to the parameter value will not be effective until
after the next reboot.

readOnly This attribute indicates that the value of the
parameter can be read by the artexget
command, but that it will not be set using the
artexset command, nor taken into account in a
comparison operation with live values by using the
artexdiff commands. The default value is false.
A few situations that can warrant setting the
readOnly attribute to true follow:
• The parameter is static and its value cannot be
modified (e.g. the memory_frames parameter in
the vmo command).
• Access to the parameter is restricted and it is not
recommended for the user to modify it in
automatic procedures. In this case, the set
configuration methods should be defined for this
parameter in the catalog file, but a system
administrator must remove manually the
readOnly attribute from the profile to be able to
set the parameter.
setDiscover The setDiscover attribute, when set to true

indicates that, when the artexset command is
called with the –d flag, the discover command
must be called to discover all instances of the
target, and set all to the value stored in the profile.
The setDiscover default value is false. A value of
true only makes sense if the parameter has target
classes defined in the catalog file.
Do not specify this attribute when creating a
sample profile. Advanced users must add this
attribute manually when deemed necessary.
Other attributes
The type and disruptive attributes are informative attributes that are automatically set by the artextget
command when it is called with the -i flag. Do not include these attributes when you are creating a
sample profile.
Examples
1. The following example is an excerpt from the vmoProfile.xml sample catalog, showcasing the use
of various optional attributes:

<Catalog id="vmoParam" version="2.1">
<Parameter name="nokilluid"/>
<Parameter name="memory_frames" readOnly="true"/>
<Parameter name="kernel_heap_psize" reboot="true" applyType="nextboot"/>
</Catalog>
</Profile>

2. If you run the artexget –r command on the profile from example 1 the following profile is
displayed:

<Parameter name="nokilluid" value="0"/>
<Parameter name="memory_frames" value="393216" readOnly="true"/>
<Parameter name="kernel_heap_psize" value="4096" applyType="nextboot" reboot="true"/>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
Related information
The Parameter values topic.
The <ParameterDef> element.
Parameter values
The value of a parameter can be set in a profile either as an attribute if they are short enough, or as a child
element of the <Parameter> element.
Use
When writing a sample profile, no value must be assigned to the parameters. The value of a parameter, if
it exists, is automatically included in the profile obtained by running an artexget command.
The runtime and nextboot values

The concept of runtime and nextboot values is an important part of the AIX Runtime Expert
framework.
The runtime value of the parameter is its current value retrieved on the system at the time the artexget
command is run. The nextboot value is the value the parameter will have after the next reboot of the
system.
For example, the parameter type_of_dump in the profile sysdumpdevProfile.xml. The current
(runtime) value of this parameter may be traditional or firmware-assisted. If this value is
changed (using the artexset command or directly by using the sysdumpdev command), it will not be
effective until the next reboot. The nextboot value of this parameter will then be the modified value.
<Parameter name="type_of_dump" applyType="nextboot" reboot="true" />
Example
The following example shows a parameter with the value specified as an attribute, and another parameter
with the value specified as a child element:

<Catalog id="login.cfgParam" version="2.0">
<Parameter name="shells">
<Value>
/bin/sh,/bin/bsh,/bin/csh,/bin/ksh,/bin/tsh,
/bin/ksh93,/usr/bin/sh,/usr/bin/bsh,/usr/bin/csh,
/usr/bin/ksh,/usr/bin/tsh,/usr/bin/ksh93,
/usr/bin/rksh,/usr/bin/rksh93,
/usr/sbin/uucp/uucico,/usr/sbin/sliplogin,
/usr/sbin/snappd
</Value>
</Parameter>
<Parameter name="maxlogins" value="32767"/>
</Catalog>
</Profile>

<Property> element
The <Property> element assigns a value to a parameter property.
Syntax
Parent element: <Parameter>

the property.
value no string Specifies the value of
the property.
Usage
The <Property> element assigns a value to the property name of the parent element. This value is used
when the %p[name] sequence is expanded during command-line generation.
The <Property> element is generally not added manually to profiles. The element is inserted
automatically in the output profile when the artexget –r and artexget –n commands are run, based
on the command defined under the corresponding <Property> element of the catalog file.
Example
The following example sets the nodeId property for the netaddr parameter. The property value is
captured by the artexget –r command and is the output of the uname –f command:
<Parameter name="netaddr" value="172.16.128.13">

<Target class="device" instance="en0"/>
<Property name="nodeId" value="8000108390E00009"/>
</Parameter>
<Seed> element
The <Seed> element defines a seed that is expanded into one or more <ParameterDef> elements during
the <Get> operation.
Syntax
Parent element: <Catalog>
The following attribute is supported:
Table 12. Attribute

the seed element that
matches a SeedDef
element in the catalog
file.

<Parameter> no 0 – any Filters discovered
parameters based on
the names of the
parameters.
<Target> no 0 – any Filters discovered
parameters based on
their targets.
Usage
The <Seed> element discovers parameters dynamically during a <Get> operation.
When the artexget command is issued, each <Seed> element in the input profile is expanded into one
or more <Parameter> elements. The profiles are expanded based on the rules defined in the matching
<SeedDef> element of the catalog file. This process is called parameter discovery. After the parameter
discovery process is completed, the artexget command proceeds as usual with the expanded profile.
The optional <Parameter> and <Target> child elements are used to filter the discovered parameters.
Discovered parameters that do not match the criteria defined in the <Parameter> subelement, are
discarded. Also, those parameters that apply to targets that do not match the criteria defined in the
<Target> subelement, are discarded.
Examples
This example uses the devSeed catalog to define a seed that can be used to discover all attributes of all
devices:

<Catalog id="devSeed" version="3.0">
<SeedDef name="devAttr">
<Discover>
<Command>
/usr/sbin/lsdev -F 'name class subclass type' |
while read DEV CLASS SUBCLASS TYPE
do
CAT=devParam.$CLASS.$SUBCLASS.$TYPE
/usr/sbin/lsattr -F attribute -l $DEV |
while read PAR
do
echo "device=$DEV $CAT $PAR"
done
done
</Command>
Mask target="1" catalog="2" name="3">(.*) (.*) (.*)</Mask>
</Discover>
</SeedDef>
</Catalog>
The following profile can be used to discover all the supported attributes of all the supported devices:

<Profile>
<Seed name="devAttr"/>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
2. Using the same catalog, a <Target> filter can be used to discover all the supported attributes of all
Ethernet adapters:

<Profile>

<Seed name="devAttr">
<Target class="device" match="ên[0-9]+$"/>
</Seed>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
3. A <Parameter> filter can be added to capture only the netaddr, netaddr6, alias, and alias6 attributes
of all Ethernet adapters:

<Profile>
<Seed name="devattr">
<Parameter match="^(netaddr|alias)6?$"/>
<Target class="device" match="ên[0-9]+$"/>
</Seed>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
<Target> element
A <Target> element defines the instance of a target class to which the parameter applies.
Syntax
Parent element: <Parameter>
Multiple occurrences of the same parameter from the same catalogs are allowed if, and only if, they apply
to different instances of their target.

class yes string Specifies the name of
the target class.
instance no* string Specifies the name of
the instance of a class.
match no* string Specifies the regular
expression as applied to
the discovered instance
names.
* One and only one of the instance and match attributes must be specified.
Use
Some parameters do not apply to the system as a whole, but to a specific object. An example is the home
directory of a user as specified in the chuserProfile.xml profile; this parameter applies to a specific
user (root, guest) in a specific loadable module (files, LDAP). In this example, the user and the module are
two target classes. The home parameter applies to specific instances of these target class. For example,
the guest instance of the user class, and the files instance of the module class.
If the class and instance attributes are both set to the empty string, then a discovery is performed for this
parameter when the artexget command is run on such a profile, the discovery method declared in the
corresponding catalog file is executed, and a parameter is created in the output profile for each
discovered instance of the parameter. See example 1.
If the class and instance attributes are both specified, then the target is fully qualified and the parameter
only applies to the specified instance of the target class. See example 2.

If the class and match attributes are both specified, a discovery is performed as above, but only target
instances with a name that matches the regular expression specified in the match attribute are
discovered. See example 3.
When writing a sample profile, the class and instance attributes must be left empty. This means that,
when encountering the empty target class, the artexget command will discover the list of the instances
of that target class (all the users or the subsystems on the system) before retrieving the values.
Running the artexset command on an undiscovered target class displays a warning:
0590-216 Some parameters in the profile require a target discovery and will be ignored
Examples
1. An example of a profile with targets before discovery is the chuserProfile.xml profile that defines
the home directory of a user. The following example shows a sample profile:
<Profile version="2.0.0" origin="reference" readOnly="true">

<Catalog id="chuserParam" version="2.0">
<Parameter name="home">
<Target class="" instance=""/>
</Parameter>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
2. After discovery, the chuserProfile.xml profile would contain a copy of the home parameter for
each discovered user in each of the discovered loadable modules:
<Profile version="2.0.0" origin="get">

<Parameter name="home" value="/">

<Target class="user" instance="root"/>
<Target class="module" instance="files"/>
</Parameter>
<Parameter name="home" value="/etc">

<Target class="user" instance="daemon"/>
</Parameter>
...
</Catalog>
</Profile>
3. The following profile uses the match attribute to discover the home directory of all users with a name
that starts with a u in the file module:
<Profile version="2.0.0" origin="reference" readOnly="true"

<Parameter name="home">
<Target class="user" match="û"/>
</Parameter>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
Related information
The <Discover> element (in catalog files).
Writing AIX Runtime Expert catalogs

Catalog files are used internally by the AIX Runtime Expert framework.
The catalog files contain the parameter definitions and binding information to configuration methods that
describe the commands used to retrieve or set parameter values. Catalog files are local to the system
which is being tuned and configured.

AIX Runtime Expert catalog concepts
Catalog files contain all the information required to perform operations on parameters, including
definitions, conditions of use, and configuration methods. Catalog files must not be manipulated directly
by users and are only used through the AIX Runtime Expert core engine.
Catalogs are installed on a system at the same time as the AIX Runtime Expert core engine. When new
catalogs are linked to components or third-party applications that are installed on a system, it is
important to ensure they are in level with the installed AIX Runtime Expert core engine.
Catalog location
AIX Runtime Expert catalog files are stored in the /etc/security/artex/catalogs directory.
The name of a catalog file must exactly match its id attribute, suffixed with .xml extension. For example,
a catalog named commandParam.xml must have an id attribute value commandParam.
In order to be located by the profile that reference it, the catalog must have the same name in the catalog
XML file and in the <Catalog> element of the profile XML file. By default, the AIX Runtime Expert core
engine looks for catalogs in the default directory /etc/security/artex/catalogs. This behavior can
be changed, for the root user only, by setting the ARTEX_CATALOG_PATH environment variable. Multiple
directories can be specified in this environment variable using the : separator.
Catalog process
Steps to write a new AIX Runtime Expert catalog.
The following steps are required to be performed when writing a new AIX Runtime Expert catalog:
1. Make a list of parameters you want in the catalog file.
2. For each parameter, create a <ParameterDef> element
3. If several parameters use the same command for a <Get>, <Set>, <Discover> or <Diff> operation:
• Define a <CfgMethod> element at the top of the catalog.
• Use the cfgmethod attribute to inherit from the configuration method.
4. If several parameters are subject to the same constraint, define a <ConstraintDef> element at the top
of the catalog.
5. For each parameter:
a. Define the <Get type=“current”> and <Get type=“nextboot”> operations for each parameter,
either directly under the <ParameterDef> element, or referenced under the <CfgMethod>
element, or using any of the combinations.
b. Define all the supported <Set> operations for each parameter, either directly under the
<ParameterDef> element, or under the referenced <CfgMethod> element, or using any
combination of those possibilities.
c. If the parameter requires a target:
1) Define the supported target classes using the targetClass attribute
2) Define the discover operation, either directly under the <ParameterDef> element, or the
referenced <CfgMethod> element, or using any combination of those possibilities. In most
cases the discover method will be defined in a configuration method.
d. If the parameter requires a reboot for a change to take effect, add the reboot =true attribute.
e. If the parameter is subject to a constraint, either define a <ConstraintDef> element under the
<ParameterDef> element, or use the constraint attribute to reference an existing constraint.
6. To test the catalog file:
a. Create a profile with all the parameters defined in the catalog file.
b. Use the artexget –r command to capture values and test the <Discover> and <Get> operations.
c. Use the artexset –c –F –R –l all command on the resulting profile to test the <Set> and
<Diff> operations.

d. Additionally, the –g 3 –g COMMANDS flags can be added to those two commands to get more
information about the command line generated to perform the requested operation.
Related information
See the topic about the <Catalog> root element.
AIX Runtime Expert catalog elements
<Catalog> element
The <Catalog> element is the root element for all catalog files.
Syntax

id yes string Specifies the name of
the catalog. This name
must be unique on the
system.
version no string Specifies the version
number of the catalog.
date no dateTime Specifies the date of
creation. Format is
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.
priority no integer Specifies the order of
execution of the catalog
relative to others in the
set methods. Default
value is 0.
inherit no string Specifies the name of a
catalog to inherit.
The following child elements are supported. The number column defines how many occurrences of the
child are allowed:

<ShortDescription> no 0–1 Short textual description
for the catalog.
<Description> no 0–1 Long textual description
for the catalog.
<SubCat> no 0 – any Sub category
<ParameterDef> no 0 – any Contains the properties
of a parameter.
<ConstraintDef> no 0 – any Parameter constraints
definition (conditions
and disruptive
commands).

Table 16. Child elements (continued)
<CfgMethod> no 0 – any Configuration method
definition
<PrereqDef> no 0 – any Defines a prerequisite.
<PropertyDef> no 0 – any Defines a property.
<SeedDef> no 0 – any Defines a seed.
Attributes

id The id attribute should match the catalog file name, stripped from its .xml
extension. The catalog id is referenced in profiles using the <Catalog> element.
Priority The priority attribute is used when the set methods of a specific catalog are
required to be run before or after the set methods of other catalogs when they are
included in the same profile (for example, the compound profile default.xml). The
default priority of a catalog is 0.
The rule is that when two catalogs share the same priority, their set methods are
run in an undefined order. If a catalog has a priority with a positive value, its set
methods are executed before the others, in the descending priority order. If a
catalog has a priority with a negative value, its set methods are executed after the
others, in the descending priority order.
Version The Version attribute is present in both profiles and catalogs. The version helps
identifying whether profiles and catalogs are compatible with the AIX Runtime
Expert core engine and with each other. See Version attribute for more details.
Date The date attribute is not currently used for the <Catalog> element. It is included for
future use and maintainability.
inherit The inherit attribute specifies the name of a catalog to inherit from, without the .xml
extension. All the elements defined in the inherited catalog are available in the main
catalog, as if they were defined locally.
Example
Following is an example of a catalog using the priority attribute. The aixpertParam.xml catalog sets
security options and must be set after all other catalogs have been set. Thus, its priority is set to a high
negative value.
<Catalog id="aixpertParam" version="2.0" priority="-1000">
Related information
The <ConstraintDef> element.
The <CfgMethod> element.
The <Description> and <ShortDescription> elements.
The <SubCat> element.

Version attribute
Syntax
The version of a catalog is written as an attribute in the format MM.mm where MM is the major number
and mm is the minor number.
<Catalog id="commandParam" version="2.0">
Major version number

The major version number is the same for all AIX Runtime Expert catalogs installed on a system, and the
whole AIX Runtime Expert framework, where it is referenced. This major number is increased at each
major change of the XML schema of the profiles and catalogs.
When creating a new catalog, set the major version number to the current AIX Runtime Expert core
engine version number, which can be found by looking inside any of the standard catalog files that come
with the artex.base.rte fileset.
If an artexget command is invoked on a profile whose major version number differs from the one
referenced in the AIX Runtime Expert core engine, the command fails with the following error:
0590-117 Version error

This profile was created on a version unsupported by ARTEX
It is also advised that a profile and a catalog share the same major version number in order to be
compatible. A profile references catalogs with a specific version number. If the major version number of
the profile is not the same as the catalog major version number, any AIX Runtime Expert command will
display a warning to inform the user that results may be unpredictable:
Minor version number

The minor version number is specific to each catalog and is increased each time a major change in the
catalog makes it incompatible with the previous version. A profile references catalogs with a specific
version number. If the profile minor version number is not the same as the catalog minor version number,
any AIX Runtime Expert command will issue a warning to inform the user that results may be
unpredictable:
When creating a new sample profile or catalog, set the minor version number to 0.
<Description> and <ShortDescription> elements

Descriptions are optional informative text fields that can be added to various elements in the catalog files.
These fields are optional, but it is recommended that catalog writers use them to document the parent
element.
Syntax
The parent element of a <ShortDescription> element can be one of:
• <Catalog>
• <SubCat>
The parent element of a <Description> element can be one of:
• <Catalog>
• <SubCat>
• <ParameterDef>

• <ConstraintDef>
The content of the <Description> and <ShortDescription> elements is either a simple string, or a
translated message defined by one of the <NLSCatalog>, <NLSSmitHelp> or <NLSCommand> elements.
See the Globalization support topic for more information.
Usage
Currently, only the description of <ParameterDef> elements is retrieved and displayed by the artexget
command with the -i flag. It is recommended to provide globalization for the text included in those
description fields.
The description field of the other elements are currently not used by the AIX Runtime Expert framework,
but they should be provided for future use and for documentation purpose.
Example
1. Here is a simple example of description fields:
<ShortDescription>
chuser parameters
</ShortDescription>
<Description>
Parameter definition for the chuser command
</Description>
2. The same example, using translated messages from the artexcat.cat message file:
<ShortDescription>
<NLSCatalog catalog="artexcat.cat" setNum="12" msgNum="1">
chuser parameters
</NLSCatalog>
</ShortDescription>
<Description>
Parameter definition for the chuser command
</NLSCatalog>
</Description>
Globalization support
This section describes how globalization is implemented in the descriptive fields of the AIX Runtime
Expert catalogs.
Syntax
Parent element: <Description>, <ShortDescription>
The parent element may contain one (and only one) of the following child elements:

<NLSCatalog> no 0–1 String included in a
message catalog
<NLSSmitHelp> no 0–1 String included in a
SMIT help HTML file
<NLSCommand> no 0–1 String issued by an AIX
command
NLS Catalog
The NLS Catalog globalization format is used when the localized message to display is included in an
existing message catalog in the catgets() format.

The <NLSCatalog> element contains the following attributes:

catalog yes string Name of the catalog
where the message
resides
setNum yes integer Number of the message
set where the message
resides
msgNum yes integer Number of the message
in the message set
If the localized message catalog does not exist, the default message is displayed instead. The default
message is, optionally, included as the contents of the <NLSCatalog> element. It is a recommended
practice to provide a default message.
NLS SMIT Help

The NLS Smit Help globalization format is used when the localized message to display already exists in a
SMIT help HTML file.
The <NLSSmitHelp> element contains the following attribute:

Attribute Required Type Decsription
msgId yes integer The help_msg_id field
provided in the SMIT
stanza
If the localized help file does not exist, the default message is displayed instead. The default message is,
optionally, included as the contents of the <NLSSmitHelp> element. It is a recommended practice to
provide a default message.
NLS Command
The NLS Command globalization format is used when the localized message to display is issued by an AIX
command. This is the case for all tuning commands (like no, vmo) that provide a –h flag to display help
text for a specific parameter.
The <NLSCommand> element contains the following attribute:
Table 21. Attribute

command command string Shell expression to
execute
Examples
1. Example of the <NLSCatalog> element from the chssysParam.xml AIX Runtime Expert catalog,
including a default message.
<Description>
Changes a subsystem definition in the subsystem object class.

</NLSCatalog>
</Description>
2. Example of the <NLSSmitHelp> element:
<Description>
<NLSSmitHelp msgId="055136"/>
</Description>
3. Example of the <NLSCommand> element from the schedoParam.xml catalog:
<Description>
<NLSCommand command="/usr/sbin/schedo -h maxspin | /usr/bin/tail -n +2"/>
</Description>
<SubCat> element
Subcategories, optional parameters, subsets inside a catalog, can be specified by using the <SubCat>
element inside a catalog file.
Syntax
Parent element: <Catalog>,<SubCat>

the catalog subcategory.
This name should be
unique per catalog file.

Child element Required Description
<ShortDescription> no Short textual description of the
subcategory.
<Description> no Long textual description of the
subcategory.
<SubCat> no Nested subcategory. This
element may occur multiple
times.
<ParameterDef> no Contains the properties of a
parameter. This element may
occur multiple times.
Attribute
A subcategory is local to a catalog:
• A subcategory id is unique inside a catalog file.
• Multiple catalogs can make use of the same subcategory identifier.
The subcategories defined in a catalog must exactly match the subcategories reported in the associated
sample profile.

Related information
The <Description> and <ShortDescription> elements.
The <SubCat> element.
<ParameterDef> element
AIX Runtime Expert are defined in a catalog file by using the <ParameterDef> element.
Syntax
Parent element: <Catalog>,<ParameterDef>

the parameter. This
name must be unique
per catalog.
type yes string Specifies the parameter
type, as seen from the
core engine.
targetClass no string Specifies the target
classes for the
parameter if any.
reboot no boolean When true, indicates
that a reboot is required.
Default value is false.
cfgmethod no string Specifies the id of the
configuration method
defined at <Catalog>
level that contains
methods to use for this
parameter.
constraint no string Specifies the id of a
constraint defined at
<Catalog> element level
for the current catalog
file.
priority no integer Execution rank of this
parameter in the set
method relative to other
parameters in this
catalog. Default value is
0.

<Description> no Textual description of the
parameter.
<ConstraintDef> no Parameter constraint definition
(disruptive commands).
<Get> no Configuration method definition
for the get operation. This
times.
<Set> no Configuration method definition
for the set operation. This
times.
<Diff> no Configuration method definition
for diff operation.
<Discover> no Configuration method definition
for target discovery.
Attribute

name The name attribute uniquely identifies a parameter
within a catalog file. See the parameter name
attribute topic for more information.
type The required type attribute indicates the value type

of the parameter. The supported values are:
• string, for alphanumerical strings;
• integer, for numerical values;
• integer-bi, for numerical values with an optional
uppercase or lowercase K, M, G, T, P or E suffix
for “kilo”, “mega”, “giga”, “tera”, “peta” and
“exa”. These suffixes are interpreted as powers
of 1024;
• integer-si, for numerical values with an optional
SI suffix. Same as the integer-bi type, except
suffixes are interpreted as powers of 1000.
• boolean, for boolean values. Supported values
are 0 and 1.
• binary, for binary values, encoded as base-64
strings in profiles.

reboot The default for the boolean ‘reboot’ attribute is
“false”. If a parameter change requires a reboot to
take effect, then this parameter must have its
‘reboot’ attribute set to “true”.
AIX Runtime Expert itself never reboots systems.
By default, the artexset command will not force
the setting of reboot parameters. If the profile
contains reboot parameters, the command will fail:
0590-502: profile has

parameters that require a reboot.
Profile has not been set. Use -l all
flag to force set for all parameters
If called with the proper –l flag, the artexset

command sets the value and warns the users that
a reboot is required for changes to take effect:
0590-206 A manual post-operation is

required for thechanges to take effect
Please reboot the system
priority By default, parameters are set in no defined order

by the artexset command. The priority attribute
can be used alter this behavior and force a
parameter to be set before or after other
parameters.
The default priority is 0. The priority attribute can
be used to change this default priority to any
integer value between -2147483648 and
2147483647. Parameters with a higher priority are
executed before parameters with a lower priority.
The order in which parameters with the same
priority are set is undefined.
targetClass Some parameters have to be associated with a

target, as explained in section on “The Target
element” of a profile. Those parameter must have
their targetClass attribute set to the coma-
separated list of their supported target classes.
cfgmethod A <ParameterDef> element can inherit command

line elements from a <CfgMethod> element by
referencing this configuration method id attribute
with the cfgmethod attribute. For more information
on configuration methods, refer to the section on
<CfgMethod> element.
constraint A <ParameterDef> element can use the constraint

attribute to reference the id attribute of a
<ConstraintDef> element, indicating that the
parameter is subjected to the constraint. For more
information on constraints, refer to the section on
“The <ConstraintDef> element”.

Examples
1. Following is an example of a parameter definition with an alternative integer type: kernel_heap_size,
from the vmoParam.xml catalog file:
<ParameterDef name="kernel_heap_psize" type="integer-bi">
When extracting the value of this parameter through an artexget command, the result is something
like (excerpted from the resulting profile).
<Parameter name="kernel_heap_psize" value="16M"… />
The parameter value will be interpreted differently, depending on the type:

• Since it is declared to be of type integer-bi, the value is 16M= 16,777,216.
• If the type had been integer-si, the value would have been “16M”=16,000,000.
2. Example of a binary parameter: the trusted signature database tsd.dat in the tsdParam.xml
catalog:
<ParameterDef name="tsdatabase" type="binary">
3. Example of a parameter with a reboot attribute. The type of dump parameter in the
sysdumpdevParam.xml catalog:
<ParameterDef name="type_of_dump" type="string" reboot="true">
4. Example of a parameter with one target class: the addr parameter from the mktcpipParam.xml
catalog applies to a specific network interface:
<ParameterDef name="addr" type="string" cfgmethod="mktcpip" targetClass="interface">
5. Example of a parameter with several target classes: the naming specification parameter from the
coreParam.xml applies to a specific user (root, admin, guest, etc.) in a specific registry (files, LDAP).
<ParameterDef name="namingspecification" type="string" reboot="true"

targetClass="user,registry"
cfgmethod="coremgt">
6. Example of use of the cfgmethod attribute: For the <Get type="current"> operation, the fixed
parameter of the chlicenseParam.xml catalog inherits the <Command> element from the
chlicense configuration method, but it also defines its own <Filter> and <Mask> locally for this same
operation:
<CfgMethod id="chlicense">
<Get type="current">
<Command>lslicense -c -A</Command>
</Get>
</CfgMethod>
<ParameterDef name="fixed" cfgmethod="chlicense" type="integer">
<Filter>tail -n 1 | cut -d: -f3</Filter>
<Mask value="1">(.*)</Mask>
</Get>
</ParameterDef>
7. Example of usage of the constraint attribute: the authorizations parameter of the authParam.xml
catalog is subjected to the setkst constraint defined earlier in a <ConstraintDef> element:
<ParameterDef name="authorizations" cfgmethod="cat" constraint="setkst" type="string">
name attribute
The name of a parameter is often dictated by the command used to get or set the parameter.
Parameter names must be unique within a catalog file. This is required to ensure that a <Parameter>
element in a profile can be associated with a unique <ParameterDef> element in a catalog file.

• If the get command displays several parameter-value pairs, then the <Mask> element can be used to
extract multiple parameters from a single command output. This is only possible if the name of the
parameter matches the name used in the output of the get command.
• If the set command accepts several parameter-value pairs, then the %n and %v1 sequences can be
used in an <Argument> element to set multiple parameters with a single command. This is only
possible if the name of the parameter matches the name used by the set command.
Examples
1. Example: The raso –a command used in the rasoParam.xml catalog displays one parameter per
line of display:
kern_heap_noexec = 0
kernel_noexec = 1
mbuf_heap_noexec = 0
mtrc_commonbufsize = 485
In this easy case, the parameter names will be kernel_heap_noexec, kernel_noexec, etc.
2. Example: The command used in the get configuration method of the acctctlParam.xml catalog
displays a result that is more difficult to parse. Not only is the name of the parameter integrated into a
non-formatted sentence, but both the parameter names and their values are localized. The get
configuration methods will have to run the command while setting the environment variable LANG=C,
and, in each line, replace the key words by pertinent parameter names:
Advanced Accounting is not running.

Email notification is off.
The current email address to be used is not set.
Recover CPU accounting time in turbo mode is False.
In the above example, the variable names that have been chosen are accounting, email,
email_adddr and turacct.
Related information
• The <Parameter> element
• The <Mask> element
• Expansion of command line elements
<ConstraintDef> element
Syntax
Parent element: <Catalog>, <ParameterDef>

id no* string Specifies the name of
the parameter
constraint.
*This attribute must be specified for <Constraint> elements defined at the catalog level.

Child Elements Required Description
<Description> no Textual description of the
disruptive command.
<PreOp> no Disruptive operations to run
before setting the parameter
value.
<PostOp> no Disruptive operations to run after
setting the parameter value.
<BuiltIn> no Built-in disruptive operation This
times.
Usage
Some tuning and configuration parameters may require disruptive operations for value changes to take
effect. A disruptive operation is any operation that may temporarily interrupt access to a service or a
device. Typical disruptive operations are restarting a daemon, unmounting or mounting a filesystem,
bringing a network adapter card offline or online. The AIX Runtime Expert program uses constraints to
show that a parameter requires a disruptive operations for changes to take effect. A <ConstraintDef>
element is used to define such a constraint.
The constraint can be defined either:
• Inside a <ParameterDef> element, if the constraint only applies to the single parameter.
• At the catalog level, the <ConstraintDef> element must have an id attribute to allow the constraint to
be referenced later in <ParameterDef> elements.
Built-In constraint
The <BuiltIn> element does not contain any attribute or child element.
The built-in constraint defines operations that are hard coded in the core engine. There is currently only
one built-in constraint defined: bosboot. The difference of built-in constraints with other disruptive
operations is that the bosboot command is never run by AIX Runtime Expert. The core engine will only
warn that a bosboot is required for changes to take effect.
0590-206 A manual post-operation is required for the changes to take effect

Please perform a bosboot
PreOp and PostOp constraint

The <PreOp> element defines mandatory commands (shell expressions) to be run before the parameter
value is set by the set configuration method. The <PostOp> element defines mandatory commands to be
run after the execution of the set configuration method.
An <ConstraintDef> element must contain 0 or one <PreOp> child element, and 0 or one <PostOp> child
element.
Examples
1. Example of a built-in constraint (at catalog level)
<ConstraintDef id="bosboot">
<Description>
bosboot
</NLSCatalog>
</Description>

<Built>Inbosboot</BuiltIn>
</ConstraintDef>
2. Example of <PreOp> constraint: The clic constraint in the trustchkParam.xml catalog. Note that in
this example, the preop command does not run anything, but only checks the presence of a kernel
extension required by the set command. If the kernel extension is not installed, then the constraint
defined in the <PreOp> element will fail and the set command will not be run:
<ConstraintDef id="clic">
<Description>
Check that the clic.rte kernel extension is installed.
</NLSCatalog>
</Description>
<Pre>Oplslpp -l "clic*"</PreOp>
</ConstraintDef>
3. Example of <PostOp> constraint: The set Kernel Security Tables constraint in the authParam.xml
catalog. The modified databases need to be loaded only once in the kernel after all modifications have
been made.
<ConstraintDef id="setkst">
<Description>
Send the authorizations database to the KST (Kernel Security Tables)
</NLSCatalog></Description>
<PostOp>/usr/sbin/setkst -t auth >/dev/null</PostOp>
</ConstraintDef>
<CfgMethod> element
Syntax
Table 29. Attribute

the configuration
method.

Child elements Required Number Description
<Get> no 0–1 Configuration method
definition for the get
operation. This element
may occur multiple
times.
<Set> no 0–1 Configuration method
definition for the set
operation. This element
may occur multiple
times.
<Diff> no 0–1 Configuration method
definition for diff
operation.

Table 30. Child elements (continued)
<Discover> no 0–1 Configuration method
definition for target
discovery.
<Property> no 0 – any Assigns a property to
the parameters using
the configuration
method.
Usage
The <CfgMethod> element defines a configuration method that can later be referenced by a parameter
using the cfgmethod attribute of the <ParameterDef> element. The parameter then inherits all the
elements defined under the referenced configuration method.
Depending on the parameter, using a configuration may offer several advantages over the local definition:
• It simplifies the catalog file, avoiding duplication of the same command line elements for several
parameters.
• It allows multiple parameters to be treated by a single command.
Example
The vmoParam.xml catalog defines a lot of parameters that all use the same configuration method. Here
is a simplified version of this catalog:

<CfgMethod id="vmo">
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -a</Command>
<Mask name="1" value="2">[[:space:]]*(.*) = (.*)</Mask>
</Get>
<Get type="nextboot">
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -r -a</Command>
</Get>
<Set type="permanent">
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -p%a</Command>
<Argument>%n=%v1</Argument>
</Set>
<Set type="nextboot">
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -r%a</Command>
<Argument>%n=%v1</Argument>
</Set>
</CfgMethod>
<ParameterDef name="ame_maxfree_mem" cfgmethod="vmo" type="integer" />

<ParameterDef name="ame_min_ucpool_size" cfgmethod="vmo" type="integer" />
<ParameterDef name="ame_minfree_mem" cfgmethod="vmo" type="integer" />
...
</Catalog>
Related Information
• Command line generation
• The <Get> element
• The <Set> element

<Get> element
Syntax
Parent element: <CfgMethod>, <ParameterDef>
Table 31. Attribute

type yes string Specifies the type of the
get command (current
or nextboot).

<Command> no 0–1 Command
<Argument> no 0–1 Command-line arguments
<Stdin> no 0–1 Arguments supported by the <Stdin>
element
<Filter> no 0–1 Filter
<Mask> no 0–1 Output capturing mask
<Prereq> no 0 – any Assigns a prerequisite to the get
operation
The <Command> element must be defined for each parameter, either at the <CfgMethod> level or
directly at the <ParameterDef> level.
Usage
The <Get> element describes how the value of a particular parameter is captured. It can be used either
directly under the <ParameterDef> element, or under a <CfgMethod> element referenced in the
<ParameterDef> element using the cfgmethod attribute, or using a combination of those two
possibilities.
Two Get elements should be defined for each parameter, one for each supported value of the type
attribute:
• Get type=“current” identifies the method that will be run to retrieve the runtime value of the
parameter.
• Get type=“nextboot” identifies the method that will be run to retrieve the value that the parameter will
have after the next reboot of the system.
• The get method to be run depends on the operation being performed:
– If the artexget command is called with the –r flag, the current get method is used.
– If the artexget command is called with the –n flag, the nextboot get method is used.
– If the artexget command is called with the –p flag, the method run depends on the parameters
input to the applyType attribute. The current get method is used for the parameters that have their
applyType attribute set to runtime and the nextboot get method is used for the parameters that have
an applyType attribute of reboot.

Related Information
Command line generation
The <Mask> element.
<Set> element
The <Set> element defines how to build a command line to set the value of a parameter.
Syntax
Table 33. Attribute

type yes string Specifies the type of the
set command as
current or nextboot.

<Argument> no 0–1 Command-line arguments
<Stdin> no 0–1 Stdin arguments
<Prereq> no 0 – any Assigns a prerequisite to the <Set>
operation
Note: The <Command> element must be defined for each parameter, either at the <CfgMethod> level or
Usage
There are three types of <Set> elements that can be defined for each parameter, identified by their
required type attribute:
• Set type=“current” defines a set operation that only changes the value of the parameter for the current
session. Any change made using the set operation will be lost after a reboot of the system.
• Set type=“nextboot” defines a set operation that only changes the value the parameter will take after
the next reboot of the system. The current value is not modified.
• Set type=“permanent” defines a set operation that changes both the current and the nextboot value of
the parameter.
The type of the set operation run is decided based on parameters included when the artexset
command is run, based the parameter applyType attribute in the profile. The following table summarizes
the set methods that are run, depending on the set methods defined in the catalog file depending on the
applyType attribute for the parameter:
Table 35. Set Methods - set method types defined and Parameter applyType attribute.
current nextboot permanent runtime nextboot
0 0 0 not set (error) not set (error)

Table 35. Set Methods - set method types defined and Parameter applyType attribute. (continued)
current nextboot permanent runtime nextboot
0 0 1 set permanent not set (error)
0 1 0 set nextboot + warning set nextboot
1 0 0 set current + warning set nextboot
1 1 0 set current set nextboot set nextboot
1 1 1 set permanent set nextboot
Related Information
Command line generation.
<Diff> element
The <Diff> element defines how to build a command line to compare two values of a parameter.
Syntax

Child elements Required Description
<Command> no Command
<Argument> no Command-line arguments
<Stdin> no Stdin arguments
<Filter> no Filter
<Mask> no Output capturing mask
Usage
The <Diff> element is usually not required, since the framework knows how to compare two parameter
values internally based on the type (string, integer, integer-bi, binary, etc.). However, in case the internal
comparison is not adapted for a particular parameter, it is possible to use an external command instead.
Example
The following <Diff> element can be used for most parameters, even though using the internal
comparison function is more efficient. The <Diff> element uses the diff command to compare two files
that contains the two values:
<Diff>
<Command>/usr/bin/diff %f1 %f2; echo $?</Command>
</Diff>

Related Information
Command line generation.
The <Mask> element.
<Discover> element
The <Discover> element defines how to build a command line to discover targets for a parameter that
supports them.
Syntax

<Prereq> no 0 – any Assigns a prerequisite to the discover
operation
Usage
A discover command is used to obtain the list of target instances for a given parameter.
The output of a discover command for a parameter that supports N target classes have the following
format:
class_1=inst_1_1;class_2=inst_2_1;...;class_N=inst_N_1
class_1=inst_1_2;class_2=inst_2_2;...;
class_N=inst_N_2class_1=inst_1_3;
class_2=inst_2_3;...;class_N=inst_N_3
...
The artexget command generates and runs a discover command for parameters that satisfy one of the
following criteria:
• Contain a <Target> element with empty class and instance attributes. <Target class="" instance="" />
• Contain at least one <Target> element with a match attribute: <Target class="..." match="..." />
The artexset command additionally requires the following two criteria to be satisfied:
• The artexset command is called with the –d flag.
• The <Parameter> element in the profile has the setDiscover attribute set to true.
Examples
1. The mktcpipParam.xml catalog uses the following discover command to obtain the list of the
network interfaces defined on the system:
<Discover>
<Command>
/usr/sbin/lsdev -C -c if -F "name" | /usr/bin/sed -e 's/^/interface=/'
</Command>
</Discover>

This command gives the following output:
interface=en0
interface=et0
interface=lo0
2. The chuserParam.xml catalog uses the following discover command to get to the list of all users
for all loadable authentication modules:
<Discover>
<Command>
/usr/sbin/lsuser -a registry ALL |
/usr/bin/sed -e "s/$.*$ registry=$.*$/module=\2;user=\1/g"
</Command>
</Discover>
This command gives the following output:
module=LDAP;user=daemon
module=LDAP;user=bin
module=LDAP;user=sys
module=LDAP;user=adm
...
module=files;user=root
module=files;user=daemon
module=files;user=bin
module=files;user=sys
module=files;user=adm
...
<Command> element
The <Command> element defines the base command used to perform the operation defined by the
parent element.
Syntax
Parent element: <Get>, <Set>, <Diff>, <Discover>, <PrereqDef>, <Prereq>, <PropertyDef>,
<Property>, <Command>
Usage
The content of the <Command> element is expanded as described in section Expansion of command line
elements and combined with the other command line elements to form a complete command line. See
section Command line generation for more details.
Some characters often found in shell expressions, such as <, > and & are not allowed in XML documents.
These characters must be replaced by the corresponding XML entity:
Table 38. XML entities

Character XML entity
< <
> >
& &
Alternatively, a CDATA section can be used if the expression contains many of such characters. The
CDATA sections start with <![CDATA[ and ends with ]]>.
The <Command> element must be defined for each supported operation of each parameter, either at the
<CfgMethod> level or at the <ParameterDef> level.

Example
The envParam.xml catalog defines a parameter called profile that represents the contents of the /etc/
profile file. For this parameter, the <Get> element uses the cat command to capture the content of
the /etc/profile file:
<ParameterDef name="profile">
<Command>/usr/bin/cat /etc/environment</Command>
</Get>
</ParameterDef>
<Argument> element
Syntax
Parent element: <Get>, <Set>, <Diff>, <PrereqDef>, <Prereq>, <PropertyDef>, <Property>
Usage
The content of the <Argument> element is expanded as described in section Expansion of command line
elements and combined with the <Command> and or the <Stdin> elements to form a complete command
line. See section Command line generation for more details.
These characters must be replaced by the corresponding XML entity:

< <
> >
& &
Alternatively, a CDATA section can be used if the expression contains many of such characters. CDATA
sections start with <![CDATA[ and ends with ]]>.
Example
The vmoParam.xml catalog uses the <Argument> element to add an argument to the vmo command for
each vmo parameter in the profile:
<Argument> -o %n=%v1</Argument>
</Set>
</CfgMethod>
<Stdin> element
Syntax
Parent element: <Get>, <Set>, <Diff>, <PrereqDef>, <Prereq>, <PropertyDef>, <Property>
Usage
The content of the <Stdin> element is expanded as described in section Expansion of command line
elements and the resulting data is written to the standard input of the command line generated for the
operation defined in the parent element.

Example
The envParam.xml catalog defines a parameter called profile that represents the content of the /etc/
profile file. For this parameter, the set operation writes the value of the parameter to the standard
input of the cat command to overwrite the /etc/profile file:
<ParameterDef name="profile">
<Command>/usr/bin/cat > /etc/profile</Command>
<Stdin>%v1</Stdin>
</Set>
</Get>
Related information
<Filter> element
Syntax
Parent element: <Get>, <Diff>, <PropertyDef>, <Property>
Usage
The content of the <Filter> element is a command to which the output of the command line generated for
the operation defined in the parent element is passed as input.
These characters will need to be replaced by the corresponding XML entity:

< <
> >
& &
Alternatively, a CDATA section can be used if the expression contains many of such characters. The
CDATA sections start with <![CDATA[ and ends with ]]>.
Example
The nfsParam.xml catalog uses the <Filter> element for the get operation of parameter v4_root_node
to extract the root node from the output of the nfds –getnode command:
<ParameterDef id="v4_root_node">
<Command>
/usr/sbin/nfsd -getnodes
</Command>
<Filter>
/usr/bin/awk -F: 'NR == 2 { printf("%s", $1) }'
</Filter>
</Get>
</ParameterDef>
Related information

<Mask> element
Syntax
Parent element: <Get>, <Diff>, <Discover> (only under a <SeedDef>),<PropertyDef>, <Property>
The following attributes are supported when used in a <Get> or <Diff> element:

name no integer Specifies the index of
the subexpression that
matches the name of
the parameter. Valid
values are 1 and 2.
value no integer Specifies the index of
matches the value of the
parameter. Valid values
are 1 and 2.
The following attributes are supported when used under the <Discover> subelement of a <SeedDef>
element:

catalog yes integer Specifies the index of
matches the name of
the catalog. Valid values
are 1, 2, and 3.
name yes integer Specifies the index of
matches the name of
values are 1, 2, and 3.
target no integer Specifies the index of
matches the target of
values are 1, 2, and 3.
The following attribute is supported when used under the <PropertyDef> or <Property> element:
Table 43. Attribute

value no integer Specifies the index of
matches the name of
the parameter. Must be
set to “1” if specified.

Usage
The <Mask> element defines a regular expression that is applied on each line of command output to
extract data from those lines. The data that is extracted depends on where the <Mask> element is used.
If no attributes are specified, the last line in the command output that matches the regular expression is
used to extract the data. The extracted data is the part of the line that matches the regular expression.
When used under a <Get> or <Diff> element, the extracted data is used as the parameter value. When
used under a <PropertyDef> or <Property> element, the extracted data is used as the property value.
If only the value attribute is specified, it must be set to 1, and the regular expression must contain only
one subexpression. The last line in the command output that matches the regular expression is used to
extract the data. The extracted data is the part of the line that matches the first (and only) subexpression.
When used under a <Get> or <Diff> element, the extracted data is used as the parameter value. When
used under a <PropertyDef> or <Property> element, the extracted data is used as the property value.
If the name and value attributes are specified, one of those attributes must be set to 1 and the other must
be set to 2, and the regular expression must contain two subexpressions. A name and a value are
extracted from each line of the command output that matches the regular expression. When used in a
<Get> element, the name is used as the parameter name and the value as the parameter value. When
used in a <Diff>element, the name is used as the parameter name and the value is used as the
comparison result. Using this function, the values of several parameters can be extracted by using a
single get command, and several parameters can be compared by using a single diff command.
When used in the <Discover> subelement of a <SeedDef> element, the catalog and name attributes must
be specified. A catalog name and a parameter name are extracted from each line of the command output
that matches the regular expression. If a catalog that matches the extracted catalog name is found on the
system, and if it contains a definition for a parameter that matches the extracted parameter name, a
parameter is inserted into the profile. The optional target argument can be added to extract a target
definition for each discovered parameter. The target definition must follow the semicolon-separated list
of class=instance pairs format, such as class1=instance1;class2=instance2;... format.
Examples
1. The vmoParam.xml catalog uses the <Mask> element with the name and value attributes to extract
all parameter values from a single vmo –a command:
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -a</Command>
</Get>
</CfgMethod>
2. Had the vmoParam.xml catalog been written in a way that one separate command was used to
capture the value of each parameter, then the <Mask> element could have been used with just the
value attribute set and no name attribute:
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -o %n</Command>
<Mask value="1"> = (.*)</Mask>
</Get>
</CfgMethod>
3. Or, by using a regular expression that matches only the value:
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo –o %n</Command>
<Mask>[^ ]*$</Mask>
</Get>
</CfgMethod>

From the three examples above, the first is the most efficient, since it requires only a single command
to capture all the vmo command parameters. Examples 2 and 3 would generate a separate command
for each vmo command parameter, since the parameter name is used in the <Command> element.
4. The following <SeedDef> element defines a seed that can be used to discover all attributes of all
devices. It uses a target to designate the device they operate on:
<Discover>
<Command>
do
while read PAR
do
echo device=$DEV devParam.$CLASS.$SUBCLASS.$TYPE $PAR
done
done
</Command>
<Mask target="1" catalog="2" name="3">(.*) (.*) (.*) <Mark>
</Discover>
</SeedDef>
The discovery command prints each discovered device attribute on a separate line, by using the following
format:
device=DeviceName devParam.Class.Subclass.Type AttributeName
For example,
device=en0 devParam.if.EN.en tcp_recvspace

device=en0 devParam.if.EN.en tcp_sendspace
device=ent0 devParam.adapter.vdevice.IBM,l-lan alt_addr
device=ent0 devParam.adapter.vdevice.IBM,l-lan chksum_offload
Related information
<SeedDef> element
The <SeedDef> element defines a seed that can be used in a profile by using a <Seed> element.
Syntax
Table 44. Attribute

the seed. This name
must be unique for each
catalog.
The following child element is supported:
Table 45. Child element

<Discover> yes Specifies the command that is used to discover
parameters.

Usage
Seeds are used to discover parameters dynamically during a get operation.
When the artexget command is issued, each <Seed> element in the input profile is expanded into one
or more <Parameter> elements, based on the rules defined in the matching <SeedDef> element of the
catalog file. This process is called parameter discovery. The artexget command then proceeds as usual
with the expanded profile.
The <SeedDef> element contains only a <Discover> subelement, that defines a command to run, and a
mask to extract parameter names, catalog names (as colon-separated lists, without the .xml extension),
and optionally targets from the output of the command (by using the
class1=instance1;class2=instance2;... format). For each line of the output, the first catalog from the
colon-separated list that is found on the system is loaded. If a parameter definition is found in this
catalog, then a parameter is created in the output profile that has the targets that were extracted from the
line. Lines from the command output that do not match the mask, or for which no catalog file is found, or
that have no parameter definition if found in the catalog file, are ignored.
Examples
1. The following catalog defines a <SeedDef> element called vmoTunables that discovers all the
nonrestricted vmo tunables seed supported by AIX Runtime Expert:

<Catalog id="vmoSeed">
<SeedDef name="vmoTunables">
<Discover>
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -x | /usr/bin/awk -F, '{ print "vmoParam:" $1 }'</Command>
<Mask catalog="1" name="2">(.*):(.*)/Mask>
</Discover>
</SeedDef>
</Catalog>
The discovery command prints each tunable on a separate line, preceded by the name of the catalog
that defines the tunables:
...
vmoParam:enhanced_affinity_vmpool_limit
vmoParam:esid_allocator
vmoParam:force_relalias_lite
vmoParam:kernel_heap_psize
...
The following profile uses the vmo tunables seed to capture all the nonrestricted vmo tunables seed
supported by AIX Runtime Expert:

<Profile>
<Catalog id="vmoSeed">
<Seed name="vmoTunables"/>
</Catalog>
</Profile>
When the artexget –r command is run on the profile, the command generates a profile similar to
the following example:

<Profile>
<Catalog id="vmoParam">
...
<Parameter name="enhanced_affinity_vmpool_limit" value="10"/>
<Parameter name="esid_allocator" value="0"/>
<Parameter name="force_relalias_lite" value="0"/>
<Parameter name="kernel_heap_psize" value="65536" applyType="nextboot" reboot="true"/>
...
</Catalog>
</Profile>

2. The following <SeedDef> element defines a seed that is used to discover all attributes of all devices.
The element uses a target seed to designate the device they operate on:
<Discover>
<Command>
do
while read PAR
do
echo device=$DEV devParam.$CLASS.$SUBCLASS.$TYPE:devParam.$CLASS
.$SUBCLASS:devParam.$CLASS $PAR
done
done
</Command>
<Mask target="1" catalog="2" name="3">(.*) (.*) (.*)</Mask>
</Discover>
</SeedDef>
The discovery command prints each discovered device attribute on a separate line, by using the
following format:
device=DeviceName devParam.Class.Subclass.Type:devParam.Class.Subclass:devParam.Class
AttributeName
For example:
device=en0 devParam.if.EN.en:devParam.if.EN:devParam.if tcp_recvspace

device=en0 devParam.if.EN.en:devParam.if.EN:devParam.if tcp_sendspace
device=ent0 devParam.adapter.vdevice.IBM,l-lan:devParam.adapter.vdevice:devParam.adapter
alt_addr
device=ent0 devParam.adapter.vdevice.IBM,l-lan:devParam.adapter.vdevice:devParam.adapter
chksum_offload
<Prereq> element
The <Prereq> element assigns a prerequisite to <Get>, <Set>, and <Discover> operations.
Syntax
Parent element: <Get>, <Set>, and <Discover>
Table 46. Attribute

id no string Specifies an unique
identifier

<Stdin> no Arguments supported by the <Stdin> element
<ErrMessage> no Message to print if prerequisites fail
Note: The <Command> element must be defined for each prerequisite: at the <ParameterDef> level, at
the <CfgMethod> level, or in a <PrereqDef> element.

Usage
Prereqs are commands that condition the processing of a <Get>, <Set>, and <Discover> operation for
parameters that use this <Get>, <Set>, and <Discover> operations. Parameters for which a prereq
command fails (nonzero return code) are ignored, and the error message defined in the prerequisite is
displayed.
The <Prereq> element assigns a prerequisite to the parent <Get>, <Set>, or <Discover> operation. The
prerequisite is either defined locally under the <Prereq> element, or inherited from a higer-level
<Prereq> or <PrereqDef> element that has a matching id attribute.
A parameter has all the prerequisites defined locally under the <ParameterDef> element. Also, the
prerequisite has the properties defined in the configuration method of the parameter, if a configuration
method is used. The consequence is that if a prerequisite is defined in a <CfgMethod> element, all the
<ParameterDef> elements that use the configuration method will automatically have that prerequisite
(although some of those elements might redefine the prerequisite locally).
The <Command>, <Argument>, <Stdin>, and <ErrMessage> elements that define a prerequisite for a
given operation are searched in this order:
• Under the <Prereq> subelement of the relevant operation of the <ParameterDef> element.
• If the <ParameterDef> element has a cfgmethod attribute, under the <Prereq> subelement that has a
matching id of the relevant operation of the configuration method.
• Under the <PrereqDef> element of the catalog that has a matching id.
Example
The following example defines a prerequisite that checks that the netaddr and netaddr6 parameters are
applied on the same system on which they were captured:
<ParameterDef name="netaddr" type="string" targetClass="device" cfgmethod="attr">

<Prereq>
<Command>[[ `/usr/bin/uname -f` = %p[nodeId] ]]</Command>
<ErrMessage>Parameter cannot be applied to a different node</ErrMessage>
</Prereq>
</Set>
</ParameterDef>
<ParameterDef name="netaddr6" type="string" targetClass="device" cfgmethod="attr">

<Prereq>
</Prereq>
</Set>
</ParameterDef>
In this example, the test is run twice: once for the netaddr parameter, and once for the netaddr6
parameter. This dual processing is because each parameter has its own prerequisite with its own
<Command> element. See , artex_catalog_elem_PrereqDef.dita for an example that requires only one
run of the test.
<PrereqDef> element
The <PrereqDef> element that can later be used in a <Prereq> element.
Syntax

Table 48. Attribute
the property.

<Stdin> no Arguments that are supported by the <Stdin>
element
<ErrMessage> no Message to print if prerequisite fails
Note: The <Command> element must be defined for each prerequisite: at the <ParameterDef> level, at
the <CfgMethod> level, or in a <PrereqDef> element.
Usage
Prereq are commands that condition the run of the <Get>, <Set>, and <Discover> operations for
parameters that use the <Get>, <Set>, or <Discover> operation. Parameters for which a prereq
command fails (nonzero return code) are ignored, and the error message defined in the prerequisite is
displayed.
The <PrereqDef> element defines a prerequisite. This prerequisites can later be associated with an
operation of a parameter or a configuration method by using a <Prereq> element that has the same id
attribute.
Example
The following example defines the nodeId prerequisite and assigns it to the netaddr and netaddr6
parameters:
<PrereqDef id="nodeId">
</PrereqDef>

<Prereq id="nodeId"/>
</Set>
<Property name="nodeId"/>
</ParameterDef>

<Prereq id="nodeId"/>
</Set>
</ParameterDef>
In this example, the test is executed only once, because the two parameters use the same <Command>
element for their prerequisites, and the generated command line is the same for the two parameters.

<Property> element
The <Property > element assigns a property to a parameter or a configuration method.
Syntax
Table 50. Attribute

the property.

<Stdin> no Arguments supported by the <Stdin> element
<Filter> no Filter
Note: The <Command> element must be defined for each property: at the <ParameterDef> level, at the
<CfgMethod> level, or in a <PropertyDef> element.
Usage
Properties are key-value pairs that are associated with a parameter. The value of the key-value pairs is
retrieved by the artexget –r and artexget –n commands and saved in the output profile. Property
values saved in a profile can be inserted into a command line by using the %p[property_name] sequence.
The <Property> element assigns a property to a parameter or to a configuration method. The property is
either defined locally under the <Property> element, or inherited from a higher-level <Property> or
<PropertyDef> element that has a matching name attribute.
A parameter has all the properties defined locally under the <ParameterDef> element. Also, the
parameter has all the properties defined under the parameters configuration method, if a configuration
method is used. The consequence is that if a property is defined under a <CfgMethod> element, all the
<ParameterDef> elements that use the configuration method will automatically have that property
(although some of them might redefine the property locally).
Property values are extracted from the output of a command line. The command line is built by combining
the <Command>, <Argument>, <Stdin>, and <Filter> elements as described in the Command line
generation section. You must use one of the following property values: the raw output of the command
line or the portion of the output that matches the mask, if a <Mask> element is specified.
The <Command>, <Argument>, <Stdin>, <Filter>, and <Mask> elements that define a property are
searched in this order:
• Under the <Property> element at the <ParameterDef> level.
• If the <ParameterDef> element has a cfgmethod attribute, under the configuration method of the
<Property> element that has a matching name attribute.
• Under the <PropertyDef> element of the catalog that has a matching name attribute.

Example
The following example assigns a nodeId property to the netaddr and netaddr6 parameters:

<Property name="nodeId">
<Command>/usr/bin/uname -f/<Command>
<Mask>.*/<Mask>
</Property>
</ParameterDef>

<Property name="nodeId">
<Command>/usr/bin/uname -f</Command>
<Mask>.*</Mask>
</Property>
</ParameterDef>
In this example, the mask matches the whole line and is only used to exclude the newline character at the
end of the command output.
In this example, the uname command is run twice: once for the netaddr parameter, and once for the
netaddr6 parameter. The command is run twice because each parameter has its own property with its
own <Command> element. See artex_catalog_elem_PropertyDef.dita, for an example that requires only
one run of the uname command.
<PropertyDef> element
The <PropertyDef> element defines a property that can be used in a <Property> element.
Syntax
Table 52. Attribute

the property.

<Stdin> no Arguments supported by the <Stdin> elements
<Filter> no Filter
Note: The <Command> element must be defined for each property: at the <ParameterDef> level, at the
<CfgMethod> level, or in a <PropertyDef> element.
Usage
Properties are key-value pairs associated with a parameter. The value of the key-value pairs are retrieved
by the artexget –r and artexget –n commands and saved in the output profile. Property values
saved in a profile can be inserted into a command line by using the %p[property_name] sequence.

The <PropertyDef> element defines a property. This property can later be associated to a parameter or
configuration method by using a <Property> element that has the same name attribute.
Example
The following example assigns a nodeId property to the netaddr and netaddr6 parameters:
<PropertyDef name="nodeId">
<Command>/usr/bin/uname -f</Command>
<Mask>.*</Mask>
</PropertyDef>

</ParameterDef>

</ParameterDef>
In this example, the uname command is run only once, because the two parameters use the same
<Command> element for their property, and the generated command line is the same for the two
parameters.
Command-line generation
The AIX Runtime Expert framework relies on external commands to capture, set and optionally compare
parameter values. This topic explains how command lines are built based on the syntax information
provided in the catalog files.
Operations
For each parameter, the following operations can be defined:
• Get type="current", used to capture the current value of the parameter.
• Get type="nextboot", used to capture the value the parameter that the parameter will have after a
reboot.
• Set type="current", used to set the current value of the parameter. This parameter value is lost upon
reboot.
• Set type="nextboot", used to set the value the parameter that the parameter will have after a reboot.
• Set type="permanent", used to set the current value of the parameter, knowing that this value will
persist after a reboot.
• diff operation, used to compare two values of the parameter.
• Discover operation, used to find targets for parameters that support them.
• Property, used to capture a property for a parameter.
• Prerequisite, used to condition the execution of a get, set, or discover operation for a given parameter.
Not all operations need to be defined for all parameters. The two get operations and all the set operations
supported by the parameters must be defined. The diff operation is optional, and if it is not defined,
comparisons between parameter values are done internally based on the parameter type, such as string,
and integer. The discover operation must be defined only for parameters that have targets. Properties
and prerequisites are only defined when needed.
Command line elements

For each operation supported by a parameter, up to five different elements can be used to define how a
command line can be built to perform the operation:
• <Command> element, used to define the base command, for handling parameters.
• <Stdin> element, used to define the data that will be written to the command line standard input.
• <Argument> element, used to insert parameter specific data into a <Command> or <Stdin> element.

• <Filter> element, used to filter the output a command line for the get and diff operations.
• <Mask> element, used to extract data from the output of a command line for the get, diff, and
property operations.
When an operation needs to be performed, the <Command>, <Stdin>, <Argument> and <Filter>
elements defined for the requested operation are combined together to generate a set of command lines,
as explained in the Command line generation algorithm topic. The generated command lines are then run
by a shell. For the get, diff, and property operations, the <Mask> element is used to extract the
requested data (parameter values, comparison results, or property values) from the command output.
Configuration methods
Command line elements can be defined locally inside a <ParameterDef> element, or inherited from a
<CfgMethod> element referenced in the <ParameterDef> element using the cfgmethod attribute.
Combination are permitted: the set of command line elements defined for a specific operation of a
specific parameter is the union of the command line elements defined locally under the <ParameterDef>
element, and the command line elements defined for the same operation in the <CfgMethod> element
referenced by the cfgmethod attribute of the <ParameterDef> element. If the same command line
element is defined both locally and in a configuration method, then the local definition takes precedence.
For example, in this non-optimized catalog file:
<CfgMethod id=”vmo”>
<Get type=”nextboot”>
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -r%a</Command>
</Get>
<Set type=”permanent”>
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo –p –o%a</Command>
<Argument> -o %n=%p</Argument>
</Set>
</CfgMethod>
<ParameterDef name=”lgpg_size” cfgmethod=”vmo”>

<Get type=”current”>
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo -o lgpg_size</Command>
</Get>
<Get type=”nextboot”>
<Argument> -o lgpg_size</Argument>
</Get>
</ParameterDef>
We can see that:

• The <Get type="current"> operation is entirely defined at the <ParameterDef> level.
• The <Get type="nextboot"> operation has some elements defined at the <CfgMethod> level
(<Command> and <Mask>) and some elements defined at the <ParameterDef> level (<Argument>).
• The <Get type="current"> operation is entirely defined at the <CfgMethod> level.
Using a configuration method offers two main advantages:
• It simplifies the catalog. In many cases parameter definitions will inherit all their command line element
from a configuration method, and the <ParameterDef> element will be empty.
• It allows different parameters to be grouped together in a single command line, when possible.
Command line generation algorithm

Command lines are generated using an algorithm that allows several parameters to be grouped in a single
command.

Parameter grouping is not only desirable from a performance and efficiency standpoint it is also
necessary for certain parameters. For example, the vmo parameters lgpg_regions and lgpg_size, which
cannot be set independently and need to be set together in a single vmo command invocation.
The command line generation algorithm is functionally equivalent to the following steps:
1. Each parameter in the input profile has its <Command> and <Stdin> elements partially expanded.
During this phase, the %a, %v1[name], %v2[name], %f1[name] and %f2[name] sequences are ignored
and not expanded.
2. Parameters that verify all five conditions below are grouped together:
• Parameters use the same <Command> element.
• Parameters use the same <Stdin> element.
• Parameters use the same <Filter> element.
• The expansion of the <Command> element performed during step 1 produced identical strings.
• The expansion of their <Stdin> element performed during step 1 produced identical strings.
The group now has its own, partially expanded <Command> and <Stdin> elements and its own
<Filter> element, shared by all the parameters in the group.
3. For each group of parameters, the group <Command> and <Stdin> elements have the %v1[name],
%v2[name], %f1[name] and %f2[name] sequences expanded. Parameter name is only searched
within the group.
4. For each group of parameters, the group <Command> and <Stdin> elements have the %a sequences
expanded: each parameter in the group has its <Argument> element expanded, and the
concatenation of those expanded <Argument> elements replaces any %a sequence in the
<Command> and <Stdin> elements.
The result of this process is a set of command lines, with optionally data to write on their standard input
and a command to filter their output.
Expansion of command line elements

The <Command>, <Stdin> and <Argument> elements support special sequences that are expanded by
the AIX Runtime Expert framework to produce the final command lines.
The table below is a short reference of all the supported sequences. For more details on a sequence, refer
to the sections below.
Table 54. Sequence

Sequence Expands to
%% The literal % character.
%a The concatenation of the expanded Argument
strings for all parameters that can be processed in
the same command line.
%n The name of the parameter.
%v1 The value of the parameter.
%v2 The second value of the parameter. Only valid for
diff operations.
%f1 The name of the temporary file that will contain the
value of the parameter.
%f2 The name of the temporary file that will contain the
second value of the parameter. Only valid for diff
operations.
%v1[name] The value of parameter name.

Table 54. Sequence (continued)
Sequence Expands to
%v2[name] The second value of parameter name. Only valid
for diff operations.
%f1[name] The name of a temporary file that will contain the
value of the parameter name.
%f2[name] The name of a temporary file that will contain the
second value of parameter name. Only valid for
diff operations.
%t[class] The name of the target instance for the target
class.
%p[name] The value of property name.
%c The catalog id.
Escaping of % sequences
Parameter names, parameter values and target names that are expanded by the AIX Runtime Expert are
enclosed between single quotes when they are used inside a <Command> element or inside an
<Argument> element that is to be inserted (via the %a sequence) into a <Command> element. This is to
ensure that those strings will be passed to the shell as a single word, even if they include spaces or other
special characters. Additionally, any single quote character within the expanded expression is properly
escaped.
The catalog writers must be careful to not use the %n, %v1, %v2, %v1[name], %v2[name] or %t[class]
sequences inside a quoted string. If those sequences must be used within a string, the string must be
closed before the % sequence as shown in the following example:
echo "Parameter "%n" is set to "%v1
Failure to do so will result in incorrect command lines and is a security risk.
The %% sequence
The %% sequence expands to the literal % character.
For example, the string:
/bin/ps -aeF"%%a"
expands to the following string:
/bin/ps -aeF"%a"
The %a sequence
The %a sequence can be used either in the <Command> string, or in the <Stdin> string. It is substituted
with the concatenation of all the expanded <Argument> strings of all the parameters that can be treated
in the same command (see the Command line generation topic for a formal description on parameter
grouping).
For example, the following catalog (note that it could be simplified by using the %n sequence) :
<Get type=”current”
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo%a</Command>
</Get>
</CfgMethod>

<ParameterDef name=”lgpg_size” cfgmethod=”vmo”>
<Argument> -o lgpg_size</Argument>
</Get>
</ParameterDef>
<ParameterDef name=”lgpg_regions” cfgmethod=”vmo”>
<Argument> -o lgpg_regions</Argument>
</Get>
</ParameterDef>
And the following profile:
<Parameter name=”lgpg_size” />

<Parameter name=”lgpg_regions” />
will produce the following command line for the “get current” operation:
/usr/sbin/vmo –o lgpg_size –o lgpg_regions
The %n sequence
The %n sequence is substituted with the name of the parameter.
Using the %n sequence, the example from the %a section could be simplified as follows:
<Command>/usr/sbin/vmo%a</Command>
<Argument> -o %n</Argument>
</Get>
</CfgMethod>
<ParameterDef name=”lgpg_size” cfgmethod=”vmo” />
<ParameterDef name=”lgpg_regions” cfgmethod=”vmo” />
With the following profile:
<Parameter name=”lgpg_size” />

<Parameter name=”lgpg_regions” />
The following command line would be generated for the get current operation:
/usr/sbin/vmo –o ’lgpg_size’ –o ’lgpg_regions’
The %v1 and %v2 sequences

The %v1 sequence is substituted with the value of the parameter.
The %v2 sequence is only valid for <Diff> operations and is substituted with the second value of the
parameter.
For example, the following catalog:
<Argument> -o %n=%v1</Argument>
</Set>
</CfgMethod>
<ParameterDef name=”lgpg_size” cfgmethod=”vmo” />
<ParameterDef name=”lgpg_regions” cfgmethod=”vmo” />
with the following profile:
<Parameter name=”lgpg_size” value=”16M”/>

<Parameter name=”lgpg_regions” value=”128” />

would generate the following command line for the set permanent operation:
/usr/sbin/vmo –p –o ’lgpg_size’=’16M’ –o ’lgpg_regions’=’128’
The %f1 and %f2 sequences

The %f1 and %f2 sequences are substituted with the name of temporary file created before the
command is executed. The file content is the value of the parameter for %f1 and the second value of the
parameter for %f2. The %f2 sequence can only be used for <Diff> operations.
For example, the following catalog:
<ParameterDef name=”some_file”>
<Diff>
<Command>/usr/bin/diff %f1 %f2</Command>
</Diff>
</ParameterDef>
When an artexdiff is performed between the two profiles including the same parameter with a different
value:
<Parameter name=”some_file” value=”foo” />

<Parameter name=”some_file” value=”bar” />
Then two temporary files /tmp/file1 and /tmp/file2 (actual file names will be different) containing
respectively the “foo” and “bar” strings will be created, and the following command will be executed:
/usr/bin/diff /tmp/file1 /tmp/file2
The %v1[name] and %v2[name] sequences

The %v1[name] sequence is substituted with the value of parameter name.
The %v2[name] sequence is only valid for <Diff> operations and is substituted with the second value of
parameter name.
Those sequences are useful when a configuration command accepts several parameters at the same
time, but require that some of them be placed in a particular position on the command line. This is the
case of the chcons command for example, which requires that the path to the console device or file
come last on the command line. Using the %v1[name] sequence, the chcons catalog could be written as
follows:
<CfgMethod id=”chcons”>
<Set type=”nextboot”>
<Command>/usr/sbin/chcons%a %v1[console_device]</Command>
<Argument> -a %n=%v1</Argument>
</Set>
</CfgMethod>
<ParameterDef name=”console_device” cfgmethod=”chcons” reboot=”true” />
<ParameterDef name=”console_logname” cfgmethod=”chcons” reboot=”true” />
<ParameterDef name=”console_logsize” cfgmethod=”chcons” reboot=”true” />
with the following profile:
<Parameter name=”console_device” value=”/dev/vty0”/>

<Parameter name=”console_logname” value=”/var/adm/ras/conslog” />
<Parameter name=”console_logverb” value=”9” />
This catalog would generate the following command line for the set nextboot operation:
/usr/sbin/chcons –a ’console_logname’=’/var/adm/ras/conslog’ –a ’console_logverb’=’9’ /dev/vty0

The %f1[name] and %f2[name] sequences
The %f1[name] and %f2[name] sequences are substituted with the name of temporary file created before
the command is executed. The file content is the value of parameter name for %f1[name] and the second
value of parameter name for %f2[name]. The %f2[name] sequence can only be used for <Diff>
operations.
The %t[class] sequences

The %t[class] sequence is substituted with the name of the target instance being treated for target class.
The %t[class] sequence is used for parameters that apply to a specific object, not to the whole system. An
example of this is the chuser command, whose parameters apply to a specific user (root, guest) for a
specific registry (files, LDAP). The catalog for the chuser command could be written as follows:
<CfgMethod id=”chuser”>
<Command>/usr/bin/chuser –R %t[module]%a %t[user]</Command>
<Argument> %n=%v1</Argument>
</Set>
</CfgMethod>
<ParameterDef name=”shell” cfgmethod=”chuser” targetClass=”module,user”>
<ParameterDef name=”histsize” cfgmethod=”chuser” targetClass=”module,user” />
With the following profile, which sets the shell and histsize parameters for users adam and bob in the
LDAP and files registries:
<Parameter name=”shell” value=”/usr/bin/ksh”>

<Target class=”module” instance=”LDAP” />
<Target class=”user” instance=”adam” />
</Parameter>
<Parameter name=”histsize” value=”5000”>
</Parameter>
<Parameter name=”shell” value=”/usr/bin/ksh”>
<Target class=”module” instance=”files” />
</Parameter>
</Parameter>
<Parameter name=”shell” value=”/usr/bin/bash”>
<Target class=”user” instance=”bob” />
</Parameter>
</Parameter>
<Parameter name=”shell” value=”/usr/bin/bash”>
</Parameter>
</Parameter>
It would execute the following commands:
/usr/bin/chuser –R ’LDAP’ ’shell’=’/usr/bin/ksh’ ’histsize’=’5000’ ’adam’

/usr/bin/chuser –R ’files’ ’shell’=’/usr/bin/ksh’ ’histsize’=’5000’ ’adam’
/usr/bin/chuser –R ’LDAP’ ’shell’=’/usr/bin/bash’ ’histsize’=’10000’ ’bob’
/usr/bin/chuser –R ’files’ ’shell’=’/usr/bin/bash’ ’histsize’=’10000’ ’bob’
Notice how four commands were generated. The reason is that the %t[module] and %t[user] sequences
were used in the <Command> string, meaning that each command is specific to a particular module and
user. Because of this, only parameters that apply to the same module and user are grouped together.

The %p[name] sequence
The %p[name] sequence is substituted with the value specified in the input profile for property name. For
example, the following prerequisite uses the %p[nodeId] sequence to check that the node id of the local
system (returned by the uname –f command) matches the node id stored in the nodeId property of the
profile:
<PrereqDef id="nodeId">
</PrereqDef>
The %c sequence
The %c sequence is substituted with the id of the catalog file that the parameter belongs to. This is the
catalog id specified in the profile, which can be different from the id of the catalog that actually defines
the parameter if catalog inheritance is used.
For example, the following prerequisite uses the %c sequence to check that the uniquetype of the target
device matches the name of the catalog file:
<PrereqDef id="devUniqueType">
<Command>[[ "devParam.`/usr/sbin/lsdev -F uniquetype -l %t[device] | /usr/bin/tr / .`" =
%c ]]</Command>
<ErrMessage>Parameter cannot be applied to a different device type</ErrMessage>
</PrereqDef>
Commands and processes

A command is a request to perform an operation or run a program. A process is a program or command
that is actually running on the computer.
You use commands to tell the operating system what task you want it to perform. When commands are
entered, they are deciphered by a command interpreter (also known as a shell), and that task is
processed.
The operating system can run many different processes at the same time.
The operating system allows you to manipulate the input and output (I/O) of data to and from your
system by using specific I/O commands and symbols. You can control input by specifying the location
from which to gather data. For example, you can specify to read input entered on the keyboard (standard
input) or to read input from a file. You can control output by specifying where to display or store data. For
example, you can specify to write output data to the screen (standard output) or to write it to a file.
Commands
Some commands can be entered simply by typing one word. It is also possible to combine commands so
that the output from one command becomes the input for another command.
Combining commands so that the output from one command becomes the input for another command is
known as piping.
Flags further define the actions of commands. A flag is a modifier used with the command name on the
command line, usually preceded by a dash.
Commands can also be grouped together and stored in a file. These files are known as shell procedures or
shell scripts. Instead of executing the commands individually, you execute the file that contains the
commands.
To enter a command, type the command name at the prompt, and press Enter.
$ CommandName
Related concepts
Shell features

There are advantages to using the shell as an interface to the system.
Related tasks
Creating and running a shell script
A shell script is a file that contains one or more commands. Shell scripts provide an easy way to carry out
tedious commands, large or complicated sequences of commands, and routine tasks. When you enter the
name of a shell script file, the system executes the command sequence contained by the file.
Command syntax and command names

Although some commands can be entered by simply typing one word, other commands use flags and
parameters. Each command has a syntax that designates both the required and optional flags and
parameters.
The general format for a command is as follows:
CommandName flag(s) parameter(s)
The following are some general rules about commands:

• Spaces between commands, flags, and parameters are significant.
• Two commands can be entered on the same line by separating the commands with a semicolon (;). For
example:
$ CommandOne;CommandTwo
The shell runs the commands sequentially.

• Commands are case-sensitive. The shell distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters. To
the shell, print is not the same as PRINT or Print.
• A very long command can be entered on more than one line by using the backslash (\) character. A
backslash signifies line continuation to the shell. The following example is one command that spans two
lines:
$ ls Mail info temp \

(press Enter)
> diary
(the > prompt appears)
The > character is your secondary prompt ($ is the nonroot user's default primary prompt), indicating
that the current line is the continuation of the previous line. Note that csh (the C shell) gives no
secondary prompt, and the break must be at a word boundary, and its primary prompt is %.
The first word of every command is the command name. Some commands have only a command name.
Command flags
A number of flags might follow the command name. Flags modify the operation of a command and are
sometimes called options.
A flag is set off by spaces or tabs and usually starts with a dash (-). Exceptions are ps, tar, and ar, which
do not require a dash in front of some of the flags. For example, in the following command:
ls -a -F
ls is the command name, and -a -F are the flags.

When a command uses flags, they come directly after the command name. Single-character flags in a
command can be combined with one dash. For example, the previous command can also be written as
follows:
ls -aF

There are some circumstances when a parameter actually begins with a dash (-). In this case, use the
delimiter dash dash (—) before the parameter. The — tells the command that whatever follows is not a flag
but a parameter.
For example, if you want to create a directory named -tmp and you type the following command:
mkdir -tmp
The system displays an error message similar to the following:
mkdir: Not a recognized flag: t

Usage: mkdir [-p] [-m mode] Directory ...
The correct way of typing the command is as follows:
mkdir -- -tmp
Your new directory, -tmp, is now created.
Command parameters
After the command name, there might be a number of flags, followed by parameters. Parameters are
sometimes called arguments or operands. Parameters specify information that the command needs in
order to run.
If you do not specify a parameter, the command might assume a default value. For example, in the
following command:
ls -a temp
ls is the command name, -a is the flag, and temp is the parameter. This command displays all (-a) the
files in the directory temp.
In the following example:
ls -a
the default value is the current directory because no parameter is given.

In the following example:
ls temp mail
no flags are given, and temp and mail are parameters. In this case, temp and mail are two different
directory names. The ls command displays all but the hidden files in each of these directories.
Whenever a parameter or option-argument is, or contains, a numeric value, the number is interpreted as a
decimal integer, unless otherwise specified. Numerals in the range 0 to INT_MAX, as defined in the /usr/
include/sys/limits.h file, are syntactically recognized as numeric values.
If a command you want to use accepts negative numbers as parameters or option-arguments, you can
use numerals in the range INT_MIN to INT_MAX, both as defined in the /usr/include/sys/limits.h
file. This does not necessarily mean that all numbers within that range are semantically correct. Some
commands have a built-in specification permitting a smaller range of numbers, for example, some of the
print commands. If an error is generated, the error message lets you know the value is out of the
supported range, not that the command is syntactically incorrect.
Usage statements
Usage statements are a way to represent command syntax and consist of symbols such as brackets ([ ]),
braces ({ }), and vertical bars (|).
The following is a sample of a usage statement for the unget command:
unget [ -rSID ] [ -s ] [ -n ] File ...
The following conventions are used in the command usage statements:

• Items that must be entered literally on the command line are in bold. These items include the
command name, flags, and literal characters.
• Items representing variables that must be replaced by a name are in italics. These items include
parameters that follow flags and parameters that the command reads, such as Files and Directories.
• Parameters enclosed in brackets are optional.
• Parameters enclosed in braces are required.
• Parameters not enclosed in either brackets or braces are required.
• A vertical bar signifies that you choose only one parameter. For example, [ a | b ] indicates that you can
choose a, b, or nothing. Similarly, { a | b } indicates that you must choose either a or b.
• Ellipses ( ... ) signify the parameter can be repeated on the command line.
• The dash ( - ) represents standard input.
Shutdown command
If you have root user authority, you can use the shutdown command to stop the system. If you are not
authorized to use the shutdown command, simply log out of the operating system and leave it running.
Attention: Do not turn off the system without first shutting down. Turning off the system ends all
processes running on the system. If other users are working on the system, or if jobs are running in
the background, data might be lost. Perform proper shutdown procedures before you stop the
system.
At the prompt, type the following:
shutdown
When the shutdown command completes and the operating system stops running, you receive the
following message:
....Shutdown completed....
See the shutdown command for the complete syntax.
Locating another command or program (whereis command)

The whereis command locates the source, binary, and manuals sections for specified files. The
command attempts to find the desired program from a list of standard locations.
• To find files in the current directory that have no documentation, type the following:
whereis -m -u *
• To find all of the files that contain the name Mail, type the following:
whereis Mail
Mail: /usr/bin/Mail /usr/lib/Mail.rc
See the whereis command in the Commands Reference, Volume 6 for the complete syntax.
Displaying information about a command (man command)

The man command displays information on commands, subroutines, and files.
The general format for the man command is as follows:
man CommandName

To obtain information about the pg command, type the following:
man pg
pg Command
Purpose
Formats files to the display.
Syntax
pg [ - Number ] [ -c ] [ -e ] [ -f ] [ -n ] [ -p String ]
[ -s ] [ +LineNumber | +/Pattern/ ] [ File ... ]
Description
The pg command reads a file name from the File parameter and
writes the file to standard output one screen at a time. If you
specify a - (dash) as the File parameter, or run the pg command
without options, the pg command reads standard input. Each
screen is followed by a prompt. If you press the Enter key,
another page is displayed. Subcommands used with the pg command
let you review or search in the file.
See the man command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
Displaying the function of a command (whatis command)

The whatis command looks up a given command, system call, library function, or special file name, as
specified by the Command parameter, from a database you create using the catman -w command.
For information about the catman -w command, see catman -w. The whatis command displays the
header line from the manual section. You can then issue the man command to obtain additional
information. For more information about the man command, see man.
The whatis command is equivalent to using the man -f command.
To find out what the ls command does, type the following:
whatis ls
ls(1) -Displays the contents of a directory.
See the whatis command in the Commands Reference, Volume 6 for the complete syntax.
Listing previously entered commands (history command)

Use the history command to list commands that you have previously entered.
The history command is a Korn shell built-in command that lists the last 16 commands entered. The
Korn shell saves commands that you entered to a command history file, usually named
$HOME/.sh_history. Using this command saves time when you need to repeat a previous command.
By default, the Korn shell saves the text of the last 128 commands for nonroot users and 512 commands
for the root user. The history file size (specified by the HISTSIZE environment variable) is not limited,
although a very large history file size can cause the Korn shell to start slowly.
Note: The Bourne shell does not support command history.
To list the previous commands you entered, at the prompt, type the following:
history

The history command entered by itself lists the previous 16 commands entered. The system displays
information similar to the following:
928 ls
929 mail
930 printenv MAILMSG
931 whereis Mail
932 whatis ls
933 cd /usr/include/sys
934 ls
935 man pg
936 cd
937 ls | pg
938 lscons
939 tty
940 ls *.txt
942 pwd
943 history
The listing first displays the position of the command in the $HOME/.sh_history file followed by the
command.
To list the previous five commands, at the prompt, type the following:
history -5
A listing similar to the following is displayed:
939 tty
940 ls *.txt
942 pwd
943 history
944 history -5
The history command followed by a number lists all the previous commands entered, starting at that
number.
To list the commands since 938, at the prompt, type the following:
history 938
A listing similar to the following is displayed:
938 lscons
939 tty
940 ls *.txt
942 pwd
943 history
944 history -5
945 history 938
Related concepts
Operating system shells
Your interface to the operating system is called a shell.
Command history substitution
Use the fc built-in command to list or edit portions of the history file. To select a portion of the file to edit
or list, specify the number or the first character or characters of the command.
Repeating commands using the r alias

Use the r Korn shell alias to repeat previous commands.
Type r, and press Enter, and you can specify the number or the first character or characters of the
command.

If you want to list the displays currently available on the system, type lsdisp at the prompt. The system
returns the information on the screen. If you want the same information returned to you again, at the
prompt, type the following:
The system runs the most recently entered command again. In this example, the lsdisp command runs.
To repeat the ls *.txt command, at the prompt, type the following:
r ls
The r Korn shell alias locates the most recent command that begins with the character or characters
specified.
String substitution using the r alias

You can use the r Korn shell alias to modify a command before it is run.
In this case, a substitution parameter of the form Old=new can be used to modify the command before it
is run.
The following examples show how to use the r alias:
• If command line 940 is ls *.txt, and you want to run ls *.exe, at the prompt, type the following:
r txt=exe 940
This runs command 940, substituting exe for txt.

• If the command on line 940 is the most recent command that starts with a lowercase letter l, you can
also type the following:
r txt=exe l
Note: Only the first occurrence of the Old string is replaced by the New string. Entering the r Korn shell
alias without a specific command number or character performs the substitution on the immediately
previous command entered.
Editing the command history

Use the fc Korn shell built-in command to list or edit portions of the command history file.
To select a portion of the file to edit or list, specify the number or the first character or characters of the
command. You can specify a single command or range of commands.
If you do not specify an editor program as an argument to the fc Korn shell built-in command, the editor
specified by the FCEDIT variable is used. If the FCEDIT variable is not defined, the /usr/bin/ed editor is
used. The edited command or commands are printed and run when you exit the editor. Use the
printenv command to display the value of the FCEDIT variable.
The following are examples of how to edit the command history:
• If you want to run the command:
cd /usr/tmp
which is very similar to command line 933, at the prompt, type the following:
fc 933
At this point, your default editor appears with the command line 933. Change include/sys to tmp,
and when you exit your editor, the edited command is run.
• You can also specify the editor you want to use in the fc command. For example, if you want to edit a
command using the /usr/bin/vi editor, at the prompt, type the following:
fc -e vi 933

At this point, the vi editor appears with the command line 933.
• You can also specify a range of commands to edit. For example, if you want to edit the commands 930
through 940, at the prompt, type the following:
fc 930 940
At this point, your default editor appears with the command lines 930 through 940. When you exit the
editor, all the commands that appear in your editor are run sequentially.
Creating a command alias (alias shell command)

An alias lets you create a shortcut name for a command, file name, or any shell text. By using aliases, you
save a lot of time when doing tasks you do frequently. You can create a command alias.
Use the alias Korn shell built-in command to define a word as an alias for some command. You can use
aliases to redefine built-in commands but not to redefine reserved words.
The first character of an alias name can be any printable character except the metacharacters. Any
remaining characters must be the same as for a valid file name.
The format for creating an alias is as follows:
alias Name=String
in which the Name parameter specifies the name of the alias, and the String parameter specifies a string
of characters. If String contains blank spaces, enclose it in quotation marks.
The following are examples how to create an alias:
• To create an alias for the command rm -i (prompts you before deleting files), at the prompt, type the
following:
alias rm="/usr/bin/rm -i"
In this example, whenever you enter the command rm, the actual command performed
is /usr/bin/rm -i.
• To create an alias named dir for the command ls -alF | pg (which displays detailed information of
all the files in the current directory, including the invisible files; marks executable files with an * and
directories with a /; and scrolls per screen), at the prompt, type the following:
alias dir="/usr/bin/ls -alF | pg"
In this example, whenever you enter the command dir, the actual command performed
is /usr/bin/ls -alF | pg.
• To display all the aliases you have, at the prompt, type the following:
alias
rm="/usr/bin/rm -i"
dir="/usr/bin/ls -alF | pg"
Related concepts
Command aliasing in the Korn shell or POSIX shell
The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, allows you to create aliases to customize commands.
International character support in text formatting

You can use text formatting commands to work with text composed of the international extended
character set used for European languages.
The international extended character set provides the characters and symbols used in many European
languages, as well as an ASCII subset composed of English-language characters, digits, and punctuation.

All characters in the European extended character set have ASCII forms. These forms can be used to
represent the extended characters in input, or the characters can be entered directly with a device such
as a keyboard that supports the European extended characters.
The following text-formatting commands support all international languages that use single-byte
characters. These commands are located in /usr/bin. (The commands identified with an asterisk (*)
support text processing for multibyte languages.
addbib* hyphen pic* pstext

checkmm ibm3812 ps4014 refer*
checknr* ibm3816 ps630 roffbib*
col* ibm5587G* psbanne soelim*
colcrt ibm5585H-T* psdit sortbib*
deroff* indxbib* psplot tbl*
enscript lookbib* psrev troff*
eqn* makedev* psroff vgrind
grap* neqn* psrv xpreview*
hplj nroff*
Text-formatting commands and macro packages not in the preceding list have not been enabled to
process international characters.
Related concepts
Multibyte character support in text formatting
Certain text formatting commands can be used to process text for multibyte languages.
Text formatting with extended single-byte characters

If your input device supports characters from the European-language extended character set, you can
enter them directly.
Otherwise, use the following ASCII escape sequence form to represent these characters:
The form \[N], where N is the 2- or 4-digit hexadecimal code for the character.
Note: The NCesc form \<xx> is no longer supported.
Text containing extended characters is output according to the formatting conventions of the language in
use. Characters that are not defined for the interface to a specific output device produce no output or
error indication.
Although the names of the requests, macro packages, and commands are based on English, most of them
can accept input (such as file names and parameters) containing characters in the European extended
character set.
For the nroff and troff commands and their preprocessors, the command input must be ASCII, or an
unrecoverable syntax error will result. International characters, either single-byte or multibyte, can be
entered when enclosed within quotation marks and within other text to be formatted. For example, using
macros from the pic command:
define foobar % SomeText %
After the define directive, the specified name, foobar, must be ASCII. However, the replacement text,
SomeText, can contain non-ASCII characters.
Multibyte character support in text formatting

Certain text formatting commands can be used to process text for multibyte languages.
These commands are identified with an asterisk (*) in the list under International character support in
text formatting. Text formatting commands not in the list have not been enabled to process international
characters.
If supported by your input device, multibyte characters can be entered directly. Otherwise, you can enter
any multibyte character in the ASCII form \[N], where N is the 2-, 4-, 6-, 7-, or 8-digit hexadecimal
encoding for the character.

Although the names of the requests, macros, and commands are based on English, most of them can
accept input (such as file names and parameters) containing any type of multibyte character.
If you are already familiar with using text-formatting commands with single-byte text, the following list
summarizes characteristics that are noteworthy or unique to the multibyte locales:
• Text is not hyphenated.
• Special format types are required for multibyte numerical output. Japanese format types are available.
• Text is output in horizontal lines, filled from left to right.
• Character spacing is constant, so characters automatically align in columns.
• Characters that are not defined for the interface to a specific output device produce no output or error
indication.
Related concepts
International character support in text formatting
You can use text formatting commands to work with text composed of the international extended
character set used for European languages.
Displaying a Calendar
You can write a calendar to standard output by using the cal command.
The Month parameter names the month for which you want the calendar. It can be a number from 1
through 12 for January through December, respectively. If no Month is specified, the cal command
defaults to the current month.
The Year parameter names the year for which you want the calendar. Because the cal command can
display a calendar for any year from 1 through 9999, type the full year rather than just the last two digits.
If no Year is specified, the cal command defaults to the present year.
The following are examples of how to use the cal command:
1. To display a calendar for February 2002 at your workstation, type:
cal 2 2002
2. Press Enter.
3. To print a calendar for the year 2002, type:
cal 2002 | qprt
4. Press Enter.
See the cal command in Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Displaying reminder messages

You can display a reminder message by reading a file named calendar. This file is created in your home
directory with the calendar command. The command writes to standard output any line in the file that
contains today's or tomorrow's date.
You can read a file named calendar, which you create in your home directory with the calendar
command. The command writes to standard output any line in the file that contains today's or tomorrow's
date.
The calendar command recognizes date formats such as Dec. 7 or 12/7. It also recognizes the special
character asterisk (*) when it is followed by a slash (/). It interprets */7, for example, as signifying the
seventh day of every month.
On Fridays, the calendar command writes all lines containing the dates for Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
and Monday. The command does not, however, recognize holidays. On holidays the command functions
as usual and gives only the next day's schedule.

Using a typical calendar file
A typical calendar file might look similar to the following:
*/25 - Prepare monthly report

Aug. 12 - Fly to Denver
aug 23 - board meeting
Martha out of town - 8/23, 8/24, 8/25
8/24 - Mail car payment
sat aug/25 - beach trip
August 27 - Meet with Simmons
August 28 - Meet with Wilson
To run the calendar command, type:
calendar
If today is Friday, August 24, the calendar command displays the following:
*/25 - Prepare monthly report

Martha out of town - 8/23, 8/24, 8/25
8/24 - Mail car payment
sat aug/25 - beach trip
August 27 - Meet with Simmons
Using a calendar file that contains an include statement

A calendar file that contains an include statement might look like the following:
#include </tmp/out>
1/21 -Annual review
1/21 -Weekly project meeting
1/22 *Meet with Harrison in Dallas*
Doctor's appointment - 1/23
1/23 -Vinh's wedding
To run the calendar command, type:
calendar
If today is Wednesday, January 21, the calendar command displays the following:
Jan.21 Goodbye party for David

Jan.22 Stockholder meeting in New York
1/21 -Annual review
1/21 -Weekly project meeting
1/22 *Meet with Harrison in Dallas*
The results of the calendar command indicate the /tmp/out file contained the following lines:
Jan.21 Goodbye party for David

Jan.22 Stockholder meeting in New York
See the calendar command in Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Factoring a Number
You can factor numbers with the factor command.
When called without specifying a value for the Number parameter, the factor command waits for you to
enter a positive number less than 1E14 (100,000,000,000,000). It then writes the prime factors of that
number to standard output. It displays each factor in order and the proper number of times if the same
factor is used more than once. To exit, enter 0 (zero) or any non-numeric character.
When called with an argument, the factor command determines the prime factors of the Number
parameter, writes the results to standard output, and exits.
The following is an example of how to calculate factors:

1. To calculate the prime factors of the number 123, type:
factor 123
2. Press Enter. The following displays:
123 3 41
See the factor command in Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Locating a command by keyword

You can display the man page sections that contain any of the given Keywords in their title by using the
apropos command.
The apropos command considers each word separately is not case-sensitive. Words that are part of
other words are also displayed. For example, when looking for the word compile, the apropos command
also finds all instances of the word compiler.
Note: The database containing the keywords is /usr/share/man/whatis, which must first be
generated with the catman -w command.
The apropos command is equivalent to using the man command with the -k option.
For example, to find the manual sections that contain the word password in their titles, run the following
command:
apropos password
See the apropos command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Setting up a reminder to leave

You can have the system remind you to leave at a specified time with the leave command.
The leave command reminds you to leave at 5 minutes and 1 minute before the actual time, then again
at the specified time, and at every minute thereafter. When you log out, the leave command exits just
before it would have displayed the next message.
If you do not specify a time, the leave command prompts with the At what time do you need to
leave? message. A reply of newline causes the leave command to exit; otherwise, the reply is
assumed to be a time. This form is suitable for inclusion in a .login or .profile file.
Enter the time in the hhmm format. All times are converted to a 12-hour clock and assumed to relate to
the next 12 hours. You can use the + flag to set the number of hours and minutes from the current time
for the alarm to occur.
Note: The leave command ignores interrupt, quit, and terminate operations. To clear the leave
command, either log out or use the kill -9 command and provide the process ID.
For example, to remind yourself to leave at 3:45, type the following and press Enter:
leave 345
To remind yourself to leave in 20 minutes, type the following and press Enter:
leave +0020
Processes
A program or command that is actually running on the computer is referred to as a process.
Processes exist in parent-child hierarchies. A process started by a program or command is a parent
process; a child process is the product of the parent process. A parent process can have several child
processes, but a child process can have only one parent.
The system assigns a process identification number (PID number) to each process when it starts. If you
start the same program several times, it will have a different PID number each time.

When a process is started on a system, the process uses a part of the available system resources. When
more than one process is running, a scheduler that is built into the operating system gives each process a
share of the computer's time, based on established priorities. These priorities can be changed by using
the nice or renice commands.
Note: To change a process priority to a higher one, you must have root user authority. All users can lower
priorities on a process they start by using the nice command or on a process they have already started,
by using the renice command.
The following list describes the types of processes:
Foreground and background processes
Processes that require a user to start them or to interact with them are called foreground processes.
Processes that are run independently of a user are referred to as background processes. Programs
and commands run as foreground processes by default. To run a process in the background, place an
ampersand (&) at the end of the command name that you use to start the process.
Daemon processes
Daemons are processes that run unattended. They are constantly in the background and are available
at all times. Daemons are usually started when the system starts, and they run until the system stops.
A daemon process typically performs system services and is available at all times to more than one
task or user. Daemon processes are started by the root user or root shell and can be stopped only by
the root user. For example, the qdaemon process provides access to system resources such as
printers. Another common daemon is the sendmail daemon.
Zombie processes
A zombie process is a dead process that is no longer executing but is still recognized in the process
table (in other words, it has a PID number). It has no other system space allocated to it. Zombie
processes have been killed or have exited and continue to exist in the process table until the parent
process dies or the system is shut down and restarted. Zombie processes display as <defunct>
when listed by the ps command.
Process startup
You start a foreground process from a display station by either entering a program name or command
name at the system prompt.
After a foreground process has started, the process interacts with you at your display station until it is
complete. No other interaction (for example, entering another command) can take place at the display
station until the process is finished or you halt it.
A single user can run more than one process at a time, up to a default maximum of 40 processes per user.
Starting a process in the foreground
To start a process in the foreground, enter the name of the command with the appropriate parameters
and flags:
$ CommandName
Starting a process in the background

To run a process in the background, type the name of the command with the appropriate parameters
and flags, followed by an ampersand (&):
$ CommandName&
When a process is running in the background, you can perform additional tasks by entering other
commands at your display station.
Generally, background processes are most useful for commands that take a long time to run.
However, because they increase the total amount of work the processor is doing, background
processes can slow down the rest of the system.

Most processes direct their output to standard output, even when they run in the background. Unless
redirected, standard output goes to the display device. Because the output from a background
process can interfere with your other work on the system, it is usually good practice to redirect the
output of a background process to a file or a printer. You can then look at the output whenever you are
ready.
Note: Under certain circumstances, a process might generate its output in a different sequence when
run in the background than when run in the foreground. Programmers might want to use the fflush
subroutine to ensure that output occurs in the correct order regardless of whether the process runs in
foreground or background.
While a background process is running, you can check its status with the ps command.
Command to check the process status (ps command)

Any time the system is running, processes are also running. You can use the ps command to find out
which processes are running and display information about those processes.
The ps command has several flags that enable you to specify which processes to list and what
information to display about each process.
To show all processes running on your system, at the prompt, type the following:
ps -ef
USER PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMD

root 1 0 0 Jun 28 - 3:23 /etc/init
root 1588 6963 0 Jun 28 - 0:02 /usr/etc/biod 6
root 2280 1 0 Jun 28 - 1:39 /etc/syncd 60
mary 2413 16998 2 07:57:30 - 0:05 aixterm
mary 11632 16998 0 07:57:31 lft/1 0:01 xbiff
mary 16260 2413 1 07:57:35 pts/1 0:00 /bin/ksh
mary 16469 1 0 07:57:12 lft/1 0:00 ksh /usr/lpp/X11/bin/xinit
mary 19402 16260 20 09:37:21 pts/1 0:00 ps -ef
The columns in the previous output are defined as follows:
Item Description
USER User login name
PID Process ID
PPID Parent process ID
C CPU utilization of process
STIME Start time of process
TTY Controlling workstation for the process
TIME Total execution time for the process
CMD Command
In the previous example, the process ID for the ps -ef command is 19402. Its parent process ID is
16260, the /bin/ksh command.
If the listing is very long, the top portion scrolls off the screen. To display the listing one page (screen) at a
time, pipe the ps command to the pg command. At the prompt, type the following:
ps -ef | pg
To display status information of all processes running on your system, at the prompt, type the following:
ps gv

This form of the command lists a number of statistics for each active process. Output from this command
looks similar to the following:
PID TTY STAT TIME PGIN SIZE RSS LIM TSIZ TRS %CPU %MEM COMMAND
0 - A 0:44 7 8 8 xx 0 0 0.0 0.0 swapper
1 - A 1:29 518 244 140 xx 21 24 0.1 1.0 /etc/init
771 - A 1:22 0 16 16 xx 0 0 0.0 0.0 kproc
1028 - A 0:00 10 16 8 xx 0 0 0.0 0.0 kproc
1503 - A 0:33 127 16 8 xx 0 0 0.0 0.0 kproc
1679 - A 1:03 282 192 12 32768 130 0 0.7 0.0 pcidossvr
2089 - A 0:22 918 72 28 xx 1 4 0.0 0.0 /etc/sync
2784 - A 0:00 9 16 8 xx 0 0 0.0 0.0 kproc
2816 - A 5:59 6436 2664 616 8 852 156 0.4 4.0 /usr/lpp/
3115 - A 0:27 955 264 128 xx 39 36 0.0 1.0 /usr/lib/
3451 - A 0:00 0 16 8 xx 0 0 0.0 0.0 kproc
3812 - A 0:00 21 128 12 32768 34 0 0.0 0.0 usr/lib/lpd/
3970 - A 0:00 0 16 8 xx 0 0 0.0 0.0 kproc
4267 - A 0:01 169 132 72 32768 16 16 0.0 0.0 /etc/sysl
4514 lft/0 A 0:00 60 200 72 xx 39 60 0.0 0.0 /etc/gett
4776 pts/3 A 0:02 250 108 280 8 303 268 0.0 2.0 -ksh
5050 - A 0:09 1200 424 132 32768 243 56 0.0 1.0 /usr/sbin
5322 - A 0:27 1299 156 192 xx 24 24 0.0 1.0 /etc/cron
5590 - A 0:00 2 100 12 32768 11 0 0.0 0.0 /etc/writ
5749 - A 0:00 0 208 12 xx 13 0 0.0 0.0 /usr/lpp/
6111 - T 0:00 66 108 12 32768 47 0 0.0 0.0 /usr/lpp/
See the ps command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Setting the initial priority of a process (nice command)

You can set the initial priority of a process to a value lower than the base scheduling priority.
To set the initial priority of a process to a value lower than the base scheduling priority, use the nice
command to start the process.
Note: To run a process at a higher priority than the base scheduling priority, you must have root user
authority.
To set the initial priority of a process, type the following:
nice -n Number CommandString
where Number is in the range of 0 to 39, with 39 being the lowest priority. The nice value is the decimal
value of the system-scheduling priority of a process. The higher the number, the lower the priority. If you
use zero, the process will run at its base scheduling priority. CommandString is the command and flags
and parameters you want to run.
See the nice command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
You can also use the smit nice command to perform this task.
Changing the priority of a running process (renice command)

You can change the scheduling priority of a running process to a value lower or higher than the base
scheduling priority by using the renice command from the command line. This command changes the
nice value of a process.
Note: To run a process at a higher priority or to change the priority for a process that you did not start, you
must have root user authority.
To change the priority of a running process, type the following:
renice Priority -p ProcessID
where Priority is a number in the range of -20 to 20. The higher the number, the lower the priority. If you
use zero, the process will run at its base scheduling priority. ProcessID is the PID for which you want to
change the priority.
You can also use the smit renice command to perform this task.

Foreground process cancellation
If you start a foreground process and then decide that you do not want it to finish, you can cancel it by
pressing INTERRUPT. This is usually Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Backspace.
Note: INTERRUPT (Ctrl-C) does not cancel background processes. To cancel a background process, you
must use the kill command.
Most simple commands run so quickly that they finish before you have time to cancel them. The examples
in this section, therefore, use a command that takes more than a few seconds to run: find / -type f.
This command displays the path names for all files on your system. You do not need to study the find
command in order to complete this section; it is used here simply to demonstrate how to work with
processes.
In the following example, the find command starts a process. After the process runs for a few seconds,
you can cancel it by pressing the INTERRUPT key:
$ find / -type f
/usr/sbin/acct/lastlogin
/usr/sbin/acct/prctmp
/usr/sbin/acct/prdaily
/usr/sbin/acct/runacct
/usr/sbin/acct/sdisk
/usr/sbin/acct/shutacct INTERRUPT (Ctrl-C)
$ _
The system returns the prompt to the screen. Now you can enter another command.
Related tasks
List of control key assignments for your terminal (stty command)
To display your terminal settings, use the stty command. Note especially which keys your terminal uses
for control keys.
Keyboard command to stop a foreground process

It is possible for a process to be stopped but not have its process ID (PID) removed from the process
table. You can stop a foreground process by pressing Ctrl-Z from the keyboard.
Note: Ctrl-Z works in the Korn shell (ksh) and C shell (csh), but not in the Bourne shell (bsh).
Restarting a stopped process

This procedure describes how to restart a process that has been stopped with a Ctrl-Z.
Note: Ctrl-Z works in the Korn shell (ksh) and C shell (csh), but not in the Bourne shell (bsh). To restart a
stopped process, you must either be the user who started the process or have root user authority.
1. To show all the processes running or stopped but not those killed on your system, type the following:
ps -ef
You might want to pipe this command through a grep command to restrict the list to those processes
most likely to be the one you want to restart. For example, if you want to restart a vi session, you
could type the following:
ps -ef | grep vi
This command would display only those lines from the ps command output that contained the word
vi. The output would look something like this:
UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME COMMAND

root 1234 13682 0 00:59:53 - 0:01 vi test
root 14277 13682 1 01:00:34 - 0:00 grep vi
2. In the ps command output, find the process you want to restart and note its PID number. In the
example, the PID is 1234.
3. To send the CONTINUE signal to the stopped process, type the following:

kill -19 1234
Substitute the PID of your process for the 1234. The -19 indicates the CONTINUE signal. This
command restarts the process in the background. If the process can run in the background, you are
finished with the procedure. If the process must run in the foreground (as a vi session would), you
must proceed with the next step.
4. To bring the process in to the foreground, type the following:
fg 1234
Once again, substitute the PID of your process for the 1234. Your process should now be running in
the foreground. (You are now in your vi edit session).
Scheduling a process for later operation

You can set up a process as a batch process to run in the background at a scheduled time.
The at and smit commands let you enter the names of commands to be run at a later time and allow you
to specify when the commands should be run.
Note: The /var/adm/cron/at.allow and /var/adm/cron/at.deny files control whether you can
use the at command. A person with root user authority can create, edit, or delete these files. Entries in
these files are user login names with one name to a line. The following is an example of an at.allow file:
root
nick
dee
sarah
If the at.allow file exists, only users whose login names are listed in it can use the at command. A
system administrator can explicitly stop a user from using the at command by listing the user's login
name, in the at.deny file. If only the at.deny file exists, any user whose name does not appear in the
file can use the at command.
You cannot use the at command if any one of the following is true:
• The at.allow file and the at.deny file do not exist (allows root user only).
• The at.allow file exists but the user's login name is not listed in it.
• The at.deny file exists and the user's login name is listed in it.
If the at.allow file does not exist and the at.deny file does not exist or is empty, only someone with
root user authority can submit a job with the at command.
The at command syntax allows you to specify a date string, a time and day string, or an increment string
for when you want the process to run. It also allows you to specify which shell or queue to use. The
following examples show some typical uses of the command.
For example, if your login name is joyce and you have a script named WorkReport that you want to run
at midnight, do the following:
1. Type the time you want the program to start running:
at midnight
2. Type the names of the programs to run, pressing Enter after each name. After typing the surname,
press the end-of-file character (Ctrl-D) to signal the end of the list.
WorkReport^D
After you press Ctrl-D, the system displays information similar to the following:
job joyce.741502800.a at Fri Jul 6 00:00:00 CDT 2002.
The program WorkReport is given the job number joyce.741502800.a and will run at midnight,
July 6.

3. To list the programs you have sent to be run later, type the following:
at -l
joyce.741502800.a Fri Jul 6 00:00:00 CDT 2002
See the at command for the complete syntax.

Related tasks
Listing all scheduled processes (at or atq command)
Use the -l flag with the at command or with the atq command to list all scheduled processes.
Removing a process from the schedule
You can remove a scheduled process with the at command using the -r flag.

Both commands give the same output; however, the atq command can order the processes in the same
amount of time that the at command is issued and displays only the number of processes in the queue.
You can list all scheduled processes in the following ways:
• With the at command from the command line
• With the atq command
at command
To list the scheduled processes, type the following:
at -l
This command lists all the scheduled processes in your queue. If you are a root user, this command
lists all the scheduled processes for all users. For complete details of the syntax, see the at
command.
atq command
See the following examples on how to use the atq command:
• To list all scheduled processes in the queue, type the following:
atq
• If you are a root user, you can list the scheduled processes in a particular user's queue by typing:
atq UserName
• To list the number of scheduled processes in the queue, type the following:
atq -n
Related tasks

See the following example on how to use the at or atq command:
1. To remove a scheduled process, you must know its process number.

You can obtain the process number by using the at -l command or the atq command.
2. When you know the number of the process you want to remove, type the following:
at -r ProcessNumber
You can also use the smit rmat command to perform this task.
Related tasks
Removing a background process (kill command)

If INTERRUPT does not halt your foreground process or if you decide, after starting a background
process, that you do not want the process to finish, you can cancel the process with the kill command.
Before you can cancel a process using the kill command, you must know its PID number. The general
format for the kill command is as follows:
kill ProcessID
Note:
• To remove a process, you must have root user authority or be the user who started the process. The
default signal to a process from the kill command is -15 (SIGTERM).
• To remove a zombie process, you must remove its parent process.
1. Use the ps command to determine the process ID of the process you want to remove. You might want
to pipe this command through a grep command to list only the process you want. For example, if you
want the process ID of a vi session, you could type the following:
ps -l | grep vi
2. In the following example, you issue the find command to run in the background. You then decide to
cancel the process. Issue the ps command to list the PID numbers.
$ find / -type f > dir.paths &

[1] 21593
$ ps
PID TTY TIME COMMAND
1627 pts3 0:00 ps
5461 pts3 0:00 ksh
17565 pts3 0:00 -ksh
21593 pts3 0:00 find / -type f
$ kill 21593
$ ps
PID TTY TIME COMMAND
1627 pts3 0:00 ps
5461 pts3 0:00 ksh
17565 pts3 0:00 -ksh
[1] + Terminated 21593 find / -type f > dir.paths &
The command kill 21593 ends the background find process, and the second ps command returns
no status information about PID 21593. The system does not display the termination message until
you enter your next command, unless that command is cd.
The kill command lets you cancel background processes. You might want to do this if you realize
that you have mistakenly put a process in the background or that a process is taking too long to run.
See the kill command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
The kill command can also used in smit by typing:
smit kill

Command summary for commands and processes
The following are commands for commands and processes.
Table 55. Command summary for commands

Item Description
alias Shell command that prints a list of aliases to standard output
history Shell command that displays the history event list
man Displays information about commands, subroutines, and files online
whatis Describes the function a command performs
whereis Locates the source, binary, or manual for installed programs
Table 56. Command summary for processes

Item Description
at Runs commands at a later time, lists all scheduled processes, or removes a process from
the schedule
atq Displays the queue of jobs waiting to be run
kill Sends a signal to running processes
nice Runs a command at a lower or higher priority
ps Shows current status of processes
renice Alters priority of running processes
Managing system hang

System hang management allows users to run mission-critical applications continuously while improving
application availability. System hang detection alerts the system administrator of possible problems and
then allows the administrator to log in as root or to reboot the system to resolve the problem.
shconf command
The shconf command is invoked when System Hang Detection is enabled. The shconf command
configures which events are surveyed and what actions are to be taken if such events occur. You can
specify any of the following actions, the priority level to check, the time out while no process or thread
executes at a lower or equal priority, the terminal device for the warning action, and the getty command
action:
• Log an error in errlog file
• Display a warning message on the system console (alphanumeric console) or on a specified TTY
• Reboot the system
• Give a special getty to allow the user to log in as root and launch commands
• Launch a command
For the Launch a command and Give a special getty options, system hang detection launches the
special getty command or the specified command at the highest priority. The special getty command
prints a warning message that it is a recovering getty running at priority 0. The following table captures
the various actions and the associated default parameters for priority hang detection. Only one action is
enabled for each type of detection.
Option Enablement Priority Timeout (seconds)

Log an error in errlog file disabled 60 120
Display a warning message disabled 60 120

Option Enablement Priority Timeout (seconds)
Give a recovering getty enabled 60 120
Launch a command disabled 60 120
Reboot the system disabled 39 300
Note: When Launch a recovering getty on a console is enabled, the shconf command adds the -u flag
to the getty command in the inittab that is associated with the console login.
For lost IO detection, you can set the time out value and enable the following actions:
Option Enablement
Display a warning message disabled
Reboot the system disabled
shdaemon daemon
The shdaemon daemon is a process that is launched by init and runs at priority 0 (zero). It is in charge
of handling system hang detection by retrieving configuration information, initiating working structures,
and starting detection times set by the user.
Related concepts
Priority hang detection
AIX can detect system hang conditions and try to recover from such situations, based on user-defined
actions.
Lost I/O hang detection
actions.
Configuring system hang detection

You can manage the system hang detection configuration from the SMIT management tool.
SMIT menu options allow you to enable or disable the detection mechanism, display the current state of
the feature, and change or show the current configuration. The fast paths for system hang detection
menus are:
smit shd
Manage System Hang Detection
smit shstatus
System Hang Detection Status
smit shpriocfg
Change/Show Characteristics of Priority Problem Detection
smit shreset
Restore Default Priority Problem Configuration
smit shliocfg
Change/Show Characteristics of Lost I/O Detection
smit shlioreset
Restore Default Lost I/O Detection Configuration
You can also manage system hang detection using the shconf command.
Priority hang detection

actions.
All processes (also known as threads) run at a priority. This priority is numerically inverted in the range
0-126. Zero is highest priority and 126 is the lowest priority. The default priority for all threads is 60. The

priority of a process can be lowered by any user with the nice command. Anyone with root authority can
also raise a process's priority.
The kernel scheduler always picks the highest priority runnable thread to put on a CPU. It is therefore
possible for a sufficient number of high priority threads to completely tie up the machine such that low
priority threads can never run. If the running threads are at a priority higher than the default of 60, this
can lock out all normal shells and logins to the point where the system appears hung.
The System Hang Detection feature provides a mechanism to detect this situation and allow the system
administrator a means to recover. This feature is implemented as a daemon (shdaemon) that runs at the
highest process priority. This daemon queries the kernel for the lowest priority thread run over a specified
interval. If the priority is above a configured threshold, the daemon can take one of several actions. Each
of these actions can be independently enabled, and each can be configured to trigger at any priority and
over any time interval. The actions and their defaults are:
Action Default Default Default Default

Enabled Priority Timeout Device
1) Log an error no 60 2
2) Console message no 60 2 /dev/console
3) High priority yes 60 2 /dev/tty0
login shell
4) Run a command at no 60 2
high priority
5) Crash and reboot no 39 5
Related concepts
Lost I/O hang detection

actions.
Because of I/O errors, the I/O path can become blocked and further I/O on that path is affected. In these
circumstances it is essential that the operating system alert the user and execute user defined actions. As
part of the Lost I/O detection and notification, the shdaemon, with the help of the Logical Volume
Manager, monitors the I/O buffers over a period of time and checks whether any I/O is pending for too
long a period of time. If the wait time exceeds the threshold wait time defined by the shconf file, a lost
I/O is detected and further actions are taken. The information about the lost I/O is documented in the
error log. Also based on the settings in the shconf file, the system might be rebooted to recover from the
lost I/O situation.
For lost I/O detection, you can set the time out value and also enable the following actions:
Action Default Enabled Default Device

Console message no /dev/console
Crash and reboot no -
For more information on system hang detection, see “Managing system hang ” on page 140.
Related concepts

Process management
The process is the entity that the operating system uses to control the use of system resources. Threads
can control processor-time consumption, but most system management tools still require you to refer to
the process in which a thread is running, rather than to the thread itself.
Tools are available to:
• Observe the creation, cancellation, identity, and resource consumption of processes
– The ps command is used to report process IDs, users, CPU-time consumption, and other attributes.
– The who -u command reports the shell process ID of logged-on users.
– The svmon command is used to report process real-memory consumption. (See Performance Toolbox
Version 3: Guide and Reference for information on the svmon command.)
– The acct command mechanism writes records at process termination summarizing the process's
resource use.
• Control the priority level at which a process contends for the CPU.
– The nice command causes a command to be run with a specified process priority.
– The renice command changes the priority of a given process.
• Terminate processes that are out of control.
– The kill command sends a termination signal to one or more processes.
Process monitoring
You, as the system administrator, can manage processes.
The ps command is the primary tool for observing the processes in the system. Most of the flags of the ps
command fall into one of two categories:
• Flags that specify which types of processes to include in the output
• Flags that specify which attributes of those processes are to be displayed
The most widely useful variants of ps for system-management purposes are:
Item Description
ps -ef Lists all nonkernel processes, with the userid, process ID, recent CPU usage, total
CPU usage, and the command that started the process (including its parameters).
ps -fu UserID Lists all of the processes owned by UserID, with the process ID, recent CPU
usage, total CPU usage, and the command that started the process (including its
parameters).
To identify the current heaviest users of CPU time, you could enter:
ps -ef | egrep -v "STIME|$LOGNAME" | sort +3 -r | head -n 15
This command lists, in descending order, the 15 most CPU-intensive processes other than those owned
by you.
For more specialized uses, the following two tables are intended to simplify the task of choosing ps flags
by summarizing the effects of the flags.

Process-Specifying Flags
-A -a -d -e -G -g -k -p -t -U -u a g t x
All Y - - - - - - - - - Y - -
processes
Not - Y - - - - - - - - - - -
processes
group
leaders and
not
associated
with a
terminal
Not process - - Y - - - - - - - - - -
group
leaders
Not kernel - - - Y - - - - - - - - -
processes
Members of - - - - Y - - - - - - - -
specified-
process
groups
Kernel - - - - - Y - - - - - - -
processes
Those - - - - - - Y - - - - - -
specified in
process
number list
Those - - - - - - - Y (n - - - Y (1 -
associated ttys) tty)
with tty(s) in
the list
Specified - - - - - - - - Y - - - -
user
processes
Processes - - - - - - - - - Y - - -
with
terminals
Not - - - - - - - - - - - - Y
associated
with a tty
Column-Selecting Flags
Default1 -f -l -U Default2 e l s u v
-u
PID Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
TTY Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
TIME Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Column-Selecting Flags (continued)
Default1 -f -l -U Default2 e l s u v
-u
CMD Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
USER - Y - - - - - - Y -
UID - - Y Y - - Y - - -
PPID - Y Y - - - Y - - -
C - Y Y - - - Y - - -
STIME - Y - - - - - - Y -
F - - Y - - - - - - -
S/STAT - - Y - Y Y Y Y Y Y
PIR - - Y - - - Y - - -
NI/NICE - - Y - - - Y - - -
ADDR - - Y - - - Y - - -
SIZE - - - - - - - - Y -
SZ - Y - - - Y - Y - -
WCHAN - - Y - - - Y - - -
RSS - - - - - - Y - Y Y
SSIZ - - - - - - - Y - -
%CPU - - - - - - - - Y Y
%MEM - - - - - - - - Y Y
PGIN - - - - - - - - - Y
LIM - - - - - - - - - Y
TSIZ - - - - - - - - - Y
TRS - - - - - - - - - Y
Environment (following the - - - - - Y - - - -
command)
If ps is given with no flags or with a process-specifying flag that begins with a minus sign, the columns
displayed are those shown for Default1. If the command is given with a process-specifying flag that does
not begin with minus, Default2 columns are displayed. The -u or -U flag is both a process-specifying and
column-selecting flag.
The following are brief descriptions of the contents of the columns:
Item Description
PID Process ID
TTY Terminal or pseudo-terminal associated with the process
TIME Cumulative CPU time consumed, in minutes and seconds
CMD Command the process is running
USER Login name of the user to whom the process belongs

Item Description
UID Numeric user ID of the user to whom the process belongs
PPID ID of the parent process of this process
C Recently used CPU time
STIME Time the process started, if less than 24 hours. Otherwise the date the process is
started
F Eight-character hexadecimal value describing the flags associated with the process
(see the detailed description of the ps command)
S/STAT Status of the process (see the detailed description of the ps command)
PRI Current priority value of the process
NI/NICE Nice value for the process
ADDR Segment number of the process stack
SIZE (-v flag) The virtual size of the data section of the process (in kilobytes)
SZ (-l and l flags) The size in kilobytes of the core image of the process.
WCHAN Event on which the process is waiting
RSS Sum of the numbers of working-segment and code-segment pages in memory times
4
SSIZ Size of the kernel stack
%CPU Percentage of time since the process started that it was using the CPU
%MEM Nominally, the percentage of real memory being used by the process, this measure
does not correlate with any other memory statistics
PGIN Number of page ins caused by page faults. Since all I/O is classified as page faults,
this is basically a measure of I/O volume
LIM Always xx
TSIZ Size of the text section of the executable file
TRS Number of code-segment pages times 4
Environment Value of all the environment variables for the process
Process priority alteration

Basically, if you have identified a process that is using too much CPU time, you can reduce its effective
priority by increasing its nice value with the renice command.
For example:
renice +5 ProcID
The nice value of the ProcID's would increase process from the normal 20 of a foreground process to 25.
You must have root authority to reset the process ProcID's nice value to 20. Type:
renice -5 ProcID
Process termination
Normally, you use the kill command to end a process.
The kill command sends a signal to the designated process. Depending on the type of signal and the
nature of the program that is running in the process, the process might end or might keep running. The
signals you send are:

Item Description
SIGTERM (signal 15) is a request to the program to terminate. If the program has a signal handler for
SIGTERM that does not actually terminate the application, this kill may have no effect.
This is the default signal sent by kill.
SIGKILL (signal 9) is a directive to kill the process immediately. This signal cannot be caught or
ignored.
It is typically better to issue SIGTERM rather than SIGKILL. If the program has a handler for SIGTERM, it
can clean up and terminate in an orderly fashion. Type:
kill -term ProcessID
(The -term could be omitted.) If the process does not respond to the SIGTERM, type:
kill -kill ProcessID
You might notice occasional defunct processes, also called zombies, in your process table. These
processes are no longer executing, have no system space allocated, but still retain their PID number. You
can recognize a zombie process in the process table because it displays <defunct> in the CMD column.
For example:
UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMD

.
.
.
lee 22392 20682 0 Jul 10 - 0:05 xclock
lee 22536 21188 0 Jul 10 pts/0 0:00 /bin/ksh
lee 23526 22536 22 0:00 <defunct>
lee 24334 20682 0 Jul 10 ? 0:00 aixterm
lee 24700 1 0 Jul 16 ? 0:00 aixterm
root 25394 26792 2 Jul 16 pts/2 0:00 ksh
root 27024 25394 2 17:10:44 pts/2 0:00 ps -ef
Zombie processes continue to exist in the process table until the parent process dies or the system is
shut down and restarted. In the example shown above, the parent process (PPID) is the ksh command.
When the Korn shell is exited, the defunct process is removed from the process table.
Sometimes a number of these defunct processes collect in your process table because an application has
forked several child processes and has not exited. If this becomes a problem, the simplest solution is to
modify the application so its sigaction subroutine ignores the SIGCHLD signal.
Related information
sigaction command
Binding or unbinding a process

You can bind a process to a processor or unbind a previously bound process.
You must have root user authority to bind or unbind a process you do not own.
On multiprocessor systems, you can bind a process to a processor or unbind a previously bound process
from:
• SMIT
• command line
Note: While binding a process to a processor might lead to improved performance for the bound
process (by decreasing hardware-cache misses), overuse of this facility could cause individual
processors to become overloaded while other processors are under used. The resulting bottlenecks
could reduce overall throughput and performance. During normal operations, it is better to let the
operating system assign processes to processors automatically, distributing system load across all
processors. Bind only those processes that you know can benefit from being run on a single processor.

Binding or Unbinding a Process Tasks
Binding a Process smit bindproc bindprocessor -q
Unbinding a Process smit ubindproc bindprocessor -u
Fixes for stalled or unwanted processes

Stalled or unwanted processes can cause problems with your terminal. Some problems produce
messages on your screen that give information about possible causes.
To perform the following procedures, you must have either a second terminal, a modem, or a network
login. If you do not have any of these, fix the terminal problem by rebooting your machine.
Choose the appropriate procedure for fixing your terminal problem:
Freeing a terminal taken over by processes

You can stop stalled or unwanted process.
Identify and stop stalled or unwanted processes by doing the following:
1. Determine the active processes running on the screen by typing the following ps command:
ps -ef | pg
The ps command shows the process status. The -e flag writes information about all processes (except
kernel processes), and the f flag generates a full listing of processes including what the command
name and parameters were when the process was created. The pg command limits output to a single
page at a time, so information does not quickly scroll off the screen.
Suspicious processes include system or user processes that use up excessive amounts of a system
resource such as CPU or disk space. System processes such as sendmail, routed, and lpd frequently
become runaways. Use the ps -u command to check CPU usage.
2. Determine who is running processes on this machine by using the who command:
who
The who command displays information about all users currently on this system, such as login name,
workstation name, date, and time of login.
3. Determine if you need to stop, suspend, or change the priority of a user process.
Note: You must have root authority to stop processes other than your own. If you terminate or change
the priority of a user process, contact the process owner and explain what you have done.
• Stop the process using the kill command. For example:
kill 1883
The kill command sends a signal to a running process. To stop a process, specify the process ID
(PID), which is 1883 in this example. Use the ps command to determine the PID number of
commands.
• Suspend the process and run it in the background by using the ampersand (&). For example:
/u/bin1/prog1 &
The & signals that you want this process to run in the background. In a background process, the
shell does not wait for the command to complete before returning the shell prompt. When a process
requires more than a few seconds to complete, run the command in background by typing an & at
the end of the command line. Jobs running in the background appear in the normal ps command.
• Change the priority of the processes that have taken over by using the following renice command:
renice 20 1883

The renice command alters the scheduling priority of one or more running processes. The higher
the number, the lower the priority with 20 being the lowest priority.
In the previous example, renice reschedules process number 1883 to the lowest priority. It will
run when there is a small amount of unused processor time available.
Responding to screen messages

Use this procedure to respond to and recover from screen messages.
1. Make sure the DISPLAY environment variable is set correctly. Use either of the following methods to
check the DISPLAY environment:
• Use the setsenv command to display the environment variables.
setsenv
The setsenv command displays the protected state environment when you logged in.
Determine if the DISPLAY variable has been set. In the following example, the DISPLAY variable
does not appear, which indicates that the DISPLAY variable is not set to a specific value.
SYSENVIRON:
NAME=casey
TTY=/dev/pts/5
LOGNAME=casey
LOGIN=casey
OR
• Change the value of the DISPLAY variable. For example, to set it to the machine named bastet and
terminal 0, enter:
DISPLAY=bastet:0
export DISPLAY
If not specifically set, the DISPLAY environment variable defaults to unix:0 (the console). The
value of the variable is in the format name:number where name is the host name of a particular
machine, and number is the X server number on the named system.
2. Reset the terminal to its defaults using the following stty command:
stty sane
The stty sane command restores the “sanity” of the terminal drivers. The command outputs an
appropriate terminal resetting code from the /etc/termcap file (or /usr/share/lib/terminfo if
available).
3. If the Return key does not work correctly, reset it by typing:
^J stty sane ^J
The ^J represents the Ctrl-J key sequence.
Running multiple queues using environment variables RT_MPC and RT_GRQ

The use of multiple queues increases the processor affinity of threads, but there is a special situation
where you might want to counteract this effect.
When there is only one run queue, a thread that has been awakened (the waking thread) by another
running thread (the waker thread) would normally be able to use the CPU immediately on which the
waker thread was running. With multiple run queues, the waking thread may be on the run queue of
another CPU which cannot notice the waking thread until the next scheduling decision. This may result in
up to a 10 ms delay.
This is similar to scenarios in earlier releases of this operating system which might have occurred using
the bindprocessor option. If all CPUs are constantly busy, and there are a number of interdependent
threads waking up, there are two options available.

• The first option, which uses one run queue, is to set the environment variable RT_GRQ=ON which forces
unbound selected threads to be dispatched off the global run queue.
• Alternatively, users can choose the real time kernel option (type the command bosdebug -R on and
then bosboot) and the RT_MPC=ON environment variable for selected processes. It is essential to
maintain a performance log of your systems to closely monitor the impact of any tuning you attempt.
System accounting
The system accounting utility allows you to collect and report on individual and group use of various
system resources.
This accounting information can be used to bill users for the system resources they utilize, and to monitor
selected aspects of the system operation. To assist with billing, the accounting system provides the
resource-usage totals defined by members of the adm group, and, if the chargefee command is
included, factors in the billing fee.
The accounting system also provides data to assess the adequacy of current resource assignments, set
resource limits and quotas, forecast future needs, and order supplies for printers and other devices.
The following information should help you understand how to implement the accounting utility in your
system.
Accounting data reports

After the various types of accounting data are collected, the records are processed and converted into
reports.
Accounting commands automatically convert records into scientific notation when numbers become
large. A number is represented in scientific notation in the following format:
Basee+Exp
Basee-Exp
which is the number equal to the Base number multiplied by 10 to the +Exp or -Exp power. For example,
the scientific notation 1.345e+9 is equal to 1.345x109, or 1,345,000,000. And the scientific notation
1.345e-9 is equal to 1.345x10-9 or, 0.000000001345.
Related concepts
Process accounting data
The Accounting system collects data on resource usage for each process as it runs.
Daily accounting reports

To generate a daily report, use the runacct command.
This command summarizes data into an ASCII file named /var/adm/acct/sum(x)/rprtMMDD. MMDD
specifies the month and day the report is run. The report covers the following:
• Daily report
• Daily Usage report
• Daily Command Summary
• Monthly Total Command Summary
• Last Login
Daily report
Daily accounting reports contain data on connect-time, processes, disk usage, printer usage, and fees to
charge.
The acctmerg command merges raw accounting data on connect-time, processes, disk usage, printer
usage, and fees to charge into daily reports. Called by the runacct command as part of its daily
operation, the acctmerg command produces the following:
/var/adm/acct/nite(x)/dacct
An intermediate report that is produced when one of the input files is full.

/var/adm/acct/sum(x)/tacct
A cumulative total report in tacct format. This file is used by the monacct command to produce the
ASCII monthly summary.
The acctmerg command can convert records between ASCII and binary formats and merge records from
different sources into a single record for each user. For more information about the acctmerg command,
see acctmerg.
The first line of the Daily report begins with the start and finish times for the data collected in the report, a
list of system-level events including any existing shutdowns, reboots, and run-level changes. The total
duration is also listed indicating the total number of minutes included within the accounting period
(usually 1440 minutes, if the report is run every 24 hours). The report contains the following information:
Item Description
LINE Console, tty, or pty In use
MINUTES Total number of minutes the line was in use
PERCENT Percentage of time in the accounting period that the line was in use
# SESS Number of new login sessions started
# ON Same as # SESS
# OFF Number of logouts plus interrupts made on the line
Daily Usage accounting report

The Daily Usage report is a summarized report of system usage per user ID during the accounting period.
Some fields are divided into prime and non-prime time, as defined by the accounting administrator in
the /usr/lib/acct/holidays directory. The report contains the following information:
Item Description
UID User ID
LOGIN NAME User name
CPU (PRIME/NPRIME) Total CPU time for all of the user's processes in minutes
KCORE (PRIME/NPRIME) Total memory used by running processes, in kilobyte-minutes
CONNECT (PRIME/NPRIME) Total connect time (how long the user was logged in) in minutes
DISK BLOCKS Average total amount of disk space used by the user on all
filesystems for which accounting is enabled
FEES Total fees entered with chargefee command
# OF PROCS Total number of processes belonging to this user
# OF SESS Number of distinct login sessions for this user
# DISK SAMPLES Number of times disk samples were run during the accounting
period. If no DISK BLOCKS are owned, the value will be zero
Daily Command Summary accounting report

The Daily Command Summary report shows each command executed during the accounting period, with
one line per each unique command name.
The table is sorted by TOTAL KCOREMIN (described below), with the first line including the total
information for all commands. The data listed for each command is cumulative for all executions of the
command during the accounting period. The columns in this table include the following information:
Item Description
COMMAND NAME Command that was executed

Item Description
NUMBER CMDS Number of times the command executed
TOTAL KCOREMIN Total memory used by running the command, in kilobyte-minutes
TOTAL CPU-MIN Total CPU time used by the command in minutes
TOTAL REAL-MIN Total real time elapsed for the command in minutes
MEAN SIZE-K Mean size of memory used by the command per CPU minute
MEAN CPU-MIN Mean numbr of CPU minutes per execution of the command
HOG FACTOR Measurement of how much the command hogs the CPU while it is active. It is
the ratio of TOTAL CPU-MIN over TOTAL REAL-MIN
CHARS TRNSFD Number of characters transferred by the command with system reads and
writes
BLOCKS READ Number of physical block reads and writes performed by the command
Monthly Total Command Summary accounting report

The Monthly Total Command Summary, created by the monacct command, provides information about
all commands executed since the previous monthly report.
The fields and information mean the same as those in the Daily Command Summary.
Last login
The Last Login report displays two fields for each user ID. The first field is YY-MM-DD and indicates the
most recent login for the specified user. The second field is the name of the user account.
A date field of 00-00-00 indicates that the user ID has never logged in.
Accounting report summary

You can generate a report that summarizes raw accounting data.
To summarize raw accounting data, use the sa command. This command reads the raw accounting data,
usually collected in the /var/adm/pacct file, and the current usage summary data in the /var/adm/
savacct file, if summary data exists. It combines this information into a new usage summary report and
purges the raw data file to make room for further data collection.
Prerequisites
The sa command requires an input file of raw accounting data such as the pacct file (process accounting
file). To collect raw accounting data, you must have an accounting system set up and running.
Procedure
The purpose of the sa command is to summarize process accounting information and to display or store
that information. The simplest use of the command displays a list of statistics about every process that
has run during the life of the pacct file being read. To produce such a list, type:
/usr/sbin/sa
To summarize the accounting information and merge it into the summary file, type:
/usr/sbin/sa -s
The sa command offers many additional flags that specify how the accounting information is processed
and displayed. See the sa command description for more information.
Related tasks
Setting up an accounting system

You can set up an accounting system.
Monthly report
You can generate a Monthly accounting report.
Called by the cron daemon, the monacct command produces the following:
Item Description
/var/adm/acct/fiscal A periodic summary report produced from the /var/adm/acct/sum/
tacct report by the monacct command. The monacct command can
be configured to run monthly or at the end of a fiscal period.
Connect-time reports
Accounting records include login, logout, system-shutdown, and lastlogin records.
The runacct command calls two commands, acctcon1 and acctcon2, to process the login, logout, and
system-shutdown records that collect in the /var/adm/wtmp file. The acctcon1 command converts
these records into session records and writes them to the /var/adm/acct/nite(x)/lineuse file. The
acctcon2 command then converts the session records into a total accounting record, /var/adm/
logacct, that the acctmerg command adds to daily reports. For information about these commands,
see runacct, acctcon1, and acctcon2.
If you run the acctcon1 command from the command line, you must include the -l flag to produce the
line-use report, /var/adm/acct/nite(x)/lineuse. To produce an overall session report for the
accounting period, /var/adm/acct/nite(x)/reboots, use the acctcon1 command with the -o flag.
The lastlogin command produces a report that gives the last date on which each user logged in. For
information about the lastlogin command, see lastlogin.
Related concepts
Connect-time accounting data
Connect-time data is collected by the init command and the login command.
Disk-usage accounting data
Much accounting information is collected as the resources are consumed. The dodisk command, run as
specified by the cron daemon, periodically writes disk-usage records for each user to the /var/adm/
acct/nite(x)/dacct file.
Disk-usage accounting report

The disk-usage records collected in the /var/adm/acct/nite(x)/dacct file are merged into the daily
accounting reports by the acctmerg command.
For information about the acctmerg command, see acctmerg.
Printer-Usage accounting report

The ASCII record in the /var/adm/qacct file can be converted to a total accounting record to be added
to the daily report by the acctmerg command.
For information about the acctmerg command, see acctmerg.
Related concepts
Printer-usage accounting data
The collection of printer-usage data is a cooperative effort between the enq command and the queuing
daemon.
Fee accounting report

If you used the chargefee command to charge users for services such as file restores, consulting, or
materials, an ASCII total accounting record is written in the /var/adm/fee file. This file is added to the
daily reports by the acctmerg command.
For information about the chargefee and acctmerg commands, see chargefee and acctmerg.

Related concepts
Fee accounting data
You can produce an ASCII total accounting record in the /var/adm/fee file.
Fiscal accounting reports

The Fiscal Accounting Reports generally collected monthly by using the monacct command.
The report is stored in /var/adm/acct/fiscal(x)/fiscrptMM where MM is the month that the
monacct command was executed. This report includes information similar to the daily reports
summarized for the entire month.
Accounting system activity reports

You can generate a report that shows Accounting system activity.
To generate a report on system activity, use the prtacct command. This command reads the
information in a total accounting file (tacct file format) and produces formatted output. Total accounting
files include the daily reports on connect time, process time, disk usage, and printer usage.
Prerequisites
The prtacct command requires an input file in the tacct file format. This implies that you have an
accounting system set up and running or that you have run the accounting system in the past.
Procedure
Generate a report on system activity by entering:
prtacct -f Specification -v Heading File
Specification is a comma-separated list of field numbers or ranges used by the acctmerg command. The
optional -v flag produces verbose output where floating-point numbers are displayed in higher precision
notation. Heading is the title you want to appear on the report and is optional. File is the full path name of
the total accounting file to use for input. You can specify more than one file.
Related tasks
Greater than eight character username support

In order to maintain backwards compatibility with all scripts, long username support is not enabled by
default within accounting. Instead, all user IDs are truncated to the first eight characters.
In order to enable long username support, most commands have been given the additional -X flag, which
allows them to accept and output greater than eight-character user IDs (in both ASCII and binary
formats). In addition, when long username support is enabled, commands and scripts will process files in
the /var/adm/acct/sumx, /var/adm/acct/nitex, and /var/adm/acct/fiscalx directories,
instead of using /var/adm/acct/sum, /var/adm/acct/nite, and /var/adm/acct/fiscal.
Accounting commands
The accounting commands function several different ways.
Some commands:
• Collect data or produce reports for a specific type of accounting: connect-time, process, disk usage,
printer usage, or command usage.
• Call other commands. For example, the runacct command, which is usually run automatically by the
cron daemon, calls many of the commands that collect and process accounting data and prepare
reports. To obtain automatic accounting, you must first configure the cron daemon to run the runacct
command. See the crontab command for more information about how to configure the cron daemon
to submit commands at regularly scheduled intervals. For information about these commands, see
runacct, cron daemon, and crontab.
• Perform maintenance functions and ensure the integrity of active data files.

• Enable members of the adm group to perform occasional tasks, such as displaying specific records, by
entering a command at the keyboard.
• Enable a user to display specific information. There is only one user command, the acctcom command,
which displays process accounting summaries.
Commands that run automatically

Several commands automatically collect accounting data.
Several commands usually run by the cron daemon automatically collect accounting data. These
commands are:
runacct
Handles the main daily accounting procedure. Normally initiated by the cron daemon during non-
prime hours, the runacct command calls several other accounting commands to process the active
data files and produce command and resource usage summaries, sorted by user name. It also calls
the acctmerg command to produce daily summary report files, and the ckpacct command to
maintain the integrity of the active data files.
ckpacct
Handles pacct file size. It is advantageous to have several smaller pacct files if you must restart the
runacct procedure after a failure in processing these records. The ckpacct command checks the
size of the /var/adm/pacct active data file, and if the file is larger than 500 blocks, the command
invokes the turnacct switch command to turn off process accounting temporarily. The data is
transferred to a new pacct file, /var/adm/pacct x. (x is an integer that increases each time a new
pacct file is created.) If the number of free disk blocks falls below 500, the ckpacct command calls
the turnacct off command to turn off process accounting.
dodisk
Calls the acctdisk command and either the diskusg command or the acctdusg command to write
disk-usage records to the /var/adm/acct/nite/dacct file. This data is later merged into the daily
reports.
dodisk
Calls the acctdisk command and either the diskusg command or the acctdusg command to write
disk-usage records to the /var/adm/acct/nite/dacct file. This data is later merged into the daily
reports.
monacct
Produces a periodic summary from daily reports.
sa1
Collects and stores binary data in the /var/adm/sa/sa dd file, where dd is the day of the month.
sa2
Writes a daily report in the/var/adm/sa/sadd file, where dd is the day of the month. The command
removes reports from the /var/adm/sa/sadd file that have been there longer than one week.
Other commands are run automatically by procedures other than the cron daemon:
startup
When added to the /etc/rc file, the startup command initiates startup procedures for the
accounting system.
shutacct
Records the time accounting was turned off by calling the acctwtmp command to write a line
to /var/adm/wtmp file. It then calls the turnacct off command to turn off process accounting.
Keyboard commands
A member of the adm group can enter the following commands from the keyboard.
ac
Prints connect-time records. This command is provided for compatibility with Berkeley Software
Distribution (BSD) systems.

acctcom
Displays process accounting summaries. This command is also available to users.
acctcon1
Displays connect-time summaries. Either the -l flag or the -o flag must be used.
accton
Turns process accounting on and off.
chargefee
Charges the user a predetermined fee for units of work performed. The charges are added to the daily
report by the acctmerg command.
fwtmp
Converts files between binary and ASCII formats.
last
Displays information about previous logins. This command is provided for compatibility with BSD
systems.
lastcomm
Displays information about the last commands that were executed. This command is provided for
compatibility with BSD systems.
lastlogin
Displays the time each user last logged in.
pac
Prepares printer/plotter accounting records. This command is provided for compatibility with BSD
systems.
prctmp
Displays a session record.
prtacct
Displays total accounting files.
sa
Summarizes raw accounting information to help manage large volumes of accounting information.
This command is provided for compatibility with BSD systems.
sadc
Reports on various local system actions, such as buffer usage, disk and tape I/O activity, TTY device
activity counters, and file access counters.
sar
Writes to standard output the contents of selected cumulative activity counters in the operating
system. The sar command reports only on local activities.
time
Prints real time, user time, and system time required to run a command.
timex
Reports in seconds the elapsed time, user time, and run time.
Related concepts
System data collection and reporting
You can set up the system to automatically collect data and generate reports.
Accounting files
The two main accounting directories are the /usr/sbin/acct directory, where all the C language
programs and shell procedures needed to run the accounting system are stored, and the /var/adm
directory, which contains the data, report and summary files.
The accounting data files belong to members of the adm group, and all active data files (such as wtmp and
pacct) reside in the adm home directory /var/adm.

Accounting data files
The following files are in the /var/adm directory.
Item Description
/var/adm/diskdiag Diagnostic output during the running of disk accounting
programs
/var/adm/dtmp Output from the acctdusg command
/var/adm/fee Output from the chargefee command, in ASCII tacct
records
/var/adm/pacct Active process accounting file
/var/adm/wtmp Active process accounting file
/var/adm/Spacct .mmdd Process accounting files for mmdd during the execution of
the runacct command.
Accounting report and summary files

Some subdirectories are needed before you enable the Accounting system.
Report and summary files reside in a /var/adm/acct subdirectory. You must create the following
subdirectories before the Accounting system is enabled.
/var/adm/acct/nite(x)
Contains files that the runacct command reuses daily
/var/adm/acct/sum(x)
Contains the cumulative summary files that the runacct command updates daily
/var/adm/acct/fiscal(x)
Contains the monthly summary files that the monacct command creates.
Related tasks
Starting the runacct command for accounting

You can start the runacct command.
Prerequisites
1. You must have the accounting system installed.
2. You must have root user or adm group authority.
Notes:
1. If you call the runacct command with no parameters, the command assumes that this is the first
time that the command has been run today. Therefore, you need to include the mmdd parameter when
you restart the runacct program, so that the month and day are correct. If you do not specify a state,
the runacct program reads the /var/adm/acct/nite(x)/statefile file to determine the entry
point for processing. To override the /var/adm/acct/nite(x)/statefile file, specify the desired
state on the command line.
2. When you perform the following task, you might need to use the full path name /usr/sbin/acct/
runacct rather than the simple command name, runacct.
Procedure
To start the runacct command, type the following:
nohup runacct 2> \

/var/adm/acct/nite/accterr &
This entry causes the command to ignore all INTR and QUIT signals while it performs background
processing. It redirects all standard error output to the /var/adm/acct/nite/accterr file.

Restarting the runacct command for Accounting
If the runacct command is unsuccessful, you can restart it.
The prerequisites for this procedure are:
• You must have the accounting system installed.
• You must have root user or adm group authority.
Note: The most common reason why the runacct command can fail are because:
• The system goes down.
• The /usr file system runs out of space.
• The /var/adm/wtmp file has records with inconsistent date stamps.
If the runacct command is unsuccessful, do the following:
1. Check the /var/adm/acct/nite(x)/active mmdd file for error messages.
2. If both the active file and lock files exist in acct/nite, check the accterr file, where error messages
are redirected when the cron daemon calls the runacct command.
3. Perform any actions needed to eliminate errors.
4. Restart the runacct command.
5. To restart the runacct command for a specific date, type the following:
nohup runacct 0601 2>> \

This restarts the runacct program for June 1 (0601). The runacct program reads the /var/adm/
acct/nite/statefile file to find out with which state to begin. All standard error output is
appended to the /var/adm/acct/nite/accterr file.
6. To restart the runacct program at a specified state, for example, the MERGE state, type the following:
nohup runacct 0601 MERGE 2>> \

runacct command files

The runacct command produces report and summary files.
The following report and summary files, produced by the runacct command, are of particular interest:
Item Description
/var/adm/acct/nite(x)/ Contains usage statistics for each terminal line on the system. This
lineuse report is especially useful for detecting bad lines. If the ratio between
the number of logouts and logins exceeds about 3 to 1, there is a
good possibility that a line is failing.
/var/adm/acct/nite(x)/ Contains the total accounting file for the previous day.
daytacct
/var/adm/acct/sum(x)/ Contains the accumulation of each day's nite/daytacct file and
tacct can be used for billing purposes. The monacct command restarts the
file each month or fiscal period.
/var/adm/acct/sum(x)/cms Contains the accumulation of each day's command summaries. The
monacct command reads this binary version of the file and purges it.
The ASCII version is nite/cms.
/var/adm/acct/sum(x)/ Contains the daily command summary. An ASCII version is stored in
daycms nite/daycms.
/var/adm/acct/sum(x)/ Contains a record of the last time each user ID was used.
loginlog

Item Description
/var/adm/acct/sum(x)/ This file contains a copy of the daily report saved by the runacct
rprt mmdd command.
Files in the /var/adm/acct/nite(x) directory

The following files are in the /var/adm/acct/nite(x) directory.
Item Description
active Used by the runacct command to record progress and print
warning and error messages. The file active. mmdd is a copy of the
active file made by the runacct program after it detects an error.
cms ASCII total command summary used by the prdaily command.
ctacct.mmdd Connect total accounting records.
ctmp Connect session records.
daycms ASCII daily command summary used by the prdaily command.
daytacct Total accounting records for one day.
dacct Disk total accounting records, created by the dodisk command.
accterr Diagnostic output produced during the execution of the runacct
command.
lastdate Last day the runacct executed, in date +%m%d format.
lock1 Used to control serial use of the runacct command.
lineuse tty line usage report used by the prdaily command.
log Diagnostic output from the acctcon1 command.
logmmdd Same as log after the runacct command detects an error.
reboots Contains beginning and ending dates from wtmp, and a listing of
system restarts.
statefile Used to record the current state during execution of the runacct
command.
tmpwtmp wtmp file corrected by the wtmpfix command.
wtmperror Contains wtmpfix error messages.
wtmperrmmdd Same as wtmperror after the runacct command detects an error.
wtmp.mmdd Contains previous day's wtmp file. Removed during the cleanup of
runacct command.
Files in the /var/adm/acct/sum(x) directory

The following files are in the /var/adm/acct/sum(x) directory.
Item Description
cms Total command summary file for the current fiscal period, in binary format.
cmsprev Command summary file without the latest update.
daycms Command summary file for the previous day, in binary format.
lastlogin File created by the lastlogin command.
pacct.mmdd Concatenated version of all pacct files for mmdd. This file is removed after system
startup by the remove command. For information about the remove command, see
remove.

Item Description
rprtmmdd Saved output of the prdaily command.
tacct Cumulative total accounting file for the current fiscal period.
tacctprev Same as tacct without the latest update.
tacctmmdd Total accounting file for mmdd.
Files in the /var/adm/acct/fiscal(x) directory

The following files are in the /var/adm/acct/fiscal(x) directory.
Item Description
cms? Total command summary file for the fiscal period, specified by ?, in binary format
fiscrpt? A report similar to that of the prdaily command for fiscal period, specified by ?, in binary
format
tacct? Total accounting file for fiscal period, specified by ?, in binary format.
Accounting file formats

The following table summarizes the accounting file output and formats.
Item Description
wtmp Produces the active process accounting file. The format of the wtmp file is defined in the
utmp.h file. For information about the utmp.h file, see utmp.h.
ctmp Produces connect session records. The format is described in the ctmp.h file.
pacct* Produces active process accounting records. The format of the output is defined in
the /usr/include/sys/acct.h file.
Spacct* Produces process accounting files for mmdd during the running of the runacct
command. The format of these files is defined in the sys/acct.h file.
daytacct Produces total accounting records for one day. The format of the file is defined in the
tacct file format.
sum/tacct Produces binary file that accumulates each day's command summaries. The format of
this file is defined in the /usr/include/sys/acct.h header file.
ptacct Produces concatenated versions of pacct files. The format of these files are defined in
the tacct file.
ctacct Produces connect total accounting records. The output of this file is defined in the
tacct file.
cms Produces total accounting command summary used by the prdaily command, in
binary format. The ASCII version is nite/cms.
daycms Daily command summary used by the prdaily command, in binary format. The ASCII
version is nite/daycms.
Administering system accounting

There are multiple tasks you can complete for system accounting. These tasks include setting up an
accounting system, showing CPU usage, and displaying accounting processes.

You must have root authority to complete this procedure.
The information below is an overview of the steps you must take to set up an accounting system. Refer to
the commands and files noted in these steps for more specific information.

1. Use the nulladm command to ensure that each file has the correct access permission: read (r) and
write (w) permission for the file owner and group and read (r) permission for others by typing:
/usr/sbin/acct/nulladm wtmp pacct
This provides access to the pacct and wtmp files.

2. Update the /etc/acct/holidays file to include the hours you designate as prime time and to reflect
your holiday schedule for the year.
Note: Comment lines can appear anywhere in the file as long as the first character in the line is an
asterisk (*).
a. To define prime time, fill in the fields on the first data line (the first line that is not a comment),
using a 24-hour clock. This line consists of three 4-digit fields, in the following order:
1) Current year
2) Beginning of prime time (hhmm)
3) End of prime time (hhmm)
Leading blanks are ignored. You can enter midnight as either 0000 or 2400.
For example, to specify the year 2000, with prime time beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00
p.m., enter:
2000 0800 1700
b. To define the company holidays for the yea, fill in the next data line. Each line contains four fields,
in the following order:
1) Day of the year
2) Month
3) Day of the month
4) Description of holiday
The day-of-the-year field contains the number of the day on which the holiday falls and must be a
number from 1 through 365 (366 on leap year). For example, February 1st is day 32. The other
three fields are for information only and are treated as comments.
A two-line example follows:
1 Jan 1 New Year's Day

332 Nov 28 Thanksgiving Day
3. Turn on process accounting by adding the following line to the /etc/rc file or by deleting the
comment symbol (#) in front of the line if it exists:
/usr/bin/su - adm -c /usr/sbin/acct/startup
The startup procedure records the time that accounting was turned on and cleans up the previous
day's accounting files.
4. Identify each file system you want included in disk accounting by adding the following line to the
stanza for the file system in the /etc/filesystems file:
account = true
5. Specify the data file to use for printer data by adding the following line to the queue stanza in
the /etc/qconfig file:
acctfile = /var/adm/qacct
6. As the adm user, create a /var/adm/acct/nite, a /var/adm/acct/fiscal, a and /var/adm/

acct/sum directory to collect daily and fiscal period records:

su - adm
cd /var/adm/acct
mkdir nite fiscal sum
exit
For long usernames, use the following commands instead:
su - adm
cd /var/adm/acct
mkdir nitex fiscalx sumx
exit
7. Set daily accounting procedures to run automatically by editing the /var/spool/cron/

crontabs/adm file to include the dodisk, ckpacct, and runacct commands.
For example:
0 2 * * 4 /usr/sbin/acct/dodisk
5 * * * * /usr/sbin/acct/ckpacct
0 4 * * 1-6 /usr/sbin/acct/runacct
2>/var/adm/acct/nite/accterr
For long usernames, add the following lines instead:
0 2 * * 4 /usr/sbin/acct/dodisk -X
5 * * * * /usr/sbin/acct/ckpacct
0 4 * * 1-6 /usr/sbin/acct/runacct -X
2>/var/adm/acct/nitex/accterr
The first line starts disk accounting at 2:00 a.m. (0 2) each Thursday (4). The second line starts a
check of the integrity of the active data files at 5 minutes past each hour (5 *) every day (*). The third
line runs most accounting procedures and processes active data files at 4:00 a.m. (0 4) every Monday
through Saturday (1-6). If these times do not fit the hours your system operates, adjust your entries.
Note: You must have root user authority to edit the /var/spool/cron/crontabs/adm file.
8. Set the monthly accounting summary to run automatically by including the monacct command in
the /var/spool/cron/crontabs/adm file.
For example, type:
15 5 1 * * /usr/sbin/acct/monacct
For long usernames, add the following line instead:
15 5 1 * * /usr/sbin/acct/monacct -X
Be sure to schedule this procedure early enough to finish the report. This example starts the
procedure at 5:15 a.m. on the first day of each month.
9. To submit the edited cron file, type:
crontab /var/spool/cron/crontabs/adm
Related concepts
Accounting system activity reports
You can generate a report that shows Accounting system activity.
Accounting report summary
You can generate a report that summarizes raw accounting data.
Related tasks
Displaying the process time of active Accounting processes
You can display the process time for active processes.
Displaying the process time of finished Accounting processes

You can display the process time of finished processes.
Showing the CPU usage for each accounting process
You can display formatted reports about the CPU usage by user with the acctprc1 command.
Showing the CPU accounting usage for each user
You can display a formatted report about the CPU usage by user with a combination of the acctprc1 and
prtacct commands.
Displaying printer or plotter usage accounting records
You can display printer or plotter usage accounting records with the pac command.
Related reference
Accounting report and summary files
Some subdirectories are needed before you enable the Accounting system.
Displaying Accounting system activity

You can display formatted information about system activity with the sar command.
To display system activity statistics, the sadc command must be running.
Note: The typical method of running the sadc command is to place an entry for the sa1 command in the
root crontab file. The sa1 command is a shell-procedure variant of the sadc command designed to
work with the cron daemon.
To display basic system-activity information, type:
sar 2 6
where the first number is the number of seconds between sampling intervals and the second number is
the number of intervals to display. The output of this command looks something like this:
arthurd 2 3 000166021000 05/28/92
14:03:40 %usr %sys %wio %idle

14:03:42 4 9 0 88
14:03:43 1 10 0 89
14:03:44 1 11 0 88
14:03:45 1 11 0 88
14:03:46 3 9 0 88
14:03:47 2 10 0 88
Average 2 10 0 88
The sar command also offers a number of flags for displaying an extensive array of system statistics. To
see all available statistics, use the -A flag. For a list of the available statistics and the flags for displaying
them, see the sar command.
Note: To have a daily system activity report written to /var/adm/sa/sadd, include an entry in the root
crontab file for the sa2 command. The sa2 command is a shell procedure variant for the sar command
designed to work with the cron daemon.
Showing Accounting system activity while running a command

You can display formatted information about system activity while a particular command is running.
The -o and -p flags of the timex command require that system accounting be turned on.
You can use the time and timex commands to display formatted information about system activity while
a particular command is running.
To display the elapsed time, user time, and system execution time for a particular command, type:
time CommandName
OR

timex CommandName
To display the total system activity (all the data items reported by the sar command) during the
execution of a particular command, type:
timex -s CommandName
The timex command has two additional flags. The -o flag reports the total number of blocks read or
written by the command and all of its children. The -p flag lists all of the process accounting records for a
command and all of its children.
Displaying the process time of active Accounting processes

You can display the process time for active processes.
The acctcom command reads input in the total accounting record form (acct file format). This implies
that you have process accounting turned on or that you have run process accounting in the past.
The ps command offers a number of flags to tailor the information displayed.
To produce a full list of all active processes except kernel processes, type:
ps -ef
You can also display a list of all processes associated with terminals. To do this, type:
ps -al
Both of these usages display a number of columns for each process, including the current CPU time for
the process in minutes and seconds.
Related tasks
Displaying the process time of finished Accounting processes

You can display the process time of finished processes.
The acctcom command reads input in the total accounting record form (acct file format). This implies
that you have process accounting turned on or that you have run process accounting in the past.
The process accounting functions are turned on with the startup command, which is typically started at
system initialization with a call in the /etc/rc file. When the process accounting functions are running, a
record is written to /var/adm/pacct (a total accounting record file) for every finished process that
includes the start and stop time for the process. You can display the process time information from a
pacct file with the acctcom command. This command has a number of flags that allow flexibility in
specifying which processes to display.
For example, to see all processes that ran for a minimum number of CPU seconds or longer, use the -O
flag, type:
acctcom -O 2
This displays records for every process that ran for at least 2 seconds. If you do not specify an input file,
the acctcom command reads input from the /var/adm/pacct directory.
Related tasks

Showing the CPU usage for each accounting process

You can display formatted reports about the CPU usage by user with the acctprc1 command.
The acctprc1 command requires input in the total accounting record form (acct file format). This
implies that you have process accounting turned on or that you have run process accounting in the past.
To produce a formatted report of CPU usage by process, type:
acctprc1 </var/adm/pacct
Related tasks
Showing the CPU accounting usage for each user

You can display a formatted report about the CPU usage by user with a combination of the acctprc1 and
prtacct commands.
The acctprc1, acctprc2, or accton Command command requires input in the total accounting record form
(acct file format). This implies that you have process accounting turned on or that you have run process
accounting in the past.
To show the CPU usage for each user, perform the following steps:
1. Produce an output file of CPU usage by process by typing:
acctprc1 </var/adm/pacct >out.file
The /var/adm/pacct file is the default output for process accounting records. You might want to
specify an archive pacct file instead.
2. Produce a binary total accounting record file from the output of the previous step by typing:
acctprc2 <out.file >/var/adm/acct/nite/daytacct
Note: The daytacct file is merged with other total accounting records by the acctmerg command to
produce the daily summary record, /var/adm/acct/sum(x)/tacct.
3. Use the Showing the CPU accounting usage for each user command to display a formatted report of
CPU usage summarized by the user by typing:
prtacct </var/adm/acct/nite/daytacct
Related tasks
Displaying connect time usage for accounting

You can display the connect time of all users, of individual users, and by individual login with the ac
command.
The ac command extracts login information from the /var/adm/wtmp file, so this file must exist. If the
file has not been created, the following error message is returned:
No /var/adm/wtmp
If the file becomes too full, additional wtmp files are created; you can display connect-time information
from these files by specifying them with the -w flag. For more information about the ac command, see ac.
To display the total connect time for all users, type:
/usr/sbin/acct/ac

This command displays a single decimal number that is the sum total connect time, in minutes, for all
users who have logged in during the life of the current wtmp file.
To display the total connect time for one or more particular users, type:
/usr/sbin/acct/ac User1 User2 ...
This command displays a single decimal number that is the sum total connect time, in minutes, for the
user or users you specified for any logins during the life of the current wtmp file.
To display the connect time by individual user plus the total connect time, type:
/usr/sbin/acct/ac -p User1 User2 ...
This command displays as a decimal number for each user specified equal to the total connect time, in
minutes, for that user during the life of the current wtmp file. It also displays a decimal number that is the
sum total connect time for all the users specified. If no user is specified in the command, the list includes
all users who have logged in during the life of the wtmp file.
Displaying disk space utilization for accounting

You can display disk space utilization information with the acctmerg command.
To display disk space utilization information, the acctmerg command requires input from a dacct file
(disk accounting). The collection of disk-usage accounting records is performed by the dodisk command.
To display disk space utilization information, type:
acctmerg -a1 -2,13 -h </var/adm/acct/nite(x)/dacct
This command displays disk accounting records, which include the number of 1 KB blocks utilized by
each user.
Note: The acctmerg command always reads from standard input and can read up to nine additional files.
If you are not piping input to the command, you must redirect input from one file; the rest of the files can
be specified without redirection.
Displaying printer or plotter usage accounting records

You can display printer or plotter usage accounting records with the pac command.
• To collect printer usage information, you must have an accounting system set up and running. See
“Setting up an accounting system” on page 160 for guidelines.
• The printer or plotter for which you want accounting records must have an acctfile= clause in the
printer stanza of the /etc/qconfig file. The file specified in the acctfile= clause must grant read
and write permissions to the root user or printq group.
• If the -s flag of the pac command is specified, the command rewrites the summary file name by
appending _sum to the path name specified by the acctfile= clause in the /etc/qconfig file. This
file must exist and grant read and write permissions to the root user or printq group.
To display printer usage information for all users of a particular printer, type:
/usr/sbin/pac -PPrinter
If you do not specify a printer, the default printer is named by the PRINTER environment variable. If the
PRINTER variable is not defined, the default is lp0.
To display printer usage information for particular users of a particular printer, type:
/usr/sbin/pac -PPrinter User1 User2 ...
The pac command offers other flags for controlling what information gets displayed.
Related tasks

Updating the holidays file

The Holidays file is out of date after the last holiday listed has passed or the year has changed. You can
update the Holidays file.
The acctcon1 command (started from the runacct command) sends mail to the root and adm
accounts when the /usr/lib/acct/holidays file gets out of date.
Update the out-of-date Holidays file by editing the /var/adm/acct/holidays file to differentiate
between prime and nonprime time.
Prime time is assumed to be the period when your system is most active, such as workdays. Saturdays
and Sundays are always nonprime times for the accounting system, as are any holidays that you list.
The holidays file contains three types of entries: comments, the year and prime-time period, and a list of
holidays as in the following example:
* Prime/Non-Prime Time Table for Accounting System

*
* Curr Prime Non-Prime
* Year Start Start
1992 0830 1700
*
* Day of Calendar Company
* Year Date Holiday
*
* 1 Jan 1 New Year's Day
* 20 Jan 20 Martin Luther King Day
* 46 Feb 15 President's Day
* 143 May 28 Memorial Day
* 186 Jul 3 4th of July
* 248 Sep 7 Labor Day
* 329 Nov 24 Thanksgiving
* 330 Nov 25 Friday after
* 359 Dec 24 Christmas Eve
* 360 Dec 25 Christmas Day
* 361 Dec 26 Day after Christmas
The first noncomment line must specify the current year (as four digits) and the beginning and end of
prime time, also as four digits each. The concept of prime and nonprime time only affects the way that the
accounting programs process the accounting records.
If the list of holidays is too long, the acctcon1 command generates an error, and you will need to shorten
your list. You are safe with 20 or fewer holidays. If you want to add more holidays, just edit the holidays
file each month.
Collecting accounting data

Once you have setup system accounting you will want to start collecting and processing the different type
of accounting data.

For data to be collected automatically, a member of the adm group must have been setup as an
accounting system. The accounting system setup enables the cron daemon to run the commands that
generate data on:
• The amount of time each user spends logged in to the system
• Usage of the processing unit, memory, and I/O resources
• The amount of disk space occupied by each user's files
• Usage of printers and plotters
• The number of times a specific command is given.
The system writes a record of each session and process after they are completed. These records are
converted into total accounting (tacct) records arranged by user and merged into a daily report.
Periodically, the daily reports are combined to produce totals for the defined fiscal period. Methods for

collecting and reporting the data and the various accounting commands and files are discussed in the
following sections.
Although most of the accounting data is collected and processed automatically, a member of the adm
group can enter certain commands from the keyboard to obtain specific information.
Related tasks
Related reference
Keyboard commands
A member of the adm group can enter the following commands from the keyboard.
Connect-time accounting data

Connect-time data is collected by the init command and the login command.
When you log in, the login program writes a record in the /etc/utmp file. This record includes your user
name, the date and time of the login, and the login port. Commands, such as who, use this file to find out
which users are logged into the various display stations. If the /var/adm/wtmp connect-time accounting
file exists, the login command adds a copy of this login record to it. For information about the init and
login commands, see init and login.
When your login program ends (normally when you log out), the init command records the end of the
session by writing another record in the /var/adm/wtmp file. Logout records differ from login records in
that they have a blank user name. Both the login and logout records have the form described in the
utmp.h file. For information about the utmp.h file, see utmp.h.
The acctwtmp command also writes special entries in the /var/adm/wtmp file concerning system
shutdowns and startups.
Related concepts
Process accounting data

The Accounting system collects data on resource usage for each process as it runs.
This data includes:
• The user and group numbers under which the process runs
• The first eight characters of the name of the command
• A 64-bit numeric key representing the Workload Manager class that the process belongs to
• The elapsed time and processor time used by the process
• Memory use
• The number of characters transferred
• The number of disk blocks read or written on behalf of the process
The accton command records these data in a specified file, usually the /var/adm/pacct file. For more
information about the accton command, see accton.
Related commands are the startup command, the shutacct command, the dodisk command, the
ckpacct command, and the turnacct command. For information about these commands, see
startup, shutacct, dodisk, ckpacct, and turnacct.
Related concepts
Accounting data reports

After the various types of accounting data are collected, the records are processed and converted into
reports.
Process accounting reports

Two commands process the billing-related data that was collected in the /var/adm/pacct or other
specified file.
The acctprc1 command translates the user ID into a user name and writes ASCII records containing the
chargeable items (prime and non-prime CPU time, mean memory size, and I/O data). The acctprc2
command transforms these records into total accounting records that are added to daily reports by the
acctmerg command. For more information about the acctmerg command, see acctmerg.
Process accounting data also provides information that you can use to monitor system resource usage.
The acctcms command summarizes resource use by command name. This provides information on how
many times each command was run, how much processor time and memory was used, and how intensely
the resources were used (also known as the hog factor). The acctcms command produces long-term
statistics on system utilization, providing information on total system usage and the frequency with which
commands are used. For more information about the acctcms command, see acctcms.
The acctcom command handles the same data as the acctcms command, but provides detailed
information about each process. You can display all process accounting records or select records of
particular interest. Selection criteria include the load imposed by the process, the time period when the
process ended, the name of the command, the user or group that invoked the process, the name of the
WLM class the proces belonged to, and the port at which the process ran. Unlike other accounting
commands, acctcom can be run by all users. For more information about the acctcom command, see
acctcom.
Disk-usage accounting data

Much accounting information is collected as the resources are consumed. The dodisk command, run as
specified by the cron daemon, periodically writes disk-usage records for each user to the /var/adm/
acct/nite(x)/dacct file.
To accomplish this, the dodisk command calls other commands. Depending upon the thoroughness of
the accounting search, the diskusg command or the acctdusg command can be used to collect data.
The acctdisk command is used to write a total accounting record. The total accounting record, in turn,
is used by the acctmerg command to prepare the daily accounting report.
The dodisk command charges a user for the links to files found in the user's login directory and evenly
divides the charge for each file between the links. This distributes the cost of using a file over all who use
it and removes the charges from users when they relinquish access to a file. For more information about
the dodisk command and cron daemon, see dodisk and cron.
Related concepts
Printer-usage accounting data

The collection of printer-usage data is a cooperative effort between the enq command and the queuing
daemon.
The enq command enqueues the user name, job number, and the name of the file to be printed. After the
file is printed, the qdaemon command writes an ASCII record to a file, usually the /var/adm/qacct file,
containing the user name, user number, and the number of pages printed. You can sort these records and
convert them to total accounting records. For more information about these commands, see enq and
qdaemon.
Related concepts
Printer-Usage accounting report

The ASCII record in the /var/adm/qacct file can be converted to a total accounting record to be added
to the daily report by the acctmerg command.
Fee accounting data

You can produce an ASCII total accounting record in the /var/adm/fee file.
You can enter the chargefee command to produce an ASCII total accounting record in
the /var/adm/fee file. This file will be added to daily reports by the acctmerg command.
For information about the chargefee and acctmerg commands, see chargefee and acctmerg.
Related concepts
Fee accounting report
If you used the chargefee command to charge users for services such as file restores, consulting, or
materials, an ASCII total accounting record is written in the /var/adm/fee file. This file is added to the
daily reports by the acctmerg command.
Troubleshooting system accounting

Use these troubleshooting methods to tackle some of the basic problems that may occur when using
system accounting. If the troubleshooting information does not address your problem, contact your
service representative.
Fixing tacct errors

If you are using the accounting system to charge users for system resources, the integrity of
the /var/adm/acct/sum/tacct file is quite important. Occasionally, mysterious tacct records appear
that contain negative numbers, duplicate user numbers, or a user number of 65,535. You can fix these
problems.
You must have root user or adm group authority.
To patch a tacct file, perform the following steps:
1. Move to the /var/adm/acct/sum directory by typing:
cd /var/adm/acct/sum
2. Use the prtacct command to check the total accounting file, tacctprev, by typing:
prtacct tacctprev
The prtacct command formats and displays the tacctprev file so that you can check connect time,
process time, disk usage, and printer usage.
3. If the tacctprev file looks correct, change the latest tacct .mmdd file from a binary file to an ASCII
file. In the following example, the acctmerg command converts the tacct.mmdd file to an ASCII file
named tacct.new:
acctmerg -v < tacct.mmdd > tacct.new
Note: The acctmerg command with the -a flag also produces ASCII output. The -v flag produces
more precise notation for floating-point numbers.
The acctmerg command is used to merge the intermediate accounting record reports into a
cumulative total report (tacct). This cumulative total is the source from which the monacct command
produces the ASCII monthly summary report. Since the monacct command procedure removes all the
tacct.mmdd files, you recreate the tacct file by merging these files.
4. Edit the tacct.new file to remove the bad records and write duplicate user number records to
another file by typing:
acctmerg -i < tacct.new > tacct.mmdd
5. Create the tacct file again by typing:
acctmerg tacctprev < tacct.mmdd > tacct

Fixing wtmp errors
The /var/adm/wtmp, or "who temp" file, might cause problems in the day-to-day operation of the
accounting system. You can fix wtmp errors.
You must have root user or adm group authority to perform this procedure.
When the date is changed and the system is in multiuser mode, date change records are written to
the /var/adm/wtmp file. When a date change is encountered, the wtmpfix command adjusts the time
stamps in the wtmp records. Some combinations of date changes and system restarts may slip past the
wtmpfix command and cause the acctcon1 command to fail and the runacct command to send mail
to the root and adm accounts listing incorrect dates.
To fix wtmp errors, perform the following procedure:
1. Move to the /var/adm/acct/nite directory by typing:
cd /var/adm/acct/nite
2. Convert the binary wtmp file to an ASCII file that you can edit by typing:
fwtmp < wtmp.mmdd > wtmp.new
The fwtmp command converts wtmp from binary to ASCII.

3. Edit the ASCII wtmp.new file to delete damaged records or all records from the beginning of the file up
to the needed date change by typing:
vi wtmp.new
4. Convert the ASCII wtmp.new file back to binary format by typing:
fwtmp -ic < wtmp.new > wtmp.mmdd
5. If the wtmp file is beyond repair, use the nulladm command to create an empty wtmp file.
This prevents any charges in the connect time.
nulladm wtmp
The nulladm command creates the file specified with read and write permissions for the file owner
and group, and read permissions for other users. It ensures that the file owner and group are adm.
Related tasks
Fixing Accounting errors
You can correct date and time-stamp inconsistencies.
Fixing incorrect Accounting file permissions

To use the Accounting system, file ownership and permissions must be correct.
The adm administrative account owns the accounting command and scripts, except for /var/adm/
acct/accton which is owned by root.
To fix incorrect Accounting file permissions, perform the following procedure:
1. To check file permissions using the ls command, type:
ls -l /var/adm/acct
-rws--x--- 1 adm adm 14628 Mar 19 08:11 /var/adm/acct/fiscal

-rws--x--- 1 adm adm 14628 Mar 19 08:11 /var/adm/acct/nite
-rws--x--- 1 adm adm 14628 Mar 19 08:11 /var/adm/acct/sum
2. Adjust file permissions with the chown command, if necessary.

The permissions are 755 (all permissions for owner and read and execute permissions for all others).
Also, the directory itself should be write-protected from others.
For example:

a. Move to the /var/adm/acct directory by typing:
cd /var/adm/acct
b. Change the ownership for the sum, nite, and fiscal directories to adm group authority by typing:
chown adm sum/* nite/* fiscal/*
To prevent tampering by users trying to avoid charges, deny write permission for others on these
files. Change the accton command group owner to adm, and permissions to 710, that is, no
permissions for others. Processes owned by adm can execute the accton command, but ordinary
users cannot.
3. The /var/adm/wtmp file must also be owned by adm. If /var/adm/wtmp is owned by root, you will
see the following message during startup:
/var/adm/acct/startup: /var/adm/wtmp: Permission denied
To correct the ownership of /var/adm/wtmp, change ownership to the adm group by typing the
following command:
chown adm /var/adm/wtmp
Fixing Accounting errors

You can correct date and time-stamp inconsistencies.
Processing the /var/adm/wtmp file might produce some warnings mailed to root. The wtmp file contains
information collected by /etc/init and /bin/login and is used by accounting scripts primarily for
calculating connect time (the length of time a user is logged in). Unfortunately, date changes confuse the
program that processes the wtmp file. As a result, the runacct command sends mail to root and adm
complaining of any errors after a date change since the last time accounting was run.
1. Determine if you received any errors.
The acctcon1 command outputs error messages that are mailed to adm and root by the runacct
command.
For example, if the acctcon1 command stumbles after a date change and fails to collect connect
times, adm might get mail like the following mail message:
Mon Jan 6 11:58:40 CST 1992

acctcon1: bad times: old: Tue Jan 7 00:57:14 1992
new: Mon Jan 6 11:57:59 1992
new: Mon Jan 6 11:57:59 1992
new: Mon Jan 6 11:57:59 1992
2. Adjust the wtmp file by typing:
/usr/sbin/acct/wtmpfix wtmp
The wtmpfix command examines the wtmp file for date and time-stamp inconsistencies and corrects
problems that could make acctcon1 fail. However, some date changes slip by wtmpfix.
3. Run accounting right before shutdown or immediately after startup.
Using the runacct command at these times minimizes the number of entries with bad times. The
runacct command continues to send mail to the root and adm accounts, until you edit the runacct
script, find the WTMPFIX section, and comment out the line where the file log gets mailed to the root
and adm accounts.
Related tasks
Fixing wtmp errors

The /var/adm/wtmp, or "who temp" file, might cause problems in the day-to-day operation of the
accounting system. You can fix wtmp errors.
Accounting errors encountered when running the runacct command

You might encounter errors when running the runacct command.
Note: You must have root user or adm group authority to run the runacct command.
The runacct command processes files that are often very large. The procedure involves several passes
through certain files and consumes considerable system resources while it is taking place. Since the
runacct command consumes considerable resources, it is normally run early in the morning when it can
take over the machine and not disturb anyone.
The runacct command is a script divided into different stages. The stages allow you to restart the
command where it stopped, without having to rerun the entire script.
When the runacct encounters problems, it sends error messages to different destinations depending on
where the error occurred. Usually it sends a date and a message to the console directing you to look in the
activeMMDD file (such as active0621 for June 21st) which is in the /usr/adm/acct/nite directory.
When the runacct command aborts, it moves the entire active file to activeMMDD and appends a
message describing the problem.
Review the following error message tables for errors that you might encounter when running the
runacct command.
Note:
• The abbreviation MMDD stands for the month and day, such as 0102 for January 2. For example, an
unrecoverable error during the CONNECT1 process on January 2 creates the file active0102
containing the error message.
• The abbreviation "SE message" stands for the standard error message such as:
********* ACCT ERRORS : see active0102 *********
Preliminary State and Error Messages from the runnacct Command

State Command Unrecoverable? Error Message Destinations
pre runacct yes * 2 CRONS or console, mail,
ACCT PROBLEMS active
* ERROR: locks
found, run
aborted
pre runacct yes runacct: console, mail,
Insufficient active
space in /usr
(nnn blks);
Terminating
procedure
pre runacct yes SE message; console, mail,
ERROR: acctg activeMMDD
already run
for 'date':
check lastdate
pre runacct no * SYSTEM console
ACCOUNTING
STARTED *

Preliminary State and Error Messages from the runnacct Command (continued)
State Command Unrecoverable? Error Message Destinations
pre runacct no restarting console active,
acctg for console
'date' at
STATE
pre runacct no restarting active
acctg for
'date' at
state
(argument $2)
previous state
was STATE
pre runacct yes SE message; console, mail,
Error: runacct activeMMDD
called with
invalid
arguments
States and Error Messages from the runacct Command

State Command Unrecoverable Error Message Destinations
?
SETUP runacct no ls -l fee active
pacct* /var/ad
m/wtmp
SETUP runacct yes SE message; console, mail,
ERROR: activeMMDD
turnacct
switch
returned
rc=error
SETUP runacct yes SE message; activeMMDD
ERROR:
SpacctMMDD
already exists
file setups
probably
already run
SETUP runacct yes SE message; console, mail,
ERROR: activeMMDD
wtmpMMDD
already
exists: run
setup manually
WTMPFIX wtmpfix no SE message; activeMMDD,
ERROR: wtmpfix wtmperrorMMDD
errors see
xtmperrorMMDD

States and Error Messages from the runacct Command (continued)
?
WTMPFIX wtmpfix no wtmp active
processing
complete
CONNECT1 acctcon1 no SE message; console, mail,
(errors from activeMMDD
acctcon1 log)
CONNECT2 acctcon2 no connect acctg active
complete
PROCESS runacct no WARNING: active
accounting
already run
for pacctN
PROCESS acctprc1 no process acctg active
acctprc2 complete for
SpacctNMMDD
PROCESS runacct no all process active
actg complete
for date
MERGE acctmerg no tacct merge to active
create dayacct
complete
FEES acctmerg no merged fees OR active
no fees
DISK acctmerg no merged disk active
records OR no
disk records
MERGEACCT acctmerg no WARNING: active
recreating
sum/tacct
MERGEACCT acctmerg no updated sum/ active
tacct
CMS runacct no WARNING: active
recreating
sum/cms
CMS acctcms no command active
summaries
complete
CLEANUP runacct no system active
accounting
completed at
'date'
CLEANUP runacct no *SYSTEM console
ACCOUNTING
COMPLETED*

States and Error Messages from the runacct Command (continued)
?
<wrong> runacct yes SE message; console, mail,
ERROR: invalid activeMMDD
state, check
STATE
Note: The label <wrong> in the previous table does not represent a state, but rather a state other than
the correct state that was written in the state file /usr/adm/acct/nite/statefile.
Summary of Message Destinations

Destination Description
console The /dev/console device
mail Message mailed to root and adm accounts
active The /usr/adm/acct/nite/active file
activeMMDD The /usr/adm/acct/nite/activeMMDD file
wtmperrMMDD The /usr/adm/acct/nite/wtmperrorMMDD file
STATE Current state in /usr/adm/acct/nite/statefile file
fd2log Any other error messages
System Resource Controller

The System Resource Controller (SRC) provides a set of commands and subroutines to make it easier for
the system manager and programmer to create and control subsystems.
A subsystem is any program or process or set of programs or processes that is usually capable of
operating independently or with a controlling system. A subsystem is designed as a unit to provide a
designated function.
The SRC was designed to minimize the need for operator intervention. It provides a mechanism to control
subsystem processes using a common command line and the C interface. This mechanism includes the
following:
• Consistent user interface for start, stop, and status inquiries
• Logging of the abnormal termination of subsystems
• Notification program called at the abnormal system termination of related processes
• Tracing of a subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a subserver
• Support for control of operations on a remote system
• Refreshing of a subsystem (such as after a configuration data change).
The SRC is useful if you want a common way to start, stop, and collect status information on processes.
Related concepts
Introduction to AIX for BSD system managers
The following are tips to help Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) system managers get started
managing AIX.
Subsystem components
The following are the properties and components of a subsystem.
A subsystem can have one or more of the following properties:
• Is known to the system by name

• Requires a more complex execution environment than a subroutine or nonprivileged program
• Includes application programs and libraries as well as subsystem code
• Controls resources that can be started and stopped by name
• Requires notification if a related process is unsuccessful to perform cleanup or to recover resources
• Requires more operational control than a simple daemon process
• Needs to be controlled by a remote operator
• Implements subservers to manage specific resources
• Does not put itself in the background.
A few subsystem examples are ypserv, ntsd, qdaemon, inetd, syslogd, and sendmail.
Note: See each specific subsystem for details of its SRC capabilities.
Use the lssrc -a command to list active and inactive subsystems on your system.
The following defines subsystem groups and subservers:
Subsystem Group
A subsystem group is a group of any specified subsystems. Grouping subsystems together allows the
control of several subsystems at one time. A few subsystem group examples are TCP/IP, SNA
Services, Network Information System (NIS), and Network File Systems (NFS).
Subserver
A subserver is a program or process that belongs to a subsystem. A subsystem can have multiple
subservers and is responsible for starting, stopping, and providing status of subservers. Subservers
can be defined only for a subsystem with a communication type of IPC message queues and sockets.
Subsystems using signal communications do not support subservers.
Subservers are started when their parent subsystems are started. If you try to start a subserver and
its parent subsystem is not active, the startsrc command starts the subsystem as well.
SRC hierarchy
The System Resource Controller hierarchy begins with the operating system followed by a subsystem
group (such as tcpip), which contains a subsystem (such as the inetd daemon), which in turn can own
several subservers (such as the ftp daemon and the finger command).
SRC administration commands

You can administer SRC from the command line.
The SRC administration commands are:
Item Description
srcmstr daemon Starts the System Resource Controller
startsrc command Starts a subsystem, subsystem group, or subserver
stopsrc command Stops a subsystem, subsystem group, or subserver
refresh command Refreshes a subsystem
traceson command Turns on tracing of a subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a subserver
tracesoff command Turns off tracing of a subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a subserver
lssrc command Gets status on a subsystem.
Starting the System Resource Controller

The System Resource Controller (SRC) is started during system initialization with a record for the /usr/
sbin/srcmstr daemon in the /etc/inittab file.
The following are the prerequisites for starting the SRC:

• Reading and writing the /etc/inittab file requires root user authority.
• The mkitab command requires root user authority.
• The srcmstr daemon record must exist in the /etc/inittab file.
The default /etc/inittab file already contains such a record, so this procedure might be unnecessary.
You can also start the SRC from the command line, a profile, or a shell script, but there are several
reasons for starting it during initialization:
• Starting the SRC from the /etc/inittab file allows the init command to restart the SRC if it stops
for any reason.
• The SRC is designed to simplify and reduce the amount of operator intervention required to control
subsystems. Starting the SRC from any source other than the /etc/inittab file is counterproductive
to that goal.
• The default /etc/inittab file contains a record for starting the print scheduling subsystem
(qdaemon) with the startsrc command. Typical installations have other subsystems started with
startsrc commands in the /etc/inittab file as well. Because the srcmstr command requires the
SRC be running, removing the srcmstr daemon from the /etc/inittab file causes these startsrc
commands to fail.
Note: This procedure is necessary only if the /etc/inittab file does not already contain a record for the
srcmstr daemon.
1. Make a record for the srcmstr daemon in the /etc/inittab file using the mkitab command.
For example, to make a record identical to the one that appears in the default /etc/inittab file,
type:
mkitab -i fbcheck srcmstr:2:respawn:/usr/sbin/srcmstr
The -i fbcheck flag ensures that the record is inserted before all subsystems records.
2. Tell the init command to reprocess the /etc/inittab file by typing:
telinit q
When init revisits the /etc/inittab file, it processes the newly entered record for the srcmstr
daemon and starts the SRC.
Related concepts
Subsystem control
The traceson command can be used to turn on, and the traceoff command can be used to turn off,
tracing of a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as a subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a
subserver.
Related tasks
Refreshing a subsystem or subsystem group
Use the refresh command to tell a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as a subsystem or a
group of subsystems to refresh itself.
Starting or stopping a subsystem, subsystem group, or subserver

Use the startsrc command to start a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as a subsystem,
a group of subsystems, or a subserver. Use the stopsrc command to stop an SRC resource such as a
subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a subserver.
The following are the prerequisites for starting or stopping a subsystem, subsystem group, or subserver:
• To start or stop an SRC resource, the SRC must be running. The SRC is normally started during system
initialization. The default /etc/inittab file, which determines what processes are started during
initialization, contains a record for the srcmstr daemon (the SRC). To see if the SRC is running, type ps
-A and look for a process named srcmstr.
• The user or process starting an SRC resource must have root user authority. The process that initializes
the system (init command) has root user authority.

• The user or process stopping an SRC resource must have root user authority.
The startsrc command can be used:
• From the /etc/inittab file so the resource is started during system initialization
• From the command line
• With SMIT
When you start a subsystem group, all of its subsystems are also started. When you start a subsystem, all
of its subservers are also started. When you start a subserver, its parent subsystem is also started if it is
not already running.
When you stop a subsystem, all its subservers are also stopped. However, when you stop a subserver, the
state of its parent subsystem is not changed.
Both the startsrc and stopsrc commands contain flags that allow requests to be made on local or
remote hosts. See the srcmstr command for the configuration requirements to support remote SRC
requests.
Starting or stopping a subsystem tasks

Task SMIT fast path Command or file
Start a subsystem smit /bin/startsrc -s
startssys SubsystemName , or edit /etc/
inittab
Stop a subsystem smit /bin/stopsrc -s SubsystemName
stopssys
Related information
stopsrc command
startsrc command
srcmstr command
Displaying status of a subsystem or subsystems

Use the lssrc command to display the status of a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as a
All subsystems can return a short status report that includes which group the subsystem belongs to,
whether the subsystem is active, and what its process ID (PID) is. If a subsystem does not use the signals
communication method, it can be programmed to return a long status report containing additional status
information.
The lssrc command provides flags and parameters for specifying the subsystem by name or PID, for
listing all subsystems, for requesting a short or long status report, and for requesting the status of SRC
resources either locally or on remote hosts.
See the srcmstr command for the configuration requirements to support remote SRC requests.
Displaying the Status of Subsystems Tasks

Task SMIT Fast Command or File
Path
Display the status of a subsystem (long format) smit qssys lssrc -l -s
SubsystemName
Display the status of all subsystems smit lsssys lssrc -a
Display the status of all subsystems on a particular host lssrc -hHostName -a

Refreshing a subsystem or subsystem group
Use the refresh command to tell a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as a subsystem or a
group of subsystems to refresh itself.
The following are the prerequisites for refreshing a subsystem or subsystem group:
• The SRC must be running.
• The resource you want to refresh must not use the signals communications method.
• The resource you want to refresh must be programmed to respond to the refresh request.
The refresh command provides flags and parameters for specifying the subsystem by name or PID. You
can also use it to request a subsystem or group of subsystems be refreshed, either locally or on remote
hosts. See the srcmstr command for the configuration requirements to support remote SRC requests.
Refreshing a Subsystem or Subsystem Group

Refresh a Subsystem smit refresh refresh -s Subsystem
Related tasks
Subsystem control
The traceson command can be used to turn on, and the traceoff command can be used to turn off,
tracing of a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as a subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a
subserver.
Use the traceson command to turn on tracing of a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as a
Use the tracesoff command to turn off tracing of a System Resource Controller (SRC) resource such as
a subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a subserver.
The traceson and traceoff commands can be used to remotely turn on or turn off tracing on a specific
host. See the srcmstr command for the configuration requirements for supporting remote SRC requests.
Prerequisites
• To turn the tracing of an SRC resource either on or off , the SRC must be running.
• The resource you want to trace must not use the signals communications method.
• The resource you want to trace must be programmed to respond to the trace request.
Turning On/Off Subsystem, Subsystem Group, or Subserver Tasks

Turn on Subsystem Tracing smit tracessyson traceson -s Subsystem
(short format)
Turn on Subsystem Tracing (long smit tracessyson traceson -l -s Subsystem
format)
Turn off Subsystem Tracing smit tracessysoff tracesoff -s Subsystem
Related tasks

Operating system files

Files are used for all input and output (I/O) of information in the operating system, to standardize access
to both software and hardware.
Input occurs when the contents of a file is modified or written to. Output occurs when the contents of one
file is read or transferred to another file. For example, to create a printed copy of a file, the system reads
the information from the text file and writes that information to the file representing the printer.
Types of files
The types of files recognized by the system are either regular, directory, or special. However, the
operating system uses many variations of these basic types.
The following basic types of files exist:
Item Description
regular Stores data (text, binary, and executable)
directory Contains information used to access other files
special Defines a FIFO (first-in, first-out) pipe file or a physical device
All file types recognized by the system fall into one of these categories. However, the operating system
uses many variations of these basic types.
Regular files
Regular files are the most common files and are used to contain data. Regular files are in the form of
text files or binary files:
Text files
Text files are regular files that contain information stored in ASCII format text and are readable by
the user. You can display and print these files. The lines of a text file must not contain NUL
characters, and none can exceed {LINE_MAX} bytes in length, including the newline character.
The term text file does not prevent the inclusion of control or other nonprintable characters (other
than NUL). Therefore, standard utilities that list text files as inputs or outputs are either able to
process the special characters or they explicitly describe their limitations within their individual
sections.
Binary files
Binary files are regular files that contain information readable by the computer. Binary files might
be executable files that instruct the system to accomplish a job. Commands and programs are
stored in executable, binary files. Special compiling programs translate ASCII text into binary
code.
Text and binary files differ only in that text files have lines of less than {LINE_MAX} bytes, with no
NUL characters, each terminated by a newline character.
Directory files
Directory files contain information that the system needs to access all types of files, but directory files
do not contain the actual file data. As a result, directories occupy less space than a regular file and
give the file system structure flexibility and depth. Each directory entry represents either a file or a
subdirectory. Each entry contains the name of the file and the file's index node reference number (i-
node number). The i-node number points to the unique index node assigned to the file. The i-node
number describes the location of the data associated with the file. Directories are created and
controlled by a separate set of commands.

Special files
Special files define devices for the system or are temporary files created by processes. The basic
types of special files are FIFO (first-in, first-out), block, and character. FIFO files are also called pipes.
Pipes are created by one process to temporarily allow communication with another process. These
files cease to exist when the first process finishes. Block and character files define devices.
Every file has a set of permissions (called access modes) that determine who can read, modify, or
execute the file.
Related concepts
File and directory access modes
Every file has an owner. For new files, the user who creates the file is the owner of that file. The owner
assigns an access mode to the file. Access modes grant other system users permission to read, modify, or
execute the file. Only the file's owner or users with root authority can change the access mode of a file.
File naming conventions

The name of each file must be unique within the directory where it is stored. This ensures that the file also
has a unique path name in the file system.
File naming guidelines are:
• A file name can be up to 255 characters long and can contain letters, numbers, and underscores.
• The operating system is case-sensitive, which means it distinguishes between uppercase and
lowercase letters in file names. Therefore, FILEA, FiLea, and filea are three distinct file names, even
if they reside in the same directory.
• File names should be as descriptive and meaningful as possible.
• Directories follow the same naming conventions as files.
• Certain characters have special meaning to the operating system. Avoid using these characters when
you are naming files. These characters include the following:
/ \ " ' * ; - ? [ ] ( ) ~ ! $ { } &lt > # @ & | space tab newline
• A file name is hidden from a normal directory listing if it begins with a dot (.). When the ls command is
entered with the -a flag, the hidden files are listed along with regular files and directories.
File path names

The path name for each file and directory in the file system consists of the names of every directory that
precedes it in the tree structure.
Because all paths in a file system originate from the /(root) directory, each file in the file system has a
unique relationship to the root directory, known as the absolute path name. Absolute path names begin
with the slash (/) symbol. For example, the absolute path name of file h could be /B/C/h. Notice that two
files named h can exist in the system. Because the absolute paths to the two files are different, /B/h
and /B/C/h, each file named h has a unique name within the system. Every component of a path name is
a directory except the final component. The final component of a path name can be a file name.
Note: Path names cannot exceed 1023 characters in length.
Pattern matching with wildcards and metacharacters

Wildcard characters provide a convenient way to specify multiple file names or directory names.
The wildcard characters are asterisk (*) and question mark (?). The metacharacters are open and close
square brackets ([ ]), hyphen (-), and exclamation mark (!).
Pattern matching using the * wildcard character

Use the asterisk (*) to match any sequence or string of characters.
The (*) indicates any characters, including no characters.
• If you have the following files in your directory:

1test 2test afile1 afile2 bfile1 file file1 file10 file2 file3
and you want to refer to only the files that begin with file, use:
file*
The files selected would be: file, file1, file10, file2, and file3.
• To refer to only the files that contain the word file, use:
*file*
The files selected would be: afile1, afile2, bfile1, file, file1, file10, file2, and file3.
Pattern matching using the ? wildcard character

Use the ? to match any one character.
The ? indicates any single character. See the following examples:
• To refer to only the files that start with file and end with a single character, use:
file?
The files selected would be: file1, file2, file3.

• To refer to only the files that start with file and end with any two characters, use:
file??
The file selected would be: file10.
Pattern matching using [ ] shell metacharacters

Metacharacters offer another type of wildcard notation by enclosing the desired characters within [ ]. It
is like using the ?, but it allows you to choose specific characters to be matched.
The [ ] also allow you to specify a range of values using the hyphen (-). To specify all the letters in the
alphabet, use [[:alpha:]]. To specify all the lowercase letters in the alphabet, use [[:lower:]].
• To refer to only the files that end in 1 or 2, use:
*file[12]
The files selected would be: afile1, afile2, file1, and file2.
• To refer to only the files that start with any number, use:
[0123456789]* or [0-9]*
The files selected would be: 1test and 2test.

• To refer to only the files that do not begin with an a, use:
[!a]*
The files selected would be: 1test, 2test, bfile1, file, file1, file10, file2, and file3.
Pattern matching versus regular expressions

Regular expressions allow you to select specific strings from a set of character strings. The use of regular
expressions is generally associated with text processing.
Regular expressions can represent a wide variety of possible strings. While many regular expressions can
be interpreted differently depending on the current locale, internationalization features provide for
contextual invariance across locales.
See the examples in the following comparison:

Pattern Matching Regular Expression
* .*
? .
[!a] [â]
[abc] [abc]
[[:alpha:]] [[:alpha:]]
See the awk command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Administering files
There are many ways to work with the files on your system. Usually you create a text file with a text
editor.
The common editors in the UNIX environment are vi and ed. Because several text editors are available,
you can choose an editor you feel comfortable with.
You can also create files by using input and output redirection. You can send the output of a command to
a new file or append it to an existing file.
After creating and modifying files, you might have to copy or move files from one directory to another,
rename files to distinguish different versions of a file, or give different names to the same file. You might
also need to create directories when working on different projects.
Also, you might need to delete certain files. Your directory can quickly get cluttered with files that contain
old or useless information. To release storage space on your system, ensure that you delete files that are
no longer needed.
Deleting files (rm command)

Use the rm command to remove files you no longer need.
The rm command removes the entries for a specified file, group of files, or certain select files from a list
within a directory. User confirmation, read permission, and write permission are not required before a file
is removed when you use the rm command. However, you must have write permission for the directory
containing the file.
The following are examples of how to use the rm command:
• To delete the file named myfile, type the following:
rm myfile
• To delete all the files in the mydir directory, one by one, type the following:
rm -i mydir/*
After each file name displays, type y and press Enter to delete the file. Or to keep the file, just press
Enter.
See the rm command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Moving and renaming files (mv command)

Use the mv command to move files and directories from one directory to another or to rename a file or
directory. If you move a file or directory to a new directory without specifying a new name, it retains its
original name.
Attention: The mv command can overwrite many existing files unless you specify the -i flag. The -i
flag prompts you to confirm before it overwrites a file. The -f flag does not prompt you. If both the
-f and -i flags are specified in combination, the last flag specified takes precedence.

Moving files with mv command
The following are examples of how to use the mv command:
• To move a file to another directory and give it a new name, type the following:
mv intro manual/chap1
This moves the intro file to the manual/chap1 directory. The name intro is removed from the
current directory, and the same file appears as chap1 in the manual directory.
• To move a file to another directory, keeping the same name, type the following:
mv chap3 manual
This moves chap3 to manual/chap3.

Renaming files with mv command
Use the mv command to change the name of a file without moving it to another directory.
To rename a file, type the following:
mv appendix apndx.a
This renames the appendix file to apndx.a. If a file named apndx.a already exists, its old contents
are replaced with those of the appendix file.
See the mv command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
Copying files (cp command)

Use the cp command to create a copy of the contents of the file or directory specified by the SourceFile or
SourceDirectory parameters into the file or directory specified by the TargetFile or TargetDirectory
parameters.
If the file specified as the TargetFile exists, the copy writes over the original contents of the file without
warning. If you are copying more than one SourceFile, the target must be a directory.
If a file with the same name exists at the new destination, the copied file overwrites the file at the new
destination. Therefore, it is a good practice to assign a new name for the copy of the file to ensure that a
file of the same name does not exist in the destination directory.
To place a copy of the SourceFile into a directory, specify a path to an existing directory for the
TargetDirectory parameter. Files maintain their respective names when copied to a directory unless you
specify a new file name at the end of the path. The cp command also copies entire directories into other
directories if you specify the -r or -R flags.
You can also copy special-device files using the -R flag. Specifying -R causes the special files to be re-
created under the new path name. Specifying the -r flag causes the cp command to attempt to copy the
special files to regular files.
The following are examples of how to use the cp command:
• To make a copy of a file in the current directory, type the following:
cp prog.c prog.bak
This copies prog.c to prog.bak. If the prog.bak file does not already exist, then the cp command
creates it. If it does exist, then the cp command replaces it with a copy of the prog.c file.
• To copy a file in your current directory into another directory, type the following:
cp jones /home/nick/clients
This copies the jones file to /home/nick/clients/jones.

• To copy all the files in a directory to a new directory, type the following:

cp /home/janet/clients/* /home/nick/customers
This copies only the files in the clients directory to the customers directory.
• To copy a specific set of files to another directory, type the following:
cp jones lewis smith /home/nick/clients
This copies the jones, lewis, and smith files in your current working directory to the /home/nick/
clients directory.
• To use pattern-matching characters to copy files, type the following:
cp programs/*.c .
This copies the files in the programs directory that end with .c to the current directory, indicated by
the single dot (.). You must type a space between the c and the final dot.
See the cp command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Finding files (find command)

Use the find command to recursively search the directory tree for each specified Path, seeking files that
match a Boolean expression written using the terms given in the following text.
The output from the find command depends on the terms specified by the Expression parameter.
The following are examples of how to use the find command:
• To list all files in the file system with the name .profile, type the following:
find / -name .profile
This searches the entire file system and writes the complete path names of all files named .profile.
The slash (/) tells the find command to search the /(root) directory and all of its subdirectories.
To save time, limit the search by specifying the directories where you think the files might be.
• To list files having a specific permission code of 0600 in the current directory tree, type the following:
find . -perm 0600
This lists the names of the files that have only owner-read and owner-write permission. The dot (.) tells
the find command to search the current directory and its subdirectories. For an explanation of
permission codes, see the chmod command.
• To search several directories for files with certain permission codes, type the following:
find manual clients proposals -perm -0600
This lists the names of the files that have owner-read and owner-write permission and possibly other
permissions. The manual, clients, and proposals directories and their subdirectories are searched.
In the previous example, -perm 0600 selects only files with permission codes that match 0600
exactly. In this example, -perm -0600 selects files with permission codes that allow the accesses
indicated by 0600 and other accesses above the 0600 level. This also matches the permission codes
0622 and 2744.
• To list all files in the current directory that have been changed during the current 24-hour period, type
the following:
find . -ctime 1
• To search for regular files with multiple links, type the following:
find . -type f -links +1
This lists the names of the ordinary files (-type f) that have more than one link (-links +1).

Note: Every directory has at least two links: the entry in its parent directory and its own .(dot) entry. For
more information on multiple file links, see the ln command.
• To search for all files that are exactly 414 bytes in length, type the following:
find . -size 414c
See the find command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Displaying the file type (file command)

Use the file command to read the files specified by the File or -fFileList parameter, perform a series of
tests on each one, and attempt to classify the files by type. The command then writes the file types to
standard output.
If a file appears to be ASCII, the file command examines the first 512 bytes and determines its
language. If a file does not appear to be ASCII, the file command further attempts to determine
whether it is a binary data file or a text file that contains extended characters.
If the File parameter specifies an executable or object module file and the version number is greater than
0, the file command displays the version stamp.
The file command uses the /etc/magic file to identify files that have a magic number; that is, any file
containing a numeric or string constant that indicates the type.
The following are examples of how to use the file command:
• To display the type of information the file named myfile contains, type the following:
file myfile
This displays the file type of myfile (such as directory, data, ASCII text, C program source, or archive).
• To display the type of each file named in the filenames.lst file, which contains a list of file names,
type the following:
file -f filenames.lst
This displays the type of each file named in the filenames.lst file. Each file name must display on a
separate line.
• To create the filenames.lst file that contains all the file names in the current directory, type the
following:
ls > filenames.lst
Edit the filenames.lst file as desired.

See the file command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Commands for displaying file contents (pg, more, page, and cat commands)
The pg, more, and page commands allow you to view the contents of a file and control the speed at
which your files are displayed.
You can also use the cat command to display the contents of one or more files on your screen.
Combining the cat command with the pg command allows you to read the contents of a file one full
screen at a time.
You can also display the contents of files by using input and output redirection.
Related concepts
Input and output redirection

The AIX operating system allows you to manipulate the input and output (I/O) of data to and from your
system by using specific I/O commands and symbols.
Using the pg command

Use the pg command to read the files named in the File parameter and writes them to standard output
one screen at a time.
If you specify hyphen (-) as the File parameter or run the pg command without options, the pg
command reads standard input. Each screen is followed by a prompt. If you press the Enter key, another
screen displays. Subcommands used with the pg command let you review content that has already
passed.
For example, to look at the contents of the file myfile one page at a time, type the following:
pg myfile
See the pg command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Using the more or page commands

Use the more or page command to display continuous text one screen at a time.
It pauses after each screen and prints the filename and percent completed (for example, myfile (7%))
at the bottom of the screen. If you then press the Enter key, the more command displays an additional
line. If you press the Spacebar, the more command displays another screen of text.
Note: On some terminal models, the more command clears the screen, instead of scrolling, before
displaying the next screen of text.
For example, to view a file named myfile, type the following:
more myfile
Press the Spacebar to view the next screen.

See the more command in theCommands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
cat command
Use the cat command to read each File parameter in sequence and writes it to standard output.
• To display the contents of the file notes, type the following:
cat notes
If the file is more than 24 lines long, some of it scrolls off the screen. To list a file one page at a time,
use the pg command.
• To display the contents of the files notes, notes2, and notes3, type the following:
cat notes notes2 notes3
See the cat command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Finding text strings within files (grep command)

Use the grep command to search the specified file for the pattern specified by the Pattern parameter and
writes each matching line to standard output.
The following are examples of how to use the grep command:
• To search in a file named pgm.s for a pattern that contains some of the pattern-matching characters *,
^, ?, [, ], $, $, \{, and \}, in this case, lines starting with any lowercase or uppercase letter, type the
following:
grep "^[a-zA-Z]" pgm.s

This displays all lines in the pgm.s file that begin with a letter.
• To display all lines in a file named sort.c that do not match a particular pattern, type the following:
grep -v bubble sort.c
This displays all lines that do not contain the word bubble in the sort.c file.
• To display lines in the output of the ls command that match the string staff, type the following:
ls -l | grep staff
See the grep command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Sorting text files (sort command)

Use the sort command to alphabetize lines in the files specified by the File parameters and write the
result to standard output.
If the File parameter specifies more than one file, the sort command concatenates the files and
alphabetizes them as one file.
Note: The sort command is case-sensitive and orders uppercase letters before lowercase (this behavior
is dependent on the locale).
In the following examples, the contents of the file named names are:
marta
denise
joyce
endrica
melanie
and the contents of the file named states are:
texas
colorado
ohio
• To display the sorted contents of the file named names, type the following:
sort names
denise
endrica
joyce
marta
melanie
• To display the sorted contents of the names and states files, type the following:
sort names states
colorado
denise
endrica
joyce
marta
melanie
ohio
texas
• To replace the original contents of the file named names with its sorted contents, type the following:
sort -o names names
This replaces the contents of the names file with the same data but in sorted order.

See the sort command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
Comparing files (diff command)

Use the diff command to compare text files. It can compare single files or the contents of directories.
When the diff command is run on regular files, and when it compares text files in different directories,
the diff command tells which lines must be changed in the files so that they match.
The following are examples of how to use the diff command:
• To compare two files, type the following:
diff chap1.bak chap1
This displays the differences between the chap1.bak and chap1 files.
• To compare two files while ignoring differences in the amount of white space, type the following:
diff -w prog.c.bak prog.c
If the two files differ only in the number of spaces and tabs between words, the diff -w command
considers the files to be the same.
See the diff command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Counting words, lines, and bytes in files (wc command)

Use the wc command to count the number of lines, words, and bytes in the files specified by the File
parameter.
If a file is not specified for the File parameter, standard input is used. The command writes the results to
standard output and keeps a total count for all named files. If flags are specified, the ordering of the flags
determines the ordering of the output. A word is defined as a string of characters delimited by spaces,
tabs, or newline characters.
When files are specified on the command line, their names are printed along with the counts.
• To display the line, word, and byte counts of the file named chap1, type the following:
wc chap1
This displays the number of lines, words, and bytes in the chap1 file.
• To display only byte and word counts, type the following:
wc -cw chap*
This displays the number of bytes and words in each file where the name starts with chap, and displays
the totals.
See the wc command in the Commands Reference, Volume 6 for the complete syntax.
Displaying the first lines of files (head command)

Use the head command to write to standard output the first few lines of each of the specified files or of
the standard input.
If no flag is specified with the head command, the first 10 lines are displayed by default.
For example, to display the first five lines of the Test file, type the following:
head -5 Test
See the head command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.

Displaying the last lines of files (tail command)
Use the tail command to write the file specified by the File parameter to standard output beginning at a
specified point.
• To display the last 10 lines of the notes file, type the following:
tail notes
• To specify the number of lines to start reading from the end of the notes file, type the following:
tail -20 notes
• To display the notes file one page at a time, beginning with the 200th byte, type the following:
tail -c +200 notes | pg
• To follow the growth of the file named accounts, type the following:
tail -f accounts
This displays the last 10 lines of the accounts file. The tail command continues to display lines as
they are added to the accounts file. The display continues until you press the (Ctrl-C) key sequence to
stop the display.
See the tail command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
Cutting sections of text files (cut command)

Use the cut command to write selected bytes, characters, or fields from each line of a file to standard
output.
• To display several fields of each line of a file, type the following:
cut -f1,5 -d: /etc/passwd
This displays the login name and full user name fields of the system password file. These are the first
and fifth fields (-f1,5) separated by colons (-d:).
• If the /etc/passwd file looks like this:
su:*:0:0:User with special privileges:/:/usr/bin/sh

daemon:*:1:1::/etc:
bin:*:2:2::/usr/bin:
sys:*:3:3::/usr/src:
adm:*:4:4:system administrator:/var/adm:/usr/bin/sh
pierre:*:200:200:Pierre Harper:/home/pierre:/usr/bin/sh
joan:*:202:200:Joan Brown:/home/joan:/usr/bin/sh
the cut command produces:
su:User with special privileges

daemon:
bin:
sys:
adm:system administrator
pierre:Pierre Harper
joan:Joan Brown
See the cut command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Pasting sections of text files (paste command)

Use the paste command to merge the lines of up to 12 files into one file.

• If you have a file named names that contains the following text:
rachel
jerry
mark
linda
scott
and another file named places that contains the following text:
New York
Austin
Chicago
Boca Raton
Seattle
and another file named dates that contains the following text:
February 5
March 13
June 21
July 16
November 4
To paste the text of the files names, places, and dates together, type the following:
paste names places dates > npd
This creates a file named npd that contains the data from the names file in one column, the places file
in another, and the dates file in a third. The npd file now contains the following:
rachel New York February 5

jerry Austin March 13
mark Chicago June 21
linda Boca Raton July 16
scott Seattle November 4
A tab character separates the name, place, and date on each line. These columns do not align, because
the tab stops are set at every eighth column.
• To separate the columns with a character other than a tab, type the following:
paste -d"!@" names places dates > npd
This alternates ! and @ as the column separators. If the names, places, and dates files are the same
as in example 1, then the npd file contains the following:
rachel!New York@February 5
jerry!Austin@March 13
mark!Chicago@June 21
linda!Boca Raton@July 16
scott!Seattle@November 4
• To list the current directory in four columns, type the following:
ls | paste - - - -
Each hyphen (-) tells the paste command to create a column containing data read from the standard
input. The first line is put in the first column, the second line in the second column, and so on.
See the paste command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Numbering lines in text files (nl command)

Use the nl command to read the specified file (standard input by default), numbers the lines in the input,
and writes the numbered lines to standard output.
• To number only the lines that are not blank, type the following:

nl chap1
This displays a numbered listing of chap1, numbering only the lines that are not blank in the body
sections.
• To number all lines, type the following:
nl -ba chap1
This numbers all the lines in the file named chap1, including blank lines.
See the nl command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Removing columns in text files (colrm command)

Use the colrm command to remove specified columns from a file. Input is taken from standard input.
Output is sent to standard output.
If the command is called with one parameter, the columns of each line from the specified column to the
last column are removed. If the command is called with two parameters, the columns from the first
specified column to the second specified column are removed.
Note: Column numbering starts with column 1.
• To remove columns from the text.fil file, type the following:
colrm 6 < text.fil
If text.fil contains:
123456789
then the colrm command displays:
12345
See the colrm command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
File and directory links

Links are connections between a file name and an index node reference number (i-node number), the
internal representation of a file. Because directory entries contain file names paired with i-node numbers,
every directory entry is a link.
The i-node number actually identifies the file, not the file name. By using links, any i-node number or file
can be known by many different names. For example, i-node number 798 contains a memo regarding
June sales in the Omaha office. Presently, the directory entry for this memo is as follows:
i-node File Name

Number
798 memo
Because this information relates to information stored in the sales and omaha directories, linking is used
to share the information where it is needed. Using the ln command, links are created to these directories.
Now the file has three file names as follows:
i-node File Name

Number
798 memo
798 sales/june
798 omaha/junesales

When you use the pg or cat command to view the contents of any of the three file names, the same
information is displayed. If you edit the contents of the i-node number from any of the three file names,
the contents of the data displayed by all of the file names will reflect any changes.
Types of links
There are two types of links: hard and symbolic.
Links are created with the ln command and are of the following types:
Item Description
hard link Allows access to the data of a file from a new file name. Hard links ensure the existence
of a file. When the last hard link is removed, the i-node number and its data are deleted.
Hard links can be created only between files that are in the same file system.
symbolic link Allows access to data in other file systems from a new file name. The symbolic link is a
special type of file that contains a path name. When a process encounters a symbolic
link, the process may search that path. Symbolic links do not protect a file from
deletion from the file system.
Note: The user who creates a file retains ownership of that file no matter how many links are created.
Only the owner of the file or the root user can set the access mode for that file. However, changes can be
made to the file from a linked file name with the proper access mode.
A file or directory exists as long as there is one hard link to the i-node number for that file. In the long
listing displayed by the ls -l command, the number of hard links to each file and subdirectory is given. All
hard links are treated equally by the operating system, regardless of which link was created first.
Linking files (ln command)

Linking files with the ln command is a convenient way to work with the same data as if it were in more
than one place.
Links are created by giving alternate names to the original file. The use of links allows a large file, such as
a database or mailing list, to be shared by several users without making copies of that file. Not only do
links save disk space, but changes made to one file are automatically reflected in all the linked files.
The ln command links the file designated in the SourceFile parameter to the file designated by the
TargetFile parameter or to the same file name in another directory specified by the
TargetDirectory parameter. By default, the ln command creates hard links. To use the ln command
to create symbolic links, add the -s flag.
Note: You cannot link files across file systems without using the -s flag.
If you are linking a file to a new name, you can list only one file. If you are linking to a directory, you can
list more than one file.
The TargetFile parameter is optional. If you do not designate a target file, the ln command creates a
file in your current directory. The new file inherits the name of the file designated in the SourceFile
parameter.
• To create a link to a file named chap1, type the following:
ln -f chap1 intro
This links chap1 to the new name, intro. When the -f flag is used, the file name intro is created if it
does not already exist. If intro does exist, the file is replaced by a link to chap1. Both the chap1 and
intro file names refer to the same file.
• To link a file named index to the same name in another directory named manual, type the following:
ln index manual
This links index to the new name, manual/index.

• To link several files to names in another directory, type the following:
ln chap2 jim/chap3 /home/manual
This links chap2 to the new name /home/manual/chap2 and jim/chap3 to /home/manual/chap3.
• To use the ln command with pattern-matching characters, type the following:
ln manual/* .
Note: You must type a space between the asterisk and the period.
This links all files in the manual directory into the current directory, dot (.), giving them the same names
they have in the manual directory.
• To create a symbolic link, type the following:
ln -s /tmp/toc toc
This creates the symbolic link, toc, in the current directory. The toc file points to the /tmp/toc file. If
the /tmp/toc file exists, the cat toc command lists its contents.
• To achieve identical results without designating the TargetFile parameter, type the following:
ln -s /tmp/toc
See the ln command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
Command for removing linked files

The rm command removes the link from the file name that you indicate.
When one of several hard-linked file names is deleted, the file is not completely deleted because it
remains under the other name. When the last link to an i-node number is removed, the data is removed as
well. The i-node number is then available for reuse by the system.
See the rm command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
DOS files
The AIX operating system allows you to work with DOS files on your system.
Copy to a diskette the DOS files you want to work with. Your system can read these files into a base
operating system directory in the correct format and back onto the diskette in DOS format.
Note: The wildcard characters * and ? (asterisk and question mark) do not work correctly with the
commands discussed in this section (although they do with the base operating system shell). If you do
not specify a file name extension, the file name is matched as if you had specified a blank extension.
Copying DOS files to base operating system files

Use the dosread command to copy the specified DOS file to the specified base operating system file.
Note: DOS file-naming conventions are used with one exception. Because the backslash (\) character can
have special meaning to the base operating system, use a slash (/) character as the delimiter to specify
subdirectory names in a DOS path name.
• To copy a text file named chap1.doc from a DOS diskette to the base operating file system, type the
following:
dosread -a chap1.doc chap1
This copies the DOS text file \CHAP1.DOC on the /dev/fd0 default device to the base operating
system file chap1 in the current directory.
• To copy a binary file from a DOS diskette to the base operating file system, type the following:
dosread -D/dev/fd0 /survey/test.dta /home/fran/testdata

This copies the \SURVEY\TEST.DTA DOS data file on /dev/fd0 to the base operating system file /
home/fran/testdata.
See the dosread command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Copying base operating system files to DOS files

Use the doswrite command to copy the specified base operating system file to the specified DOS file.
• To copy a text file named chap1 from the base operating file system to a DOS diskette, type the
following:
doswrite -a chap1 chap1.doc
This copies the base operating system file chap1 in the current directory to the DOS text file
\CHAP1.DOC on /dev/fd0.
• To copy a binary file named /survey/test.dta from the base operating file system to a DOS diskette,
type the following:
doswrite -D/dev/fd0 /home/fran/testdata /survey/test.dta
This copies the base operating system data file /home/fran/testdata to the DOS file \SURVEY
\TEST.DTA on /dev/fd0.
See the doswrite command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Deleting DOS files

Use the dosdel command to delete the specified DOS file.
The dosdel command converts lowercase characters in the file or directory name to uppercase before it
checks the disk. Because all file names are assumed to be full (not relative) path names, you need not add
the initial slash (/).
For example, to delete a DOS file named file.ext on the default device (/dev/fd0), type the following:
dosdel file.ext
See the dosdel command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Displaying contents of a DOS directory

Use the dosdir command to display information about the specified DOS files or directories.
The dosdir command converts lowercase characters in the file or directory name to uppercase before it
checks the disk. Because all file names are assumed to be full (not relative) path names, you need not add
the initial / (slash).
For example, to read a directory of the DOS files on /dev/fd0, type the following:
dosdir
The command returns the names of the files and disk-space information, similar to the following.

PG3-25.TXT
PG4-25.TXT
PG5-25.TXT
PG6-25.TXT
Free space: 312320 bytes
See the dosdir command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Command summary for files

The following are commands for files, file handling procedures, and DOS files. There is also a list of
commands for linking files and directories.
Table 57. Commands for files

Item Description
* Wildcard, matches any characters
? Wildcard, matches any single character
[ ] Metacharacters, matches enclosed characters.
Table 58. Commands for file handling procedures

Item Description
cat Concatenates or displays files
cmp Compares two files
colrm Extracts columns from a file
cp Copies files
cut Writes out selected bytes, characters, or fields from each line of a file
diff Compares text files
file Determines the file type
find Finds files with a matching expression
grep Searches a file for a pattern
head Displays the first few lines or bytes of a file or files
more Displays continuous text one screen at a time on a display screen
mv Moves files
nl Numbers lines in a file
pg Formats files to the display
rm Removes (unlinks) files or directories
paste Merges the lines of several files or subsequent lines in one file
sort Sorts files, merges files that are already sorted, and checks files to determine if they
have been sorted
tail Writes a file to standard output, beginning at a specified point
wc Counts the number of lines, words, and bytes in a file
Table 59. Command for linking files and directories

Item Description
ln Links files and directories

Table 60. Commands for DOS files
Item Description
dosdel Deletes DOS files
dosdir Lists the directory for DOS files
dosread Copies DOS files to Base Operating System files
doswrite Copies Base Operating System files to DOS files
Operating system shells

Your interface to the operating system is called a shell.
The shell is the outermost layer of the operating system. Shells incorporate a programming language to
control processes and files, as well as to start and control other programs. The shell manages the
interaction between you and the operating system by prompting you for input, interpreting that input for
the operating system, and then handling any resulting output from the operating system.
Shells provide a way for you to communicate with the operating system. This communication is carried
out either interactively (input from the keyboard is acted upon immediately) or as a shell script. A shell
script is a sequence of shell and operating system commands that is stored in a file.
When you log in to the system, the system locates the name of a shell program to execute. After it is
executed, the shell displays a command prompt. This prompt is usually a $ (dollar sign). When you type a
command at the prompt and press the Enter key, the shell evaluates the command and attempts to carry
it out. Depending on your command instructions, the shell writes the command output to the screen or
redirects the output. It then returns the command prompt and waits for you to type another command.
A command line is the line on which you type. It contains the shell prompt. The basic format for each line
is as follows:
$ Command Argument(s)
The shell considers the first word of a command line (up to the first blank space) as the command and all
subsequent words as arguments.
Note: When libc.a is moved or renamed, the Killed error message is displayed from the shell because
there is no libc.a file available for the system to load and run the utilities. The recsh command invokes
the recovery shell, which provides an ability to rename libc.a if it is accidently moved.
Related tasks
Shell concepts
Before you start working with the different types of shells available for AIX you need to understand basic
terminology and features.
Available shells
The following are the shells that are provided with AIX.
• Korn shell (started with the ksh command)
• Bourne shell (started with the bsh command)
• Restricted shell (a limited version of the Bourne shell, and started with the Rsh command)
• POSIX shell (also known as the Korn Shell, and started with the psh command)
• Restricted shell for the Korn shell (ksh and ksh93). The ksh and ksh93 shells are provided with their
restricted shell equivalents rksh and rksh93.
• Default shell (started with the sh command)
• C shell (started with the csh command)

• Trusted shell (a limited version of the Korn shell, and started with the tsh command)
• Remote shell (started with the rsh command)
The login shell refers to the shell that is loaded when you log in to the computer system. Your login shell is
set in the /etc/passwd file. The Korn shell is the standard operating system login shell and is backward-
compatible with the Bourne Shell.
The Korn shell (/usr/bin/ksh) is set up as the default shell. The default or standard shell refers to the
shells linked to and started with the /usr/bin/sh command. The Bourne shell (/usr/bin/sh) can be
substituted as the default shell. The POSIX shell, which is invoked by the /usr/bin/psh command,
resides as a link to the /usr/bin/sh command.
Related concepts
Bourne shell
The Bourne shell is an interactive command interpreter and command programming language.
Korn shell or POSIX shell commands
The Korn shell is an interactive command interpreter and command programming language. It conforms
to the Portable Operating System Interface for Computer Environments (POSIX), an international
standard for operating systems.
Shells terminology
The terms and definitions in this table are helpful in understanding shells.
Item Description
blank A blank is one of the characters in the blank character class defined in the
LC_CTYPE category. In the POSIX shell, a blank is either a tab or space.
built-in command A command that the shell executes without searching for it and creating a
separate process.
command A sequence of characters in the syntax of the shell language. The shell reads
each command and carries out the desired action either directly or by invoking
separate utilities.
comment Any word that begins with pound sign (#). The word and all characters that
follow it, until the next newline character, are ignored.
identifier A sequence of letters, digits, or underscores from the portable character set,
starting with a letter or underscore. The first character of an identifier must not
be a digit. Identifiers are used as names for aliases, functions, and named
parameters.

Item Description
list A sequence of one or more pipelines separated by one of the following
symbols: semicolon (;), ampersand (&), double ampersand (&&), or double bar
(||). The list is optionally ended by one of the following symbols: semicolon
(;), ampersand (&), or bar ampersand (|&).
;
Sequentially processes the preceding pipeline. The shell carries out each
command in turn and waits for the most recent command to complete.
&
Asynchronously processes the preceding pipeline. The shell carries out
each command in turn, processing the pipeline in the background without
waiting for it to complete.
|&
Asynchronously processes the preceding pipeline and establishes a two-
way pipe to the parent shell. The shell carries out each command in turn,
processing the pipeline in the background without waiting for it to
complete. The parent shell can read from and write to the standard input
and output of the created command by using the read -p and print -p
commands. Only one such command can be active at any given time.
&&
Processes the list that follows this symbol only if the preceding pipeline
returns an exit value of zero (0).
||
Processes the list that follows this symbol only if the preceding pipeline
returns a nonzero exit value.
The semicolon (;), ampersand (&), and bar ampersand (|&) have a lower
priority than the double ampersand (&&) and double bar (||). The ;, &, and |&
symbols have equal priority among themselves. The && and || symbols are
equal in priority. One or more newline characters can be used instead of a
semicolon to delimit two commands in a list.
Note: The |& symbol is valid only in the Korn shell.
metacharacter Each metacharacter has a special meaning to the shell and causes termination
of a word unless it is quoted. Metacharacters are: pipe (|), ampersand (&),
semicolon (;), less-than sign (<), greater-than sign (>), left parenthesis ((),
right parenthesis ()), dollar sign ($), backquote (`), backslash (\), right quote
('), double quotation marks ("), newline character, space character, and tab
character. All characters enclosed between single quotation marks are
considered quoted and are interpreted literally by the shell. The special
meaning of metacharacters is retained if not quoted. (Metacharacters are also
known as parser metacharacters in the C shell.)
parameter assignment Includes one or more words of the form Identifier=Value in which spaces
list surrounding the equal sign (=) must be balanced. That is, leading and trailing
blanks, or no blanks, must be used.
Note: In the C shell, the parameter assignment list is of the form
setIdentifier=Value. The spaces surrounding the equal sign (=) are required.

Item Description
pipeline A sequence of one or more commands separated by pipe (|). Each command in
the pipeline, except possibly the last command, is run as a separate process.
However, the standard output of each command that is connected by a pipe
becomes the standard input of the next command in the sequence. If a list is
enclosed with parentheses, it is carried out as a simple command that operates
in a separate subshell.
If the reserved word ! does not precede the pipeline, the exit status will be the
exit status of the last command specified in the pipeline. Otherwise, the exit
status is the logical NOT of the exit status of the last command. In other words,
if the last command returns zero, the exit status will be 1. If the last command
returns greater than zero, the exit status will be zero.
The format for a pipeline is as follows:
[!] command1 [ | command2 ...]
Note: Early versions of the Bourne shell used the caret (^) to indicate a pipe.
shell variable A name or parameter to which a value is assigned. Assign a variable by typing
the variable name, an equal sign (=), and then the value. The variable name can
be substituted for the assigned value by preceding the variable name with a
dollar sign ($). Variables are particularly useful for creating a short notation for
a long path name, such as $HOME for the home directory. A predefined variable
is one whose value is assigned by the shell. A user-defined variable is one
whose value is assigned by a user.
simple command A sequence of optional parameter assignment lists and redirections, in any
sequence. They are optionally followed by commands, words, and redirections.
They are terminated by ;, |, &, ||, &&, |&, or a newline character. The
command name is passed as parameter 0 (as defined by the exec subroutine).
The value of a simple command is its exit status of zero if it terminates
normally or nonzero if it terminates abnormally. The sigaction, sigvec, or signal
subroutine includes a list of signal-exit status values.
subshell A shell that is running as a child of the login shell or the current shell.
wildcard character Also known as a pattern-matching character. The shell associates them with
assigned values. The basic wildcards are ?, *, [set], and [!set]. Wildcard
characters are particularly useful when performing file name substitution.
word A sequence of characters that does not contain any blanks. Words are
separated by one or more metacharacters.
Specifying a shell for a script file

When you run an executable shell script in either the Korn (the POSIX Shell) or Bourne shell, the
commands in the script are carried out under the control of the current shell (the shell from which the
script is started) unless you specify a different shell. When you run an executable shell script in the C
shell, the commands in the script are carried out under the control of the Bourne shell (/usr/bin/bsh)
unless you specify a different shell.
You can run a shell script in a specific shell by including the shell within the shell script.
To run an executable shell script under a specific shell, type #!Path on the first line of the shell script,
and press Enter. The #! characters identify the file type. The Path variable specifies the path name of the
shell from which to run the shell script.
For example, to run the bsh script in the Bourne shell, type the following:
#!/usr/bin/bsh

When you precede a shell script file name with a shell command, the shell specified on the command line
overrides any shell specified within the script file itself. Therefore, typing ksh myfile and pressing Enter
runs the file named myfile under the control of the Korn shell, even if the first line of myfile is
#!/usr/bin/csh.
Shell features
There are advantages to using the shell as an interface to the system.
The primary advantages of interfacing to the system through a shell are as follows:
• Wildcard substitution in file names (pattern-matching)
Carries out commands on a group of files by specifying a pattern to match, rather than specifying an
actual file name.
For more information, see:
– “File name substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell” on page 225
– “File name substitution in the Bourne shell” on page 258
– “File name substitution in the C shell” on page 277
• Background processing
Sets up lengthy tasks to run in the background, freeing the terminal for concurrent interactive
processing.
For more information, see the bg command in the following:
– “Job control in the Korn shell or POSIX shell” on page 241
– “C shell built-in commands” on page 284
Note: The Bourne shell does not support job control.
• Command aliasing
Gives an alias name to a command or phrase. When the shell encounters an alias on the command line
or in a shell script, it substitutes the text to which the alias refers.
– “Command aliasing in the Korn shell or POSIX shell” on page 254
– “Alias substitution in the C shell” on page 274
Note: The Bourne shell does not support command aliasing.
• Command history
Records the commands you enter in a history file. You can use this file to easily access, modify, and
reissue any listed command.
For more information, see the history command in the following:
– “Korn shell or POSIX shell command history” on page 254
– “C shell built-in commands” on page 284
– “History substitution in the C shell” on page 295
Note: The Bourne shell does not support command history.
• File name substitution
Automatically produces a list of file names on a command line using pattern-matching characters.
– “File name substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell” on page 225
– “File name substitution in the Bourne shell” on page 258
– “File name substitution in the C shell” on page 277

• Input and output redirection
Redirects input away from the keyboard and redirects output to a file or device other than the terminal.
For example, input to a program can be provided from a file and redirected to the printer or to another
file.
– “Input and output redirection in the Korn shell or POSIX shell” on page 226
– “Input and output redirection in the Bourne shell” on page 259
– “Input and output redirection in the C shell” on page 297
• Piping
Links any number of commands together to form a complex program. The standard output of one
program becomes the standard input of the next.
For more information, see the pipeline definition in “Shells terminology” on page 199.
• Shell variable substitution
Stores data in user-defined variables and predefined shell variables.
– “Parameter substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell” on page 223
– “Variable substitution in the Bourne shell” on page 269
– “Variable substitution in the C shell” on page 275
Related concepts
Commands
Character classes
You can use character classes to match file names.
You can use character classes to match file names, as follows:
[[:charclass:]]
This format instructs the system to match any single character belonging to the specified class. The
defined classes correspond to ctype subroutines, as follows:
Character Class Definition

alnum Alphanumeric characters
alpha Uppercase and lowercase letters
blank Space or horizontal tab
cntrl Control characters
digit Digits
graph Graphic characters
lower Lowercase letters
print Printable characters
punct Punctuation characters
space Space, horizontal tab, carriage return, newline, vertical tab, or form-feed
character
upper Uppercase characters

Character Class Definition
xdigit Hexadecimal digits
Restricted shell
The restricted shell is used to set up login names and execution environments whose capabilities are
more controlled than those of the regular Bourne shell.
The Rsh or bsh -r command opens the restricted shell. The behavior of these commands is identical to
those of the bsh command, except that the following actions are not allowed:
• Changing the directory (with the cd command)
• Setting the value of PATH or SHELL variables
• Specifying path or command names containing a slash (/)
• Redirecting output
If the restricted shell determines that a command to be run is a shell procedure, it uses the Bourne shell
to run the command. In this way, it is possible to provide a user with shell procedures that access the full
power of the Bourne shell while imposing a limited menu of commands. This situation assumes that the
user does not have write and execute permissions in the same directory.
If the File [Parameter] parameter is specified when the Bourne shell is started, the shell runs the script file
identified by the File parameter, including any parameters specified. The script file specified must have
read permission. Any setuid and setgid settings for script files are ignored. The shell then reads the
commands. If either the -c or -s flag is used, do not specify a script file.
When started with the Rsh command, the shell enforces restrictions after interpreting the .profile
and /etc/environment files. Therefore, the writer of the .profile file has complete control over user
actions by performing setup actions and leaving the user in an appropriate directory (probably not the
login directory). An administrator can create a directory of commands in the /usr/rbin directory that
the Rsh command can use by changing the PATH variable to contain the directory. If it is started with the
bsh -r command, the shell applies restrictions when interpreting the .profile files.
When called with the name Rsh, the restricted shell reads the user's .profile file ($HOME/.profile).
It acts as the regular Bourne shell while doing this, except that an interrupt causes an immediate exit
instead of a return to command level.
The Korn shell can be started as a restricted shell with the command ksh -r.
The inodes for ksh and rksh are identical, and the inodes for ksh93 and rksh93 are identical.
Creating and running a shell script

A shell script is a file that contains one or more commands. Shell scripts provide an easy way to carry out
tedious commands, large or complicated sequences of commands, and routine tasks. When you enter the
name of a shell script file, the system executes the command sequence contained by the file.
You can create a shell script by using a text editor. Your script can contain both operating system
commands and shell built-in commands.
The following steps are general guidelines for writing shell scripts:
1. Using a text editor, create and save a file. You can include any combination of shell and operating
system commands in the shell script file. By convention, shell scripts that are not set up for use by
many users are stored in the $HOME/bin directory.
Note: The operating system does not support the setuid or setgid subroutines within a shell script.
2. Use the chmod command to allow only the owner to run (or execute) the file. For example, if your file is
named script1, type the following:
chmod u=rwx script1

3. Type the script name on the command line to run the shell script. To run the script1 shell script,
type the following:
script1
Note: You can run a shell script without making it executable if a shell command (ksh, bsh, or csh)
precedes the shell script file name on the command line. For example, to run a nonexecutable file
named script1 under the control of the Korn shell, type the following:
ksh script1
Related concepts
Commands
Korn shell
The Korn shell (ksh command) is backwardly compatible with the Bourne shell (bsh command) and
contains most of the Bourne shell features as well as several of the best features of the C shell.
Variables set by the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The following are variables that are set by the shell.
Item Description
underscore (_) Indicates initially the absolute path name of the shell or script being executed
as passed in the environment. Subsequently, it is assigned the last argument of
the previous command. This parameter is not set for commands that are
asynchronous. This parameter is also used to hold the name of the matching
MAIL file when checking for mail.
ERRNO Specifies a value that is set by the most recently failed subroutine. This value is
system-dependent and is intended for debugging purposes.
LINENO Specifies the line number of the current line within the script or function being
executed.
OLDPWD Indicates the previous working directory set by the cd command.
OPTARG Specifies the value of the last option argument processed by the getopts
regular built-in command.
OPTIND Specifies index of the last option argument processed by the getopts regular
built-in command.
PPID Identifies the process number of the parent of the shell.
PWD Indicates the present working directory set by the cd command.
RANDOM Generates a random integer, uniformly distributed between 0 and 32767. The
sequence of random numbers can be initialized by assigning a numeric value to
the RANDOM variable.
REPLY Set by the select statement and by the read regular built-in command when no
arguments are supplied.
SECONDS Specifies the number of seconds since shell invocation is returned. If this
variable is assigned a value, then the value returned upon reference will be the
value that was assigned plus the number of seconds since the assignment.

Variables used by the Korn shell or POSIX shell
The following are variables that are used by the shell.
Item Description
CDPATH Indicates the search path for the cd (change directory) command.
COLUMNS Defines the width of the edit window for the shell edit modes and for printing select
lists.
EDITOR If the value of this parameter ends in emacs, gmacs, or vi, and the VISUAL variable is
not set with the set special built-in command, then the corresponding option is
turned on.
ENV If this variable is set, then parameter substitution is performed on the value to
generate the path name of the script that will be executed when the shell is invoked.
This file is typically used for alias and function definitions. This variable will be
ignored for noninteractive shells.
FCEDIT Specifies the default editor name for the fc regular built-in command.
FPATH Specifies the search path for function definitions. This path is searched when a
function with the -u flag is referenced and when a command is not found. If an
executable file is found, then it is read and executed in the current environment.
HISTFILE If this variable is set when the shell is invoked, then the value is the path name of the
file that will be used to store the command history.
The initialization process for the history file can be dependent on the system start-
up files because some start-up files can contain commands that effectively preempt
the settings the user has specified for HISTFILE and HISTSIZE. For example,
function definition commands are recorded in the history file. If the system
administrator includes function definitions in a system start-up file that is called
before the ENV file or before HISTFILE or HISTSIZE variable is set, the history file
is initialized before the user can influence its characteristics.
HISTSIZE If this variable is set when the shell is invoked, then the number of previously
entered commands that are accessible by this shell will be greater than or equal to
this number. The default is 128 commands for nonroot users and 512 commands for
the root user.
HOME Indicates the name of your login directory, which becomes the current directory
upon completion of a login. The login program initializes this variable. The cd
command uses the value of the $HOME parameter as its default value. Using this
variable rather than an explicit path name in a shell procedure allows the procedure
to be run from a different directory without alterations.
IFS Specifies IFS (internal field separators), which are normally space, tab, and newline,
used to separate command words that result from command or parameter
substitution and for separating words with the regular built-in command read. The
first character of the IFS parameter is used to separate arguments for the $*
substitution.

Item Description
KSH_STAK_SIZE Increases the internal stack size of the Korn shell (ksh). By default, the size of the
internal stack is 16 KB. To increase the size of the internal stack to process large
files, use the KSH_STAK_SIZE environment variable.
The values of the KSH_STAK_SIZE environment variable must be in the range 32 KB -
64 MB. The following examples show the format that you must use to specify the
KSH_STAK_SIZE environment variable:
• To increase the size of the internal stack to 1 MB, type the following command:
export KSH_STAK_SIZE=1MB
• To increase the size of the internal stack to 30 KB, type the following command:
export KSH_STAK_SIZE=30KB
Although you want to increase the internal stack size to 30 KB, the KSH_STAK_SIZE
environment variable rounds off the value to 32 KB because the KSH_STAK_SIZE
environment variable must be in the range 32 KB - 64 MB.
Similarly, if you want to increase the internal stack size to a value greater than 64
MB, the KSH_STAK_SIZE environment variable still rounds off the value to 32 KB.
LANG Provides a default value for the LC_* variables.

LC_ALL Overrides the value of the LANG and LC_* variables.
LC_COLLATE Determines the behavior of range expression within pattern matching.
LC_CTYPE Defines character classification, case conversion, and other character attributes.
LC_MESSAGES Determines the language in which messages are written.
LINES Determines the column length for printing select lists. Select lists print vertically until
about two-thirds of lines specified by the LINES variable are filled.
MAIL Specifies the file path name used by the mail system to detect the arrival of new
mail. If this variable is set to the name of a mail file and the MAILPATH variable is not
set, then the shell informs the user of new mail in the specified file.
MAILCHECK Specifies how often (in seconds) the shell checks for changes in the modification
time of any of the files specified by the MAILPATH or MAIL variables. The default
value is 600 seconds. When the time has elapsed, the shell checks before issuing the
next prompt.
MAILPATH Specifies a list of file names separated by colons. If this variable is set, then the shell
informs the user of any modifications to the specified files that have occurred during
the period, in seconds, specified by the MAILCHECK variable. Each file name can be
followed by a ? and a message that will be printed. The message will undergo
variable substitution with the $_ variable defined as the name of the file that has
changed. The default message is you have mail in $_.
NLSPATH Determines the location of message catalogs for the processing of LC_MESSAGES.
PATH Indicates the search path for commands, which is an ordered list of directory path
names separated by colons. The shell searches these directories in the specified
order when it looks for commands. A null string anywhere in the list represents the
current directory.
PS1 Specifies the string to be used as the primary system prompt. The value of this
parameter is expanded for parameter substitution to define the primary prompt
string, which is a $ by default. The ! character in the primary prompt string is
replaced by the command number.

Item Description
PS2 Specifies the value of the secondary prompt string, which is a > by default.
PS3 Specifies the value of the selection prompt string used within a select loop, which is
#? by default.
PS4 The value of this variable is expanded for parameter substitution and precedes each
line of an execution trace. If omitted, the execution trace prompt is a +.
SHELL Specifies the path name of the shell, which is kept in the environment.
SHELL PROMPT When used interactively, the shell prompts with the value of the PS1 parameter
before reading a command. If at any time a new line is entered and the shell requires
further input to complete a command, the shell issues the secondary prompt (the
value of the PS2 parameter).
TMOUT Specifies the number of seconds a shell waits inactive before exiting. If the TMOUT
variable is set to a value greater than zero (0), the shell exits if a command is not
entered within the prescribed number of seconds after issuing the PS1 prompt. (Note
that the shell can be compiled with a maximum boundary that cannot be exceeded
for this value.)
Note: After the timeout period has expired, there is a 60-second pause before the
shell exits.
VISUAL If the value of this variable ends in emacs, gmacs, or vi, then the corresponding
option is turned on.
The shell gives default values to the PATH, PS1, PS2, MAILCHECK, TMOUT, and IFS parameters, but the
HOME, SHELL, ENV, and MAIL parameters are not set by the shell (although the HOME parameter is set by
the login command).
Command substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The Korn Shell, or POSIX Shell, lets you perform command substitution. In command substitution, the
shell executes a specified command in a subshell environment and replaces that command with its
output.
To execute command substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell, type the following:
$(command)
or, for the backquoted version, type the following:
`command`
Note: Although the backquote syntax is accepted by ksh, it is considered obsolete by the X/Open
Portability Guide Issue 4 and POSIX standards. These standards recommend that portable applications
use the $(command) syntax.
The shell expands the command substitution by executing command in a subshell environment and
replacing the command substitution (the text of command plus the enclosing $( ) or backquotes) with
the standard output of the command, removing sequences of one or more newline characters at the end
of the substitution.
In the following example, the $( ) surrounding the command indicates that the output of the whoami
command is substituted:
echo My name is: $(whoami)
You can perform the same command substitution with:
echo My name is: `whoami`

The output from both examples for user dee is:
My name is: dee
You can also substitute arithmetic expressions by enclosing them in ( ). For example, the command:
echo Each hour contains $((60 * 60)) seconds
produces the following result:
Each hour contains 3600 seconds
The Korn shell or POSIX shell removes all trailing newline characters when performing command
substitution. For example, if your current directory contains the file1, file2, and file3 files, the
command:
echo $(ls)
removes the newline characters and produces the following output:
file1 file2 file3
To preserve newline characters, insert the substituted command in " ":
echo "$(ls)"
Arithmetic evaluation in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The Korn shell or POSIX shell regular built-in let command enables you to perform integer arithmetic.
Constants are of the form [Base]Number. The Base parameter is a decimal number between 2 and 36
inclusive, representing the arithmetic base. The Number parameter is a number in that base. If you omit
the Base parameter, the shell uses a base of 10.
Arithmetic expressions use the same syntax, precedence, and associativity of expression as the C
programming language. All of the integral operators, other than double plus (++), double hyphen (—),
question mark-colon (?: ), and comma (,), are supported. The following table lists valid Korn shell or
POSIX shell operators in decreasing order of precedence:
Operator Definition
- Unary minus
! Logical negation
~ Bitwise negation
* Multiplication
/ Division
% Remainder
+ Addition
- Subtraction
<<, >> Left shift, right shift
<=,>=, <>, ==, != Comparison
& Bitwise AND
^ Bitwise exclusive OR
| Bitwise OR

Operator Definition
&& Logical AND
|| Logical OR
= *=, /=, &= +=, -=, <<=, > >=, &=, ^=, |= Assignment
Many arithmetic operators, such as *, &, <, and >, have special meaning to the Korn shell or POSIX shell.
These characters must be quoted. For example, to multiply the current value of y by 5 and reassign the
new value to y, use the expression:
let "y = y * 5"
Enclosing the expression in quotation marks removes the special meaning of the * character.
You can group operations inside let command expressions to force grouping. For example, in the
expression:
let "z = q * (z - 10)"
the command multiplies q by the reduced value of z.

The Korn shell or POSIX shell includes an alternative form of the let command if only a single expression
is to be evaluated. The shell treats commands enclosed in (( )) as quoted expressions. Therefore, the
expression:
((x = x / 3))
is equivalent to:
let "x = x / 3"
Named parameters are referenced by name within an arithmetic expression without using the parameter
substitution syntax. When a named parameter is referenced, its value is evaluated as an arithmetic
expression.
Specify an internal integer representation of a named parameter with the -i flag of the typeset special
built-in command. Using the -i flag, arithmetic evaluation is performed on the value of each assignment to
a named parameter. If you do not specify an arithmetic base, the first assignment to the parameter
determines the arithmetic base. This base is used when parameter substitution occurs.
Related concepts
Parameters in the Korn shell
Korn shell parameters are discussed below.
Field splitting in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

After performing command substitution, the Korn shell scans the results of substitutions for those field
separator characters found in the IFS (Internal Field Separator) variable. Where such characters are
found, the shell splits the substitutions into distinct arguments.
The shell retains explicit null arguments ("" or '') and removes implicit null arguments (those resulting
from parameters that have no values).
• If the value of IFS is a space, tab, or newline character, or if it is not set, any sequence of space, tab, or
newline characters at the beginning or end of the input will be ignored and any sequence of those

characters within the input will delimit a field. For example, the following input yields two fields, school
and days:
<newline><space><tab>school<tab><tab>days<space>
• Otherwise, and if the value of IFS is not null, the following rules apply in sequence. IFS white space is
used to mean any sequence (zero or more instances) of white-space characters that are in the IFS value
(for example, if IFS contains space/comma/tab, any sequence of space and tab characters is
considered IFS white space).
1. IFS white space is ignored at the beginning and end of the input.
2. Each occurrence in the input of an IFS character that is not IFS white space, along with any adjacent
IFS white space, delimits a field.
3. Nonzero length IFS white space delimits a field.
List of Korn shell or POSIX shell special built-in commands

Special commands are built into the Korn shell and POSIX shell and executed in the shell process.
Item Description
: (colon) Expands only arguments.
. (dot) Reads a specified file and then executes the commands.
break Exits from the enclosing for, while, until, or select loop, if one exists.
continue Resumes the next iteration of the enclosing for, while, until, or select loop.
eval Reads the arguments as input to the shell and executes the resulting command or
commands.
exec Executes the command specified by the Argument parameter, instead of this shell,
without creating a new process.
exit Exits the shell whose exit status is specified by the n parameter.
export Marks names for automatic export to the environment of subsequently executed
commands.
newgrp Equivalent to the exec/usr/bin/newgrp [Group ...] command.
readonly Marks the specified names read-only.
return Causes a shell to return to the invoking script.
set Unless options or arguments are specified, writes the names and values of all shell
variables in the collation sequence of the current locale.
shift Renames positional parameters.
times Prints the accumulated user and system times for both the shell and the processes run
from the shell.
trap Runs a specified command when the shell receives a specified signal or signals.
typeset Sets attributes and values for shell parameters.
unset Unsets the values and attributes of the specified parameters.
Related concepts
Korn shell or POSIX shell built-in commands

Special commands are built in to the Korn shell and POSIX shell and executed in the shell process.
Korn shell or POSIX shell regular built-in commands

The following is a list of the Korn shell or POSIX shell regular built-in commands.
Item Description
alias Prints a list of aliases to standard output.
bg Puts specified jobs in the background.
cd Changes the current directory to the specified directory or substitutes the current string
with the specified string.
echo Writes character strings to standard output.
fc Selects a range of commands from the last HISTSIZE variable command typed at the
terminal. Re-executes the specified command after old-to-new substitution is performed.
fg Brings the specified job to the foreground.
getopts Checks the Argument parameter for legal options.
jobs Lists information for the specified jobs.
kill Sends the TERM (terminate) signal to specified jobs or processes.
let Evaluates specified arithmetic expressions.
print Prints shell output.
pwd Equivalent to the print -r -$PWD command.
read Takes shell input.
ulimit Sets or displays user process resource limits as defined in the /etc/security/limits
file.
umask Determines file permissions.
unalias Removes the parameters in the list of names from the alias list.
wait Waits for the specified job and terminates.
whence Indicates how each specified name would be interpreted if used as a command name.
For more information, see “Korn shell or POSIX shell built-in commands” on page 229.
Related concepts
Conditional expressions for the Korn shell or POSIX shell

A conditional expression is used with the [[ compound command to test attributes of files and to
compare strings.
Word splitting and file name substitution are not performed on words appearing between [[ and ]]. Each
expression is constructed from one or more of the following unary or binary expressions:
Item Description
-a File True, if the specified file is a symbolic link that points to another file that does exist.
-b File True, if the specified file exists and is a block special file.
-c File True, if the specified file exists and is a character special file.
-d File True, if the specified file exists and is a directory.
-e File True, if the specified file exists.

Item Description
-f File True, if the specified file exists and is an ordinary file.
-g File True, if the specified file exists and its setgid bit is set.
-h File True, if the specified file exists and is a symbolic link.
-k File True, if the specified file exists and its sticky bit is set.
-n String True, if the length of the specified string is nonzero.
-o Option True, if the specified option is on.
-p File True, if the specified file exists and is a FIFO special file or a pipe.
-r File True, if the specified file exists and is readable by the current process.
-s File True, if the specified file exists and has a size greater than 0.
-t FileDescriptor True, if specified file descriptor number is open and associated with a terminal
device.
-u File True, if the specified file exists and its setuid bit is set.
-w File True, if the specified file exists and the write bit is on. However, the file will not be
writable on a read-only file system even if this test indicates true.
-x File True, if the specified file exists and the execute flag is on. If the specified file exists
and is a directory, then the current process has permission to search in the
directory.
-z String True, if length of the specified string is 0.
-L File True, if the specified file exists and is a symbolic link.
-O File True, if the specified file exists and is owned by the effective user ID of this
process.
-G File True, if the specified file exists and its group matches the effective group ID of this
process.
-S File True, if the specified file exists and is a socket.
File1 -nt File2 True, if File1 exists and is newer than File2.
File1 -ot File2 True, if File1 exists and is older than File2.
File1 -ef File2 True, if File1 and File2 exist and refer to the same file.
String1 = String2 True, if String1 is equal to String2.
String1 != String2 True, if String1 is not equal to String2.
String = Pattern True, if the specified string matches the specified pattern.
String != Pattern True, if the specified string does not match the specified pattern.
String1 < String2 True, if String1 comes before String2 based on the ASCII value of their characters.
String1 > String2 True, if String1 comes after String2 based on the ASCII value of their characters.
Expression1 -eq True, if Expression1 is equal to Expression2.
Expression2
Expression1 -ne True, if Expression1 is not equal to Expression2.
Expression2
Expression1 -lt True, if Expression1 is less than Expression2.
Expression2
Expression1 -gt True, if Expression1 is greater than Expression2.
Expression2

Item Description
Expression1 -le True, if Expression1 is less than or equal to Expression2.
Expression2
Expression1 -ge True, if Expression1 is greater than or equal to Expression2.
Expression2
Note: In each of the previous expressions, if the File variable is similar to /dev/fd/n, where n is an
integer, then the test is applied to the open file whose descriptor number is n.
You can construct a compound expression from these primitives, or smaller parts, by using any of the
following expressions, listed in decreasing order of precedence:
Item Description
(Expression) True, if the specified expression is true. Used to group expressions.
! Expression True, if the specified expression is false.
Expression1 && True, if Expression1 and Expression2 are both true.
Expression2
Expression1 || True, if either Expression1 or Expression2 is true.
Expression2
Quotation of characters in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

When you want the Korn shell or POSIX shell to read a character as a regular character, rather than with
any normally associated meaning, you must quote it.
Each metacharacter has a special meaning to the shell and, unless quoted, causes termination of a word.
The following characters are considered metacharacters by the Korn shell or POSIX shell and must be
quoted if they are to represent themselves:
• pipe (|)
• ampersand (&)
• semicolon (;)
• less-than sign (<) and greater-than sign (>)
• left parenthesis (() and right parenthesis ())
• dollar sign ($)
• backquote (`) and single quotation mark (')
• backslash (\)
• double-quotation marks (")
• newline character
• space character
• tab character
To negate the special meaning of a metacharacter, use one of the quoting mechanisms in the following
list.
Item Description
Backslash A backslash (\) that is not quoted preserves the literal value of the
following character, with the exception of a newline character. If a
newline character follows the backslash, then the shell interprets
this as line continuation.

Item Description
Single Quotation Marks Enclosing characters in single quotation marks (' ') preserves the
literal value of each character within the single quotation marks. A
single quotation mark cannot occur within single quotation marks.
A backslash cannot be used to escape a single quotation mark in a
string that is set in single quotation marks. An embedded quotation
mark can be created by writing, for example: 'a'\''b', which
yields a'b.
Double Quotation Marks Enclosing characters in double quotation marks (" ") preserves the
literal value of all characters within the double quotation marks,
with the exception of the dollar sign, backquote, and backslash
characters, as follows:
$
The dollar sign retains its special meaning introducing
parameter expansion, a form of command substitution, and
arithmetic expansion.
The input characters within the quoted string that are also
enclosed between $( and the matching ) will not be affected by
the double quotation marks, but define that command whose
output replaces the $(...) when the word is expanded.
Within the string of characters from an enclosed ${ to the
matching }, there must be an even number of unescaped
double quotation marks or single quotation marks, if any. A
preceding backslash character must be used to escape a literal
{ or }.
`
The backquote retains its special meaning introducing the other
form of command substitution. The portion of the quoted string,
from the initial backquote and the characters up to the next
backquote that is not preceded by a backslash, defines that
command whose output replaces ` ... ` when the word is
expanded.
\
The backslash retains its special meaning as an escape
character only when followed by one of the following
characters: $, `, ", \, or a newline character.
A double quotation mark must be preceded by a backslash to be included within double quotation marks.
When you use double quotation marks, if a backslash is immediately followed by a character that would
be interpreted as having a special meaning, the backslash is deleted, and the subsequent character is
taken literally. If a backslash does not precede a character that would have a special meaning, it is left in
place unchanged, and the character immediately following it is also left unchanged. For example:
"\$" -> $
"\a" -> \a
The following conditions apply to metacharacters and quoting characters in the Korn or POSIX shell:
• The meanings of dollar sign, asterisk ($*) and dollar sign, at symbol ($@) are identical when not quoted,
when used as a parameter assignment value, or when used as a file name.
• When used as a command argument, double quotation marks, dollar sign, asterisk, double quotation
marks ("$*") is equivalent to "$1d$2d...", where d is the first character of the IFS parameter.

• Double quotation marks, at symbol, asterisk, double quotation marks ("$@") are equivalent to "$1"
"$2" ....
• Inside backquotes (``), the backslash quotes the characters backslash (\), single quotation mark ('),
and dollar sign ($). If the backquotes occur within double quotation marks (" "), the backslash also
quotes the double quotation marks character.
• Parameter and command substitution occurs inside double quotation marks (" ").
• The special meaning of reserved words or aliases is removed by quoting any character of the reserved
word. You cannot quote function names or built-in command names.
Restricted Korn shell

The Restricted Korn Shell is used to set up login names and execution environments whose capabilities
are more controlled than those of the regular Korn shell.
The rksh or ksh -r command opens the Restricted Korn Shell. The behavior of these commands is
identical to those of the ksh command, except that the following actions are not allowed:
• Change the current working directory
• Set the value of the SHELL, ENV, or PATH variables
• Specify the pathname of a command containing a / (slash)
• Redirect output of a command with > (right caret), >| (right caret, pipe symbol), <> (left caret, right
caret), or >> (two right carets).
If the Restricted Korn Shell determines that a command to be run is a shell procedure, it uses the Korn
shell to run the command. In this way, it is possible to provide an end user with shell procedures that
access the full power of the Korn shell while imposing a limited menu of commands. This situation
assumes that the user does not have write and execute permissions in the same directory.
If the File [Parameter] parameter is specified when the Korn shell is started, the shell runs the script file
identified by the File parameter, including any parameters specified. The script file specified must have
read permission. Any setuid and setgid settings for script files are ignored. The shell then reads the
commands. If either the -c or -s flag is used, do not specify a script file.
When started with the rksh command, the shell enforces restrictions after interpreting the .profile
and /etc/environment files. Therefore, the writer of the .profile file has complete control over user
actions by performing setup actions and leaving the user in an appropriate directory (probably not the
login directory). An administrator can create a directory of commands in the /usr/rbin directory that
the rksh command can use by changing the PATH variable to contain the directory. If it is started with the
ksh -r command, the shell applies restrictions when interpreting the .profile files.
When called with the rksh command, the Restricted Korn Shell reads the user's .profile file
($HOME/.profile). It acts as the regular Korn shell while doing this, except that an interrupt causes an
immediate exit instead of a return to command level.
Reserved words in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The following reserved words have special meaning to the Korn shell or POSIX shell.
! case do
done elif else
esac fi for
function if in
select then time
until while {
} [[ ]]
The reserved words are recognized only when they appear without quotation marks and when the word is
used as the following:
• First word of a command
• First word following one of the reserved words other than case, for, or in
• Third word in a case or for command (only in is valid in this case)

Enhanced Korn shell (ksh93)
In addition to the default system Korn shell (/usr/bin/ksh), AIX provides an enhanced version
available as Korn shell /usr/bin/ksh93. This enhanced version is mostly upwardly compatible with the
current default version, and includes a few additional features that are not available in Korn
shell /usr/bin/ksh.
Some scripts might perform differently under Korn shell ksh93 than under the default shell because
variable handling is somewhat different under the two shells.
Note: There is also a restricted version of the enhanced Korn shell available, called rksh93.
The following features are not available in Korn shell /usr/bin/ksh, but are available in Korn
shell /usr/bin/ksh93:
Item Description
Arithmetic You can use libm functions (math functions typically found in the C programming
enhancements language), within arithmetic expressions, such as $ value=$((sqrt(9))). More
arithmetic operators are available, including the unary +, ++, --, and the ?: construct
(for example, "x ? y : z"), as well as the , (comma) operator. Arithmetic bases are
supported up to base 64. Floating point arithmetic is also supported. "typeset -E"
(exponential) can be used to specify the number of significant digits and "typeset -
F" (float) can be used to specify the number of decimal places for an arithmetic
variable. The SECONDS variable now displays to the nearest hundredth of a second,
rather than to the nearest second.
Compound Compound variables are supported. A compound variable allows a user to specify
variables multiple values within a single variable name. The values are each assigned with a
subscript variable, separated from the parent variable with a period (.). For example:
$ myvar=( x=1 y=2 )

$ print "${myvar.x}"
1
Compound Compound assignments are supported when initializing arrays, both for indexed
assignments arrays and associative arrays. The assignment values are placed in parentheses, as
shown in the following example:
$ numbers=( zero one two three )

$ print ${numbers[0]} ${numbers[3]}
zero three
Associative An associative array is an array with a string as an index.

arrays
The typeset command used with the -A flag allows you to specify associative arrays
within ksh93. For example:
$ typeset -A teammates
$ teammates=( [john]=smith [mary]=jones )
$ print ${teammates[mary]}
jones
Variable name The typeset command used with the -n flag allows you to assign one variable name
references as a reference to another. In this way, modifying the value of a variable will in turn
modify the value of the variable that is referenced. For example:
$ greeting="hello"
$ typeset -n welcome=greeting # establishes the reference
$ welcome="hi there" # overrides previous value
$ print $greeting
hi there

Item Description
Parameter The following parameter-expansion constructs are available:
expansions
• ${!varname} is the name of the variable itself.
• ${!varname[@]} names the indexes for the varname array.
• ${param:offset} is a substring of param, starting at offset.
• ${param:offset:num} is a substring of param, starting at offset, for num number
of characters.
• ${@:offset} indicates all positional parameters starting at offset.
• ${@:offset:num} indicates num positional parameters starting at offset.
• ${param/pattern/repl} evaluates to param, with the first occurrence of pattern
replaced by repl.
• ${param//pattern/repl} evaluates to param, with every occurrence of pattern
replaced by repl.
• ${param/#pattern/repl} if param begins with pattern, then param is replaced
by repl.
• ${param/%pattern/repl} if param ends with pattern, then param is replaced by
repl.
Discipline A discipline function is a function that is associated with a specific variable. This
functions allows you to define and call a function every time that variable is referenced, set, or
unset. These functions take the form of varname.function, where varname is the name
of the variable and function is the discipline function. The predefined discipline
functions are get, set, and unset.
• The varname.get function is invoked every time varname is referenced. If the
special variable .sh.value is set within this function, then the value of varname is
changed to this value. A simple example is the time of day:
$ function time.get
> {
> .sh.value=$(date +%r)
> }
$ print $time
09:15:58 AM
$ print $time # it will change in a few seconds
09:16:04 AM
• The varname.set function is invoked every time varname is set. The .sh.value
variable is given the value that was assigned. The value assigned to varname is the
value of .sh.value when the function completes. For example:
$ function adder.set
> {
> let .sh.value="
$ {.sh.value} + 1"
> }
$ adder=0
$ echo $adder
1
$ adder=$adder
$ echo $adder
2
• The varname.unset function is executed every time varname is unset. The variable
is not actually unset unless it is unset within the function itself; otherwise it retains
its value.
Within all discipline functions, the special variable .sh.name is set to the name of the
variable, while .sh.subscript is set to the value of the variables subscript, if
applicable.

Item Description
Function Functions declared with the function myfunc format are run in a separate function
environments environment and support local variables. Functions declared as myfunc() run with
the same environment as the parent shell.
Variables Variables beginning with .sh. are reserved by the shell and have special meaning.
See the description of Discipline Functions in this table for an explanation
of .sh.name, .sh.value, and .sh.subscript. Also available is .sh.version, which
represents the version of the shell.
Command Return values of commands are as follows:
return values
• If the command to be executed is not found, the return value is set to 127.
• If the command to be executed is found, but not executable, the return value is 126.
• If the command is executed, but is terminated by a signal, the return value is 256
plus the signal number.
PATH search Special built-in commands are searched for first, followed by all functions (including
rules those in FPATH directories), followed by other built-ins.
Shell history The hist command allows you to display and edit the shells command history. In the
ksh shell, the fc command was used. The fc command is an alias to hist. Variables
are HISTCMD, which increments once for each command executed in the shells
current history, and HISTEDIT, which specifies which editor to use when using the
hist command.

Item Description
Built-in The enhanced Korn shell contains the following built-in commands:
commands
• The builtin command lists all available built-in commands.
• The printf command works in a similar manner as the printf() C library routine.
See the printf command.
• The disown blocks the shell from sending a SIGHUP to the specified command.
• The getconf command works in the same way as the stand-alone
command /usr/bin/getconf. See the getconf command.
• The read built-in command has the following flags:
– read -d {char} allows you to specify a character delimiter instead of the default
newline.
– read -t {seconds} allows you to specify a time limit, in seconds, after which the
read command will time out. If read times out, it will return FALSE.
• The exec built-in command has the following flags:
– exec -a {name} {cmd} specifies that argument 0 of cmd be replaced with name.
– exec -c {cmd} tells exec to clear the environment before executing cmd.
• The kill built-in command has the following flags:
– kill -n {signum} is used for specifying a signal number to send to a process,
while kill -s {signame} is used to specify a signal name.
– kill -l, with no arguments, lists all signal names but not their numbers.
• The whence built-in command has the following flags:
– The -a flag displays all matches, not only the first one found.
– The -f flag tells whence not to search for any functions.
• An escape character sequence is used for use by the print and echo commands.
The Esc (Escape) key can be represented by the sequence \E.
• All regular built-in commands recognize the -? flag, which shows the syntax for the
specified command.
• The getopts built-in requires optstring to contain a leading + to allow options
beginning with a + symbol.

Item Description
Other Other differences are:
miscellaneous
• With Korn shell ksh93, you cannot export functions using the typeset -fx built-in
differences
command.
between Korn
shell ksh and • With Korn shell ksh93, you cannot export an alias using the alias -x built-in
Korn shell command.
ksh93 • With Korn shell ksh93, a dollar sign followed by a single quote ($') is interpreted as
an ANSI C string. You must quote the dollar sign (\"$\"') to get the old (ksh)
behavior.
• Argument parsing logic for Korn shell ksh93 built-in commands has been changed.
The undocumented combinations of argument parsing to Korn shell ksh built-in
commands do not work in Korn shell ksh93. For example, typeset -4i works
similar to typeset -i4 in Korn shell ksh, but does not work in Korn shell ksh93.
• With Korn shell ksh93, command substitution and arithmetic expansion is
performed on special environment variables PS1, PS3, and ENV while expanding.
Therefore, you must escape the grave symbol (`) and the dollar sign and opening
parenthesis symbols ($() using a backslash (\) to retain the old behavior. For
example, Korn shell ksh literally assigns x=$'name\toperator' as $name
\toperator; Korn shell ksh93 expands \t and assigns it as name<\t
expanded>operator. To preserve the Korn shell ksh behavior, you must quote $.
For example, x="$"'name\toperator'.
• The ERRNO variable has been removed in Korn shell ksh93.
• In Korn shell ksh93, file names are not expanded for non-interactive shells after the
redirection symbol.
• With Korn shell ksh93, you must use the -t option of the alias command to display
tracked aliases. The tracked alias feature is now obsolete, so the displayed aliases
might not be tracked.
• With Korn shell ksh93, in emacs mode, Ctrl+T swaps the current and previous
character. With ksh, Ctrl+T swaps the current and next character.
• Korn shell ksh93 does not allow unbalanced parentheses within ${name
operator value}. For example, ${name-(} needs an escape such as ${name-\
(} to work in both versions.
• With Korn shell ksh93, the kill -l command lists only the signal names, not their
numerical values.
Exit status in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

Errors detected by the shell, such as syntax errors, cause the shell to return a nonzero exit status.
Otherwise, the shell returns the exit status of the last command carried out.
The shell reports detected runtime errors by printing the command or function name and the error
condition. If the number of the line on which an error occurred is greater than 1, then the line number is
also printed in [ ] (brackets) after the command or function name.
For a noninteractive shell, an error encountered by a special built-in or other type of command will cause
the shell to write a diagnostic message as shown in the following table:
Error Special Built-In Other Utilities

Shell language syntax error will exit will exit
Utility syntax error (option or operand error) will exit will not exit
Redirection error will exit will not exit
Variable assignment error will exit will not exit

Error Special Built-In Other Utilities
Expansion error will exit will exit
Command not found not applicable may exit
Dot script not found will exit not applicable
If any of the errors shown as "will (may) exit" occur in a subshell, the subshell will (may) exit with a
nonzero status, but the script containing the subshell will not exit because of the error.
In all cases shown in the table, an interactive shell will write a diagnostic message to standard error,
without exiting.

A parameter is defined as the following:
• Identifier of any of the characters asterisk (*), at sign (@), pound sign (#), question mark (?), hyphen (-),
dollar sign ($), and exclamation point (!). These are called special parameters.
• Argument denoted by a number (positional parameter )
• Parameter denoted by an identifier, with a value and zero or more attributes (named parameter/
variables ).
The typeset special built-in command assigns values and attributes to named parameters. The
attributes supported by the Korn shell are described with the typeset special built-in command.
Exported parameters pass values and attributes to the environment.
The value of a named parameter is assigned by:
Name=Value [ Name=Value ] ...
If the -i integer attribute is set for the Name parameter, then the Value parameter is subject to arithmetic
evaluation.
The shell supports a one-dimensional array facility. An element of an array parameter is referenced by a
subscript. A subscript is denoted by an arithmetic expression enclosed by brackets [ ]. To assign values
to an array, use set -A Name Value ... . The value of all subscripts must be in the range of 0 through 511.
Arrays need not be declared. Any reference to a named parameter with a valid subscript is legal and an
array will be created, if necessary. Referencing an array without a subscript is equivalent to referencing
the element 0.
Positional parameters are assigned values with the set special command. The $0 parameter is set from
argument 0 when the shell is invoked. The $ character is used to introduce parameters that can be
substituted.
Related concepts
Shell startup
You can start the Korn shell with the ksh command, psh command (POSIX shell), or the exec command.
Korn shell functions
The function reserved word defines shell functions. The shell reads and stores functions internally. Alias
names are resolved when the function is read. The shell executes functions in the same manner as
commands, with the arguments passed as positional parameters.
Related reference
Korn shell compound commands

A compound command can be a list of simple commands or a pipeline, or it can begin with a reserved
word. Most of the time, you will use compound commands such as if, while, and for when you are
writing shell scripts.
Parameter substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, lets you perform parameter substitutions.
The following are substitutable parameters:
Item Description
${Parameter} The shell reads all the characters from the ${ to the matching } as part of
the same word, even if that word contains braces or metacharacters. The
value, if any, of the specified parameter is substituted. The braces are
required when the Parameter parameter is followed by a letter, digit, or
underscore that is not to be interpreted as part of its name, or when a
named parameter is subscripted.
If the specified parameter contains one or more digits, it is a positional
parameter. A positional parameter of more than one digit must be enclosed
in braces. If the value of the variable is * or @), each positional parameter,
starting with $1, is substituted (separated by a field separator character). If
an array identifier with a subscript * or @ is used, then the value for each of
the elements (separated by a field separator character) is substituted.
${#Parameter} If the value of the Parameter parameter is * or @, the number of positional

parameters is substituted. Otherwise, the length specified by the
Parameter parameter is substituted.
${#Identifier[*]} The number of elements in the array specified by the Identifier parameter
is substituted.
${Parameter:-Word} If the Parameter parameter is set and is not null, then its value is
substituted; otherwise, the value of the Word parameter is substituted.
${Parameter:=Word} If the Parameter parameter is not set or is null, then it is set to the value of
the Word parameter. Positional parameters cannot be assigned in this way.
${Parameter:?Word} If the Parameter parameter is set and is not null, then substitute its value.
Otherwise, print the value of the Word variable and exit from the shell. If
the Word variable is omitted, then a standard message is printed.
${Parameter:+Word} If the Parameter parameter is set and is not null, then substitute the value
of the Word variable.
${Parameter#Pattern} | $ If the specified shell Pattern parameter matches the beginning of the value
{Parameter##Pattern} of the Parameter parameter, then the value of this substitution is the value
of the Parameter parameter with the matched portion deleted. Otherwise,
the value of the Parameter parameter is substituted. In the first form, the
smallest matching pattern is deleted. In the second form, the largest
matching pattern is deleted.

Item Description
${Parameter%Pattern} | $ If the specified shell Pattern matches the end of the value of the Parameter
{Parameter%%Pattern} variable, then the value of this substitution is the value of the Parameter
variable with the matched part deleted. Otherwise, substitute the value of
the Parameter variable. In the first form, the smallest matching pattern is
deleted; in the second form, the largest matching pattern is deleted.
In the previous expressions, the Word variable is not evaluated unless it is
to be used as the substituted string. Thus, in the following example, the
pwd command is executed only if the -d flag is not set or is null:
echo ${d:-$(pwd)}
Note: If the : is omitted from the previous expressions, the shell checks only whether the Parameter
parameter is set.
Related concepts
Unattended terminals
All systems are vulnerable if terminals are left logged in and unattended. The most serious problem
occurs when a system manager leaves a terminal unattended that has been enabled with root authority.
In general, users should log out anytime they leave their terminals.
Predefined special parameters in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

Some parameters are set automatically by the Korn shell or POSIX shell.
The following parameters are automatically set by the shell:
Item Description
@ Expands the positional parameters, beginning with $1. Each parameter is separated by a
space.
If you place " around $@, the shell considers each positional parameter a separate string.
If no positional parameters exist, the shell expands the statement to an unquoted null
string.
* Expands the positional parameters, beginning with $1. The shell separates each
parameter with the first character of the IFS parameter value.
If you place " around $*, the shell includes the positional parameter values in double
quotation marks. Each value is separated by the first character of the IFS parameter.
# Specifies the number (in decimals) of positional parameters passed to the shell, not
counting the name of the shell procedure itself. The $# parameter thus yields the number
of the highest-numbered positional parameter that is set. One of the primary uses of this
parameter is to check for the presence of the required number of arguments.
- Supplies flags to the shell on invocation or with the set command.
? Specifies the exit value of the last command executed. Its value is a decimal string. Most
commands return 0 to indicate successful completion. The shell itself returns the current
value of the $? parameter as its exit value.

Item Description
$ Identifies the process number of this shell. Because process numbers are unique among
all existing processes, this string of up to 5 digits is often used to generate unique names
for temporary files.
The following example illustrates the recommended practice of creating temporary files in
a directory used only for that purpose:
temp=$HOME/temp/$$
ls >$temp
.
.
.
rm $temp
! Specifies the process number of the most recent background command invoked.
zero (0) Expands to the name of the shell or shell script.
File name substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, performs file name substitution by scanning each command word
specified by the Word variable for certain characters.
If a command word includes the *), ? or [ characters, and the -f flag has not been set, the shell regards
the word as a pattern. The shell replaces the word with file names, sorted according to the collating
sequence in effect in the current locale, that match that pattern. If the shell does not find a file name to
match the pattern, it does not change the word.
When the shell uses a pattern for file name substitution, the . and / characters must be matched
explicitly.
Note: The Korn shell does not treat these characters specially in other instances of pattern matching.
These pattern-matching characters indicate the following substitutions:
Item Description
* Matches any string, including the null string.
? Matches any single character.
[...] Matches any one of the enclosed characters. A pair of characters separated by a hyphen (-)
matches any character lexically within the inclusive range of that pair, according to the collating
sequence in effect in the current locale. If the first character following the opening [ is !, then
any character not enclosed is matched. A hyphen (-) can be included in the character set by
putting it as the first or last character.
You can also use the [:charclass:] notation to match file names within a range indication. This format
instructs the system to match any single character belonging to class. The definition of which characters
constitute a specific character class is present through the LC_CTYPE category of the setlocale subroutine.
All character classes specified in the current locale are recognized.
The names of some of the character classes are as follows:
• alnum
• alpha
• cntrl
• digit
• graph
• lower
• print

• punct
• space
• upper
• xdigit
For example, [[:upper:]] matches any uppercase letter.
The Korn shell supports file name expansion based on collating elements, symbols, or equivalence
classes.
A PatternList is a list of one or more patterns separated from each other with a |. Composite patterns are
formed with one or more of the following:
Item Description
?(PatternList) Optionally matches any one of the given patterns
*(PatternList) Matches zero or more occurrences of the given patterns
+(PatternList) Matches one or more occurrences of the given patterns
@(PatternList) Matches exactly one of the given patterns
!(PatternList) Matches anything, except one of the given patterns
Pattern matching has some restrictions. If the first character of a file name is a dot (.), it can be matched
only by a pattern that also begins with a dot. For example, * matches the file names myfile and
yourfile but not the file names .myfile and .yourfile. To match these files, use a pattern such as
the following:
.*file
If a pattern does not match any file names, then the pattern itself is returned as the result of the
attempted match.
File and directory names should not contain the characters *, ?, [, or ] because they can cause infinite
recursion (that is, infinite loops) during pattern-matching attempts.
Quote removal
Some characters will be removed if they are not quoted.
The quote characters, backslash (\), single quote ('), and double quote (") that were present in the
original word will be removed unless they have themselves been quoted.
Input and output redirection in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

Before the Korn shell executes a command, it scans the command line for redirection characters. These
special notations direct the shell to redirect input and output.
Redirection characters can appear anywhere in a simple command or can precede or follow a command.
They are not passed on to the invoked command.
The shell performs command and parameter substitution before using the Word or Digit parameter
except as noted. File name substitution occurs only if the pattern matches a single file and blank
interpretation is not performed.
Item Description
<Word Uses the file specified by the Word parameter as standard input (file descriptor 0).

Item Description
>Word Uses the file specified by the Word parameter as standard output (file descriptor 1). If
the file does not exist, the shell creates it. If the file exists and the noclobber option is
on, an error results; otherwise, the file is truncated to zero length.
Note: When multiple shells have the noclobber option set and they redirect output to
the same file, there could be a race condition, which might result in more than one of
these shell processes writing to the file. The shell does not detect or prevent such race
conditions.
>|Word Same as the >Word command, except that this redirection statement overrides the
noclobber option.
> >Word Uses the file specified by the Word parameter as standard output. If the file currently
exists, the shell appends the output to it (by first seeking the end-of-file character). If
the file does not exist, the shell creates it.
<>Word Opens the file specified by the Word parameter for reading and writing as standard
input.
<<[-]Word Reads each line of shell input until it locates a line containing only the value of the Word
parameter or an end-of-file character. The shell does not perform parameter
substitution, command substitution, or file name substitution on the file specified. The
resulting document, called a here document, becomes the standard input. If any
character of the Word parameter is quoted, no interpretation is placed upon the
characters of the document.
The here document is treated as a single word that begins after the next newline character and continues
until there is a line containing only the delimiter, with no trailing blank characters. Then the next here
document, if any, starts. The format is as follows:
[n]<<word
here document
delimiter
If any character in word is quoted, the delimiter is formed by removing the quote on word. The here
document lines will not be expanded. Otherwise, the delimiter is the word itself. If no characters in word
are quoted, all lines of the here document will be expanded for parameter expansion, command
substitution, and arithmetic expansion.
The shell performs parameter substitution for the redirected data. To prevent the shell from interpreting
the \, $, and single quotation mark (') characters and the first character of the Word parameter, precede
the characters with a \ character.
If a hyphen (-) is appended to <<, the shell strips all leading tabs from the Word parameter and the
document.
Item Description
<&Digit Duplicates standard input from the file descriptor specified by the Digit
parameter
>& Digit Duplicates standard output in the file descriptor specified by the Digit
parameter
<&- Closes standard input
>&- Closes standard output
<&p Moves input from the co-process to standard input
>&p Moves output to the co-process to standard output

If one of these redirection options is preceded by a digit, then the file descriptor number referred to is
specified by the digit (instead of the default 0 or 1). In the following example, the shell opens file
descriptor 2 for writing as a duplicate of file descriptor 1:
... 2>&1
The order in which redirections are specified is significant. The shell evaluates each redirection in terms
of the (FileDescriptor, File) association at the time of evaluation. For example, in the statement:
... 1>File 2>&1
the file descriptor 1 is associated with the file specified by the File parameter. The shell associates file
descriptor 2 with the file associated with file descriptor 1 (File). If the order of redirections were reversed,
file descriptor 2 would be associated with the terminal (assuming file descriptor 1 had previously been)
and file descriptor 1 would be associated with the file specified by the File parameter.
If a command is followed by an ampersand (&) and job control is not active, the default standard input for
the command is the empty file /dev/null. Otherwise, the environment for the execution of a command
contains the file descriptors of the invoking shell as modified by input and output specifications.
Related concepts
Related tasks
Redirecting output to inline input (here) documents
You can redirect output to inline input (here) documents.
Coprocess facility
The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, allows you to run one or more commands as background processes. These
commands, run from within a shell script, are called coprocesses.
Designate a coprocess by placing the |& operator after a command. Both standard input and output of the
command are piped to your script.
A coprocess must meet the following restrictions:
• Include a newline character at the end of each message
• Send each output message to standard output
• Clear its standard output after each message
The following example demonstrates how input is passed to and returned from a coprocess:
echo "Initial process"

./FileB.sh |&
read -p a b c d
echo "Read from coprocess: $a $b $c $d"
print -p "Passed to the coprocess"
read -p a b c d
echo "Passed back from coprocess: $a $b $c $d"
FileB.sh
echo "The coprocess is running"
read a b c d
echo $a $b $c $d
The resulting standard output is as follows:
Initial process
Read from coprocess: The coprocess is running
Passed back from coprocess: Passed to the coprocess
Use the print -p command to write to the coprocess. Use the read -p command to read from the
coprocess.

Related concepts
Redirection of coprocess input and output

The standard input and output of a coprocess is reassigned to a numbered file descriptor by using I/O
redirection.
For example, the command:
exec 5>&p
moves the input of the coprocess to file descriptor 5.

After this coprocess has completed, you can use standard redirection syntax to redirect command output
to the coprocess. You can also start another coprocess. Output from both coprocesses is connected to
the same pipe and is read with the read -p command. To stop the coprocess, type the following:
read -u5

Unless otherwise indicated, the output is written to file descriptor 1 and the exit status is zero (0) if the
command does not contain any syntax errors. Input and output redirection is permitted. There are two
types of built-in commands: special built-in commands and regular built-in commands.
Special built-in commands differ from regular built-in commands in the following ways:
• A syntax error in a special built-in command might cause the shell executing the command to end. This
does not happen if you have a syntax error in a regular built-in command. If a syntax error in a special
built-in command does not end the shell program, the exit value is nonzero.
• Variable assignments specified with special built-in commands remain in effect after the command
completes.
• I/O redirections are processed after parameter assignments.
In addition, words that are in the form of a parameter assignment following the export, readonly, and
typeset special commands are expanded with the same rules as a parameter assignment. Tilde
substitution is performed after the =, and word-splitting and file name substitution are not performed.
Related concepts
Related reference
List of Korn shell or POSIX shell special built-in commands
Korn shell or POSIX shell regular built-in commands

The following is a list of the Korn shell or POSIX shell regular built-in commands.
Special built-in command descriptions for the Korn shell or POSIX shell
The special built-in commands of the Korn shell are described below:
: eval newgrp shift

. exec readonly times
break exit return trap
continue export set typeset
unset
Item Description
: [Argument ...] Expands only arguments. It is used when a command is necessary, as in the
then condition of an if command, but nothing is to be done by the command.
. File [Argument ...] Reads the complete specified file and then executes the commands. The
commands are executed in the current shell environment. The search path
specified by the PATH variable is used to find the directory containing the
specified file. If any arguments are specified, they become the positional
parameters. Otherwise, the positional parameters are unchanged. The exit
status is the exit status of the most recent command executed. See “Parameter
substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell” on page 223 for more information
on positional parameters.
Note: The .File [Argument ...] command reads the entire file before any
commands are carried out. Therefore, the alias and unalias commands in
the file do not apply to any functions defined in the file.
break [n] Exits from the enclosing for, while, until, or select loop, if one exists. If you
specify the n parameter, the command breaks the number of levels specified by
the n parameter. The value of n is any integer equal to or greater than 1.
continue [n] Resumes the next iteration of the enclosing for, while, until, or select loop. If
you specify the n parameter, the command resumes at the nth enclosing loop.
The value of n is any integer equal to or greater than 1.
eval [Argument ...] Reads the specified arguments as input to the shell and executes the resulting
command or commands.
exec [Argument ...] Executes the command specified by the argument in place of this shell (without
creating a new process). Input and output arguments can appear and affect the
current process. If you do not specify an argument, the exec command modifies
file descriptors as prescribed by the input and output redirection list. In this
case, any file descriptor numbers greater than 2 that are opened with this
mechanism are closed when invoking another program.
exit [n] Exits the shell with the exit status specified by the n parameter. The n parameter
must be an unsigned decimal integer with range 0-255. If you omit the n
parameter, the exit status is that of the most recent command executed. An
end-of-file character also exits the shell unless the ignoreeof option of the set
special command is turned on.

Item Description
export -p [Name[= Marks the specified names for automatic export to the environment of
Value]] ... subsequently executed commands.
-p writes to standard output the names and values of all exported variables, in
the following format:
"export %s= %s\n", <name> <value>
newgrp [Group] Equivalent to the exec/usr/bin/newgrp [Group] command.

Note: This command does not return.
readonly -p Marks the names specified by the Name parameter as read-only. These names
[Name[= Value]] ... cannot be changed by subsequent assignment.
-p writes to standard output the names and values of all exported variables, in
"export %s= %s\n", <name> <value>
return [n] Causes a shell function to return to the invoking script. The return status is
specified by the n parameter. If you omit the n parameter, the return status is
that of the most recent command executed. If you invoke the return command
outside of a function or a script, then it is the same as an exit command.

Item Description
set [+ |- If no options or arguments are specified, the set command writes the names
abCefhkmnostuvx ] and values of all shell variables in the collation sequence of the current locale.
[+ |-o Option]... [+ |- When options are specified, they will set or unset attributes of the shell,
AName] [Argument ...] described as follows:
-A
Array assignment. Unsets the Name parameter and assigns values
sequentially from the specified Argument parameter list. If the +A flag is
used, the Name parameter is not unset first.
-a
Automatically exports all subsequent parameters that are defined.
-b
Notifies the user asynchronously of background job completions.
-C
Equivalent to set -o noclobber.
-e
Executes the ERR trap, if set, and exits if a command has a nonzero exit
status unless the simple command is:
+ contained in an && or || list
+ the command immediately following if, while or until
+ contained in the pipeline following !
This mode is disabled while reading profiles.
-f
Disables file name substitution.
-h
Designates each command as a tracked alias when first encountered.
-k
Places all parameter-assignment arguments in the environment for a
command, not only those arguments that precede the command name.
-m
Runs background jobs in a separate process and prints a line upon
completion. The exit status of background jobs is reported in a completion
message. On systems with job control, this flag is turned on automatically
for interactive shells. For more information, see “Job control in the Korn
shell or POSIX shell” on page 241.
-n
Reads commands and checks them for syntax errors, but does not execute
them. This flag is ignored for interactive shells.

Item Description
-o Option
Prints current option settings and an error message if you do not specify an
argument. You can set more than one option on a single ksh command line.
If the +o flag is used, the specified option is unset. When arguments are
specified, they will cause positional parameters to be set or unset.
Arguments, as specified by the Option variable, can be one of the following:
allexport
Same as the -a flag.
bgnice
Runs all background jobs at a lower priority. This is the default mode.
emacs
Enters an emacs-style inline editor for command entry.
errexit
Same as the -e flag.
gmacs
Enters a gmacs-style inline editor for command entry.
ignoreeof
Does not exit the shell when it encounters an end-of-file character. To
exit the shell, you must use the exit command or press the Ctrl-D key
sequence more than 11 times.
keyword
Same as the -k flag.
Note: This flag is for backward compatibility with the Bourne shell only.
Its use is strongly discouraged.
markdirs
Appends a backslash / to all directory names that are a result of file
name substitution.
monitor
Same as the -m flag.
noclobber
Prevents redirection from truncating existing files. When you specify this
option, a vertical bar must follow the redirection symbol (>|) to truncate
a file.
noexec
Same as the -n flag.
noglob
Same as the -f flag.
nolog
Prevents function definitions in .profile and $ENV files from being
saved in the history file.
nounset
Same as the -u flag.
privileged
Same as the -p flag.

Item Description
trackall
Same as the -h flag.
verbose
Same as the -v flag.
vi
Enters the insert mode of a vi-style inline editor for command entry.
Entering escape character 033 puts the editor into the move mode. A
return sends the line.
viraw
Processes each character as it is typed in vi mode.
xtrace
Same as the -x flag.
-p
Disables processing of the $HOME/.profile file and uses the /etc/
suid_profile file instead of the ENV file. This mode is enabled whenever
the effective user ID (UID) or group ID (GID) is not equal to the real UID or
GID. Turning off this option sets the effective UID or GID to the real UID and
GID.
Note: The system does not support the -p option because the operating
system does not support setuid shell scripts.
-s
Sorts the positional parameters lexicographically.
-t
Exits after reading and executing one command.
Note: This flag is for backward compatibility with the Bourne shell only. Its
use is strongly discouraged.
-u
Treats unset parameters as errors when substituting.
-v
Prints shell input lines as they are read.
-x
Prints commands and their arguments as they are executed.
-
Turns off the -x and -v flags and stops examining arguments for flags.
—
Prevents any flags from being changed. This option is useful in setting the $1
parameter to a value beginning with -. If no arguments follow this flag, the
positional parameters are not set.
Preceding any of the set command flags with a + rather than a - turns off the
flag. You can use these flags when you invoke the shell. When 'set +o' is
invoked without any arguments, it displays the current option settings in a
format that is suitable for re-input to the shell as commands that achieve the
same option setting. The current set of flags is found in the $- parameter.
Unless you specify the -A flag, the remaining arguments are positional
parameters and are assigned, in order, to $1, $2, ..., and so on. If no
arguments are given, the names and values of all named parameters are printed
to standard output.

Item Description
shift [n] Renames the positional parameters, beginning with $n+1 ... through $1 .... The
default value of the n parameter is 1. The n parameter is any arithmetic
expression that evaluates to a nonnegative number less than or equal to the $#
parameter.
times Prints the accumulated user and system times for the shell and for processes
run from the shell.
trap [Command] Runs the specified command when the shell receives the specified signal or
[Signal] ... signals. The Command parameter is read once when the trap is set and once
when the trap is taken. The Signal parameter can be given as a number or as the
name of the signal. Trap commands are executed in order of signal number. Any
attempt to set a trap on a signal that was ignored on entry to the current shell is
ineffective.
If the command is -, all traps are reset to their original values. If you omit the
command and the first signal is a numeric signal number, then the ksh
command resets the value of the Signal parameter or parameters to the original
values.
Note: If you omit the command and the first signal is a symbolic name, the
signal is interpreted as a command.
If the value of the Signal parameter is the ERR signal, the specified command is
carried out whenever a command has a nonzero exit status. If the signal is
DEBUG, then the specified command is carried out after each command. If the
value of the Signal parameter is the 0 or EXIT signal and the trap command is
executed inside the body of a function, the specified command is carried out
after the function completes. If the Signal parameter is 0 or EXIT for a trap
command set outside any function, the specified command is carried out on exit
from the shell.
Note: If a script receives a SIGINT signal within a function, the EXIT signal
cannot be trapped when the shell exits.
The trap command with no arguments prints a list of commands associated
with each signal number. If the command specified is NULL, indicated as ""
(empty quotes), then the ksh command will ignore the signal. For more
information about how the Korn shell or the POSIX shell reads a character as a
regular character, see “Quotation of characters in the Korn shell or POSIX shell”
on page 214.
For a complete list of Signal parameter values used in the trap command
without the SIG prefix, see the sigaction, sigvec, or signal subroutine in
the Technical Reference: Base Operating System and Extensions, Volume 2.

Item Description
typeset Sets attributes and values for shell parameters. When invoked inside a function,
[+HLRZfilrtux [n]] a new instance of the Name parameter is created. The parameter value and type
[Name[=Value]] ... are restored when the function completes. You can specify the following flags
with the typeset command:
-H
Provides AIX-to-host-file mapping on non-AIX machines.
-L
Left-justifies and removes leading blanks from the Value parameter. If the n
parameter has a nonzero value, it defines the width of the field; otherwise, it
is determined by the width of the value of its first assignment. When the
parameter is assigned, it is filled on the right with blanks or truncated, if
necessary, to fit into the field. Leading zeros are removed if the -Z flag is also
set. The -R flag is turned off.
-R
Right-justifies and fills with leading blanks. If the n parameter has a nonzero
value, it defines the width of the field; otherwise, it is determined by the
width of the value of its first assignment. The field remains filled with blanks
or is truncated from the end if the parameter is reassigned. The L flag is
turned off.
-Z
Right-justifies and fills with leading zeros if the first nonblank character is a
digit and the -L flag has not been set. If the n parameter has a nonzero value,
it defines the width of the field; otherwise, it is determined by the width of
the value of its first assignment.
-f
Indicates that the names refer to function names rather than parameter
names. No assignments can be made and the only other valid flags are -t, -u,
and -x . The -t flag turns on execution tracing for this function. The -u flag
causes this function to be marked undefined. The FPATH variable is
searched to find the function definition when the function is referenced. The
-x flag allows the function definition to remain in effect across shell scripts
that are not a separate invocation of the ksh command.
-i
Identifies the parameter as an integer, making arithmetic faster. If the n
parameter has a nonzero value, it defines the output arithmetic base;
otherwise, the first assignment determines the output base.
-l
Converts all uppercase characters to lowercase. The -u uppercase
conversion flag is turned off.
-r
Marks the names specified by the Name parameter as read-only. These
names cannot be changed by subsequent assignment.

Item Description
-t
Tags the named parameters. Tags can be defined by the user and have no
special meaning to the shell.
-u
Converts all lowercase characters to uppercase characters. The -l lowercase
flag is turned off.
-x
Marks the name specified by the Name parameter for automatic export to
the environment of subsequently executed commands.
Using a + rather than a - turns off the typeset command flags. If you do
not specify Name parameters but do specify flags, a list of names (and
optionally the values) of the parameters that have these flags set is printed.
(Using a + rather than a - keeps the values from being printed.) If you do not
specify any names or flags, the names and attributes of all parameters are
printed.
unset [-fv ] Name ... Unsets the values and attributes of the parameters given by the list of names. If
-v is specified, Name refers to a variable name, and the shell will unset it and
remove it from the environment. Read-only variables cannot be unset. Unsetting
the ERRNO, LINENO, MAILCHECK, OPTARG, OPTIND, RANDOM, SECONDS,
TMOUT, and underscore (_) variables removes their special meanings even if
they are subsequently assigned.
If the -f flag is set, then Name refers to a function name, and the shell will unset
the function definition.
Regular built-in command descriptions for the Korn shell or POSIX shell
The built-in commands for the Korn or POSIX shells are described here.
The Korn shell provides the following regular built-in commands:
alias fg print ulimit

bg getopts pwd umask
cd jobs read unalias
command kill setgroups wait
echo let setsenv test whence
fc
Item Description
alias [-t ] [-x ] Creates or redefines alias definitions or writes existing alias definitions to standard
[AliasName[= output.
String]] ...
For more information, see the alias command.
bg [JobID...] Puts each specified job into the background. The current job is put in the
background if a JobID parameter is not specified. See “Job control in the Korn shell
or POSIX shell” on page 241 for more information about job control.
For more information about running jobs in the background, see the bg command.
cd [Argument]

Item Description
cd Old New This command can be in either of two forms. In the first form, it changes the
current directory to the one specified by the Argument parameter. If the value of
the Argument parameter is a hyphen (-), the directory is changed to the previous
directory. The HOME shell variable is the default value of the Argument parameter.
The PWD variable is set to the current directory.
The CDPATH shell variable defines the search path for the directory containing the
value of the Argument parameter. Alternative directory names are separated by a
colon (:). The default path is null, specifying the current directory. The current
directory is specified by a null path name, which appears immediately after the
equal sign or between the colon delimiters anywhere in the path list. If the
specified argument begins with a slash (/), the search path is not used. Otherwise,
each directory in the path is searched for the argument.
The second form of the cd command substitutes the string specified by the New
variable for the string specified by the Old variable in the current directory name,
PWD, and tries to change to this new directory.
command [-p ]
CommandName
[Argument ...]
command [-v | -V ] Causes the shell to treat the specified command and arguments as a simple
CommandName command, suppressing shell-function lookup.
For more information, see the command command.
echo [String ...] Writes character strings to standard output. See the echo command for usage and
description. The -n flag is not supported.
fc [-r ] [-e Editor]
[First [Last]]
fc -l [-n ] [-r ] [First
[Last]]
fc -s [Old= New] Displays the contents of your command history file or invokes an editor to modify
[First] and re-execute commands previously entered in the shell.
For more information, see the fc command.
fg [JobID] Brings each job specified into the foreground. If you do not specify any jobs, the
command brings the current job into the foreground.
For more information about running jobs in the foreground, see the fg command.
getopts Checks the Argument parameter for legal options.

OptionString Name
For more information, see the getopts command.
[Argument ...]
jobs [-l | -n | -p ] Displays the status of jobs started in the current shell environment. If no specific
[JobID ...] job is specified with the JobID parameter, status information for all active jobs is
displayed. If a job termination is reported, the shell removes that job's process ID
from the list of those known by the current shell environment.
For more information, see the jobs command.

Item Description
kill [ -s Sends a signal (by default, the SIGTERM signal) to a running process. This default
{ SignalName | action normally stops processes. If you want to stop a process, specify the process
SignalNumber } ] ID (PID) in the ProcessID variable. The shell reports the PID of each process that is
ProcessID... running in the background (unless you start more than one process in a pipeline, in
which case the shell reports the number of the last process). You can also use the
kill [ -
ps command to find the process ID number of commands.
SignalName | -
SignalNumber ]
ProcessID...
kill -l Lists signal names.
[ ExitStatus ]
For more information, see the kill command.
let Expression ... Evaluates specified arithmetic expressions. The exit status is 0 if the value of the
last expression is nonzero, and 1 otherwise. See “Arithmetic evaluation in the Korn
shell or POSIX shell” on page 209 for more information.
print [-Rnprsu Prints shell output. If you do not specify any flags, or if you specify the hyphen (-)
[n]] [Argument ...] or double hyphen (—) flags, the arguments are printed to standard output as
described by the echo command. The flags do the following:
-R
Prints in raw mode (the escape conventions of the echo command are ignored).
The -R flag prints all subsequent arguments and flags other than -n.
-n
Prevents a newline character from being added to the output.
-p
Writes the arguments to the pipe of the process run with |& instead of to
standard output.
-r
Prints in raw mode. The escape conventions of the echo command are ignored.
-s
Writes the arguments to the history file instead of to standard output.
-u
Specifies a one-digit file descriptor unit number, n, on which the output is
placed. The default is 1.
pwd Equivalent to print -r - $PWD.

Note: The internal Korn shell pwd command does not support symbolic
links.
read [-prsu [n ]] Takes shell input. One line is read and broken up into fields, using the characters in
[Name?Prompt] the IFS variable as separators.
[Name...]
For more information, see the read command.
setgroups Executes the /usr/bin/setgroups command, which runs as a separate shell. See
the setgroups command for information on this command. There is one
difference, however. The setgroups built-in command invokes a subshell, but the
setgroups command replaces the currently executing shell. Because the built-in
command is supported only for compatibility, it is recommended that scripts use
the absolute path name /usr/bin/setgroups rather than the shell built-in
command.
setsenv Executes the /usr/bin/setsenv command, which replaces the currently
executing shell. See the setsenv command for information on this command.

Item Description
test Same as [expression]. See “Conditional expressions for the Korn shell or POSIX
shell” on page 212 for usage and description.
ulimit [- Sets or displays user-process resource limits as defined in the /etc/security/
HSacdfmst ] limits file. This file contains the following default limits:
[Limit]
fsize = 2097151
core = 2048
cpu = 3600
data = 131072
rss = 65536
stack = 8192
threads = -1
These values are used as default settings when a user is added to the system. The
values are set with the mkuser command when the user is added to the system or
changed with the chuser command.
Limits are categorized as either soft or hard. Users might change their soft limits, up
to the maximum set by the hard limits, with the ulimit command. You must have
root user authority to change resource hard limits.
Many systems do not contain one or more of these limits. The limit for a specified
resource is set when the Limit parameter is specified. The value of the Limit
parameter can be a number in the unit specified with each resource or the value
unlimited. You can specify the following ulimit command flags:
-H
Specifies that the hard limit for the given resource is set. If you have root user
authority, you can increase the hard limit. Any user can decrease it.
-S
Specifies that the soft limit for the given resource is set. A soft limit can be
increased up to the value of the hard limit. If neither the -H or -S options are
specified, the limit applies to both.
-a
Lists all of the current resource limits.
-c
Specifies the number of 512-byte blocks on the size of core dumps.
-d
Specifies the size, in KB, of the data area.
-f
Specifies the number of 512-byte blocks for files written by child processes
(files of any size can be read).
-m
Specifies the number of KB for the size of physical memory.
-n
Specifies the limit on the number of file descriptors a process might have open.
-r
Specifies the limit on the number of threads per process.
-s
Specifies the number of KB for the size of the stack area.
-t
Specifies the number of seconds to be used by each process.

Item Description
The current resource limit is printed when you omit the Limit variable. The soft limit
is printed unless you specify the -H flag. When you specify more than one resource,
the limit name and unit is printed before the value. If no option is given, the -f flag
is assumed. When you change the value, set both hard and soft limits to Limit
unless you specify -H or -S.
For more information about user and system resource limits, see the getrlimit,
setrlimit, or vlimit subroutine.
umask [-S ] [Mask] Determines file permissions. This value, along with the permissions of the creating
process, determines a file's permissions when the file is created. The default is
022. If the Mask parameter is not specified, the umask command displays to
standard output the file-mode creation mask of the current shell environment.
For more information about file permissions, see the umask command.
unalias { -a | Removes the definition for each alias name specified, or removes all alias
AliasName... } definitions if the -a flag is used. Alias definitions are removed from the current shell
environment.
For more information, see the unalias command.
wait [ProcessID...] Waits for the specified job and terminates. If you do not specify a job, the command
waits for all currently active child processes. The exit status from this command is
that of the process for which it waits.
For more information, see the wait command.
whence [-pv ] Indicates, for each name specified, how it would be interpreted if used as a
Name ... command name. When used without either flag, whence will display the absolute
path name, if any, that corresponds to each name.
-p
Performs a path search for the specified name or names even if these are
aliases, functions, or reserved words.
-v
Produces a more verbose report that specifies the type of each name.
Job control in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, provides a facility to control command sequences, or jobs.
When you execute the set -m special command, the Korn shell associates a job with each pipeline. It
keeps a table of current jobs, printed by the jobs command, and assigns them small integer numbers.
When a job is started in the background with an ampersand (&), the shell prints a line that looks like the
following:
[1] 1234
This output indicates that the job, which was started in the background, was job number 1. It also shows
that the job had one (top-level) process with a process ID of 1234.
If you are running a job and want to do something else, use the Ctrl-Z key sequence. This key sequence
sends a STOP signal to the current job. The shell normally indicates that the job has been stopped and
then displays a shell prompt. You can then manipulate the state of this job (putting it in the background
with the bg command), run other commands, and then eventually return the job to the foreground with
the fg command. The Ctrl-Z key sequence takes effect immediately, and is like an interrupt in that the
shell discards pending output and unread input when you type the sequence.

A job being run in the background stops if it tries to read from the terminal. Background jobs are normally
allowed to produce output. You can disable this option by issuing the stty tostop command. If you set
this terminal option, then background jobs stop when they try to produce output or read input.
You can refer to jobs in the Korn shell in several ways. A job is referenced by the process ID of any of its
processes or in one of the following ways:
Item Description
%Number Specifies the job with the given number.
%String Specifies any job whose command line begins with the String variable.
%?String Specifies any job whose command line contains the String variable.
%% Specifies the current job.
%+ Equivalent to %%.
%- Specifies the previous job.
This shell immediately recognizes changes in the process state. It normally informs you whenever a job
becomes blocked so that no further progress is possible. The shell does this just before it prints a prompt
so that it does not otherwise disturb your work.
When the monitor mode is on, each completed background job triggers traps set for the CHLD signal.
If you try to leave the shell (either by typing exit or using the Ctrl-D key sequence) while jobs are
stopped or running, the system warns you with the message There are stopped (running) jobs.
Use the jobs command to see which jobs are affected. If you immediately try to exit again, the shell
terminates the stopped and running jobs without warning.
Signal handling
The SIGINT and SIGQUIT signals for an invoked command are ignored if the command is followed by an
ampersand (&) and the job monitor option is not active. Otherwise, signals have the values that the shell
inherits from its parent.
When a signal for which a trap has been set is received while the shell is waiting for the completion of a
foreground command, the trap associated with that signal will not be executed until after the foreground
command has completed. Therefore, a trap on a CHILD signal is not performed until the foreground job
terminates.
Inline editing in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

Normally, you type each command line from a terminal device and follow it by a newline character
(RETURN or LINE FEED). When you activate the emacs, gmacs, or vi inline editing option, you can edit the
command line.
The following commands enter edit modes:
Item Description
set -o emacs Enters emacs editing mode and initiates an emacs-style inline editor.
set -o gmacs Enters emacs editing mode and initiates a gmacs-style inline editor.
set -o vi Enters vi editing mode and initiates a vi-style inline editor.
An editing option is automatically selected each time the VISUAL or EDITOR variable is assigned a value
that ends in any of these option names.
Note: To use the editing features, your terminal must accept RETURN as a carriage return without line
feed. A space must overwrite the current character on the screen.
Each editing mode opens a window at the current line. The window width is the value of the COLUMNS
variable if it is defined; otherwise, the width is 80 character spaces. If the line is longer than the window
width minus two, the system notifies you by displaying a mark at the end of the window. As the cursor

moves and reaches the window boundaries, the window is centered about the cursor. The marks
displayed are as follows:
Item Description
> Indicates that the line extends on the right side of the window.
< Indicates that the line extends on the left side of the window.
* Indicates that the line extends on both sides of the window.
The search commands in each edit mode provide access to the Korn shell history file. Only strings are
matched. If the leading character in the string is a carat (^), the match must begin at the first character in
the line.
Related concepts
emacs editing mode

The emacs editing mode is entered when you enable either the emacs or gmacs option. The only
difference between these two modes is the way each handles the Ctrl-T edit command.
To edit, move the cursor to the point needing correction and insert or delete characters or words, as
needed. All of the editing commands are control characters or escape sequences.
Edit commands operate from any place on a line (not only at the beginning). Do not press the Enter key or
line-feed (Down Arrow) key after edit commands, except as noted.
Item Description
Ctrl-F Moves the cursor forward (right) one character.
Esc-F Moves the cursor forward one word (a string of characters consisting of only
letters, digits, and underscores).
Ctrl-B Moves the cursor backward (left) one character.
Esc-B Moves the cursor backward one word.
Ctrl-A Moves the cursor to the beginning of the line.
Ctrl-E Moves the cursor to the end of the line.
Ctrl-] c Moves the cursor forward on the current line to the indicated character.
Esc-Ctrl-] c Moves the cursor backward on the current line to the indicated character.
Ctrl-X Ctrl-X Interchanges the cursor and the mark.
ERASE Deletes the previous character. (User-defined erase character as defined by the
stty command, usually the Ctrl-H key sequence.)
Ctrl-D Deletes the current character.
Esc-D Deletes the current word.
Esc-Backspace Deletes the previous word.
Esc-H Deletes the previous word.
Esc-Delete Deletes the previous word. If your interrupt character is the Delete key, this
command does not work.

Item Description
Ctrl-T Transposes the current character with the next character in emacs mode.
Transposes the two previous characters in gmacs mode.
Ctrl-C Capitalizes the current character.
Esc-C Capitalizes the current word.
Esc-L Changes the current word to lowercase.
Ctrl-K Deletes from the cursor to the end of the line. If preceded by a numeric parameter
whose value is less than the current cursor position, this editing command deletes
from the given position up to the cursor. If preceded by a numeric parameter
whose value is greater than the current cursor position, this editing command
deletes from the cursor up to the given cursor position.
Ctrl-W Deletes from the cursor to the mark.
Esc-P Pushes the region from the cursor to the mark on the stack.
KILL User-defined kill character as defined by the stty command, usually the Ctrl-G
key sequence or @. Kills the entire current line. If two kill characters are entered in
succession, all subsequent kill characters cause a line feed (useful when using
paper terminals).
Ctrl-Y Restores the last item removed from the line. (Yanks the item back to the line.)
Ctrl-L Line feeds and prints the current line.
Ctrl-@ (Null character) Sets a mark.
Esc-space Sets a mark.
Ctrl-J (New line) Executes the current line.
Ctrl-M (Return) Executes the current line.
EOF Processes the end-of-file character, normally the Ctrl-D key sequence, as an end-
of-file only if the current line is null.
Ctrl-P Fetches the previous command. Each time the Ctrl-P key sequence is entered, the
previous command back in time is accessed. Moves back one line when not on the
first line of a multiple-line command.
Esc-< Fetches the least recent (oldest) history line.
Esc-> Fetches the most recent (youngest) history line.
Ctrl-N Fetches the next command line. Each time the Ctrl-N key sequence is entered, the
next command line forward in time is accessed.
Ctrl-R String Reverses search history for a previous command line containing the string
specified by the String parameter. If a value of 0 is given, the search is forward.
The specified string is terminated by an Enter or newline character. If the string is
preceded by a carat (^), the matched line must begin with the String parameter.
If the String parameter is omitted, then the next command line containing the
most recent String parameter is accessed. In this case, a value of 0 reverses the
direction of the search.
Ctrl-O (Operate) Executes the current line and fetches the next line relative to the current
line from the history file.

Item Description
Esc Digits (Escape) Defines the numeric parameter. The digits are taken as a parameter to
the next command. The commands that accept a parameter are Ctrl-F, Ctrl-B,
ERASE, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-D, Ctrl-K, Ctrl-R, Ctrl-P, Ctrl-N, Ctrl-], Esc-., Esc-Ctrl-], Esc-
_, Esc-B, Esc-C, Esc-D, Esc-F, Esc-H, Esc-L, and Esc-Ctrl-H.
Esc Letter (Soft-key) Searches the alias list for an alias named _Letter. If an alias of this name
is defined, its value is placed into the input queue. The Letter parameter must not
specify one of the escape functions.
Esc-[ Letter (Soft-key) Searches the alias list for an alias named double underscore Letter
(__Letter). If an alias of this name is defined, its value is placed into the input
queue. This command can be used to program function keys on many terminals.
Esc-. Inserts on the line the last word of the previous command. If preceded by a
numeric parameter, the value of this parameter determines which word to insert
rather than the last word.
Esc-_ Same as the Esc-. key sequence.
Esc-* Attempts file name substitution on the current word. An asterisk (*) is appended if
the word does not match any file or contain any special pattern characters.
Esc-Esc File name completion. Replaces the current word with the longest common prefix
of all file names that match the current word with an asterisk appended. If the
match is unique, a slash (/) is appended if the file is a directory and a space is
appended if the file is not a directory.
Esc-= Lists the files that match the current word pattern as if an asterisk (*) were
appended.
Ctrl-U Multiplies the parameter of the next command by 4.
\ Escapes the next character. Editing characters and the ERASE, KILL and
INTERRUPT (normally the Delete key) characters can be entered in a command
line or in a search string if preceded by a backslash (\). The backslash removes the
next character's editing features, if any.
Ctrl-V Displays the version of the shell.
Esc-# Inserts a pound sign (#) at the beginning of the line and then executes the line.
This causes a comment to be inserted in the history file.
vi editing mode
The vi editing mode has two typing modes.
The modes are:
• Input mode. When you enter a command, the vi editor is in input mode.
• Control mode. Press the Esc key to enter control mode.
Most control commands accept an optional repeat Count parameter prior to the command. When in vi
mode on most systems, canonical processing is initially enabled. The command is echoed again if one or
more of the following are true:
• The speed is 1200 baud or greater.
• The command contains any control characters.
• Less than one second has elapsed since the prompt was printed.
The Esc character terminates canonical processing for the remainder of the command, and you can then
modify the command line. This scheme has the advantages of canonical processing with the type-ahead
echoing of raw mode. If the viraw option is also set, canonical processing is always disabled. This mode is

implicit for systems that do not support two alternate end-of-line delimiters and might be helpful for
certain terminals.
Available vi edit commands are grouped into categories. The categories are as follows:
Input edit commands

The input edit commands for the Korn shell are described below.
Note: By default, the editor is in input mode.
Item Description
ERASE Deletes the previous character. (User-defined erase character as defined by the stty
command, usually Ctrl-H or #.)
Ctrl-W Deletes the previous blank separated word.
Ctrl-D Terminates the shell.
Ctrl-V Escapes the next character. Editing characters, such as the ERASE or KILL characters, can be
entered in a command line or in a search string if preceded by a Ctrl-V key sequence. The Ctrl-
V key sequence removes the next character's editing features (if any).
\ Escapes the next ERASE or KILL character.
Motion edit commands

The motion edit commands for the Korn shell are described below.
Motion edit commands move the cursor as follows:
Item Description
[Count]l Moves the cursor forward (right) one character.
[Count]w Moves the cursor forward one alphanumeric word.
[Count]W Moves the cursor to the beginning of the next word that follows a blank.
[Count]e Moves the cursor to the end of the current word.
[Count]E Moves the cursor to the end of the current blank-separated word.
[Count]h Moves the cursor backward (left) one character.
[Count]b Moves the cursor backward one word.
[Count]B Moves the cursor to the previous blank-separated word.
[Count]| Moves the cursor to the column specified by the Count parameter.
[Count]fc Finds the next character c in the current line.
[Count]Fc Finds the previous character c in the current line.
[Count]tc Equivalent to f followed by h.
[Count]Tc Equivalent to F followed by l.
[Count]; Repeats for the number of times specified by the Count parameter the last single-
character find command: f, F, t, or T.
[Count], Reverses the last single-character find command the number of times specified by the
Count parameter.
0 Moves the cursor to the start of a line.
^ Moves the cursor to the first nonblank character in a line.
$ Moves the cursor to the end of a line.

Search edit commands
Search edit commands access your command history as follows:
Item Description
[Count]k Fetches the previous command.
[Count]- Equivalent to the k command.
[Count]j Fetches the next command. Each time the j command is entered, the next command is
accessed.
[Count]+ Equivalent to the j command.
[Count]G Fetches the command whose number is specified by the Count parameter. The default is
the least recent history command.
/String Searches backward through history for a previous command containing the specified
string. The string is terminated by a RETURN or newline character. If the specified string is
preceded by a carat (^), the matched line must begin with the String parameter. If the
value of the String parameter is null, the previous string is used.
?String Same as /String except that the search is in the forward direction.
n Searches for the next match of the last pattern to /String or ? commands.
N Searches for the next match of the last pattern to /String or ? commands, but in the
opposite direction. Searches history for the string entered by the previous /String
command.
Text modification edit commands

Text-modification edit commands modify the line as follows:
Item Description
a Enters the input mode and enters text after the current character.
A Appends text to the end of the line. Equivalent to the $a command.
[Count]cMotion
c[Count]Motion Deletes the current character through the character to which the Motion
parameter specifies to move the cursor, and enters input mode. If the value
of the Motion parameter is c, the entire line is deleted and the input mode is
entered.
C Deletes the current character through the end of the line and enters input
mode. Equivalent to the c$ command.
S Equivalent to the cc command.
D Deletes the current character through the end of line. Equivalent to the d$
command.
Item Description
[Count]dMotion Deletes the current character up to and including the character specified by
the Motion parameter. If Motion is d, the entire line is deleted.
d[Count]Motion
i Enters the input mode and inserts text before the current character.
I Inserts text before the beginning of the line. Equivalent to the 0i command.
[Count]P Places the previous text modification before the cursor.

Item Description
[Count]p Places the previous text modification after the cursor.
R Enters the input mode and types over the characters on the screen.
[Count]rc Replaces the number of characters specified by the Count parameter,
starting at the current cursor position, with the characters specified by the c
parameter. This command also advances the cursor after the characters are
replaced.
[Count]x Deletes the current character.
[Count]X Deletes the preceding character.
[Count]. Repeats the previous text-modification command.
[Count]~ Inverts the case of the number of characters specified by the Count
parameter, starting at the current cursor position, and advances the cursor.
[Count]_ Appends the word specified by the Count parameter of the previous
command and enters input mode. The last word is used if the Count
parameter is omitted.
* Appends an asterisk (*) to the current word and attempts file name
substitution. If no match is found, it rings the bell. Otherwise, the word is
replaced by the matching pattern and input mode is entered.
\ File name completion. Replaces the current word with the longest common
prefix of all file names matching the current word with an asterisk (*)
appended. If the match is unique, a slash / is appended if the file is a
directory. A space is appended if the file is not a directory.
Miscellaneous edit commands

The following edit commands are used commonly.
Item Description
[Count]yMotion
y[Count]Motion Yanks the current character up to and including the character marked by the
cursor position specified by the Motion parameter and puts all of these
characters into the delete buffer. The text and cursor are unchanged.
Y Yanks from the current position to the end of the line. Equivalent to the y$
command.
u Undoes the last text-modifying command.
U Undoes all the text-modifying commands performed on the line.
[Count]v Returns the command fc -e ${VISUAL:-${EDITOR:-vi}} Count in the
input buffer. If the Count parameter is omitted, then the current line is used.
Ctrl-L Line feeds and prints the current line. This command is effective only in control
mode.
Ctrl-J (New line) Executes the current line regardless of the mode.
Ctrl-M (Return) Executes the current line regardless of the mode.

Item Description
# Sends the line after inserting a pound sign (#) in front of the line. Useful if you
want to insert the current line in the history without executing it.
If the command line contains a pipe or semicolon or newline character, then
additional pound signs (#) will be inserted in front of each of these symbols. To
delete all pound signs, retrieve the command line from history and enter
another pound sign (#).
= Lists the file names that match the current word as if an asterisk were
appended to it.
@Letter Searches the alias list for an alias named _Letter. If an alias of this name is
defined, its value is placed into the input queue for processing.

POSIX is not an operating system, but is a standard aimed at portability of applications, at the source
level, across many systems. POSIX features are built on top of the Korn shell. The Korn shell (also known
as the POSIX shell) offers many of the same features as the Bourne and C shells, such as I/O redirection
capabilities, variable substitution, and file name substitution. It also includes several additional command
and programming language features:
Note: There is a restricted version of Korn shell available, called rksh. For more details, refer to the rksh
command.
Item Description
Arithmetic The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, can perform integer arithmetic using the built-in
evaluation let command, using any base from 2 to 36.
In order to enable recognition of numbers starting with 0 (Octal) and 0x
(Hexadecimal) in the Korn shell, run the following commands:
export XPG_SUS_ENV=ON
Exporting the XPG_SUS_ENV variable causes the commands that are run and
the libraries that they use to be completely POSIX-compliant.
Note: Because the entire library system becomes POSIX-compliant, a given
command's default expected behavior might change.
export OCTAL_CONST=ON
Exporting this variable causes the interpretation of constants declared in the
Korn shell to be POSIX-compliant as far as the recognition of octal and
hexadecimal constants is concerned.
Command history The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, stores a file that records all of the commands you
enter. You can use a text editor to alter a command in this history file and then
reissue the command.
Coprocess facility Enables you to run programs in the background and send and receive information
to these background processes.
Editing The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, offers inline editing options that enable you to edit
the command line. Editors similar to emacs, gmacs, and vi are available.
A Korn shell command is one of the following:

• Simple command
• Pipeline

• List
• Compound command
• Function
When you issue a command in the Korn shell or POSIX shell, the shell evaluates the command and does
the following:
• Makes all indicated substitutions.
• Determines whether the command contains a slash (/). If it does, the shell runs the program named by
the specified path name.
If the command does not contain a slash (/), the Korn shell or POSIX shell continues with the following
actions:
• Determines whether the command is a special built-in command. If it is, the shell runs the command
within the current shell process.
• Compares the command to user-defined functions. If the command matches a user-defined function,
then the positional parameters are saved and then reset to the arguments of the function call. When the
function completes or issues a return, the positional parameter list is restored, and any trap set on
EXIT within the function is carried out. The value of a function is the value of the last command
executed. A function is carried out in the current shell process.
• If the command name matches the name of a regular built-in command, then that regular built-in
command will be invoked.
• Creates a process and attempts to carry out the command by using the exec command (if the
command is neither a built-in command nor a user-defined function).
The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, searches each directory in a specified path for an executable file. The
PATH shell variable defines the search path for the directory containing the command. Alternative
directory names are separated with a colon (:). The default path is /usr/bin: (specifying the /usr/bin
directory, and the current directory, in that order). The current directory is specified by two or more
adjacent colons, or by a colon at the beginning or end of the path list.
If the file has execute permission but is not a directory or an a.out file, the shell assumes that it contains
shell commands. The current shell process creates a subshell to read the file. All nonexported aliases,
functions, and named parameters are removed from the file. If the shell command file has read
permission, or if the setuid or setgid bits are set on the file, then the shell runs an agent that sets up the
permissions and carries out the shell with the shell command file passed down as an open file. A
parenthesized command is run in a subshell without removing nonexported quantities.
Related concepts
Available shells
Coprocess facility
The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, allows you to run one or more commands as background processes. These
commands, run from within a shell script, are called coprocesses.
Inline editing in the Korn shell or POSIX shell
Normally, you type each command line from a terminal device and follow it by a newline character
(RETURN or LINE FEED). When you activate the emacs, gmacs, or vi inline editing option, you can edit the
command line.

Korn shell compound commands

A compound command can be a list of simple commands or a pipeline, or it can begin with a reserved
word. Most of the time, you will use compound commands such as if, while, and for when you are
writing shell scripts.
The following is a list of list of Korn shell or POSIX shell compound commands:
Command syntax Description

for Identifier [in Each time a for command is executed, the Identifier parameter is set
Word ...] ;do List ;done to the next word taken from the in Word ... list. If the in Word ... command is
omitted, then the for command executes the do List command once for
each positional parameter that is set. Execution ends when there are no
more words in the list.
select Identifier [in A select command prints on standard error (file descriptor 2) the set of
Word ...] ;do List ;done words specified, each preceded by a number. If the in Word ... command is
omitted, then the positional parameters are used instead. The PS3 prompt
is printed and a line is read from the standard input. If this line consists of
the number of one of the listed words, then the value of the Identifier
parameter is set to the word corresponding to this number.
If the line read from standard input is empty, the selection list is printed
again. Otherwise, the value of the Identifier parameter is set to null. The
contents of the line read from standard input is saved in the REPLY
parameter. The List parameter is executed for each selection until a break or
an end-of-file character is encountered.
case Word in [[ ( ] Pattern A case command executes the List parameter associated with the first
[ | Pattern] ... ) List ;;] ... Pattern parameter that matches the Word parameter. The form of the
esac patterns is the same as that used for file name substitution.
if List ;then List [elif The List parameter specifies a list of commands to be run. The shell
List ;then List] ... [;else executes the if List command first. If a zero exit status is returned, it
List] ;fi executes the then List command. Otherwise, the commands specified by
the List parameter following the elif command are executed.
If the value returned by the last command in the elif List command is zero,
the then List command is executed. If the value returned by the last
command in the then List command is zero, the else List command is
executed. If no commands specified by the List parameters are executed for
the else or then command, the if command returns a zero exit status.
while List ;do List ;done The List parameter specifies a list of commands to be run. The while
until List ;do List ;done command repeatedly executes the commands specified by the List
parameter. If the exit status of the last command in the while List command
is zero, the do List command is executed. If the exit status of the last
command in the while List command is not zero, the loop terminates. If no
commands in the do List command are executed, then the while command
returns a zero exit status. The until command might be used in place of the
while command to negate the loop termination test.
( List) The List parameter specifies a list of commands to run. The shell executes
the List parameter in a separate environment.
Note: If two adjacent open parentheses are needed for nesting, you must
insert a space between them to differentiate between the command and
arithmetic evaluation.

Command syntax Description
{ List;} The List parameter specifies a list of commands to run. The List parameter is
simply executed.
Note: Unlike the metacharacters ( ), { } denote reserved words (used for
special purposes, not as user-declared identifiers). To be recognized, these
reserved words must appear at the beginning of a line or after a semicolon
(;).
[[Expression]] Evaluates the Expression parameter. If the expression is true, then the
command returns a zero exit status.
function Identifier Defines a function that is referred to by the Identifier parameter. The body of
{ List ;} or function the function is the specified list of commands enclosed by { }. The ( )
Identifier () {List ;} consists of two operators, so mixing blank characters with the identifier,
( and ) is permitted, but is not necessary.
time Pipeline Executes the Pipeline parameter. The elapsed time, user time, and system
time are printed to standard error.
Related concepts
Shell startup
You can start the Korn shell with the ksh command, psh command (POSIX shell), or the exec command.
If the shell is started by the exec command, and the first character of zero argument ($0) is the hyphen
(-), then the shell is assumed to be a login shell. The shell first reads commands from the /etc/profile
file and then from either the .profile file in the current directory or from the $HOME/.profile file, if
either file exists. Next, the shell reads commands from the file named by performing parameter
substitution on the value of the ENV environment variable, if the file exists.
If you specify the File [Parameter] parameter when invoking the Korn shell or POSIX shell, the shell runs
the script file identified by the File parameter, including any parameters specified. The script file specified
must have read permission; any setuid and setgid settings are ignored. The shell then reads the
commands.
Note: Do not specify a script file with the -c or -s flags when invoking the Korn shell or POSIX
shell.
For more information on positional parameters, see “Parameters in the Korn shell” on page 222.
Related concepts
Korn shell environment

All variables (with their associated values) known to a command at the beginning of its execution
constitute its environment.
This environment includes variables that a command inherits from its parent process and variables
specified as keyword parameters on the command line that calls the command. The shell interacts with
the environment in several ways. When it is started, the shell scans the environment and creates a
parameter for each name found, giving the parameter the corresponding value and marking it for export.
Executed commands inherit the environment.
If you modify the values of the shell parameters or create new ones using the export or typeset -x
commands, the parameters become part of the environment. The environment seen by any executed
command is therefore composed of any name-value pairs originally inherited by the shell, whose values
might be modified by the current shell, plus any additions that resulted from using the export or
typeset -x commands. The executed command (subshell) will see any modifications it makes to the

environment variables it has inherited, but for its child shells or processes to see the modified values, the
subshell must export these variables.
The environment for any simple command or function is changed by prefixing with one or more parameter
assignments. A parameter assignment argument is a word of the form Identifier=Value. Thus, the two
following expressions are equivalent (as far as the execution of the command is concerned):
TERM=450 Command arguments
(export TERM; TERM=450; Command arguments)

The Korn shell or POSIX shell executes functions in the environment from which functions are invoked. All
of the following are shared by the function and the invoking script, and side effects can be produced:
• Variable values and attributes (unless you use typeset command within the function to declare a local
variable)
• Working directory
• Aliases, function definitions, and attributes
• Special parameter $
• Open files
The following are not shared between the function and the invoking script, and there are no side effects:
• Positional parameters
• Special parameter #
• Variables in a variable assignment list when the function is invoked
• Variables declared using typeset command within the function
• Options
• Traps. However, signals ignored by the invoking script will also be ignored by the function.
Note: In earlier versions of the Korn shell, traps other than EXIT and ERR were shared by the function as
well as the invoking script.
If trap on 0 or EXIT is executed inside the body of a function, then the action is executed after the
function completes, in the environment that called the function. If the trap is executed outside the body of
a function, then the action is executed upon exit from the Korn shell. In earlier versions of the Korn shell,
no trap on 0 or EXIT outside the body of a function was executed upon exit from the function.
When a function is executed, it has the same syntax-error and variable-assignment properties described
in Korn shell or POSIX shell built-in commands.
The compound command is executed whenever the function name is specified as the name of a simple
command. The operands to the command temporarily will become the positional parameters during the
execution of the compound command. The special parameter # will also change to reflect the number of
operands. The special parameter 0 will not change.
The return special command is used to return from function calls. Errors within functions return control
to the caller.
Function identifiers are listed with the -f or +f option of the typeset special command. The -f option also
lists the text of functions. Functions are undefined with the -f option of the unset special command.
Ordinarily, functions are unset when the shell executes a shell script. The -xf option of the typeset special
command allows a function to be exported to scripts that are executed without a separate invocation of

the shell. Functions that must be defined across separate invocations of the shell should be specified in
the ENV file with the -xf option of the typeset special command.
The exit status of a function definition is zero if the function was not successfully declared. Otherwise, it
will be greater than zero. The exit status of a function invocation is the exit status of the most recent
command executed by the function.
Related concepts
Korn shell or POSIX shell command history

The Korn shell or POSIX shell saves commands entered from your terminal device to a history file.
If set, the HISTFILE variable value is the name of the history file. If the HISTFILE variable is not set or
cannot be written, the history file used is $HOME/.sh_history. If the history file does not exist and the
Korn shell cannot create it, or if it does exist and the Korn shell does not have permission to append to it,
then the Korn shell uses a temporary file as the history file. The shell accesses the commands of all
interactive shells using the same named history file with appropriate permissions.
By default, the Korn shell or POSIX shell saves the text of the last 128 commands for nonroot users and
512 commands for the root user. The history file size (specified by the HISTSIZE variable) is not limited,
although a very large history file can cause the Korn shell to start slowly.
Command history substitution

Use the fc built-in command to list or edit portions of the history file. To select a portion of the file to edit
or list, specify the number or the first character or characters of the command.
You can specify a single command or range of commands.
If you do not specify an editor program as an argument to the fc regular built-in command, the editor
specified by the FCEDIT variable is used. If the FCEDIT variable is not defined, then the /usr/bin/ed file
is used. The edited command or commands are printed and run when you exit the editor.
The editor name hyphen (-) is used to skip the editing phase and run the command again. In this case, a
substitution parameter of the form Old=New can be used to modify the command before it is run. For
example, if r is aliased to fc -e -, then typing r bad=good c runs the most recent command that
starts with the letter c and replaces the first occurrence of the bad string with the good string.
Related tasks
Command aliasing in the Korn shell or POSIX shell

The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, allows you to create aliases to customize commands.
The alias command defines a word of the form Name=String as an alias. When you use an alias as the
first word of a command line, the Korn shell checks to see if it is already processing an alias with the same
name. If it is, the Korn shell does not replace the alias name. If an alias with the same name is not already
being processed, the Korn shell replaces the alias name by the value of the alias.
The first character of an alias name can be any printable character except the metacharacters. The
remaining characters must be the same as for a valid identifier. The replacement string can contain any
valid shell text, including the metacharacters.
If the last character of the alias value is a blank, the shell also checks the word following the alias for alias
substitution. You can use aliases to redefine special built-in commands but not to redefine reserved
words. Alias definitions are not inherited across invocations of ksh. However, if you specify alias -x,
the alias stays in effect for scripts invoked by name that do not invoke a separate shell. To export an alias
definition and to cause child processes to have access to them, you must specify alias -x and the alias
definition in your environment file.

Use the alias command to create, list, and export aliases.
Use the unalias command to remove aliases.
The format for creating an alias is as follows:
alias Name=String
where the Name parameter specifies the name of the alias, and the String parameter specifies the value
of the alias.
The following exported aliases are predefined by the Korn shell but can be unset or redefined. It is not
recommended that you change them, because this might later confuse anyone who expects the alias to
work as predefined by the Korn shell.
autoload='typeset -fu'
false='let 0'
functions='typeset -f'
hash='alias -t'
history='fc -l'
integer='typeset -i'
nohup='nohup '
r='fc -e -'
true=':'
type='whence -v'
Aliases are not supported on noninteractive invocations of the Korn shell (ksh); for example, in a shell
script, or with the -c option in ksh, as in the following:
ksh -c alias
Related tasks
Creating a command alias (alias shell command)
An alias lets you create a shortcut name for a command, file name, or any shell text. By using aliases, you
save a lot of time when doing tasks you do frequently. You can create a command alias.
Tracked aliases
Frequently, aliases are used as shorthand for full path names. One aliasing facility option allows you to
automatically set the value of an alias to the full path name of a corresponding command. This special
type of alias is a tracked alias.
Tracked aliases speed execution by eliminating the need for the shell to search the PATH variable for a full
path name.
The set -h command turns on command tracking so that each time a command is referenced, the shell
defines the value of a tracked alias. This value is undefined each time you reset the PATH variable.
These aliases remain tracked so that the next subsequent reference will redefine the value. Several
tracked aliases are compiled into the shell.
Tilde substitution
After the shell performs alias substitution, it checks each word to see if it begins with an unquoted tilde
(~). If it does, the shell checks the word, up to the first slash (/), to see if it matches a user name in
the /etc/passwd file. If the shell finds a match, it replaces the ~ character and the name with the login
directory of the matched user. This process is called tilde substitution.
The shell does not change the original text if it does not find a match. The Korn shell also makes special
replacements if the ~ character is the only character in the word or followed by plus sign (+) or hyphen
(-):
Item Description
~ Replaced by the value of the HOME variable
~+ Replaced by the $PWD variable (the full path name of the current directory)

Item Description
~- Replaced by the $OLDPWD variable (the full path name of the previous directory)
In addition, the shell attempts tilde substitution when the value of a variable assignment parameter
begins with a tilde ~ character.
Bourne shell
The Bourne shell is an interactive command interpreter and command programming language.
The bsh command runs the Bourne shell.
The Bourne shell can be run either as a login shell or as a subshell under the login shell. Only the login
command can call the Bourne shell as a login shell. It does this by using a special form of the bsh
command name: -bsh. When called with an initial hyphen (-), the shell first reads and runs commands
found in the system /etc/profile file and your $HOME/.profile, if one exists. The /etc/profile
file sets variables needed by all users. Finally, the shell is ready to read commands from your standard
input.
If the File [Parameter] parameter is specified when the Bourne shell is started, the shell runs the script
file identified by the File parameter, including any parameters specified. The script file specified must
have read permission; any setuid and setgid settings are ignored. The shell then reads the commands.
If either the -c or -s flag is used, do not specify a script.
Related concepts
Available shells
Bourne shell environment

All variables (with their associated values) known to a command at the beginning of its execution
constitute its environment. This environment includes variables that a command inherits from its parent
process and variables specified as keyword parameters on the command line that calls the command.
The shell passes to its child processes the variables named as arguments to the built-in export
command. This command places the named variables in the environments of both the shell and all its
future child processes.
Keyword parameters are variable-value pairs that appear in the form of assignments, normally before the
procedure name on a command line (but see also the flag for the set command). These variables are
placed in the environment of the procedure being called.
• Consider the following procedure, which displays the values of two variables (saved in a command file
named key_command):
# key_command
echo $a $b
The following command lines produce the output shown:
Input Output
a=key1 b=key2 key_command key1 key2
a=tom b=john key_command tom john
A procedure's keyword parameters are not included in the parameter count stored in $#.
A procedure can access the values of any variables in its environment. If it changes any of these values,
however, the changes are not reflected in the shell environment. The changes are local to the procedure
in question. To place the changes in the environment that the procedure passes to its child processes,
you must export the new values within that procedure.
• To obtain a list of variables that are exportable from the current shell, type the following:

export
• To obtain a list of read-only variables from the current shell, type the following:
readonly
• To obtain a list of variable-value pairs in the current environment, type the following:
env
For more information about user environments, see “/etc/environment file” on page 318.
Conditional substitution in the Bourne shell

Normally, the shell replaces the expression $Variable with the string value assigned to the Variable
variable, if there is one. However, there is a special notation that allows conditional substitution,
depending on whether the variable is set or not null, or both.
By definition, a variable is set if it has ever been assigned a value. The value of a variable can be the null
string, which you can assign to a variable in any one of the following ways:
Item Description
A=
bcd=""
Efg='' Assigns the null string to the A, bcd, and Efg.
set '' "" Sets the first and second positional parameters to the null string and unsets all other
positional parameters.
The following is a list of the available expressions you can use to perform conditional substitution:
Item Description
${Variable- String} If the variable is set, substitute the Variable value in place of this
expression. Otherwise, replace this expression with the String value.
${Variable:-String} If the variable is set and not null, substitute the Variable value in place
of this expression. Otherwise, replace this expression with the String
value.
${Variable=String} If the variable is set, substitute the Variable value in place of this
expression. Otherwise, set the Variable value to the String value and
then substitute the Variable value in place of this expression. You
cannot assign values to positional parameters in this fashion.
${Variable:=String} If the variable is set and not null, substitute the Variable value in place
of this expression. Otherwise, set the Variable value to the String value
and then substitute the Variable value in place of this expression. You
cannot assign values to positional parameters in this fashion.
${Variable?String} If the variable is set, substitute the Variable value in place of this
expression. Otherwise, display a message of the following form:
Variable: String
and exit from the current shell (unless the shell is the login shell). If
you do not specify a value for the String variable, the shell displays the
following message:
Variable: parameter null or not set

Item Description
${Variable:?String} If the variable is set and not null, substitute the Variable value in place
of this expression. Otherwise, display a message of the following form:
Variable: String
and exit from the current shell (unless the shell is the login shell). If
you do not specify the String value, the shell displays the following
message:
Variable: parameter null or not set
${Variable+String} If the variable is set, substitute the String value in place of this
expression. Otherwise, substitute the null string.
${Variable:+String} If the variable is set and not null, substitute the String value in place of
this expression. Otherwise, substitute the null string.
In conditional substitution, the shell does not evaluate the String variable until the shell uses this variable
as a substituted string. Thus, in the following example, the shell executes the pwd command only if d is
not set or is null:
echo ${d:-`pwd`}
Related concepts
User-defined variables in the Bourne shell
The Bourne shell recognizes alphanumeric variables to which string values can be assigned.
Positional parameters in the Bourne shell

When you run a shell procedure, the shell implicitly creates positional parameters that reference each
word on the command line by its position on the command line.
The word in position 0 (the procedure name) is called $0, the next word (the first parameter) is called $1,
and so on, up to $9. To refer to command line parameters numbered higher than 9, use the built-in shift
command.
You can reset the values of the positional parameters explicitly by using the built-in set command.
Note: When an argument for a position is not specified, its positional parameter is set to null. Positional
parameters are global and can be passed to nested shell procedures.
Related concepts
Related reference
Predefined special variables in the Bourne shell
Several variables have special meanings. The following variables are set only by the Bourne shell:
File name substitution in the Bourne shell

The Bourne shell permits you to perform file name substitutions.
Command parameters are often file names. You can automatically produce a list of file names as
parameters on a command line. To do this, specify a character that the shell recognizes as a pattern-
matching character. When a command includes such a character, the shell replaces it with the file names
in a directory.
Note: The Bourne shell does not support file name expansion based on equivalence classification of
characters.
Most characters in such a pattern match themselves, but you can also use some special pattern-matching
characters in your pattern. These special characters are as follows:

Item Description
* Matches any string, including the null string
? Matches any one character
[...] Matches any one of the characters enclosed in square brackets
[! . . . ] Matches any character within square brackets other than one of the characters that
follow the exclamation mark
Within square brackets, a pair of characters separated by a hyphen (-) specifies the set of all characters
lexicographically within the inclusive range of that pair, according to the binary ordering of character
values.
Pattern matching has some restrictions. If the first character of a file name is a dot (.), it can be matched
only by a pattern that also begins with a dot. For example, * matches the file names myfile and yourfile
but not the file names .myfile and .yourfile. To match these files, use a pattern such as the following:
.*file
If a pattern does not match any file names, then the pattern itself is returned as the result of the
attempted match.
File and directory names should not contain the characters *, ?, [, or ] because they can cause infinite
recursion (that is, infinite loops) during pattern-matching attempts.
Input and output redirection in the Bourne shell

There are redirection options that can be used in commands.
In general, most commands do not know whether their input or output is associated with the keyboard,
the display screen, or a file. Thus, a command can be used conveniently either at the keyboard or in a
pipeline.
The following redirection options can appear anywhere in a simple command. They can also precede or
follow a command, but are not passed to the command.
Item Description
<File Uses the specified file as standard input.
>File Uses the specified file as standard output. Creates the file if it does not exist;
otherwise, truncates it to zero length.
> >File Uses the specified file as standard output. Creates the file if it does not exist;
otherwise, adds the output to the end of the file.
<<[-]eofstr Reads as standard input all lines from the eofstr variable up to a line containing only
eofstr or up to an end-of-file character. If any character in the eofstr variable is
quoted, the shell does not expand or interpret any characters in the input lines.
Otherwise, it performs variable and command substitution and ignores a quoted
newline character (\newline). Use a backslash (\) to quote characters within the
eofstr variable or within the input lines.
If you add a hyphen (-) to the << redirection option, then all leading tabs are
stripped from the eofstr variable and from the input lines.
<&Digit Associates standard input with the file descriptor specified by the Digit variable.
>&Digit Associates standard output with the file descriptor specified by the Digit variable.
<&- Closes standard input.
>&- Closes standard output.

Note: The restricted shell does not allow output redirection.
For more information about redirection, see “Input and output redirection” on page 346.
List of Bourne shell built-in commands

The following is a list of Bourne shell built-in commands.
Item Description
: Returns a zero exit value
. Reads and executes commands from a file parameter and then returns.
break Exits from the enclosing for, while, or until command loops, if any.
cd Changes the current directory to the specified directory.
continue Resumes the next iteration of the enclosing for, while, or until command loops.
echo Writes character strings to standard output.
eval Reads the arguments as input to the shell and executes the resulting command or
commands.
exec Executes the command specified by the Argument parameter, instead of this shell,
without creating a new process.
exit Exits the shell whose exit status is specified by the n parameter.
export Marks names for automatic export to the environment of subsequently executed
commands.
hash Finds and remembers the location in the search path of specified commands.
pwd Displays the current directory.
read Reads one line from standard input.
readonly Marks name specified by Name parameter as read-only.
return Causes a function to exit with a specified return value.
set Controls the display of various parameters to standard output.
shift Shifts command-line arguments to the left.
test Evaluates conditional expressions.
times Displays the accumulated user and system times for processes run from the shell.
trap Runs a specified command when the shell receives a specified signal or signals.
type Interprets how the shell would interpret a specified name as a command name.
ulimit Displays or adjusts allocated shell resources.
unset Removes the variable or function corresponding to a specified name.
wait Waits for the specified child process to end and reports its termination status.
Related reference
Bourne shell built-in commands
Special commands are built into the Bourne shell and run in the shell process.
Bourne shell commands

You can issue commands in the Bourne shell.
When you issue a command in the Bourne shell, it first evaluates the command and makes all indicated
substitutions. It then runs the command provided that:

• The command name is a Bourne shell special built-in command.
OR
• The command name matches the name of a defined function. If this is the case, the shell sets the
positional parameters to the parameters of the function.
If the command name matches neither a built-in command nor the name of a defined function and the
command names an executable file that is a compiled (binary) program, the shell (as parent) creates a
new (child) process that immediately runs the program. If the file is marked executable but is not a
compiled program, the shell assumes that it is a shell procedure. In this case, the shell creates another
instance of itself (a subshell), to read the file and execute the commands included in it. The shell also runs
a parenthesized command in a subshell. To the user, a compiled program is run in exactly the same way
as a shell procedure. The shell normally searches for commands in file system directories in this order:
1. /usr/bin
2. /etc
3. /usr/sbin
4. /usr/ucb
5. $HOME/bin
6. /usr/bin/X11
7. /sbin
8. Current directory
The shell searches each directory, in turn, continuing with the next directory if it fails to find the
command.
Note: The PATH variable determines the order in which the shell searches directories. You can change the
particular sequence of directories searched by resetting the PATH variable.
If you give a specific path name when you run a command (for example, /usr/bin/sort), the shell does
not search any directories other than the one you specify. If the command name contains a slash (/), the
shell does not use the search path.
You can give a full path name that begins with the root directory (such as /usr/bin/sort). You can also
specify a path name relative to the current directory. If you specify, for example:
bin/myfile
the shell looks in the current directory for a directory named bin and in that directory for the file myfile.
Note: The restricted shell does not run commands containing a slash (/).
The shell remembers the location in the search path of each executed command (to avoid unnecessary
exec commands later). If it finds the command in a relative directory (one whose name does not begin
with /), the shell must redetermine the command's location whenever the current directory changes. The
shell forgets all remembered locations each time you change the PATH variable or run the hash -r
command.
Character quotation
Many characters have a special meaning to the shell. Sometimes you want to conceal that meaning.
Single (') and double (") quotation marks surrounding a string, or a backslash (\) before a single
character allow you to conceal the character's meaning.
All characters (except the enclosing single quotation marks) are taken literally, with any special meaning
removed. Thus, the command:
stuff='echo $? $*; ls * | wc'
assigns the literal string echo $? $*; ls * | wc to the variable stuff. The shell does not execute
the echo, ls, and wc commands or expand the $? and $* variables and the asterisk (*) special character.

Within double quotation marks, the special meaning of the dollar sign ($), backquote (`), and double
quotation (") characters remains in effect, while all other characters are taken literally. Thus, within
double quotation marks, command and variable substitution takes place. In addition, the quotation marks
do not affect the commands within a command substitution that is part of the quoted string, so characters
there retain their special meanings.
Consider the following sequence:
ls *
file1 file2 file3
message="This directory contains `ls * ` "
echo $message
This directory contains file1 file2 file3
This shows that the asterisk (*) special character inside the command substitution was expanded.
To hide the special meaning of the dollar sign ($), backquote (`), and double quotation (") characters
within double quotation marks, precede these characters with a backslash (\). When you do not use
double quotation marks, preceding a character with a backslash is equivalent to placing it within single
quotation marks. Therefore, a backslash immediately preceding a newline character (that is, a backslash
at the end of the line) hides the newline character and allows you to continue the command line on the
next physical line.
Signal handling
The shell ignores INTERRUPT and QUIT signals for an invoked command if the command is terminated
with an ampersand (&); that is, if it is running in the background. Otherwise, signals have the values
inherited by the shell from its parent, with the exception of the SEGMENTATION VIOLATION signal.
For more information, see the Bourne shell built-in trap command.
Bourne shell compound commands

A compound command is one of the following.
• Pipeline (one or more simple commands separated by the pipe (|) symbol)
• List of simple commands
• Command beginning with a reserved word
• Command beginning with the control operator left parenthesis (()
Unless otherwise stated, the value returned by a compound command is that of the last simple command
executed.
Reserved words
The following reserved words for the Bourne shell are recognized only when they appear without
quotation marks as the first word of a command.
for do done
case esac
if then fi
elif else
while until
{ }
( )
Item Description
forIdentifier [inWord. . .] Sets the Identifier parameter to the word or words specified by the Word
doList done parameter (one at a time) and runs the commands specified in the List
parameter. If you omit in Word. . ., then the for command runs the List
parameter for each positional parameter that is set, and processing ends
when all positional parameters have been used.

Item Description
case Word in Pattern [| Runs the commands specified in the List parameter that are associated with
Pattern] . . . ) List;; [Pattern the first Pattern parameter that matches the value of the Word parameter.
[|Pattern] . . . ) List;;] . . . Uses the same character-matching notation in patterns that are used for file
esac name substitution, except that a slash (/), leading dot (.), or a dot
immediately following a slash (/.) do not need to match explicitly.
if List then List [elif Runs the commands specified in the List parameter following the if
List then List] . . . [else command. If the command returns a zero exit value, the shell runs the List
List] fi parameter following the first then command. Otherwise, it runs the List
parameter following the elif command (if it exists). If this exit value is
zero, the shell runs the List parameter following the next then command. If
the command returns a nonzero exit value, the shell runs the List parameter
following the else command (if it exists). If no else List or then List is
performed, the if command returns a zero exit value.
while List do List done Runs the commands specified in the List parameter following the while
command. If the exit value of the last command in the while List is zero,
the shell runs the List parameter following the do command. It continues
looping through the lists until the exit value of the last command in the
while List is nonzero. If no commands in the do List are performed, the
while command returns a zero exit value.
until List do List done Runs the commands specified in the List parameter following the until
command. If the exit value of the last command in the until List is
nonzero, runs the List following the do command. Continues looping through
the lists until the exit value of the last command in the until List is zero. If
no commands in the do List are performed, the until command returns a
zero exit value.
( List ) Runs the commands in the List parameter in a subshell.
{ List; } Runs the commands in the List parameter in the current shell process and
does not start a subshell.
Name () { List } Defines a function that is referenced by the Name parameter. The body of
the function is the list of commands between the braces specified by the
List parameter.
Bourne shell built-in commands

Special commands are built into the Bourne shell and run in the shell process.
Unless otherwise indicated, output is written to file descriptor 1 (standard output) and the exit status is 0
(zero) if the command does not contain any syntax errors. Input and output redirection is permitted.
The following special commands are treated somewhat differently from other special built-in commands:
: (colon) exec shift

. (dot) exit times
break export trap
continue readonly wait
eval return
The Bourne shell processes these commands as follows:

• Keyword parameter assignment lists preceding the command remain in effect when the command
completes.
• I/O redirections are processed after parameter assignments.
• Errors in a shell script cause the script to stop processing.
Related reference
List of Bourne shell built-in commands

The following is a list of Bourne shell built-in commands.
Special command descriptions

The Bourne shell provides the following special built-in commands.
Item Description
: Returns a zero exit value.
. File Reads and runs commands from the File parameter and returns. Does not start a
subshell. The shell uses the search path specified by the PATH variable to find the
directory containing the specified file.
break [ n ] Exits from the enclosing for, while, or until command loops, if any. If you specify
the n variable, the break command breaks the number of levels specified by the n
variable.
continue [ n ] Resumes the next iteration of the enclosing for, while, or until command loops. If
you specify the n variable, the command resumes at the nth enclosing loop.
cd Directory ] Changes the current directory to Directory. If you do not specify Directory, the value
of the HOME shell variable is used. The CDPATH shell variable defines the search
path for Directory. CDPATH is a colon-separated list of alternative directory names.
A null path name specifies the current directory (which is the default path). This
null path name appears immediately after the equal sign in the assignment or
between the colon delimiters anywhere else in the path list. If Directory begins with
a slash (/), the shell does not use the search path. Otherwise, the shell searches
each directory in the CDPATH shell variable.
Note: The restricted shell cannot run the cd shell command.
echo String . . . ] Writes character strings to standard output. See the echo command for usage and
parameter information. The -n flag is not supported.
eval Reads arguments as input to the shell and runs the resulting command or
[ Argument . . . ] commands.
exec Runs the command specified by the Argument parameter in place of this shell
[ Argument . . . ] without creating a new process. Input and output arguments can appear, and if no
other arguments appear, cause the shell input or output to be modified. This is not
recommended for your login shell.
exit [ n ] Causes a shell to exit with the exit value specified by the n parameter. If you omit
this parameter, the exit value is that of the last command executed (the Ctrl-D key
sequence also causes a shell to exit). The value of the n parameter can be from 0 to
255, inclusive.
export Marks the specified names for automatic export to the environments of
[ Name . . . ] subsequently executed commands. If you do not specify the Name parameter, the
export command displays a list of all names that are exported in this shell. You
cannot export function names.
hash [ -r ] Finds and remembers the location in the search path of each Command specified.
[ Command . . . ] The -r flag causes the shell to forget all locations. If you do not specify the flag or
any commands, the shell displays information about the remembered commands in
Hits Cost Command

Item Description
Hits indicates the number of times a command has been run by the shell process.
Cost is a measure of the work required to locate a command in the search path.
Command shows the path names of each specified command. Certain situations
require that the stored location of a command be recalculated; for example, the
location of a relative path name when the current directory changes. Commands for
which that might be done are indicated by an asterisk (*) next to the Hits
information. Cost is incremented when the recalculation is done.
pwd Displays the current directory. See the pwd command for a discussion of command
options.
read [ Name . . . ] Reads one line from standard input. Assigns the first word in the line to the first
Name parameter, the second word to the second Name parameter, and so on, with
leftover words assigned to the last Name parameter. This command returns a value
of 0 unless it encounters an end-of-file character.
readonly Marks the name specified by the Name parameter as read-only. The value of the
[ Name . . . ] name cannot be reset. If you do not specify any Name, the readonly command
displays a list of all read-only names.
return [ n ] Causes a function to exit with a return value of n. If you do not specify the n
variable, the function returns the status of the last command performed in that
function. This command is valid only when run within a shell function.

Item Description
set Sets one or more of the following flags:
[ Flag [ Argument ] . -a
..] Marks for export all variables to which an assignment is performed. If the
assignment precedes a command name, the export attribute is effective only
for that command execution environment, except when the assignment
precedes one of the special built-in commands. In this case, the export
attribute persists after the built-in command has completed. If the assignment
does not precede a command name, or if the assignment is a result of the
operation of the getopts or read commands, the export attribute persists
until the variable is unset.
-e
Exits immediately if all of the following conditions exist for a command:
• It exits with a return value greater than 0 (zero).
• It is not part of the compound list of a while, until, or if command.
• It is not being tested using AND or OR lists.
• It is not a pipeline preceded by the ! (exclamation point) reserved word.
-f
Disables file name substitution.
-h
Locates and remembers the commands called within functions as the functions
are defined. (Normally, these commands are located when the function is
performed; see the hash command.)
-k
Places all keyword parameters in the environment for a command, not just
those preceding the command name.
-n
Reads commands but does not run them. To check for shell script syntax errors,
use the -n flag.
-t
Exits after reading and executing one command.
-u
Treats an unset variable as an error and immediately exits when performing
variable substitution. An interactive shell does not exit.
-v
Displays shell input lines as they are read.
-x
Displays commands and their arguments before they are run.
—
Does not change any of the flags. This is useful in setting the $1 positional
parameter to a string beginning with a hyphen (-).
Using a plus sign (+) rather than a hyphen (-) unsets flags. You can also specify
these flags on the shell command line. The $- special variable contains the current
set of flags.
Any Argument to the set command becomes a positional parameter and is
assigned, in order, to $1, $2, ..., and so on. If you do not specify a flag or
Argument, the set command displays all the names and values of the current shell
variables.

Item Description
shift [n] Shifts command line arguments to the left; that is, reassigns the value of the
positional parameters by discarding the current value of $1 and assigning the value
of $2 to $1, of $3 to $2, and so on. If there are more than 9 command line
arguments, the 10th is assigned to $9 and any that remain are still unassigned (until
after another shift). If there are 9 or fewer arguments, the shift command unsets
the highest-numbered positional parameter that has a value.
The $0 positional parameter is never shifted. The shift n command is a shorthand
notation specifying n number of consecutive shifts. The default value of the n
parameter is 1.
test Expression | Evaluates conditional expressions. See the test command for a discussion of
[ Expression ] command flags and parameters. The -h flag is not supported by the built-in test
command in bsh.
times Displays the accumulated user and system times for processes run from the shell.
trap [ Command ] Runs the command specified by the Command parameter when the shell receives
[n]... the signal or signals specified by the n parameter. The trap commands are run in
order of signal number. Any attempt to set a trap on a signal that was ignored on
entry to the current shell is ineffective.
Note: The shell scans the Command parameter once when the trap is set and again
when the trap is taken.
If you do not specify a command, then all traps specified by the n parameter are
reset to their current values. If you specify a null string, this signal is ignored by the
shell and by the commands it invokes. If the n parameter is zero (0), the specified
command is run when you exit from the shell. If you do not specify either a
command or a signal, the trap command displays a list of commands associated
with each signal number.
type [Name . . . ] Indicates how the shell would interpret it as a command name for each Name
specified.

Item Description
ulimit [-HS] [ -c | Displays or adjusts allocated shell resources. The shell resource settings can be
-d | -f | -m | -r | -s | displayed either individually or as a group. The default mode is to display resources
-t |-u] [limit] set to the soft setting, or the lower bound, as a group.
The setting of shell resources depends on the effective user ID of the current shell.
The hard level of a resource can be set only if the effective user ID of the current
shell is root. You will get an error if you are not root user and you are attempting to
set the hard level of a resource. By default, the root user sets both the hard and soft
limits of a particular resource. The root user should therefore be careful in using the
-S, -H, or default flag usage of limit settings. Unless you are a root user, you can set
only the soft limit of a resource. After a limit has been decreased by a nonroot user,
it cannot be increased, even back to the original system limit.
To set a resource limit, select the appropriate flag and the limit value of the new
resource, which should be an integer. You can set only one resource limit at a time.
If more than one resource flag is specified, you receive undefined results. By
default, ulimit with only a new value on the command line sets the file size of the
shell. Use of the -f flag is optional.
You can specify the following ulimit command flags:
-c
Sets or displays core segment for shell.
-d
Sets or displays data segment for shell.
-f
Sets or displays file size for shell.
-H
Sets or displays hard resource limit (root user only).
-m
Sets or displays memory for shell.
-r
Sets or displays maximum number of threads per process.
-s
Sets or displays stack segment for shell.
-S
Sets or displays soft resource limit.
-t
Sets or displays CPU time maximum for shell.
-u
Sets or displays maximum number of processes per user.
umask [nnn] Determines file permissions. This value, along with the permissions of the creating
process, determines a file's permissions when the file is created. The default is
022. When no value is entered, umask displays the current value.
unset [Name . . .] Removes the corresponding variable or function for each name specified by the
Name parameter. The PATH, PS1, PS2, MAILCHECK, and IFS shell variables cannot
be unset.
wait [n] Waits for the child process whose process number is specified by the n parameter
to exit and then returns the exit status of that process. If you do not specify the n
parameter, the shell waits for all currently active child processes, and the return
value is 0.

Command substitution in the Bourne shell
Command substitution allows you to capture the output of any command as an argument to another
command.
When you place a command line within backquotes (``), the shell first runs the command or commands
and then replaces the entire expression, including the backquotes, with the output. This feature is often
used to give values to shell variables. For example, the statement:
today=`date`
assigns the string representing the current date to the today variable. The following assignment saves, in
the files variable, the number of files in the current directory:
files=`ls | wc -l`
You can perform command substitution on any command that writes to standard output.
To nest command substitutions, precede each of the nested backquotes with a backslash (\), as in:
logmsg=ècho Your login directory is \`pwd\``
You can also give values to shell variables indirectly by using the read special command. This command
takes a line from standard input (usually your keyboard) and assigns consecutive words on that line to any
variables named. For example:
read first init last
takes an input line of the form:
J. Q. Public
and has the same effect as if you had typed:
first=J. init=Q. last=Public
The read special command assigns any excess words to the last variable.
Variable substitution in the Bourne shell

The Bourne shell permits you to perform variable substitutions.
The Bourne shell has several mechanisms for creating variables (assigning a string value to a name).
Certain variables, positional parameters and keyword parameters are normally set only on a command
line. Other variables are simply names to which you or the shell can assign string values.
Related concepts

To assign a string value to a name, type the following:
Name=String
A name is a sequence of letters, digits, and underscores that begins with an underscore or a letter. To use
the value that you have assigned to a variable, add a dollar sign ($) to the beginning of its name. Thus, the
$Name variable yields the value specified by the String variable. Note that no spaces are on either side of
the equal sign (=) in an assignment statement. (Positional parameters cannot appear in an assignment
statement. You can put more than one assignment on a command line, but remember that the shell
performs the assignments from right to left.

If you enclose the String variable with double or single quotation marks (" or '), the shell does not treat
blanks, tabs, semicolons, and newline characters within the string as word delimiters, but it imbeds them
literally in the string.
If you enclose the String variable with double quotation marks ("), the shell still recognizes variable
names in the string and performs variable substitution; that is, it replaces references to positional
parameters and other variable names that are prefaced by dollar sign ($) with their corresponding values,
if any. The shell also performs command substitution within strings that are enclosed in double quotation
marks.
If you enclose the String variable with single quotation marks ('), the shell does not substitute variables
or commands within the string. The following sequence illustrates this difference:
You: num=875
number1="Add $num"
number2='Add $num'
echo $number1
System: Add 875
You: echo $number2
System: Add $num
The shell does not reinterpret blanks in assignments after variable substitution. Thus, the following
assignments result in $first and $second having the same value:
first='a string with embedded blanks'

second=$first
When you reference a variable, you can enclose the variable name (or the digit designating a positional
parameter) in braces { } to delimit the variable name from any string following. In particular, if the
character immediately following the name is a letter, digit, or underscore, and the variable is not a
positional parameter, then the braces are required:
You: a='This is a'

echo "${a}n example"
System: This is an example
You: echo "$a test"
System: This is a test
Related concepts
Related reference
Conditional substitution in the Bourne shell
Normally, the shell replaces the expression $Variable with the string value assigned to the Variable
variable, if there is one. However, there is a special notation that allows conditional substitution,
depending on whether the variable is set or not null, or both.
Variables used by the Bourne shell

The shell uses the following variables. Although the shell sets some of them, you can set or reset all of
them.
Item Description
CDPATH Specifies the search path for the cd (change directory) command.
HOME Indicates the name of your login directory, which is the directory that becomes the
current directory upon completion of a login. The login program initializes this
variable. The cd command uses the value of the $HOME variable as its default value.
Using this variable rather than an explicit path name in a shell procedure allows the
procedure to be run from a different directory without alterations.

Item Description
IFS The characters that are IFS (internal field separators), which are the characters that
the shell uses during blank interpretation. The shell initially sets the IFS variable to
include the blank, tab, and newline characters.
LANG Determines the locale to use for the locale categories when both the LC_ALL variable
and the corresponding environment variable (beginning with LC_) do not specify a
locale.
LC_ALL Determines the locale to be used to override any values for locale categories
specified by the settings of the LANG environment variable or any environment
variables beginning with LC_.
LC_COLLATE Defines the collating sequence to use when sorting names and when character
ranges occur in patterns.
LC_CTYPE Determines the locale for the interpretation of sequences of bytes of text data as
characters (that is, single versus multibyte characters in arguments and input files),
which characters are defined as letters (alpha character class), and the behavior of
character classes within pattern matching.
LC_MESSAGES Determines the language in which messages should be written.
LIBPATH Specifies the search path for shared libraries.
LOGNAME Specifies your login name, marked readonly in the /etc/profile file.
MAIL Indicates the path name of the file used by the mail system to detect the arrival of
new mail. If this variable is set, the shell periodically checks the modification time of
this file and displays the value of $MAILMSG if the time changes and the length of the
file is greater than 0. Set the MAIL variable in the .profile file. The value normally
assigned to it by users of the mail command is /usr/spool/mail/$LOGNAME.
MAILCHECK The number of seconds that the shell lets elapse before checking again for the arrival
of mail in the files specified by the MAILPATH or MAIL variables. The default value is
600 seconds (10 minutes). If you set the MAILCHECK variable to 0, the shell checks
before each prompt.
MAILMSG The mail notification message. If you explicitly set the MAILMSG variable to a null
string (MAILMSG=""), no message is displayed.
MAILPATH A list of file names separated by colons. If this variable is set, the shell informs you of
the arrival of mail in any of the files specified in the list. You can follow each file
name by a % and a message to be displayed when mail arrives. Otherwise, the shell
uses the value of the MAILMSG variable or, by default, the message [YOU HAVE NEW
MAIL].
Note: When the MAILPATH variable is set, these files are checked instead of the file
set by the MAIL variable. To check the files set by the MAILPATH variable and the file
set by the MAIL variable, specify the MAIL file in your list of MAILPATH files.

Item Description
PATH The search path for commands, which is an ordered list of directory path names
separated by colons. The shell searches these directories in the specified order when
it looks for commands. A null string anywhere in the list represents the current
directory.
The PATH variable is normally initialized in the /etc/environment file, usually
to /usr/bin:/etc:/usr/sbin:/usr/ucb:/usr/bin/X11:/sbin. You can
reset this variable to suit your own needs. The PATH variable provided in
your .profile file also includes $HOME/bin and your current directory.
If you have a project-specific directory of commands, for example, /project/bin,
that you want searched before the standard system directories, set your PATH
variable as follows:
PATH=/project/bin:$PATH
The best place to set your PATH variable to a value other than the default value is in
your $HOME/.profile file. You cannot reset the PATH variable if you are executing
commands under the restricted shell.
PS1 The string to be used as the primary system prompt. An interactive shell displays this
prompt string when it expects input. The default value of the PS1 variable is $
followed by a blank space for nonroot users.
PS2 The value of the secondary prompt string. If the shell expects more input when it
encounters a newline character in its input, it prompts with the value of the PS2
variable. The default value of the PS2 variable is > followed by a blank space.
SHACCT The name of a file that you own. If this variable is set, the shell writes an accounting
record in the file for each shell script executed. You can use accounting programs
such as acctcom and acctcms to analyze the data collected.
SHELL The path name of the shell, which is kept in the environment. This variable should be
set and exported by the $HOME/.profile file of each restricted login.
TIMEOUT The number of minutes a shell remains inactive before it exits. If this variable is set
to a value greater than zero (0), the shell exits if a command is not entered within the
prescribed number of seconds after issuing the PS1 prompt. (Note that the shell can
be compiled with a maximum boundary that cannot be exceeded for this value.) A
value of zero indicates no time limit.
Related concepts
Blank interpretation
After the shell performs variable and command substitution, it scans the results for internal field
separators (those defined in the IFS shell variable).
Predefined special variables in the Bourne shell

Several variables have special meanings. The following variables are set only by the Bourne shell:
Ite Description
m
$@ Expands the positional parameters, beginning with $1. Each parameter is separated by a space.
If you place double quotation marks (" ") around $@, the shell considers each positional
parameter a separate string. If no positional parameters exist, the Bourne shell expands the
statement to an unquoted null string.

Ite Description
m
$* Expands the positional parameters, beginning with $1. The shell separates each parameter with
the first character of the IFS variable value.
If you place double quotation marks (" ") around $*, the shell includes the positional parameter
values, in double quotation marks. Each value is separated by the first character of the IFS variable.
$# Specifies the number of positional parameters passed to the shell, not counting the name of the
shell procedure itself. The $# variable thus yields the number of the highest-numbered positional
parameter that is set. One of the primary uses of this variable is to check for the presence of the
required number of arguments. Only positional parameters $0 through $9 are accessible through
the shell.
$? Specifies the exit value of the last command executed. Its value is a decimal string. Most
commands return a value of 0 to indicate successful completion. The shell itself returns the current
value of the $? variable as its exit value.
$$ Identifies the process number of the current process. Because process numbers are unique among
all existing processes, this string is often used to generate unique names for temporary files.
The following example illustrates the recommended practice of creating temporary files in a
directory used only for that purpose:
temp=/tmp/$$
ls >$temp
.
.
.
rm $temp
$! Specifies the process number of the last process run in the background using the & terminator.
$- A string consisting of the names of the execution flags currently set in the shell.
Related concepts
Blank interpretation
After the shell performs variable and command substitution, it scans the results for internal field
separators (those defined in the IFS shell variable).
The shell splits the line into distinct words at each place it finds one or more of these characters
separating each distinct word with a single space. It then retains explicit null arguments ("" or '') and
discards implicit null arguments (those resulting from parameters that have no values).
Related reference
Variables used by the Bourne shell
The shell uses the following variables. Although the shell sets some of them, you can set or reset all of
them.
C shell
The C shell is an interactive command interpreter and a command programming language. It uses syntax
that is similar to the C programming language.
The csh command starts the C shell.
When you log in, the csh command first searches the system-wide setup file /etc/csh.cshrc. If the
setup file exists, the C shell executes the commands stored in that file. Next, the C shell executes the
system-wide setup file /etc/csh.login if it is available. Then, it searches your home directory for

the .cshrc and .login files. If they exist, they contain any customized user information pertinent to
running the C shell. All variables set in the /etc/csh.cshrc and /etc/csh.login files might be
overridden by your .cshrc and .login files in your $HOME directory. Only the root user can modify
the /etc/csh.cshrc and /etc/csh.login files.
The /etc/csh.login and $HOME/.login files are executed only once at login time. These files are
generally used to hold environment variable definitions, commands that you want executed once at login,
or commands that set up terminal characteristics.
The /etc/csh.cshrc and $HOME/.cshrc files are executed at login time and every time the csh
command or a C shell script is invoked. They are generally used to define C shell characteristics, such as
aliases and C shell variables (for example, history, noclobber, or ignoreeof). It is recommended that you
only use the C shell built-in commands in the /etc/csh.cshrc and $HOME/.cshrc files because using
other commands increases the startup time for shell scripts.
Related reference
C shell built-in commands list
The following are C shell built-in commands.
C shell limitations
The following are limitations of the C shell.
• Words can be no longer than 1024 bytes.
• Argument lists are limited to ARG_MAX bytes. Values for the ARG_MAX variable are found in the /usr/
include/sys/limits.h file.
• The number of arguments to a command that involves file name expansion is limited to 1/6th the
number of bytes allowed in an argument list.
• Command substitutions can substitute no more bytes than are allowed in an argument list.
• To detect looping, the shell restricts the number of alias substitutions on a single line to 20.
• The csh command does not support file name expansion based on equivalence classification of
characters.
• File descriptors (other than standard in, standard out, and standard error) opened before csh executes
any application are not available to that application.
Alias substitution in the C shell

An alias is a name assigned to a command or command string. The C shell allows you to assign aliases
and use them as you would commands. The shell maintains a list of the aliases that you define.
After the shell scans the command line, it divides the commands into distinct words and checks the first
word of each command, left to right, to see if there is an alias. If an alias is found, the shell uses the
history mechanism to replace the text of the alias with the text of the command referenced by the alias.
The resulting words replace the command and argument list. If no reference is made to the history list,
the argument list is left unchanged.
The alias and unalias built-in commands establish, display, and modify the alias list. Use the alias
command in the following format:
alias [Name [WordList]]
The optional Name variable specifies the alias for the specified name. If you specify a word list with the
WordList variable, the command assigns it as the alias of the Name variable. If you run the alias
command without either optional variable, it displays all C shell aliases.
If the alias for the ls command is ls -l, the following command:
ls /usr
is replaced by the command:
ls -l /usr

The argument list is undisturbed because there is no reference to the history list in the command with an
alias. Similarly, if the alias for the lookup command is as follows:
grep \!^ /etc/passwd
then the shell replaces lookup bill with the following:
grep bill /etc/passwd
In this example, !^ refers to the history list, and the shell replaces it with the first argument in the input
line, in this case bill.
You can use special pattern-matching characters in an alias. The following command:
alias lprint 'pr &bslash2.!* >
> print'
creates a command that formats its arguments to the line printer. The ! character is protected from the
shell in the alias by use of single quotation marks so that the alias is not expanded until the pr command
runs.
If the shell locates an alias, it performs the word transformation of the input text and begins the alias
process again on the reformed input line. If the first word of the next text is the same as the previous text,
then looping is prevented by flagging the alias to terminate the alias process. Other subsequent loops are
detected and result in an error.
Related concepts
History substitution in the C shell
History substitution lets you modify individual words from previous commands to create new commands.
History substitution makes it easy to repeat commands, repeat the arguments of a previous command in
the current command, or fix spelling mistakes in the previous command with little typing.
Variable substitution in the C shell

The C shell maintains a set of variables, each of which has as its value a list of zero or more words. Some
of these variables are set by the shell or referred to by it. For example, the argv variable is an image of the
shell variable list, and words that comprise the value of this variable are referred to in special ways.
To change and display the values of variables, use the set and unset commands. Of the variables
referred to by the shell, a number are toggles (variables that turn something on and off). The shell does
not examine toggles for a value, only for whether they are set or unset. For example, the verbose shell
variable is a toggle that causes command input to be echoed. The setting of this variable results from
issuing the -v flag on the command line.
Other operations treat variables numerically. The @ command performs numeric calculations, and the
result is assigned to a variable. Variable values are, however, always represented as (zero or more)
strings. For numeric operations, the null string is considered to be zero, and the second and subsequent
words of multi-word values are ignored.
When you issue a command, the shell parses the input line and performs alias substitution. Next, before
running the command, it performs variable substitution. The $ character keys the substitution. It is,
however, passed unchanged if followed by a blank, tab, or newline character. Preceding the $ character
with a \ prevents this expansion, except in two cases:
• The command is enclosed in " ". In this case, the shell always performs the substitution.
• The command is enclosed in ' '. In this case, the shell never performs the substitution. Strings
enclosed in ' ' are interpreted for command substitution.
The shell recognizes input and output redirection before variable expansion and expands each separately.
Otherwise, the command name and complete argument list expand together. It is therefore possible for
the first (command) word to generate more than one word, the first of which becomes the command
name, and the rest of which become parameters.

Unless enclosed in " " or given the :q modifier, the results of variable substitution might eventually be
subject to command and file name substitution. When enclosed by double quotation marks, a variable
with a value that consists of multiple words expands to a single word or a portion of a single word, with
the words of the variable's value separated by blanks. When you apply the :q modifier to a substitution,
the variable expands to multiple words. Each word is separated by a blank and enclosed in double
quotation marks to prevent later command or file name substitution.
The following notations allow you to introduce variable values into the shell input. Except as noted, it is an
error to reference a variable that is not set with the set command.
You can apply the modifiers :gh, :gt, :gr, :h, :r, :q, and :x to the following substitutions. If { }
appear in the command form, then the modifiers must be placed within the braces. Only one : modifier is
permitted on each variable expansion.
Item Description
$Name
${Name} Replaced by the words assigned to the Name variable, each separated by a blank.
Braces insulate the Name variable from any following characters that would
otherwise be part of it. Shell variable names start with a letter and consist of up to
20 letters and digits, including the underline (_) character. If the Name variable does
not specify a shell variable but is set in the environment, then its value is returned.
The modifiers preceded by colons, as well as the other forms described here, are not
available in this case.
$Name[number]
${Name[number]} Selects only some of the words from the value of the Name variable. The number is
subjected to variable substitution and might consist of a single number or two
numbers separated by a hyphen (-). The first word of a variable's string value is
numbered 1. If the first number of a range is omitted, it defaults to 1. If the last
number of a range is omitted, it defaults to $#Name. The asterisk (*) symbol selects
all words. It is not an error for a range to be empty if the second argument is omitted
or is in a range.
$#Name
${#Name} Gives the number of words in the Name variable. This can be used in a [number] as
shown above. For example, $Name[$#Name].
$0 Substitutes the name of the file from which command input is being read. An error
occurs if the name is not known.
$number
${number} Equivalent to $argv[number].
$* Equivalent to $argv[*].
The following substitutions may not be changed with : modifiers:
Item Description
$?name
${?name} Substitutes the string 1 if the name variable is set, zero (0) if this variable is not set.
$?0 Substitutes 1 if the current input file name is known, zero (0) if the file name is not known.
$$ Substitutes the (decimal) process number of the parent shell.
$< Substitutes a line from standard input, without further interpretation. Use this substitution
to read from the keyboard in a shell procedure.

Related concepts
Command substitution in the C shell
In command substitution, the shell executes a specified command and replaces that command with its
output.
File name substitution in the C shell

The C Shell permits you to do file name substitutions.
The C shell provides several shortcuts to save time and keystrokes. If a word contains any of the
characters *, ?, [ ], or { }, or begins with a tilde (~), that word is a candidate for file name substitution.
The C shell regards the word as a pattern and replaces the word with an alphabetized list of file names
matching the pattern.
The current collating sequence is used, as specified by the LC_COLLATE or LANG environment variables.
In a list of words specifying file name substitution, an error results if no patterns match an existing file
name. However, it is not required that every pattern match. Only the character-matching symbols *, ?,
and [ ] indicate pattern-matching or file name expansion. The tilde (~) and { } characters indicate file
name abbreviation.
File name expansion in the C shell

The asterisk (*) character matches any string of characters, including the null string.
For example, in a directory containing the files:
a aa aax alice b bb c cc
the command echo a* prints all files names beginning with the character a:
a aa aax alice
Note: When file names are matched, the characters dot (.) and slash (/) must be matched explicitly.
The question mark (?) character matches any single character. The following command:
ls a?x
lists every file name beginning with the letter a, followed by a single character, and ending with the letter
x:
aax
To match a single character or a range of characters, enclose the character or characters inside of [ ].
The following command:
ls [abc]
lists all file names exactly matching one of the enclosed characters:
a b c
Within brackets, a lexical range of characters is indicated by [a-z]. The characters matching this pattern
are defined by the current collating sequence.
File name abbreviation in the C shell

The tilde (~) and { characters indicate file name abbreviation. A ~ at the beginning of a file name is used
to represent home directories. Standing alone, the ~ character expands to your home directory as
reflected in the value of the home shell variable.
For example, the following command:
ls ~
lists all files and directories located in your $HOME directory.

When the command is followed by a name consisting of letters, digits, and hyphen (-) characters, the
shell searches for a user with that name and substitutes that user's $HOME directory.
Note: If the ~ character is followed by a character other than a letter or slash (/), or appears anywhere
except at the beginning of a word, it does not expand.
To match characters in file names without typing the entire file name, use { } around the file names. The
pattern a{b,c,d}e is another way of writing abe ace ade. The shell preserves the left-to-right order
and separately stores the results of matches at a low level to preserve this order. This construct might be
nested. Thus, the following:
~source/s1/{oldls,ls}.c
expands to:
/usr/source/s1/oldls.c /usr/source/s1/ls.c
if the home directory for source is /usr/source. Similarly, the following:
../{memo,*box}
might expand to:
../memo ../box ../mbox
Note: memo is not sorted with the results of matching *box. As a special case, the {, }, and { }
characters are passed undisturbed.
Character classes in the C shell

You can use character classes to match file names within a range indication.
The following format instructs the system to match any single character belonging to the specified class:
[:charclass:]
The following classes correspond to ctype subroutines:
Character Definition
Class
alnum Alphanumeric characters
alpha Uppercase and lowercase letters
cntrl Control characters
digit Digits
graph Graphic characters
lower Lowercase letters
print Printable characters
punct Punctuation character
space Space, horizontal tab, carriage return, newline, vertical tab, or form-feed character
upper Uppercase characters
xdigit Hexadecimal digits
Suppose that you are in a directory containing the following files:
a aa aax Alice b bb c cc
Type the following command at a C shell prompt:

ls [:lower:]
The C shell lists all file names that begin with lowercase characters:
a aa aax b bb c cc
For more information about character class expressions, see the ed command.
Environment variables in the C shell

Certain variables have special meaning to the C shell. Of these, argv, cwd, home, path, prompt, shell, and
status are always set by the shell.
Except for the cwd and status variables, the action of being set by the shell occurs only at initialization. All
of the above variables maintain their settings unless you explicitly reset them.
The csh command copies the USER, TERM, HOME, and PATH environment variables into the csh variables,
user, term, home, and path, respectively. The values are copied back into the environment whenever the
normal shell variables are reset. The path variable cannot be set in other than in the .cshrc file because
csh subprocesses import the path definition from the environment and reexport it if changed.
The following variables have special meanings:
Item Description
argv Contains the arguments passed to shell scripts. Positional parameters are substituted
from this variable.
cdpath Specifies a list of alternate directories to be searched by the chdir or cd command to
find subdirectories.
cwd Specifies the full path name of the current directory.
echo Set when the -x command line flag is used; when set, causes each command and its
arguments to echo just before being run. For commands that are not built-in, all
expansions occur before echoing. Built-in commands are echoed before command and
file name substitution because these substitutions are then done selectively.
histchars Specifies a string value to change the characters used in history substitution. Use the
first character of its value as the history substitution character, this replaces the default
character, !. The second character of its value replaces the ^ character in quick
substitutions.
Note: Setting the histchars value to a character used in command or file names might
cause unintentional history substitution.
history Contains a numeric value to control the size of the history list. Any command that is
referenced within the number of events permitted is not discarded. Very large values of
the history variable might cause the shell to run out of memory. Regardless of whether
this variable is set, the C shell always saves the last command that ran on the history
list.
home Indicates your home directory initialized from the environment. The file name expansion
of the tilde (~) character refers to this variable.
ignoreeof Specifies that the shell ignore an end-of-file character from input devices that are
workstations. This prevents shells from accidentally being killed when the shell reads an
end-of-file character (Ctrl-D).
mail Specifies the files where the shell checks for mail. This is done after each command
completion which results in a prompt if a specified time interval has elapsed. The shell
displays the message Mail in file if the file exists with an access time less than its
change time.

Item Description
If the first word of the value of the mail variable is numeric, it specifies a different mail-
checking time interval (in seconds); the default is 600 (10 minutes). If you specify
multiple mail files, the shell displays the message New mail in file, when there is
mail in the specified file.
noclobber Places restrictions on output redirection to ensure that files are not accidentally
destroyed and that redirections append to existing files.
noglob Inhibits file name expansion. This is most useful in shell scripts that do not deal with file
names or when a list of file names has been obtained and further expansions are not
desirable.
nonomatch Specifies that no error results if a file name expansion does not match any existing files;
rather, the primitive pattern returns. It is still an error for the primitive pattern to be
malformed.
notify Specifies that the shell send asynchronous notification of changes in job status. The
default presents status changes just before displaying the shell prompt.
path Specifies directories in which commands are sought for execution. A null word specifies
the current directory. If there is no path variable set, then only full path names can run.
The default search path (from the /etc/environment file used during login) is as
follows:
/usr/bin /etc /usr/sbin /usr/ucb /usr/bin/X11 /sbin
A shell given neither the -c nor the -t flag normally hashes the contents of the directories
in the path variable after reading the .cshrc and each time the path variable is reset. If
new commands are added to these directories while the shell is active, you must give
the rehash command. Otherwise, the commands might not be found.
prompt Specifies the string displayed before each command is read from an interactive
workstation input. If a ! appears in the string, it is replaced by the current event number.
If the ! character is in a quoted string enclosed by single or double quotation marks,
the ! character must be preceded by a \. The default prompt for users without root
authority is % . The default prompt for the user with root authority is #.
savehist Specifies a numeric value to control the number of entries of the history list that are
saved in the ~/.history file when you log out. Any command referenced in this
number of events is saved. During startup, the shell reads ~/.history into the history
list, enabling history to be saved across logins. Very large values of the savehist variable
slow down the shell startup.
shell Specifies the file in which the C shell resides. This is used in forking shells to interpret
files that have execute bits set, but which are not executable by the system. This is
initialized to the home of the C shell.
status Specifies the status returned by the last command. If the command ends abnormally,
0200 is added to the status. Built-in commands that are unsuccessful return an exit
status of 1. Successful built-in commands set status to a value of 0.
time Controls automatic timing of commands. If this variable is set, any command that takes
more than the specified number of CPU seconds will display a line of resources used at
the end of execution. For more information about the default outputs, see the built-in
time command.
verbose Set by the -v command line flag, this variable causes the words of each command to
display after history substitution.

Job control in the C shell
The shell associates a job number with each process. The shell keeps a table of current jobs and assigns
them small integer numbers.
When you start a job in the background with an ampersand (&) , the shell prints a line that looks like the
following:
[1] 1234
This line indicates that the job number is 1 and that the job is composed of a single process with a
process ID of 1234. Use the built-in jobs command to see the table of current jobs.
A job running in the background competes for input if it tries to read from the workstation. Background
jobs can also produce output for the workstation that gets interleaved with the output of other jobs.
You can refer to jobs in the shell in several ways. Use the percent (%) character to introduce a job name.
This name can be either the job number or the command name that started the job, if this name is unique.
For example, if a make process is running as job 1, you can refer to it as %1. You can also refer to it as
%make if there is only one suspended job with a name that begins with the string make. You can also use
the following:
%?String
to specify a job whose name contains the String variable, if there is only one such job.
The shell detects immediately whenever a process changes its state. If a job becomes blocked so that
further progress is impossible, the shell sends a message to the workstation. This message displays only
after you press the Enter key. If, however, the notify shell variable is set, the shell immediately issues a
message that indicates changes in the status of background jobs. Use the built-in notify command to
mark a single process so that its status changes are promptly reported. By default, the notify command
marks the current process.

Item Description
@ Displays the value of specified shell variables.
alias Displays specified aliases or all aliases.
bg Puts the current or specified jobs into the background.
break Resumes running after the end of the nearest enclosing foreach or while command.
breaksw Breaks from a switch command.
case Defines a label in a switch command.
cd Changes the current directory to the specified directory.
chdir Changes the current directory to the specified directory.
continue Continues execution of the nearest enclosing foreach or while command.
default Labels the default case in a switch statement.
dirs Displays the directory stack.
echo Writes character strings to the standard output of the shell.
else Runs the commands that follow the second else in an if (Expression) then ...else
if (Expression2) then ... else ... endif command sequence.
end Signifies the end of a sequence of commands preceded by the foreach command.
endif Runs the commands that follow the second then statement in an if (Expression)
then ... else if (Expression2) then ... else ... endif command sequence.

Item Description
endsw Marks the end of a switch (String) case String : ... breaksw default: ... breaksw
endsw command sequence. This command sequence successively matches each case
label against the value of the String variable. Execution continues after the endsw
command if a breaksw command is executed or if no label matches and there is no
default.
eval Reads variable values as input to the shell and executes the resulting command or
commands in the context of the current shell.
exec Runs the specified command in place of the current shell.
exit Exits the shell with either the value of the status shell variable or the value of the specified
expression.
fg Brings the current or specified jobs into the foreground, continuing them if they are
stopped.
foreach Successively sets a Name variable for each member specified by the List variable and a
sequence of commands, until reaching an end command.
glob Displays list using history, variable, and file name expansion.
goto Continues to run after a specified line.
hashstat Displays statistics indicating how successful the hash table has been at locating
commands.
history Displays the history event list.
if Runs a specified command if a specified expression is true.
jobs Lists the active jobs.
kill Sends either the TERM (terminate) signal or the signal specified by the Signal variable to
the specified job or process.
limit Limits usage of a specified resource by the current process and each process it creates.
login Ends a login shell and replaces it with an instance of the /usr/sbin/login command.
logout Ends a login shell.
nice Sets the priority of commands run in the shell.
nohup Causes hangups to be ignored for the remainder of a procedure.
notify Causes the shell to notify you asynchronously when the status of the current or a specified
job changes.
onintr Controls the action of the shell on interrupts.
popd Pops the directory stack and returns to the new top directory.
pushd Exchanges elements of the directory stack.
rehash Causes recomputation of the internal hash table containing the contents of the directories
in the path shell variable.
repeat Runs the specified command, subject to the same restrictions as the if command, the
number of times specified.
set Shows the value of all shell variables.
setenv Modifies the value of the specified environment variable.
shift Shifts the specified variable to the left.
source Reads command specified by the Name variable.
stop Stops the current or specified jobs running in the background.

Item Description
suspend Stops the shell as if a STOP signal has been received.
switch Starts a switch (String) case String : ... breaksw default: ... breaksw endsw
command sequence. This command sequence successively matches each case label
against the value of the String variable. If none of the labels match before a default label is
found, the execution begins after the default label.
time Displays a summary of the time used by the shell and its child processes.
unalias Discards all aliases with names that match the Pattern variable.
unhash Disables the use of the internal hash table to locate running programs.
unlimit Removes resource limitations.
unset Removes all variables having names that match the Pattern variable.
unsetenv Removes all variables from the environment whose names match the specified Pattern
variable.
wait Waits for all background jobs.
while Evaluates the commands between the while and the matching end command sequence
while an expression specified by the Expression variable evaluates nonzero.
The following is related information:

Korn shell
The ksh and stty commands.
The alias, cd, export, fc, getopts, read, set, and typeset Korn shell commands.
The /etc/passwd file.
Bourne shell
The bsh or Rsh command, login command.
The Bourne shell read special command.
The setuid subroutine, setgid subroutine.
The null special file.
The environment file, profile file format.
C shell
The csh command, ed command.
The alias, unalias, jobs, notify and set C Shell built-in commands.
Related concepts
C shell
The C shell is an interactive command interpreter and a command programming language. It uses syntax
that is similar to the C programming language.
C shell built-in commands

Built-in commands are run within the shell. If a built-in command occurs as any component of a pipeline,
except the last, the command runs in a subshell.
Signal handling in the C shell

The C shell normally ignores quit signals. Jobs running detached are not affected by signals generated
from the keyboard (INTERRUPT, QUIT, and HANGUP).
Other signals have the values the shell inherits from its parent. You can control the shell's handling of
INTERRUPT and TERMINATE signals in shell procedures with onintr. Login shells catch or ignore
TERMINATE signals depending on how they are set up. Shells other than login shells pass TERMINATE
signals on to the child processes. In no cases are INTERRUPT signals allowed when a login shell is
reading the .logout file.
C shell commands
A simple command is a sequence of words separated by blanks or tabs. A word is a sequence of
characters or numerals, or both, that does not contain blanks without quotation marks.
In addition, the following characters and doubled characters also form single words when used as
command separators or terminators:
& | ;
&& || << > >
< > ( )
These special characters can be parts of other words. Preceding them with a backslash (\), however,
prevents the shell from interpreting them as special characters. Strings enclosed in ' ' or " " (matched
pairs of quotation characters) or backquotes can also form parts of words. Blanks, tab characters, and
special characters do not form separate words when they are enclosed in these marks. In addition, you
can enclose a newline character within these marks by preceding it with a backslash (\).
The first word in the simple command sequence (numbered 0) usually specifies the name of a command.
Any remaining words, with a few exceptions, are passed to that command. If the command specifies an
executable file that is a compiled program, the shell immediately runs that program. If the file is marked
executable but is not a compiled program, the shell assumes that it is a shell script. In this case, the shell
starts another instance of itself (a subshell) to read the file and execute the commands included in it.
C shell built-in commands

Built-in commands are run within the shell. If a built-in command occurs as any component of a pipeline,
except the last, the command runs in a subshell.
Note: If you enter a command from the C shell prompt, the system searches for a built-in command first.
If a built-in command does not exist, the system searches the directories specified by the path shell
variable for a system-level command. Some C shell built-in commands and operating system commands
have the same name. However, these commands do not necessarily work the same way. For more
information on how the command works, check the appropriate command description.
If you run a shell script from the shell, and the first line of the shell script begins with #!/
ShellPathname, the C shell runs the shell specified in the comment to process the script. Otherwise, it
runs the default shell (the shell linked to /usr/bin/sh). If run by the default shell, C shell built-in
commands might not be recognized. To run C shell commands, make the first line of the script
#!/usr/bin/csh.
Related reference

C shell command descriptions

The C shell provides the following built-in commands.
Item Description
alias [Name [WordList]] Displays all aliases if you do not specify any parameters. Otherwise,
the command displays the alias for the specified Name. If WordList is
specified, this command assigns the value of WordList to the alias
Name. The specified alias Name cannot be alias or unalias.
bg [%Job ...] Puts the current job or job specified by Job into the background,
continuing the job if it was stopped.
break Resumes running after the end of the nearest enclosing foreach or
while command.
breaksw Breaks from a switch command; resumes after the endsw
command.
case Label: Defines a Label in a switch command.
cd[Name] Equivalent to the chdir command (see following description).
chdir [Name] Changes the current directory to that specified by the Name variable.
If you do not specify Name, the command changes to your home
directory. If the value of the Name variable is not a subdirectory of the
current directory and does not begin with /, ./, or ../, the shell
checks each component of the cdpath shell variable to see if it has a
subdirectory matching the Name variable. If the Name variable is a
shell variable with a value that begins with a slash (/), the shell tries
this to see if it is a directory. The chdir command is equivalent to the
cd command.
continue Continues execution at the end of the nearest enclosing while or
foreach command.
default: Labels the default case in a switch statement. The default
should come after all other case labels.
dirs Displays the directory stack.
echo Writes character strings to the standard output of the shell.
else Runs the commands that follow the second else in an if
(Expression) then ...else if (Expression2) then ... else ... endif
command sequence.
Note: The else statement is the csh built-in command when using the
if(expr) then ..else ...endif. If the (expr) is true, then the commands
up to the else statement is executed. If the (expr) is false, then the
commands between the else and endif statement are executed.
Anything in single quotes is taken literally and not interpreted.

Item Description
end Successively sets the Name variable to each member specified by the
List variable and runs the sequence of Commands between the
foreach and the matching end statements. The foreach and end
statements must appear alone on separate lines.
Uses the continue statement to continue the loop and the break
statement to end the loop prematurely. When the foreach command
is read from the terminal, the C shell prompts with a ? to allow
Commands to be entered. Commands within loops, prompted for
by ?, are not placed in the history list.
endif If the Expression variable is true, runs the Commands that follow the
first then statement. If the else if Expression2 is true, runs the
Commands that follow the second then statement. If the else if
Expression2 is false, runs the Commands that follow the else. Any
number of else if pairs are possible. Only one endif statement is
needed. The else segment is optional. The words else and endif
can be used only at the beginning of input lines. The if segment must
appear alone on its input line or after an else command.
endsw Successively matches each case label against the value of the string
variable. The string is command and file name expanded first. Use the
pattern-matching characters *, ?, and [ . . . ] in the case labels,
which are variable-expanded. If none of the labels match before a
default label is found, the execution begins after the default label.
The case label and the default label must appear at the beginning of
the line. The breaksw command causes execution to continue after
the endsw command. Otherwise, control might fall through the case
and default labels, as in the C programming language. If no label
matches and there is no default, execution continues after the endsw
command.
eval Parameter . . . Reads the value of the Parameter variable as input to the shell and
runs the resulting command or commands in the context of the
current shell. Use this command to run commands generated as the
result of command or variable substitution because parsing occurs
before these substitutions.
exec Command Runs the specified Command in place of the current shell.
exit (Expression) Exits the shell with either the value of the status shell variable (if no
Expression is specified) or with the value of the specified Expression.
fg [%Job ...] Brings the current job or job specified by Job into the foreground,
continuing the job if it was stopped.
foreach Name (List) Successively sets a Name variable for each member specified by the
Command. . . List variable and a sequence of commands, until reaching an end
command.
glob List Displays List using history, variable, and file name expansion. Puts a
null character between words and does not include a carriage return
at the end.
goto Word Continues to run after the line specified by the Word variable. The
specified Word is file name and command expanded to yield a string
of the form specified by the Label: variable. The shell rewinds its input
as much as possible and searches for a line of the form Label:,
possibly preceded by blanks or tabs.

Item Description
hashstat Displays statistics indicating how successful the hash table has been
at locating commands.
history [-r | -h] [n] Displays the history event list. The oldest events are displayed first. If
you specify a number n, only the specified number of the most recent
events are displayed. The -r flag reverses the order in which the
events are displayed so the most recent is displayed first. The -h flag
displays the history list without leading numbers. Use this flag to
produce files suitable for use with the -h flag of the source
command.
if (Expression) Command Runs the specified Command (including its arguments) if the specified
Expression is true. Variable substitution on the Command variable
happens early, at the same time as the rest of the if statement. The
specified Command must be a simple command (rather than a
pipeline, command list, or parenthesized command list).
Note: Input and output redirection occurs even if the Expression
variable is false and the Command is not executed.
jobs [-l] Lists the active jobs. With the -l (lowercase L) flag, the jobs
command lists process IDs in addition to the job number and name.
kill -l | [[-Signal] % Job...| Sends either the TERM (terminate) signal or the signal specified by
PID...] Signal to the specified Job or PID (process). Specify signals either by
number or by name (as given in the /usr/include/sys/signal.h
file, stripped of the SIG prefix). The -l (lowercase L) flag lists the
signal names.

Item Description
limit [-h] [Resource [Max-Use]] Limits the usage of the specified resource by the current process and
each process it creates. Process resource limits are defined in
the /etc/security/limits file. Controllable resources are the
central processing unit (CPU) time, file size, data size, core dump size,
and memory use. Maximum allowable values for these resources are
set with the mkuser command when the user is added to the system.
They are changed with the chuser command.
Limits are categorized as either soft or hard. Users may increase their
soft limits up to the ceiling imposed by the hard limits. You must have
root user authority to increase a soft limit above the hard limit, or to
change hard limits. The -h flag displays hard limits instead of the soft
limits.
If a Max-Use parameter is not specified, the limit command
displays the current limit of the specified resource. If the Resource
parameter is not specified, the limit command displays the current
limits of all resources. For more information about the resources
controlled by the limit subcommand, see the getrlimit,
setrlimit, or vlimit subroutine in the Technical Reference: Base
Operating System and Extensions, Volume 1.
The Max-Use parameter for CPU time is specified in the hh:mm:ss
format. The Max-Use parameter for other resources is specified as a
floating-point number or an integer optionally followed by a scale
factor. The scale factor is k or kilobytes (1024 bytes), m or
megabytes, or b or blocks (the units used by the ulimit subroutine
as explained in the Technical Reference: Base Operating System and
Extensions, Volume 2). If you do not specify a scale factor, k is
assumed for all resources. For both resource names and scale
factors, unambiguous prefixes of the names suffice.
Note: This command limits the physical memory (memory use)
available for a process only if there is contention for system memory
by other active processes.
login Ends a login shell and replaces it with an instance of the /usr/bin/
login command. This is one way to log out (included for
compatibility with the ksh and bsh commands).
logout Ends a login shell. This command must be used if the ignoreeof
option is set.
nice [+n] [Command] If no values are specified, sets the priority of commands run in this
shell to 24. If the +n flag is specified, sets the priority plus the
specified number. If the +n flag and Command are specified, runs
Command at priority 24 plus the specified number. If you have root
user authority, you can run the nice statement with a negative
number. The Command always runs in a subshell, and the restrictions
placed on commands in simple if statements apply.

Item Description
nohup [Command] Causes hangups to be ignored for the remainder of the script when
no Command is specified. If Command is specified, causes the
specified Command to be run with hangups ignored. To run a pipeline
or list of commands, put the pipeline or list in a shell script, give the
script execute permission, and use the shell script as the value of the
Command variable. All processes run in the background with an
ampersand (&) are effectively protected from being sent a hangup
signal when you log out. However, these processes are still subject to
explicitly sent hangups unless the nohup statement is used.
notify [%Job...] Causes the shell to notify you asynchronously when the status of the
current job or specified Job changes. Normally, the shell provides
notification just before it presents the shell prompt. This feature is
automatic if the notify shell variable is set.
onintr [- | Label] Controls the action of the shell on interrupts. If no arguments are
specified, restores the default action of the shell on interrupts, which
ends shell scripts or returns to the command input level. If a - flag is
specified, causes all interrupts to be ignored. If Label is specified,
causes the shell to run a goto Label statement when the shell
receives an interrupt or when a child process ends due to an
interruption. In any case, if the shell is running detached and
interrupts are being ignored, all forms of the onintr statement have
no meaning. Interrupts continue to be ignored by the shell and all
invoked commands.
popd [+n] Pops the directory stack and changes to the new top directory. If you
specify a +n variable, the command discards the nth entry in the
stack. The elements of the directory stack are numbered from the
top, starting at 0.
pushd [+n|Name] With no arguments, exchanges the top two elements of the directory
stack. With the Name variable, the command changes to the new
directory and pushes the old current directory (as given in the cwd
shell variable) onto the directory stack. If you specify a +n variable,
the command rotates the nth component of the directory stack around
to be the top element and changes to it. The members of the
directory stack are numbered from the top, starting at 0.
rehash Causes recomputation of the internal hash table of the contents of
the directories in the path shell variable. This action is needed if new
commands are added to directories in the path shell variable while
you are logged in. The rehash command is necessary only if
commands are added to one of the user's own directories or if
someone changes the contents of one of the system directories.
repeat Count Command Runs the specified Command, subject to the same restrictions as
commands in simple if statements, the number of times specified by
Count.
Note: I/O redirections occur exactly once, even if the Count variable
equals 0.

Item Description
set [[Name[n]] [ = Word]] | Shows the value of all shell variables when used with no arguments.
[Name = (List)] Variables that have more than a single word as their value are
displayed as a parenthesized word list. If only Name is specified, the
C shell sets the Name variable to the null string. Otherwise, sets
Name to the value of the Word variable, or sets the Name variable to
the list of words specified by the List variable. When n is specified, the
nth component of the Name variable is set to the value of the Word
variable; the nth component must already exist. In all cases, the value
is command and file name expanded. These arguments may be
repeated to set multiple values in a single set command. However,
variable expansion happens for all arguments before any setting
occurs.
setenvName Value Sets the value of the environment variable specified by the Name
variable to Value, a single string. The most commonly used
environment variables, USER, TERM, HOME, and PATH, are
automatically imported to and exported from the C shell variables
user, term, home, and path. There is no need to use the setenv
statement for these.
shift [Variable] Shifts the members of the argv shell variable or the specified Variable
to the left. An error occurs if the argv shell variable or specified
Variable is not set or has less than one word as its value.
source[-h] Name Reads commands written in the Name file. You can nest the source
commands. However, if they are nested too deeply, the shell might
run out of file descriptors. An error in a source command at any level
ends all nested source commands. Normally, input during source
commands is not placed on the history list. The -h flag causes the
commands to be placed in the history list without executing them.
stop [%Job ...] Stops the current job or specified Job running in the background.
suspend Stops the shell as if a STOP signal had been received.
switch (string) Starts a switch (String) case String : ... breaksw default: ...
breaksw endsw command sequence. This command sequence
successively matches each case label against the value of the String
variable. If none of the labels match before a default label is found,
the execution begins after the default label.

Item Description
time [Command] The time command controls automatic timing of commands. If you
do not specify the Command variable, the time command displays a
summary of time used by this shell and its children. If you specify a
command with the Command variable, it is timed. The shell then
displays a time summary, as described under the time shell variable.
If necessary, an extra shell is created to display the time statistic
when the command completes.
The following example uses time with the sleep command:
time sleep
The output from this command looks similar to the following:
0.0u 0.0s 0:00 100% 44+4k 0+0io 0pf+0w
The output fields are as follows:

First
Number of seconds of CPU time devoted to the user process
Second
Number of seconds of CPU time consumed by the kernel on
behalf of the user process
Third
Elapsed (wall clock) time for the command
Fourth
Total user CPU Time plus system time, as a percentage of elapsed
time
Fifth
Average amount of shared memory used, plus average amount of
unshared data space used, in kilobytes
Sixth
Number of block input and output operations
Seventh
Page faults plus number of swaps
umask [Value] Determines file permissions. This Value, along with the permissions of
the creating process, determines a file's permissions when the file is
created. The default is 022. The current setting will be displayed if no
Value is specified.
unalias *|Pattern Discards all aliases with names that match the Pattern variable. All
aliases are removed by the unalias * command. The absence of
aliases does not cause an error.
unhash Disables the use of the internal hash table to locate running
programs.
unlimit [-h][Resource] Removes the limitation on the Resource variable. If no Resource
variable is specified, all resource limitations are removed. See the
description of the limit command for the list of Resource names.
The -h flag removes corresponding hard limits. Only a user with root
user authority can change hard limits.

Item Description
unset *|Pattern Removes all variables with names that match the Pattern variable.
Use unset * to remove all variables. If no variables are set, it does
not cause an error.
unsetenvPattern Removes all variables from the environment whose name matches
the specified Pattern. (See the setenv built-in command.)
wait Waits for all background jobs. If the shell is interactive, an
INTERRUPT (usually the Ctrl-C key sequence) disrupts the wait. The
shell then displays the names and job numbers of all jobs known to
be outstanding.
while (Expression) Evaluates the Commands between the while and the matching end
Command. . . end statements while the expression specified by the Expression variable
evaluates nonzero. You can use the break statement to end and the
continue statement to continue the loop prematurely. The while
and end statements must appear alone on their input lines. If the
input is from a terminal, prompts occur after the while (Expression)
similar to the foreach statement.
@ [Name[n] = Expression] Displays the values of all the shell variables when used with no
arguments. Otherwise, sets the name specified by the Name variable
to the value of the Expression variable. If the expression contains <, >,
&, or | characters, this part of the expression must be placed within
parentheses. When n is specified, the nth component of the Name
variable is set to the Expression variable. Both the Name variable and
its nth component must already exist.
C language operators, such as *= and +=, are available. The space
separating the Name variable from the assignment operator is
optional. Spaces are, however, required in separating components of
the Expression variable, which would otherwise be read as a single
word. Special suffix operators, double plus sign (++) and double
hyphen (--) increase and decrease, respectively, the value of the
Name variable.
C shell expressions and operators

The @ built-in command and the exit, if, and while statements accept expressions that include operators
similar to those of C language, with the same precedence.
The following operators are available:
Operator What it means

() change precedence
~ complement
! negation
*/ % multiply, divide, modulo
+ - add, subtract
<< > > left shift, right shift
<= >= < > relational operators
== != =~ !~ string comparison/pattern matching
& bitwise AND
^ bitwise exclusive OR

Operator What it means
| bitwise inclusive OR
&& logical AND
|| logical OR
In the previous list, precedence of the operators decreases down the list (left to right, top to bottom).
Note: The operators + and - are right-associative. For example, evaluation of a + b - c is performed as
follows:
a + (b - c)
and not as follows:
(a + b) - c
The ==, !=, =~, and !~ operators compare their arguments as strings; all others operate on numbers.
The =~ and !~ operators are similar to == and != , except that the rightmost side is a pattern against
which the leftmost operand is matched. This reduces the need for use of the switch statement in shell
procedures.
The logical operators or (||) and and (&&) are also available. They can be used to check for a range of
numbers, as in the following example:
if ($#argv > 2 && $#argv < 7) then
In the preceding example, the number of arguments must be greater than 2 and less than 7.
Strings beginning with zero (0) are considered octal numbers. Null or missing arguments are considered
0. All expressions result in strings representing decimal numbers. Note that two components of an
expression can appear in the same word. Except when next to components of expressions that are
syntactically significant to the parser (& | < > ( )), expression components should be surrounded by
spaces.
Also available in expressions as primitive operands are command executions enclosed in parentheses
( ) and file inquiries of the form (-operator Filename), where operator is one of the following:
Ite Description
m
r Read access
w Write access
x Execute access
e Existence
o Ownership
z Zero size
f Plain file
d Directory
The specified Filename is command and file name expanded and then tested to see if it has the specified
relationship to the real user. If Filename does not exist or is inaccessible, all inquiries return false(0). If
the command runs successfully, the inquiry returns a value of true(1). Otherwise, if the command fails,
the inquiry returns a value of false(0). If more detailed status information is required, run the
command outside an expression and then examine the status shell variable.

Command substitution in the C shell
In command substitution, the shell executes a specified command and replaces that command with its
output.
To perform command substitution in the C shell, enclose the command or command string in backquotes
(` `). The shell normally breaks the output from the command into separate words at blanks, tabs, and
newline characters. It then replaces the original command with this output.
In the following example, the backquotes (` `) around the date command indicate that the output of the
command will be substituted:
echo The current date and time is: `date`
The output from this command might look like the following:
The current date and time is: Wed Apr 8 13:52:14 CDT 1992
The C shell performs command substitution selectively on the arguments of built-in shell commands. This
means that it does not expand those parts of expressions that are not evaluated. For commands that are
not built-in, the shell substitutes the command name separately from the argument list. The substitution
occurs in a child of the main shell, but only after the shell performs input or output redirection.
If a command string is surrounded by " ", the shell treats only newline characters as word separators,
thus preserving blanks and tabs within the word. In all cases, the single final newline character does not
force a new word.
Related concepts
Variable substitution in the C shell
The C shell maintains a set of variables, each of which has as its value a list of zero or more words. Some
of these variables are set by the shell or referred to by it. For example, the argv variable is an image of the
shell variable list, and words that comprise the value of this variable are referred to in special ways.
Nonbuilt-in C shell command execution

When the C shell determines that a command is not a built-in shell command, it attempts to run the
command with the execv subroutine.
Each word in the path shell variable names a directory from which the shell attempts to run the
command. If given neither the -c nor -t flag, the shell hashes the names in these directories into an
internal table. The shell tries to call the execv subroutine on a directory only if there is a possibility that
the command resides there. If you turn off this mechanism with the unhash command or give the shell
the -c or -t flag, the shell concatenates with the given command name to form a path name of a file. The
shell also does this in any case for each directory component of the path variable that does not begin with
a slash (/). The shell then attempts to run the command.
Parenthesized commands always run in a subshell. For example:
(cd ; pwd) ; pwd
displays the home directory without changing the current directory location. However, the command:
cd ; pwd
changes the current directory location to the home directory. Parenthesized commands are most often
used to prevent the chdir command from affecting the current shell.
If the file has execute permission, but is not an executable binary to the system, then the shell assumes it
is a file containing shell commands and runs a new shell to read it.
If there is an alias for the shell, then the words of the alias are prefixed to the argument list to form the
shell command. The first word of the alias should be the full path name of the shell.

History substitution in the C shell
History substitution lets you modify individual words from previous commands to create new commands.
History substitution makes it easy to repeat commands, repeat the arguments of a previous command in
the current command, or fix spelling mistakes in the previous command with little typing.
History substitutions begin with the exclamation mark (!) character and can appear anywhere on the
command line, provided they do not nest (in other words, a history substitution cannot contain another
history substitution). You can precede the ! with a \ to cancel the exclamation point's special meaning. In
addition, if you place the ! before a blank, tab, newline character, =, or (, history substitution does not
occur.
History substitutions also occur when you begin an input line with a carat (^). The shell echoes any input
line containing history substitutions at the workstation before it executes that line.
Related concepts
Alias substitution in the C shell
An alias is a name assigned to a command or command string. The C shell allows you to assign aliases
and use them as you would commands. The shell maintains a list of the aliases that you define.
History lists for the C shell

The history list saves commands that the shell reads from the command line that consist of one or more
words. History substitution reintroduces sequences of words from these saved commands into the input
stream.
The history shell variable controls the size of the history list. You must set the history shell variable either
in the .cshrc file or on the command line with the built-in set command. The previous command is
always retained regardless of the value of the history variable. Commands in the history list are numbered
sequentially, beginning with 1. The built-in history command produces output similar to the following:
9 write michael
10 ed write.c
11 cat oldwrite.c
12 diff *write.c
The shell displays the command strings with their event numbers. The event number appears to the left
of the command and represent when the command was entered in relation to the other commands in the
history. It is not usually necessary to use event numbers to refer to events, but you can have the current
event number displayed as part of your system prompt by placing an exclamation mark (!) in the prompt
string assigned to the PROMPT environment variable.
A full history reference contains an event specification, a word designator, and one or more modifiers in
the following general format:
Event[.]Word:Modifier[:Modifier] . . .
Note: Only one word can be modified. A string that contains blanks is not allowed.
In the previous sample of history command output, the current event number is 13. Using this
example, the following refer to previous events:
Item Description
!10 Event number 10.
!-2 Event number 11 (the current event minus 2).
!d Command word beginning with d (event number 12).
!?mic? Command word containing the string mic (event number 9).
These forms, without further modification, simply reintroduce the words of the specified events, each
separated by a single blank. As a special case, !! refers to the previous command; the command !!
alone on an input line reruns the previous command.

Event specification for the C shell
To select words from an event, follow the event specification with a colon (:) and one of the following
word designators (the words of an input line are numbered sequentially starting from 0)
Ite Description
m
0 First word (the command name)
n nth argument
^ First argument
$ Last argument
% Word matched by an immediately preceding ?string? search
x-y Range of words from the xth word to the yth word
-y Range of words from the first word (0) to the yth word
* First through the last argument, or nothing if there is only one word (the command name) in the
event
x* xth argument through the last argument
x- Same as x* but omitting the last argument
If the word designator begins with a ^, $, *, -, or %, you can omit the colon that separates the event
specification from the word designator. You can also place a sequence of the following modifiers after the
optional word designator, each preceded by a colon:
Item Description
h Removes a trailing path name extension, leaving the head.
r Removes a trailing .xxx component, leaving the root name.
e Removes all but the .xxx trailing extension.
s/OldWord/NewWord/ Substitutes the value of the NewWord variable for the value of the
OldWord variable.
The left side of a substitution is not a pattern in the sense of a string recognized by an editor; rather, it is a
word, a single unit without blanks. Normally, a slash (/) delimits the original word (OldWord) and its
replacement (NewWord). However, you can use any character as the delimiter. In the following example,
using the % as a delimiter allows a / to be included in the words:
s%/home/myfile%/home/yourfile%
The shell replaces an ampersand (&) with the OldWord text in the NewWord variable. In the following
example, /home/myfile becomes /temp/home/myfile.
s%/home/myfile%/temp&%
The shell replaces a null word in a substitution with either the last substitution or with the last string used
in the contextual scan !?String?. You can omit the trailing delimiter (/) if a newline character follows
immediately. Use the following modifiers to delimit the history list:
Item Description
t Removes all leading path name components, leaving the tail
& Repeats the previous substitution
g Applies the change globally; that is, all occurrences for each line
p Displays the new command, but does not run it

Item Description
q Quotes the substituted words, thus preventing further substitutions
x Acts like the q modifier, but breaks into words at blanks, tabs, and newline characters
When using the preceding modifiers, the change applies only to the first modifiable word unless the g
modifier precedes the selected modifier.
If you give a history reference without an event specification (for example, !$), the shell uses the previous
command as the event. If a previous history reference occurs on the same line, the shell repeats the
previous reference. Thus, the following sequence gives the first and last arguments of the command that
matches ?foo?.
!?foo?^ !$
A special abbreviation of a history reference occurs when the first nonblank character of an input line is a
carat (^). This is equivalent to !:s^, thus providing a convenient shorthand for substitutions on the text of
the previous line. The command ^ lb^ lib corrects the spelling of lib in the command.
If necessary, you can enclose a history substitution in braces { } to insulate it from the characters that
follow. For example, if you want to use a reference to the command:
ls -ld ~paul
to perform the command:
ls -ld ~paula
use the following construction:
!{l}a
In this example, !{l}a looks for a command starting with l and appends a to the end.
Quotation with single and double quotes

To prevent further interpretation of all or some of the substitutions, enclose strings in single and double
quotation marks.
Enclosing strings in ' ' prevents further interpretation, while enclosing strings in " " allows further
expansion. In both cases, the text that results becomes all or part of a single word.
Input and output redirection in the C shell

Before the C shell executes a command, it scans the command line for redirection characters. These
You can redirect the standard input and output of a command with the following syntax statements:
Item Description
< File Opens the specified File (which is first variable, command, and file name expanded)
as the standard input.
<<Word Reads the shell input up to the line that matches the value of the Word variable.
The Word variable is not subjected to variable, file name, or command substitution.
Each input line is compared to the Word variable before any substitutions are done
on the line. Unless a quoting character (\, ", ' or `) appears in the Word variable,
the shell performs variable and command substitution on the intervening lines,
allowing the \ character to quote the $, \, and ` characters. Commands that are
substituted have all blanks, tabs, and newline characters preserved, except for the
final newline character, which is dropped. The resultant text is placed in an
anonymous temporary file, which is given to the command as standard input.

Item Description
> File Uses the specified File as standard output. If File does not exist, it is created. If File
exists, it is truncated, and its previous contents are lost. If the noclobber shell
>!File
variable is set, File must not exist or be a character special file, or an error results.
>& File This helps prevent accidental destruction of files. In this case, use the forms
including a ! to suppress this check. File is expanded in the same way as < input
>&! File
file names. The form >& redirects both standard output and standard error to the
specified File. The following example shows how to separately redirect standard
output to /dev/tty and standard error to /dev/null. The parentheses are
required to allow standard output and standard error to be separate.
% (find / -name vi -print > /dev/tty) >& /dev/null
> >File Uses the specified File as standard output like >, but appends output to the end of
File. If the noclobber shell variable is set, an error results if File does not exist,
> >!File
unless one of the forms including a ! is given. Otherwise, it is similar to >.
> >& File
> >&! File
A command receives the environment in which the shell was invoked, as changed by the input/output
parameters and the presence of the command as a pipeline. Thus, unlike some previous shells,
commands that run from a shell script do not have access to the text of the commands by default.
Instead, they receive the original standard input of the shell. Use the << mechanism to present inline
data, which allows shell command files to function as components of pipelines and also lets the shell
block read its input. Note that the default standard input for a command run detached is not changed to
the empty /dev/null file. Instead, the standard input remains the original standard input of the shell.
To redirect the standard error through a pipe with the standard output, use the form |& rather than only
the |.
Flow control in the C shell

The shell contains commands that can be used to regulate the flow of control in command files (shell
scripts) and (in limited but useful ways) from shell command-line input. These commands all operate by
forcing the shell to repeat, or skip, in its input.
The foreach, switch, and while statements, and the if-then-else form of the if statement, require that
the major keywords appear in a single simple command on an input line.
If the shell input is not searchable, the shell buffers input whenever a loop is being read and searches the
internal buffer to do the re-reading implied by the loop. To the extent that this is allowed, backward gotos
succeed on inputs that you cannot search.
Operating system security

The goal of computer security is the protection of information stored on the computer system.
Information security is aimed at the following:
Item Description
Integrity The value of all information depends upon its accuracy. If unauthorized changes are
made to data, this data loses some or all of its value.
Privacy The value of much information depends upon its secrecy.
Availability Information must be readily available.
It is helpful to plan and implement your security policies before you begin using the system. Security
policies are very time-consuming to change later, so up-front planning can save a lot of time later.

Identification and authentication
Identification and authentication establish your identity.
You are required to log in to the system. You supply your user name and a password if the account has
one (in a secure system, all accounts should either have passwords or be invalidated). If the password is
correct, you are logged in to that account; you acquire the access rights and privileges of the account.
Because the password is the only protection for your account, select and guard your password carefully.
Many attempts to break into a system start with attempts to guess passwords. The operating system
provides significant password protection by storing user passwords separately from other user
information. The encrypted passwords and other security-relevant data for users are stored in the /etc/
security/passwd file. This file should be accessible only by the root user. With this restricted access to
the encrypted passwords, an attacker cannot decipher the password with a program that simply cycles
through all possible or likely passwords.
It is still possible to guess passwords by repeatedly attempting to log in to an account. If the password is
trivial or is infrequently changed, such attempts might easily succeed.
Login user IDs

The operating system can identify users by their login user ID.
The login user ID allows the system to trace all user actions to their source. After a user logs in to the
system and before the initial user program is run, the system sets the login ID of the process to the user
ID found in the user database. All subsequent processes during the login session are tagged with this ID.
These tags provide a trail of all activities performed by the login user ID.
You can reset the effective user ID, real user ID, effective group ID, real group ID, and supplementary group
ID during the session, but you cannot change the login user ID.
You can force a terminal to log out after a period of inactivity by setting the TMOUT and TIMEOUT
parameters in the /etc/profile file. The TMOUT parameter works in the ksh (Korn) shell, and the
TIMEOUT parameter works in the bsh (Bourne) shell.
The following example, taken from a .profile file, forces the terminal to log out after an hour of
inactivity:
TO=3600
echo "Setting Autologout to $TO"
TIMEOUT=$TO
TMOUT=$TO
export TIMEOUT TMOUT
Note: You can override the TMOUT and TIMEOUT values in the /etc/profile file by specifying different
values in the .profile file in your home directory.
Related concepts
Variable substitution in the Bourne shell
The Bourne shell permits you to perform variable substitutions.
Related reference
Parameter substitution in the Korn shell or POSIX shell
The Korn shell, or POSIX shell, lets you perform parameter substitutions.
File ownership and user groups

Initially, a file's owner is identified by the user ID of the person who created the file.
The owner of a file determines who may read, write (modify), or execute the file. Ownership can be
changed with the chown command.

Every user ID is assigned to a group with a unique group ID. The system manager creates the groups of
users when setting up the system. When a new file is created, the operating system assigns permissions
to the user ID that created it, to the group ID containing the file owner, and to a group called others,
consisting of all other users. The id command shows your user ID (UID), group ID (GID), and the names
of all groups you belong to.
In file listings (such as the listings shown by the ls command), the groups of users are always
represented in the following order: user, group, and others. If you need to find out your group name, the
groups command shows all the groups for a user ID.
Changing file or directory ownership

Use the chown command to change the owner of your files.
When you specify the -R option, the chown command recursively descends through the directory
structure from the specified directory. When symbolic links are encountered, the ownership of the file or
directory pointed to by the link is changed; the ownership of the symbolic link is not changed.
Note: Only the root user can change the owner of another file. Errors are not displayed when the -f option
is specified.
For example, to change the owner of the program.c file, type the following:
chown jim program.c
The user-access permissions for the program.c file now apply to jim. As the owner, jim can use the
chmod command to permit or deny other users access to the program.c file.
See the chown command for the complete syntax.
File and directory access modes

Every file has an owner. For new files, the user who creates the file is the owner of that file. The owner
assigns an access mode to the file. Access modes grant other system users permission to read, modify, or
execute the file. Only the file's owner or users with root authority can change the access mode of a file.
There are the three classes of users: user/owner, group, and all others. Access is granted to these user
classes in some combination of three modes: read, write, or execute. When a new file is created, the
default permissions are read, write, and execute permission for the user who created the file. The other
two groups have read and execute permission. The following table illustrates the default file-access
modes for the three classes of user groups:
Item Description
Classes Read Write Execute
Owner Yes Yes Yes
Group Yes No Yes
Others Yes No Yes
The system determines who has permission and the level of permission they have for each of these
activities. Access modes are represented both symbolically and numerically in the operating system.
Related concepts
Types of files

The types of files recognized by the system are either regular, directory, or special. However, the
operating system uses many variations of these basic types.
Symbolic representation of access modes

Access modes are represented symbolically.
Ite Description
m
r Indicates read permission, which allows users to view the contents of a file.
w Indicates write permission, which allows users to modify the contents of a file.
x Indicates execute permission. For executable files (ordinary files that contain programs), execute
permission means that the program can be run. For directories, execute permission means the
contents of the directory can be searched.
The access modes for files or directories are represented by nine characters. The first three characters
represent the current Owner permissions, the second sent of three characters represents the current
Group permissions, and the third set of three characters represents the current settings for the Other
permissions. A hyphen (-) in the nine-character set indicates that no permission is given. For example, a
file with the access modes set to rwxr-xr-x gives read and execute permission to all three groups and
write permission only to the owner of the file. This is the symbolic representation of the default setting.
The ls command, when used with the -l (lower case L) flag, gives a detailed listing of the current
directory. The first 10 characters in the ls -l listing show the file type and permissions for each of the
three groups. The ls -l command also lists the owner and group associated with each file and directory.
The first character indicates the type of file. The remaining nine characters contain the file permission
information for each of the three classes of users. The following symbols are used to represent the type of
file:
Ite Description
m
- Regular files
d Directory
b Block special files
c Character special files
p Pipe special files
l Symbolic links
s Sockets
For example, this is a sample ls -l listing:
-rwxrwxr-x 2 janet acct 512 Mar 01 13:33 january
Here, the first hyphen (-) indicates a regular file. The next nine characters (rwxrwxr-x represent the
User, Group, and Other access modes, as discussed above. janet is the file owner, and acct is the name
of Janet's group. 512 is the file size in bytes, Mar 01 13:33 is the last date and time of modification, and
january is the file name. The 2 indicates how many links exist to the file.
Numeric representation of access modes

Numerically, read access is represented by a value of 4, write permission is represented by a value of 2,
and execute permission is represented by a value of 1. The total value between 1 and 7 represents the
access mode for each group (user, group, and other).
The following table illustrates the numeric values for each level of access:

Total Value Read Write Execute
0 - - -
1 - - 1
2 - 2 -
3 - 2 1
4 4 - -
5 4 - 1
6 4 2 -
7 4 2 1
When a file is created, the default file access mode is 755. This means the user has read, write, and
execute permissions (4+2+1=7), the group has read and execute permission (4+1=5), and all others
have read and execute permission (4+1=5). To change access permission modes for files you own, run
the chmod (change mode) command.
Displaying group information

Use the lsgroup command to display the attributes of all the groups on the system (or of specified
groups). If one or more attributes cannot be read, the lsgroup command lists as much information as
possible.
The attribute information displays as Attribute=Value definitions, each separated by a blank space.
1. To list all of the groups on the system, type the following:
lsgroup ALL
The system displays each group, group ID, and all of the users in the group in a list similar to the
following:
system 0 arne,pubs,ctw,geo,root,chucka,noer,su,dea,backup,build,janice,denise
staff 1 john,ryan,flynn,daveb,jzitt,glover,maple,ken,gordon,mbrady
bin 2 root,bin
sys 3 root,su,bin,sys
2. To display specific attributes for all groups, do either of the following:

• You can list attributes in the form Attribute=Value separated by a blank space. This is the default
style. For example, to list the ID and users for all of the groups on the system, type the following:
lsgroup -a id users ALL | pg
A list similar to the following is displayed:
system id=0 users=arne,pubs,ctw,geo,root,chucka,noer,su,dea,backup,build

staff id=1 users=john,ryan,flynn,daveb,jzitt,glover,maple,ken
• You can also list the information in stanza format. For example, to list the ID and users for all of the
groups on the system in stanza format, type the following:
lsgroup -a -f id users ALL | pg
system:
id=0
users=pubs,ctw,geo,root,chucka,noer,su,dea,backup,build
staff:
id=1
users=john,ryan,flynn,daveb,jzitt,glover,maple,ken

bin:
id=2
users=root,bin
sys:
id=3
users=root,su,bin,sys
3. To display all attributes for a specific group, you can use one of two styles for listing specific attributes
for all groups:
• You can list each attribute in the form Attribute=Value separated by a blank space. This is the
default style. For example, to list all attributes for the group system, type the following:
lsgroup system
system id=0 users=arne,pubs,ctw,geo,root,chucka,noer,su,dea,backup,build,janice,denise
• You can also list the information in stanza format. For example, to list all attributes for the group bin
in stanza format, type the following:
lsgroup -f system
system:
id=0 users=arne,pubs,ctw,geo,root,chucka,noer,su,dea,backup,build,janice,denise
4. To list specific attributes for a specific group, type the following:
lsgroup -a Attributes Group
For example, to list the ID and users for group bin, type the following:
lsgroup -a id users bin
bin id=2 users=root,bin
See the lsgroup command for the complete syntax.
Changing file or directory permissions

Use the chmod command to change the permissions of your files.
1. To add a type of permission to the chap1 and chap2 files, type the following:
chmod g+w chap1 chap2
This adds write permission for group members to the files chap1 and chap2.
2. To make several permission changes at once to the mydir directory, type the following:
chmod go-w+x mydir
This denies (-) group members (g) and others (o) the permission to create or delete files (w) in the
mydir directory and allows (+) group members and others to search the mydir directory or use (x) it
in a path name. This is equivalent to the following command sequence:
chmod g-w mydir

chmod o-w mydir
chmod g+x mydir
chmod o+x mydir
3. To permit only the owner to use a shell procedure named cmd as a command, type the following:

chmod u=rwx,go= cmd
This gives read, write, and execute permission to the user who owns the file (u=rwx). It also denies the
group and others the permission to access cmd in any way (go=).
4. To use the numeric mode form of the chmod command to change the permissions of the text, file
type the following:
chmod 644 text
This sets read and write permission for the owner, and it sets read-only mode for the group and others.
See the chmod command for the complete syntax.
Access control lists

Access control consists of protected information resources that specify who can be granted access to
such resources.
The operating system allows for need-to-know or discretionary security. The owner of an information
resource can grant other users read or write access rights for that resource. A user who is granted access
rights to a resource can transfer those rights to other users. This security allows for user-controlled
information flow in the system; the owner of an information resource defines the access permissions to
the object.
Users have user-based access only to the objects that they own. Typically, users receive either the group
permissions or the default permissions for a resource. The major task in administering access control is to
define the group memberships of users, because these memberships determine the users' access rights
to the files that they do not own.
Access control lists for file system objects

File system objects are typically associated with an Access Control List (ACL), which normally consists of
series of Access Control Entries (ACEs). Each ACE defines the identity and its related access rights.
To maintain access control lists, use the aclget, acledit, aclput and aclconvert commands.
Note that ACL is typically stored and managed on the media by the physical file system (PFS). The AIX
operating system provides an infrastructure for physical file systems to support and manage multiple ACL
types. The JFS2 file system shipped with AIX supports two ACL types:
• AIXC
• NFS4
Earlier file systems supported only the AIXC ACL type as in the previous AIX releases. These ACL types
are discussed in detail in the Security.
AIXC access control list type

The AIXC (AIX Classic) ACL type provides for the ACL behavior as defined on previous releases of AIX.
This ACL type consists of the regular base mode bits and extended permissions (ACEs).
With extended permissions, you can permit or deny file access to specific individuals or groups without
changing the base permissions.
Note: The AIXC ACL for a file cannot exceed one memory page (approximately 4096 bytes) in size.
The chmod command in numeric mode (with octal notations) can set base permissions and attributes.
The chmod subroutine, which the command calls, disables extended permissions. Extended permissions
are disabled if you use the numeric mode of the chmod command on a file that has an ACL. The symbolic
mode of the chmod command does not disable extended permissions when the ACL associated is of type
AIXC. For more information on numeric and symbolic mode, refer to the chmod command. For information
about the chmod command, see chmod.
Base permissions
AIXC ACL specific base permissions are the traditional file-access modes assigned to the file owner,
file group, and other users. The access modes are read (r), write (w), and execute/search (x).

Note: AIXC ACL type Base Permissions will be same as the file mode bits stored in the file system
object's inode headers. That is, the information in base mode bits is same as the value returned by file
system when stat is performed on the file system object.
In an access control list, base permissions are in the following format, with the Mode parameter
expressed as rwx (with a hyphen (-) replacing each unspecified permission):
base permissions:
owner(name): Mode
group(group): Mode
others: Mode
Attributes
Three attributes can be added to an access control list:
setuid (SUID)
Set-user-ID mode bit. This attribute sets the effective and saved user IDs of the process to the
owner ID of the file on execution.
setgid (SGID)
Set-group-ID mode bit. This attribute sets the effective and saved group IDs of the process to the
group ID of the file on execution.
savetext (SVTX)
Saves the text in a text file format.
The above attributes are added in the following format:
attributes: SUID, SGID, SVTX
Extended permissions
AIXC ACL extended permissions allow the owner of a file to more precisely define access to that file.
Extended permissions modify the base file permissions (owner, group, others) by permitting, denying,
or specifying access modes for specific individuals, groups, or user and group combinations.
Permissions are modified through the use of keywords.
The permit, deny, and specify keywords are defined as follows:
permit
Grants the user or group the specified access to the file
deny
Restricts the user or group from using the specified access to the file
specify
Precisely defines the file access for the user or group
If a user is denied a particular access by either a deny or a specify keyword, no other entry can
override that access denial.
The enabled keyword must be specified in the ACL for the extended permissions to take effect. The
default value is the disabled keyword.
In an AIXC ACL, extended permissions are in the following format:
extended permissions:
enabled | disabled
permit Mode UserInfo...:
deny Mode UserInfo...:
specify Mode UserInfo...:
Use a separate line for each permit, deny, or specify entry. The Mode parameter is expressed as rwx
(with a hyphen (-) replacing each unspecified permission). The UserInfo parameter is expressed as
u:UserName, or g:GroupName, or a comma-separated combination of u:UserName and
g:GroupName.

Note: If more than one user name is specified in an entry, that entry cannot be used in an access
control decision because a process has only one user ID.
NFS4 access control list type

JFS2 file system in AIX also supports NFS4 ACL type. This ACL implementation follows the ACL definition
as specified in NFS4 version 4 protocol related RFC.
This ACL provides much finer granular control over the access rights and also provides for features such
as inheritance. NFS4 ACL consists of an array of ACEs. Each ACE defines access rights for an identity. As
defined in the RFC, the main components of NFS4 ACE are as follows:
struct nfsace4 {
acetype4 type;
aceflag4 flag;
acemask4 access_mask;
utf8str_mixed who;
};
Where:
type
Bit mask that defines the type of the ACE. Details such as whether this ACE allows access or denies
access are defined here.
flag
Bit mask that describes the inheritance aspects of the ACE. Defines whether this ACE is applicable to
the file system object, or its children, or both.
access_mask
Bit mask that defines various access rights possible. Rights defined include, read, write, execute,
create, delete, create child, delete child, etc.
who
This null-terminated string defines the identity of the person to which this ACE will apply. Note that
per RFC, the size of this string is unlimited, and a loose definition allows for defining domains within
NFS version 4 networks to manage access control. Natively (most of the time) AIX does not interpret
this string, and each ACE is associated with an AIX-understood identity (such as uid or gid). It is
expected that the NFS version 4 file system will interpret these strings as necessary to convert them
to OS-understood user or group IDs. AIX only understands some of the special who strings defined in
the RFC.
In AIX, use the aclget, acledit, aclput and aclconvert commands to manage NFS4 ACLs.
Note: Any type of chmod command will erase the file's ACL.
Access control list example for AIXC

The following is an example of an AIXC access control list (ACL).
The following is an example of an AIXC ACL:
attributes: SUID
base permissions:
owner(frank): rw-
group(system): r-x
others: ---
enabled
permit rw- u:dhs
deny r-- u:chas, g:system
specify r-- u:john, g:gateway, g:mail
permit rw- g:account, g:finance
The parts of the ACL and their meanings are as follows:

• The first line indicates that the setuid bit is turned on.
• The next line, which introduces the base permissions, is optional.

• The next three lines specify the base permissions. The owner and group names in parentheses are for
information only. Changing these names does not alter the file owner or file group. Only the chown
command and the chgrp command can change these file attributes. For more information about these
commands, see chown and chgrp.
• The next line, which introduces the extended permissions, is optional.
• The next line indicates that the extended permissions that follow are enabled.
• The last four lines are the extended entries.
• The first extended entry grants user dhs read (r) and write (w) permission on the file.
• The second extended entry denies read (r) access to user chas only when he is a member of the
system group.
• The third extended entry specifies that as long as user john is a member of both the gateway group and
the mail group, this user has read (r) access. If user john is not a member of both groups, this
extended permission does not apply.
• The last extended entry grants any user in both the account group and the finance group read (r)
and write (w) permission.
Note: More than one extended entry can be applied to a process, with restrictive modes taking
precedence over permissive modes.
For more information and a complete syntax, see the acledit command in the Commands Reference,
Volume 1.
Access control list access authorization

The owner of the information resource is responsible for managing access rights. Resources are protected
by permission bits, which are included in the mode of the object.
For AIXC ACL, the permission bits define the access permissions granted to the owner of the object, the
group of the object, and for the others default class. AIXC ACL type supports three different modes of
access (read, write, and execute) that can be granted separately.
When a user logs in to an account (using the login or su command), the user IDs and group IDs assigned
to that account are associated with the user's processes. These IDs determine the access rights of the
process.
For files, directories, named pipes, and devices (special files) with an associated AIX ACL, access is
authorized as follows:
• For each access control entry (ACE) in the access control list (ACL), the identifier list is compared to the
identifiers of the process. If there is a match, the process receives the permissions and restrictions
defined for that entry. The logical unions for both permissions and restrictions are computed for each
matching entry in the ACL. If the requesting process does not match any of the entries in the ACL, it
receives the permissions and restrictions of the default entry.
• If the requested access mode is permitted (included in the union of the permissions) and is not
restricted (included in the union of the restrictions), access is granted. Otherwise, access is denied.
Further, for an AIXC ACL type, the identifier list of an ACL matches a process if all identifiers in the list
match the corresponding type of effective identifier for the requesting process. A USER-type identifier
matched is equal to the effective user ID of the process, and a GROUP-type identifier matches if it is equal
to the effective group ID of the process or to one of the supplementary group IDs. For instance, an ACE
with an identifier list such as the following:
USER:fred, GROUP:philosophers, GROUP:software_programmer
would match a process with an effective user ID of fred and a group set of:
philosophers, philanthropists, software_programmer, doc_design

but would not match for a process with an effective user ID of fred and a group set of:
philosophers, iconoclasts, hardware_developer, graphic_design
Note that an ACE with an identifier list of the following would match for both processes:
USER:fred, GROUP:philosophers
In other words, the identifier list in the ACE functions is a set of conditions that must hold for the specified
access to be granted.
The discretionary access control mechanism allows for effective access control of information resources
and provides for separate protection of the confidentiality and integrity of the information. Owner-
controlled access control mechanisms are only as effective as users make them. All users must
understand how access permissions are granted and denied, and how these are set.
Note that file system objects with an associated NFS4 ACL type, access checks are based on various ACEs
that form the ACL as per the rules setup in the NFS version 4 protocol-related RFC. Identity matching is
done based on the user ID or group ID or special who strings defined in the ACE against the process's
credentials. If a match occurs, the access rights requested are checked against the access rights defined
in the ACE. If any of the access rights are allowed, those will be taken out, and the compare operation
continues on to the next ACE. This process is continued until either the ACL end is reached, or all the
access rights are met, or if any of the access rights requested are denied. The following steps capture the
access checking in the case of a file system object with an associated NFS4 ACL:
1. For each access control entry (ACE) in the access control list (ACL), the identifier list is compared to
the identifiers of the process. Identity checks include the user ID or group ID defined in the ACE. Also,
if the identity is defined as special with strings such as OWNER@, a match will occur if the calling
process is by the owner of the file. If there is a match, the process receives the access rights defined
for that entry. Else, continue to the next ACE.
2. Requested access rights are compared with the access rights retrieved from ACE entry. If any of the
access rights requested are explicitly denied by the ACE, then the access checking process is ended,
and the requesting process will be denied access.
3. If some of the requested access rights are met by the ACE, then those access rights will be taken out
from the requests access rights list, and the compare operation continues to the next ACE.
4. If all of the requested access rights are met by the ACEs, then the requested access is allowed.
5. If ACL end is reached before all of the requested access rights are resolved, then the access is denied.
Note that apart from the ACL type-based access checks, individual physical file systems might also
choose to provide for privilege-based access to the file system objects. For example, an owner might
always at least have the permission to modify the ACL, irrespective of the existing ACL access rights. A
process with a user ID of 0 is known as a root user process. These processes are generally allowed all
access permissions. However, if a root user process requests execute permission for a program, access is
granted only if execute permission is granted to at least one user.
All access permission checks for these objects are made at the system call level when the object is first
accessed. Because System V Interprocess Communication (SVIPC) objects are accessed statelessly,
checks are made for every access. However, it is possible that checks are made by the physical file
systems at open time of the file system object and not at the time of read or write operation. For objects
with file system names, it is necessary to be able to resolve the name of the actual object. Names are
resolved either relatively (to the process' working directory) or absolutely (to the process' root directory).
All name resolution begins by searching one of these.
Command for displaying access control information (aclget command)

The aclget command displays the access control information of a file. The information that you view
includes attributes, base permissions, and extended permissions.
For example, to display the access control information for the status file, type the following:
aclget status

The access control information that displays includes a list of attributes, base permissions, and extended
permissions.
See the aclget command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Related concepts
Access control list example and description
The following is an example and description of access control lists (ACLs).
Setting access control information (aclput command)

To set the access control information for a file, use the aclput command.
Note: The access control list for a file cannot exceed one memory page (approximately 4096 bytes) in
size.
For example, to set the access control information for the status file with the access control information
stored in the acldefs file, type the following:
aclput -i acldefs status
To set the access control information for the status file with the same information used for the plans file,
type the following:
aclget plans | aclput status
For more information and the complete syntax, see the aclput command in the Commands Reference,
Volume 1.

The following is an example of an ACL:
attributes: SUID
base permissions:
owner(frank): rw-
group(system): r-x
others: ---
enabled
permit rw- u:dhs
deny r-- u:chas, g:system
specify r-- u:john, g:gateway, g:mail
permit rw- g:account, g:finance
The parts of the ACL and their meanings are the following:
• The first line indicates that the setuid bit is turned on.
• The next line, which introduces the base permissions, is optional.
• The next three lines specify the base permissions. The owner and group names in parentheses are for
information only. Changing these names does not alter the file owner or file group. Only the chown
command and the chgrp command can change these file attributes. For more information about these
commands, see chown and chgrp.
• The next line, which introduces the extended permissions, is optional.
• The next line indicates that the extended permissions that follow are enabled.
• The last four lines are the extended entries. The first extended entry grants user dhs read (r) and write
(w) permission on the file.
• The second extended entry denies read (r) access to user chas only when he is a member of the
system group.

• The third extended entry specifies that as long as user john is a member of both the gateway group
and the mail group, has read (r) access. If user john is not a member of both groups, this extended
permission does not apply.
• The last extended entry grants any user in both the account group and the finance group read (r)
and write (w) permission.
Note: More than one extended entry can be applied to a process, with restrictive modes taking
precedence over permissive modes.
See the acledit command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Related concepts
Command for displaying access control information (aclget command)
The aclget command displays the access control information of a file. The information that you view
includes attributes, base permissions, and extended permissions.
Related tasks
Editing access control information (acledit command)
Use the acledit command to change the access control information of a file. The command displays the
current access control information and lets the file owner change it.
Editing access control information (acledit command)

Use the acledit command to change the access control information of a file. The command displays the
current access control information and lets the file owner change it.
Before making any changes permanent, the command asks if you want to proceed. For information about
the acledit command, see acledit.
Note: The EDITOR environment variable must be specified with a complete path name; otherwise, the
acledit command will fail.
The access control information that displays is ACL type specific and includes a list of attributes, base
permissions, and extended permissions.
For example, to edit the access control information of the plans file, type the following:
acledit plans
See the acledit command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Related concepts
Locking your terminal (lock or xlock command)

Use the lock command to lock your terminal. The lock command requests your password, reads it, and
requests the password a second time to verify it.
In the interim, the command locks the terminal and does not relinquish it until the password is received
the second time. The timeout default value is 15 minutes, but this can be changed with the -Number flag.
Note: If your interface is AIXwindows, use the xlock command in the same manner.
For example, to lock your terminal under password control, type the following:
lock
You are prompted for the password twice so the system can verify it. If the password is not repeated
within 15 minutes, the command times out.
To reserve a terminal under password control with a timeout interval of 10 minutes, type the following:
lock -10
See the lock or the xlock command in Commands Reference for the complete syntax.

Authentication
The xlock command is a Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) enabled X server command that
locks the X server until the user enters a password. It supports both local UNIX authentication and
PAM authentication for unlocking the X server.
You can set the system-wide configuration to use PAM for authentication by providing root user
access and by modifying the value of the auth_type attribute to PAM_AUTH in the usw stanza of
the /etc/security/login.cfg file.
The authentication mechanisms that are used when PAM is enabled are dependent on the
configuration of the login service in the /etc/pam.conf file. The xlock command requires
the /etc/pam.conf file entry for the auth, account, password, and session module types. The
following configuration is recommended for the /etc/pam.conf file entry in the xlock command:
xlock auth required pam_aix
xlock account required pam_aix
xlock password required pam_aix
xlock session required pam_aix
Command summary for file and system security

The following are commands for file system and security.
Item Description
acledit Edits the access control information of a file
aclget Displays the access control information of a file
aclput Sets the access control information of a file
chmod Changes permission modes
chown Changes the user associated with a file
lock Reserves a terminal
lsgroup Displays the attributes of groups
xlock Locks the local X display until a password is entered
User environment
Each login name has its own system environment.
The system environment is an area where information that is common to all processes running in a
session is stored. You can use several commands to display information about your system.
User environment files and customization procedures

These files and procedures help the user customize the system environment.
System startup files
Item Description
/etc/profile System file that contains commands that the system executes when
you log in.
/etc/environment System file that contains variables specifying the basic environment
for all processes.

Item Description
$HOME/.profile File in your home directory that contains commands that override the
system /etc/profile when you log in. For more information, see .profile
file.
$HOME/.env File in your home directory that overrides the system /etc/
environment and contains variables specifying the basic environment
for all processes. For more information, see .env file.
AIXwindows startup files
Item Description
$HOME/.xinitrc File in your home directory that controls the windows and applications
that start up when you start AIXwindows. For more information,
see .xinitrc file.
$HOME/.Xdefaults File in your home directory that controls the visual or behavioral
aspect of AIXwindows resources. For more information, see
“.Xdefaults file” on page 321.
$HOME/.mwmrc File in your home directory that defines key bindings, mouse button
bindings, and menu definitions for your window manager. For more
information, see “.mwmrc file” on page 321.
Customization procedures
Item Description
PS1 Normal system prompt
PS2 More input system prompt
PS3 Root system prompt
chfont Changes the font used by a display at system restart
stty Sets, resets, and reports workstation operating parameters
System devices list (lscfg command)

To display the name, location, and description of each device found in the current configuration, use the
lscfg command. The list is sorted by device location.
For example, to list the devices configured in your system, at the prompt, type the following:
lscfg
The system displays output similar to the following:
INSTALLED RESOURCE LIST
The following resources are installed on your machine.
+/- = Added/Deleted from Diagnostic Test List.

* = NOT Supported by Diagnostics.
Model Architecture: chrp

Model Implementation: Multiple Processor, PCI bus
+ sysplanar0 00-00 CPU Planar

+ fpa0 00-00 Floating Point Processor
+ mem0 00-0A Memory Card
+ mem1 00-0B Memory Card
+ ioplanar0 00-00 I/O Planar
+ rs2320 00-01 RS232 Card
+ tty0 00-01-0-01 RS232 Card Port
- tty1 00-01-0-02 RS232 Card Port

..
..
..
The device list is not sorted by device location alone. It is sorted by the parent/child hierarchy. If the
parent has multiple children, the children are sorted by device location. If the children have the same
device location, they are displayed in the order in which they were obtained by the software. To display
information about a specific device, you can use the -l flag. For example, to list the information on device
sysplanar0, at the prompt, type the following:
lscfg -l sysplanar0
DEVICE LOCATION DESCRIPTION
sysplanar0 00-00 CPU Planar
You can also use the lscfg command to display vital product data (VPD), such as part numbers, serial
numbers, and engineering change levels. For some devices, the VPD is collected automatically and added
to the system configuration. For other devices, the VPD is typed manually. An ME preceding the data
indicates that the data was typed manually.
For example, to list VPD for devices configured in your system, at the prompt, type the following:
lscfg -v
INSTALLED RESOURCE LIST WITH VPD
The following resources are installed in your machine.
Model Architecture: chrp

Model Implementation: Multiple Processor, PCI bus
sysplanar0 00-00 CPU Planar
Part Number.........342522
EC Level............254921
Serial Number.......353535
fpa0 00-00 Floating Point Processor

mem0 00-0A Memory Card
EC Level............990221
.
.
.
See the lscfg command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
Displaying console names

To write the name of the current console device to standard output (usually your screen), use the lscons
command.
For example, at the prompt, type the following:
lscons
/dev/lft0

See the lscons command for the complete syntax.
Displaying the terminal name (tty command)

To display the name of your terminal, use the tty command.
tty
/dev/tty06
In this example, tty06 is the name of the terminal, and /dev/tty06 is the device file that contains the
interface to this terminal.
See the tty command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
Listing available displays (lsdisp command)

To list the displays currently available on your system, providing a display identification name, slot
number, display name, and description of each of the displays, use the lsdisp command.
For example, to list all available displays, type the following:
lsdisp
The following is an example of the output. The list displays in ascending order according to slot number.
Name Slot Name Description

ppr0 00-01 POWER_G4 Midrange Graphics Adapter
gda0 00-03 colorgda Color Graphics Display Adapter
ppr1 00-04 POWER_Gt3 Midrange Entry Graphics Adapter
See the lsdisp command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
Listing available fonts (lsfont command)

To display a list of the fonts available to your display, use the lsfont command.
For example, to list all fonts available to the display, type the following:
lsfont
The following is an example of the output, showing the font identifier, file name, glyph size, and font
encoding:
FONT FILE GLYPH FONT

ID NAME SIZE ENCODING
==== ============== ===== =========
0 Erg22.iso1.snf 12x30 ISO8859-1
1 Erg11.iso1.snf 8x15 ISO8859-1
See the lsfont command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
Listing the current software keyboard map (lskbd command)

To display the absolute path name of the current software keyboard map loaded into the system, use the
lskbd command.
For example, to list your current keyboard map, type the following:
lskbd
The following is an example of the listing displayed by the lskbd command:
The current software keyboard map = /usr/lib/nls/loc/C.lftkeymap

Listing available software products (lslpp command)
To display information about software products available on your system, use the lslpp command.
For example, to list all the software products in your system, at the system prompt, type the following:
lslpp -l -a
The following is an example of the output:
Fileset Level State Description

-------------------- ------- -------- -----------------
Path: /usr/lib/objrepos
X11_3d.gl.dev.obj APPLIED AIXwindows/3D GL
Development Utilities
Fonts
X11fnt.oldX.fnt APPLIED AIXwindows Miscellaneous
X Fonts
X11mEn_US.msg APPLIED AIXwindows NL Message
files
If the listing is very long, the top portion may scroll off the screen. To display the listing one page (screen)
at a time, use the lslpp command piped to the pg command. At the prompt, type the following:
lslpp -l -a | pg
See the lslpp command in the Commands Reference, Volume 3 for the complete syntax.
List of control key assignments for your terminal (stty command)

To display your terminal settings, use the stty command. Note especially which keys your terminal uses
for control keys.
stty -a
intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^H; kill = Û; eof = ^D;
eol = ^@ start = ^Q; stop = ^S; susp = ^Z; dsusp = ^Y;
reprint = ^R discard = Ô; werase = ^W; lnext = ^V
In this example, lines such as intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^H; display your control key
settings. The ^H key is the Backspace key, and it is set to perform the erase function.

If the listing is very long, the top portion may scroll off the screen. To display the listing one page (screen)
at a time, use the stty command piped to the pg command. At the prompt, type the following:
stty -a | pg
See the stty command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
Related concepts
Foreground process cancellation
If you start a foreground process and then decide that you do not want it to finish, you can cancel it by
pressing INTERRUPT. This is usually Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Backspace.
Listing environment variables (env command)

To display your current environment variables, use the env command. An environment variable that is
accessible to all your processes is called a global variable.
For example, to list all environment variables and their associated values, type the following:
env
The following is an example of the output:
TMPDIR=/usr/tmp
myid=denise
LANG=En_US
UNAME=barnard
PAGER=/bin/pg
VISUAL=vi
PATH=/usr/ucb:/usr/lpp/X11/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/etc:/u/denise:/u/denise/bin:/u/bin1
MAILPATH=/usr/mail/denise?denise has mail !!!
MAILRECORD=/u/denise/.Outmail
EXINIT=set beautify noflash nomesg report=1 showmode showmatch
EDITOR=vi
PSCH=>
HISTFILE=/u/denise/.history
LOGNAME=denise
MAIL=/usr/mail/denise
PS1=denise@barnard:${PWD}>
PS3=#
PS2=>
epath=/usr/bin
USER=denise
SHELL=/bin/ksh
HISTSIZE=500
HOME=/u/denise
FCEDIT=vi
TERM=lft
MAILMSG=**YOU HAVE NEW MAIL. USE THE mail COMMAND TO SEE YOUR PWD=/u/denise
ENV=/u/denise/.env
If the listing is very long, the top portion scrolls off the screen. To display the listing one page (screen) at a
time, use the env command piped to the pg command. At the prompt, type the following:
env | pg
See the env command in the Commands Reference, Volume 2 for the complete syntax.
Displaying an environment variable value (printenv command)

To display the values of environment variables, use the printenv command.
If you specify the Name parameter, the system only prints the value associated with the variable you
requested. If you do not specify the Name parameter, the printenv command displays all current
environment variables, showing one Name =Value sequence per line.
For example, to find the current setting of the MAILMSG environment variable, type the following:
printenv MAILMSG

The command returns the value of the MAILMSG environment variable. For example:
YOU HAVE NEW MAIL
See the printenv command in the Commands Reference, Volume 4 for the complete syntax.
Bidirectional languages (aixterm command)

The aixterm command supports Arabic and Hebrew, which are bidirectional languages.
Bidirectional languages have the ability to be read and written in two directions: from left to right and
from right to left. You can work with Arabic and Hebrew applications by opening a window specifying an
Arabic or Hebrew locale.
See the aixterm command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
Command summary for user environment and system information

The following are commands for user environment and system information.
Item Description
aixterm Enables you work with bidirectional languages
env Displays the current environment or sets the environment for the execution of a
command
lscfg Displays diagnostic information about a device
lscons Displays the name of the current console
lsdisp Lists the displays currently available on the system
lsfont Lists the fonts available for use by the display
lskbd Lists the keyboard maps currently loaded in the system
lslpp Lists software products
printenv Displays the values of environment variables
stty Displays system settings
tty Displays the full path name of your terminal
User environment customization

The operating system provides various commands and initialization files that enable you to customize the
behavior and the appearance of your user environment.
You can also customize some of the default resources of the applications you use on your system.
Defaults are initiated by the program at startup. When you change the defaults, you must exit and then
restart the program for the new defaults take effect.
For information about customizing the behavior and appearance of the Common Desktop Environment,
see the Common Desktop Environment 1.0: Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide.
System startup files

When you log in, the shell defines your user environment after reading the initialization files that you have
set up. The characteristics of your user environment are defined by the values given to your environment
variables. You maintain this environment until you log out of the system.
The shell uses two types of profile files when you log in to the operating system. It evaluates the
commands contained in the files and then executes the commands to set up your system environment.
The files have similar functions, except that the /etc/profile file controls profile variables for all users
on a system, whereas the .profile file allows you to customize your own environment.
The shell first runs the commands to set up your system environment in the /etc/environment file and
then evaluates the commands contained in the /etc/profile file. After these files are run, the system
then checks to see if you have a .profile file in your home directory. If the .profile file exists, the

system runs this file. The .profile file will specify if an environment file also exists. If an environment
file exists (usually named .env), the system then runs this file and sets up your environment variables.
The /etc/environment, /etc/profile, and .profile files are run once at login time. The .env file,
on the other hand, is run every time you open a new shell or a window.
/etc/environment file
The first file that the operating system uses at login time is the /etc/environment file. The /etc/
environment file contains variables specifying the basic environment for all processes.
When a new process begins, the exec subroutine makes an array of strings available that have the form
Name=Value. This array of strings is called the environment. Each name defined by one of the strings is
called an environment variable or shell variable. The exec subroutine allows the entire environment to be
set at one time.
When you log in, the system sets environment variables from the /etc/environment file before reading
your login profile, named .profile. The following variables make up the basic environment:
Item Description
HOME The full path name of the user's login or HOME directory. The login program
sets this to the name specified in the /etc/passwd file.
LANG The locale name currently in effect. The LANG variable is initially set in
the /etc/profile file at installation time.
NLSPATH The full path name for message catalogs.
LOCPATH The full path name of the location of National Language Support tables.
PATH The sequence of directories that commands, such as sh, time, nice and
nohup, search when looking for a command whose path name is incomplete.
TZ The time zone information. The TZ environment variable is initially set by
the /etc/profile file, the system login profile.
For detailed information about the /etc/environment file, see the Files Reference.
/etc/profile file
The second file that the operating system uses at login time is the /etc/profile file.
The /etc/profile file controls system-wide default variables, such as:
• Export variables
• File creation mask (umask)
• Terminal types
• Mail messages to indicate when new mail has arrived
The system administrator configures the /etc/profile file for all users on the system. Only the system
administrator can change this file.
The following example is a typical /etc/profile file:
#Set file creation mask

umask 022
#Tell me when new mail arrives
MAIL=/usr/mail/$LOGNAME
#Add my /bin directory to the shell search sequence
PATH=/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/etc::
#Set terminal type
TERM=lft
#Make some environment variables global
export MAIL PATH TERM
For detailed information about the /etc/profile file, see the Files Reference .

.profile file
The .profile file is present in your home ($HOME) directory and lets you customize your individual
working environment.
Because the .profile file is hidden, use the ls -a command to list it.
After the login program adds the LOGNAME (login name) and HOME (login directory) variables to the
environment, the commands in the $HOME/.profile file are executed if the file is present.
The .profile file contains your individual profile that overrides the variables set in the /etc/profile
file. The .profile file is often used to set exported environment variables and terminal modes. You can
customize your environment by modifying the .profile file. Use the .profile file to control the
following defaults:
• Shells to open
• Prompt appearance
• Keyboard sound
The following example is a typical .profile file:
PATH=/usr/bin:/etc:/home/bin1:/usr/lpp/tps4.0/user::
epath=/home/gsc/e3:
export PATH epath
csh
This example has defined two path variables (PATH and epath), exported them, and opened a C shell
(csh).
You can also use the .profile file (or if it is not present, the /etc/profile file) to determine login
shell variables. You can also customize other shell environments. For example, use the .cshrc file
and .kshrc file to customize a C shell and a Korn shell, respectively, when each type of shell is started.
.env file
A fourth file that the operating system uses at login time is the .env file, if your .profile contains the
following line: export ENV=$HOME/.env
The .env file lets you customize your individual working environment variables. Because the .env file is
hidden, use the ls -a command to list it. For more information about the ls command, see ls. The .env
file contains the individual user environment variables that override the variables set in the /etc/
environment file. You can customize your environment variables as desired by modifying your .env file.
The following example is a typical .env file:
export myid=ìd | sed -n -e 's/).*$//' -e 's/^.*(//p'`

#set prompt: login & system name & path
if [ $myid = root ]
then typeset -x PSCH='#:\${PWD}> '
PS1="#:\${PWD}> "
else typeset -x PSCH='>'
PS1="$LOGNAME@$UNAME:\${PWD}> "
PS2=">"
PS3="#?"
fi
export PS1 PS2 PS3
#setup my command aliases
alias ls="/bin/ls -CF" \
d="/bin/ls -Fal | pg" \
rm="/bin/rm -i" \
up="cd .."
Note: When modifying the .env file, ensure that newly created environment variables do not conflict with
standard variables such as MAIL, PS1, PS2, and IFS.
AIXwindows startup files

Different computer systems have different ways of starting the X Server and AIXwindows.
Because different computer systems have different ways of starting the X Server and AIXwindows,
consult with your system administrator to learn how to get started. Usually, the X Server and AIXwindows

are started from a shell script that runs automatically when you log in. You might, however, find that you
need to start the X Server or AIXwindows, or both.
If you log in and find that your display is functioning as a single terminal with no windows displayed, you
can start the X Server by typing the following:
xinit
Note: Before entering this command, make sure that the pointer rests within a window that has a system
prompt.
If this command does not start the X Server, check with your system administrator to ensure that your
search path contains the X11 directory containing executable programs. The appropriate path might differ
from one system to another.
If you log in and find one or more windows without frames, you can start AIXwindows Window Manager
by typing the following:
mwm &
Because AIXwindows permits customization both by programmers writing AIXwindows applications and
by users, you might find that mouse buttons or other functions do not operate as you might expect from
reading this documentation. You can reset your AIXwindows environment to the default behavior by
pressing and holding the following four keys:
Alt-Ctrl-Shift-!
You can return to the customized behavior by pressing this key sequence again. If your system does not
permit this combination of keystrokes, you can also restore default behavior from the default root menu.
.xinitrc file
The xinit command uses a customizable shell script file that lists the X Client programs to start.
The .xinitrc file in your home directory controls the windows and applications that start when you start
AIXwindows.
The xinit command works with shell scripts in the following order:
1. The xinit command first looks for the $XINITRC environment variable to start AIXwindows.
2. If the $XINITRC environment variable is not found, the xinit command looks for the
$HOME/.xinitrc shell script.
3. If the $HOME/.xinitrc shell script is not found, the xinit command starts
the /usr/lib/X11/$LANG/xinitrc shell script.
4. If /usr/lib/X11/$LANG/xinitrc is not found, it looks for the /usr/lpp/X11/defaults /
$LANG/xinitrc shell script. If that script is not found, it searches for the /usr/lpp/X11/
defaults/xinitrc shell script.
5. The xinitrc shell script starts commands, such as the mwm (AIXwindows Window Manager),
aixterm, and xclock commands.
The xinit command performs the following operations:
• Starts an X Server on the current display
• Sets up the $DISPLAY environment variable
• Runs the xinitrc file to start the X Client programs
The following example shows the part of the xinitrc file you can customize:
# This script is invoked by /usr/lpp/X11/bin/xinit
.
.
.
#***************************************************************
# Start the X clients. Change the following lines to *
# whatever command(s) you desire! *

# The default clients are an analog clock (xclock), an lft *
# terminal emulator (aixterm), and the Motif Window Manager *
# (mwm). *
#****************************************************************
exec mwm
.Xdefaults file
If you work in an AIXwindows interface, you can customize this interface with the .Xdefaults file.
AIXwindows allows you to specify your preferences for visual characteristics, such as colors and fonts.
Many aspects of Windows operating system based application's appearance and behavior are controlled
by sets of variables called resources. The visual or behavioral aspect of a resource is determined by its
assigned value. There are several different types of values for resources. For example, resources that
control color can be assigned predefined values such as DarkSlateBlue or Black. Resources that specify
dimensions are assigned numeric values. Some resources take Boolean values (True or False).
If you do not have a .Xdefaults file in your home directory, you can create one with any text editor.
After you have this file in your home directory, you can set resource values in it as you wish. A sample
default file called Xdefaults.tmpl is in the /usr/lpp/X11/defaults directory.
The following example shows part of a typical .Xdefaults file:
*AutoRaise: on
*DeIconifyWarp: on
*warp:on
*TitleFont:andysans12
*scrollBar: true
*font: Rom10.500
Mwm*menu*foreground: black
Mwm*menu*background: CornflowerBlue
Mwm*menu*RootMenu*foreground: black
Mwm*menu*RootMenu*background: CornflowerBlue
Mwm*icon*foreground: grey25
Mwm*icon*background: LightGray
Mwm*foreground: black
Mwm*background: LightSkyBlue
Mwm*bottomShadowColor: Blue1
Mwm*topShadowColor: CornflowerBlue
Mwm*activeForeground: white
Mwm*activeBackground: Blue1
Mwm*activeBottomShadowColor: black
Mwm*activeTopShadowColor: LightSkyBlue
Mwm*border: black
Mwm*highlight:white
aixterm.foreground: green
aixterm.background: black
aixterm.fullcursor: true
aixterm.ScrollKey: on
aixterm.autoRaise: true
aixterm.autoRaiseDelay: 2
aixterm.boldFont:Rom10.500
aixterm.geometry: 80x25
aixterm.iconFont: Rom8.500
aixterm.iconStartup: false
aixterm.jumpScroll: true
aixterm.reverseWrap: true
aixterm.saveLines: 500
aixterm.scrollInput: true
aixterm.scrollKey: false
aixterm.title: AIX
.mwmrc file
Most of the features that you want to customize can be set with resources in your .Xdefaults file.
However, key bindings, mouse button bindings, and menu definitions for your window manager are
specified in the supplementary .mwmrc file, which is referenced by resources in the .Xdefaults file.
If you do not have a .mwmrc file in your home directory, you can copy it as follows:
cp /usr/lib/X11/system.mwmrc .mwmrc

Because the .mwmrc file overrides the system-wide effects of the system.mwmrc file, your specifications
do not interfere with the specifications of other users.
The following example shows part of a typical system.mwmrc file:
# DEFAULT mwm RESOURCE DESCRIPTION FILE (system.mwmrc)

#
# menu pane descriptions
#
# Root Menu Description
Menu RootMenu
{ "Root Menu" f.title
no-label f.separator
"New Window" f.exec "aixterm &"
"Shuffle Up" f.circle_up
"Shuffle Down" f.circle_down
"Refresh" f.refresh
"Restart" f.restart
"Quit" f.quit_mwm
}
# Default Window Menu Description
Menu DefaultWindowMenu MwmWindowMenu

{ "Restore" _R Alt<Key>F5 f.normalize
"Move" _M Alt<Key>F7 f.move
"Size" _S Alt<Key>F8 f.resize
"Minimize" _n Alt<Key>F9 f.minimize
"Maximize" _x Alt<Key>F10 f.maximize
"Lower" _L Alt<Key>F3 f.lower
"Close" _C Alt<Key>F4 f.kill
}
# no acclerator window menu

Menu NoAccWindowMenu
{
"Restore" _R f.normalize
"Move" _M f.move
"Size" _S f.resize
"Minimize" _n f.minimize
"Maximize" _x f.maximize
"Lower" _L f.lower
"Close" _C f.kill
}
Keys DefaultKeyBindings
{
Shift<Key>Escape icon|window f.post_wmenu
Meta<Key>space icon|window f.post_wmenu
Meta<Key>Tab root|icon|window f.next_key
Meta Shift<Key>Tab root|icon|window f.prev_key
Meta<Key>Escape root|icon|window f.next_key
Meta Shift<Key>Escape root|icon|window f.prev_key
Meta Ctrl Shift<Key>exclam root|icon|window f.set_behavior
}
#
# button binding descriptions
#
Buttons DefaultButtonBindings
{
<Btn1Down> frame|icon f.raise
<Btn3Down> frame|icon f.post_wmenu
<Btn1Down> root f.menu RootMenu
Meta<Btn1Down> icon|window f.lower
Meta<Btn2Down> window|icon f.resize
Meta<Btn3Down> window f.move
}

Buttons PointerButtonBindings
{
<Btn1Down> frame|icon f.raise
<Btn2Down> frame|icon f.post_wmenu
<Btn3Down> frame|icon f.lower
Meta<Btn2Down> window|icon f.resize
Meta<Btn3Down> window|icon f.move
}
#
# END OF mwm RESOURCE DESCRIPTION FILE
#
Exporting shell variables (export shell command)

A local shell variable is a variable known only to the shell that created it. If you start a new shell, the old
shell's variables are unknown to it. If you want the new shells that you open to use the variables from an
old shell, export the variables to make them global.
You can use the export command to make local variables global. To make your local shell variables
global automatically, export them in your .profile file.
Note: Variables can be exported down to child shells but not exported up to parent shells.
• To make the local shell variable PATH global, type the following:
export PATH
• To list all your exported variables, type the following:
export
DISPLAY=unix:0
EDITOR=vi
ENV=$HOME/.env
HISTFILE=/u/denise/.history
HISTSIZE=500
HOME=/u/denise
LANG=En_US
LOGNAME=denise
MAIL=/usr/mail/denise
MAILCHECK=0
MAILMSG=**YOU HAVE NEW MAIL.
USE THE mail COMMAND TO SEE YOUR MAILPATH=/usr/mail/denise?denise has mail !!!
MAILRECORD=/u/denise/.Outmail
PATH=/usr/ucb:/usr/lpp/X11/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/etc:/u/denise:/u/denise/bin:/u/bin1
PWD=/u/denise
SHELL=/bin/ksh
Changing the default font (chfont command)

To change the default font at system startup, use the chfont or smit command. A font palette is a file
that the system uses to define and identify the fonts it has available.
Note: To run the chfont command, you must have root authority.
chfont command
See the following examples on how to use the chfont command:
• To change the active font to the fifth font in the font palette, type the following:
chfont -a5
• To change the font to an italic, roman, and bold face of the same size, type the following:
chfont -n /usr/lpp/fonts/It114.snf /usr/lpp/fonts/Bld14.snf /usr/lpp/fonts/Rom14.snf

See the chfont command in the Commands Reference, Volume 1 for the complete syntax.
smit command
The chfont command can also be run using smit.
To select the active font, type the following:
smit chfont
To select the font palette, type the following:
smit chfontpl
Changing control keys (stty command)

To change the keys that your terminal uses for control keys, use the stty command.
Your changes to control keys remain in effect until you log out. To make your changes permanent, place
them in your .profile file.
• To assign Ctrl-Z as the interrupt key, type the following:
stty intr ^Z
Be sure to place a space character between intr and ^Z.

• To reset all control keys to their default values, type the following:
stty sane
• To display your current settings, type the following:
stty -a
See the stty command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
Changing your system prompt

You can change your system prompt.
Your shell uses the following prompt variables:
Item Description
PS1 Prompt used as the normal system prompt
PS2 Prompt used when the shell expects more input
PS3 Prompt used when you have root authority
You can change any of your prompt characters by changing the value of its shell variable. Your prompt
changes remain in effect until you log out. To make your changes permanent, place them in your .env
file.
• To display the current value of the PS1 variable, type the following:
echo "prompt is $PS1"
prompt is $

• To change your prompt to Ready>, type the following:
PS1="Ready> "
• To change your continuation prompt to Enter more->, type the following:
PS2="Enter more->"
• To change your root prompt to Root->, type the following:
PS3="Root-> "
BSD systems reference

This appendix is for system administrators who are familiar with 4.3 BSD UNIX or System V operating
systems. This information explains the differences and the similarities between those systems and AIX.
Topics discussed in this appendix are:
BSD concepts
Before you start working with Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) you need to understand some of the
difference between BSD and AIX.
Introduction to AIX for BSD system managers

The following are tips to help Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) system managers get started
managing AIX.
• Start by logging in as root at the graphics console.
• Perform system management from the system console until you become experienced with the system.
It is easier to work from the system console than a remote terminal. Once you are experienced with the
system, you can work remotely from an xterm or an ASCII terminal.
• Take advantage of the several AIX facilities for system management tasks. They include:
– System Management Interface Tool (SMIT). SMIT provides an interface between system managers
and configuration and management commands. SMIT can help system managers perform most
system administration tasks.
– The Object Data Manager (ODM). The ODM provides routines that access objects from the ODM
databases. The ODM databases contain device configuration information
– The System Resource Controller (SRC). The SRC provides access and control of daemons and other
system resources through a single interface.
Related concepts
System Resource Controller
The System Resource Controller (SRC) provides a set of commands and subroutines to make it easier for
the system manager and programmer to create and control subsystems.
Related information
Configuration of a large number of devices
Major differences between 4.3 BSD and AIX

The following is a summary of the major differences between AIX and 4.3 BSD systems.
On AIX, the network daemons are started from the /etc/rc.tcpip file, not the /etc/rc.local file.
The /etc/rc.tcpip shell script is invoked from the /etc/inittab file, not the /etc/rc file.
If the System Resource Controller (SRC) is running, the TCP/IP daemons run under SRC control. If you do
not want the TCP/IP daemons running under SRC control, use the smit setbootup_option fast path
to change the system to BSD-style rc configuration.
These network management functions available on 4.3 BSD are supported by AIX:
• Kernel-level SYSLOG logging facilities

• Access rights for UNIX domain sockets.
Configuration data storage
4.3 BSD usually stores configuration data in ASCII files. Related pieces of information are kept on the
same line and record processing (sorting and searching) can be done on the ASCII file itself. Records
can vary in length and are terminated by a line feed. 4.3 BSD provides tools to convert some
potentially large ASCII files to a database (dbm) format. Relevant library functions search the pair of
dbm files if they exist, but search the original ASCII file if the dbm files are not found.
Some configuration data for AIX is stored in ASCII files, but often in a stanza format. A stanza is a set
of related pieces of information stored in a group of several lines. Each piece of information has a
label to make the contents of the file more understandable.
AIX also supports dbm versions of password and user information. Furthermore, the /etc/
passwd, /etc/group, and /etc/inittab files are examples of files for AIX where the information
is stored in traditional form rather than in stanza form.
Other configuration data for AIX are stored in files maintained by the Object Data Manager (ODM).
System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) can manipulate and display information in ODM files.
Alternatively, you can use the ODM commands directly to view these files. To query the ODM files, use
the following commands:
• odmget
• odmshow.
The following ODM commands alter ODM files:
• odmadd
• odmcreate
• odmdrop
• odmchange
• odmdelete.
Attention: Altering ODM files incorrectly can cause the system to fail, and might prevent you
from successfully restarting the system. Only use ODM commands directly on ODM files when
task-specific commands, such as those generated by SMIT, is unsuccessful.
Configuration management
When a system running AIX starts up, a set of configuration-specific commands are invoked by the
Configuration Manager. These configuration-specific commands are called methods. Methods identify
the devices on the system and update the appropriate ODM files in the /etc/objrepos directory.
Device special files in the /dev directly are not preinstalled. Some special files, such as those for hard
disks, are created automatically during the startup configuration process. Other special files, such as
those for ASCII terminals, must be created by the system administrator by using the SMIT Devices
menu. This information is retained in the ODM for later use by the system.
Disk management
In AIX, disk drives are referred to as physical volumes. Partitions are referred to as logical volumes. As
in 4.3 BSD, a single physical volume can have multiple logical volumes. However, unlike 4.3 BSD, a
single logical volume in AIX can span multiple physical volumes. To do this, you must make several
physical volumes into a volume group and create logical volumes on the volume group.
Commands in AIX used for file system and volume management include:
• crfs
• varyonvg
• varyoffvg
• lsvg
• importvg

• exportvg.
The following 4.3 BSD commands are also available:
• mkfs
• fsck
• fsdb
• mount
• umount.
Differences between these commands for 4.3 BSD and for AIX are discussed in “File systems for BSD
4.3 system managers” on page 345.
4.3 BSD maintains a list of file systems in the /etc/fstab file. AIX maintains a stanza for each file
system in the /etc/filesystems file.
The tn3270 command
The tn3270 command is a link to the telnet command, but it uses the /etc/map3270 file and the
current TERM environment variable value to provide 3270 keyboard mappings. Thus, the tn3270
command operates exactly like the BSD version.
If you want to change the escape sequences from the defaults used by the tn3270, telnet, or tn
commands, set the TNESC environment variable before starting these commands.
New commands
To handle new configuration and disk management systems, AIX has about 150 commands that are
new to 4.3 BSD administrators.
Startup
AIX supports automatic identification and configuration of devices. Consequently, the startup process
is very different from 4.3 BSD systems. In addition to the kernel, an image of a boot file system and
the previous base device configuration information is loaded to a RAM disk. In the first phase of
startup, sufficient configuration information is loaded and checked to permit accessing logical
volumes. The paging space device is identified to the kernel and the hard disk root file system is
checked. At this time, the operating system changes the root file system from the RAM disk to the
hard disk and completes the startup procedure, including configuring other devices.
User authorization
4.3 BSD, and versions of AT&T UNIX operating systems before SVR4, store all user authentication
information, including encrypted passwords, in the /etc/passwd file. Traditionally, the /etc/
passwd file could be read by all.
On SVR4 systems, encrypted passwords are removed from the /etc/passwd file and stored in
the /etc/shadow file. Only users with root authority and trusted programs (such as the /bin/login
program) can read the /etc/shadow file.
AIX stores encrypted passwords in the /etc/security/passwd file. Other files in the /etc/
security directory are the user and limits files. These three files define the way a user is allowed
to access the system (such as using the rlogin or telnet commands) and the user's resource limits
(such as file size and address space).
Printing
Most 4.3 BSD printing commands are supported with minor differences. One difference is that
the /etc/qconfig file is the configuration file in AIX.
The line printing system for AIX can interoperate with the 4.3 BSD line printing system, both for
submitting print jobs to 4.3 BSD systems and for printing jobs submitted from a 4.3 BSD system.

Shells
AIX supports the Bourne shell, C shell and Korn shell. The full path name for the Bourne shell program
is /bin/bsh. The /bin/sh file is a hard link to the /bin/ksh file. This file can be changed by the
administrator.
AIX does not support setuid or setgid for shell scripts in any shell.
Note:
1. AIX has no shell scripts that rely on the /bin/sh. However, many shell scripts from other systems
rely on /bin/sh being the Bourne shell.
2. Although the Bourne shell and Korn shell are similar, the Korn shell is not a perfect superset of the
Bourne shell.
Related reference
Commands for system administration for BSD 4.3 system managers
This list contains commands that are specifically for administering the environment for AIX.
File comparison table for 4.3 BSD, SVR4, and AIX

The following table compares file names and functions between 4.3 BSD, SVR4, and AIX.
Table 61. File Comparison Table

4.3 BSD File SVR4 File File for AIX Database Type (odm/
dbm)
L-Devices Devices Devices no
L-dialcodes Dialcodes Dialcodes no
L.cmds Permissions Permissions no
L.sys Systems Systems no
USERFILE Permissions Permissions no
aliases mail/ aliases aliasesDB/DB dbm
namefiles
fstab vfstab filesystems no
ftpusers ftpusers ftpusers no
gettytab N/A
group group group no
hosts hosts hosts no
hosts.equiv hosts.equiv hosts.equiv no
inetd.conf inetd.conf inetd.conf no
map3270 N/A map3270 no
motd motd motd no
mtab mnttab N/A no
named.boot named.boot named.boot no
named.ca named.ca no
named.hosts named.data (See note) no
named.local named.local no
named.pid named.pid named.pid no

Table 61. File Comparison Table (continued)
4.3 BSD File SVR4 File File for AIX Database Type (odm/
dbm)
named.rev named.rev no
networks networks networks no
passwd passwd passwd no
printcap qconfig qconfig
protocols protocols no
remote remote remote no
resolv.conf resolv.conf resolv.conf no
sendmail.cf sendmail.cf sendmail.cf sendmail.cfDB neither
services services no
shells shells N/A
stab N/A
syslog.conf syslog.conf no
syslog.pid syslog.pid no
termcap terminfo terminfo
ttys ttys N/A yes odm
types N/A
utmp utmp utmp
vfont N/A
vgrindefs vgrindefs
wtmp wtmp wtmp
Note: The file names named.ca, named.hosts, named.local, and named.rev are user definable in
the named.boot file. However, these are the names used for these files in the documentation for AIX.
Name and address resolution

The gethostbyname and gethostbyaddr subroutines in the libc library provide support for Domain
Name Service, Network Information Services (NIS, formerly called Yellow Pages), and the /etc/hosts
database.
If the /etc/resolv.conf file exists, the name server is always checked first. If the name is not resolved
and NIS is running, NIS is checked. If NIS is not running, the /etc/hosts file is checked.
Online documentation and man command for BSD 4.3 system managers
AIX supports the man-k, apropos, and whatis commands, but the database used by these commands
must first be created with the catman-w command.
The man command first searches for flat text pages in the /usr/man/cat? files. Next, it searches
nroff-formatted pages in /usr/man/man? files. New man pages can be added in flat text or nroff
form.
Note:

• The man command text pages are not provided with the system. The catman command creates the
database from these text pages. These pages can be either flat text pages stored in the /usr/man/
cat? files or nroff-formatted pages stored the in /usr/man/man? files.
• The Text Formatting licensed program must be installed for the nroff command to be available for the
man command to read nroff-formatted man pages.
For more information about these commands, see man, apropos, whatis, and catman.
NFS and NIS (formerly Yellow Pages) for BSD 4.3 system managers
The following describes NFS and NIS for BSD 4.3 system managers.
Network File System (NFS) and Network Information Services (NIS) daemons are started from the /etc/
rc.nfs file. However, before the NFS and NIS daemons can be started, the portmap daemon must be
started in the /etc/rc.tcpip file. By default, the /etc/rc.nfs file is not invoked by the /etc/
inittab file. If you add a line in the /etc/inittab file to invoke the /etc/rc.nfs script, it should be
invoked after the /etc/rc.tcpip script.
If NIS is active, include a root entry prior to the +:: (plus sign, colon, colon) entry in the /etc/passwd
file and a system entry prior to the +:: entry in the /etc/group file. This allows a system administrator
to log in as root and make changes if the system is unable to communicate with the NIS server.
NFS can be configured by using the SMIT fast path, smit nfs. The and SMIT menus refer to NIS
(formerly Yellow Pages) as NIS. Many of the NFS and NIS commands are found in the /etc
and /usr/etc directory.
Some NFS environments use an arch command to identify machine families and types of machines. For
example if you are using the IBM RS/6000, specify the power identifier for family (CPU), and the
ibm6000 identifier for type (machine).
User passwords for BSD 4.3 system managers

When you use the /bin/passwd command for AIX as the root user, you are prompted for the current
root user password.
An example of using the /bin/passwd command follows:
# passwd cslater
Changing password for "cslater"
Enter root's Password or
cslater's Old password:
cslater's New password:
Re-enter cslater's
new password:
#
The 4.3 BSD version does not prompt for the current root user password. An example of the 4.3 BSD
version follows:
# passwd cslater
New password:
Retype new password:
#
Administering BSD
There are multiple commands for BSD you can use to measure performance, print, and manage your
system.
Accounting for BSD 4.3 system managers

The accounting files in the /usr/lib/acct directory and the system activity reporting tools in
the /usr/lib/sa directory for AIX are identical to those available with AT&T System V Release 4 (SVR4)
with the addition of 4.3 BSD accounting utilities.
Many of the accounting commands are in the /usr/lib/acct directory. To begin system accounting,
use the /usr/lib/acct/startup command. If accounting is not started, commands such as
lastcomm(1) cannot return information.

AIX provides these 4.3 BSD accounting facilities:
Item Description
last(1) Indicates last logins of users and terminals
lastcomm(1) Shows in reverse order the last commands executed
acct(3) Enables and disables process accounting
ac(8) Login accounting
accton(8) Turns system accounting on or off
sa(8) Generally maintains system accounting files.
AIX also provides these System V Interface Definition (SVID) Issue II accounting commands and library
functions:
Item Description
acctcms(1) Produces command usage summaries from accounting records
acctcom(1) Displays selected process-accounting record summaries
acctcon1(1) Converts login/logoff records to session records
acctcon2(1) Converts login/logoff records to total accounting records
acctdisk(1) Generates total accounting records from diskusg(1) command output
acctmerg(1) Merges total accounting files into an intermediary file
accton(1) Turns on accounting
acctprc1(1) Processes accounting information from acct(3) command
acctprc2(1) Processes output of acctprc1(1) command into total accounting records
acctwtmp(1) Manipulates connect-time accounting records
chargefee(1) Charges to login name
ckpacct(1) Checks size of /usr/adm/pacct file
diskusg(1) Generates disk accounting information
dodisk(1) Performs disk accounting
fwtmp(1) Converts binary records (wtmp file) to formatted ASCII.
Note: The wtmp file is in the /var/adm directory.
lastlogin(1) Updates last date on which each person logged in

monacct(1) Creates monthly summary files
prctmp(1) Prints session record file produced by acctcon1(1) command
prdaily(1) Formats a report of yesterday's accounting information
prtacct(1) Formats and prints any total accounting file
runacct(1) Runs daily accounting
shutacct(1) Called by system shutdown to stop accounting and log the reason
startup(1) Called by system initialization to start accounting
turnacct(1) Turns process accounting on or off
wtmpfix(1) Corrects time/date stamps in a file using wtmp format

Backup for BSD 4.3 system managers
BSD 4.3 system managers can back up data.
The tar and cpio commands can move data between systems. The tar command for AIX is not fully
compatible with the 4.3 BSD tar command. The tar command for AIX requires the -B flag (blocking
input) if it is reading from a pipe. The AT&T cpio command is compatible with this version.
AIX can read and write in dump and restore command format. For example, the backup command for
AIX with the syntax:
backup -0uf Device Filesystemname
is the same as the 4.3 BSD dump command with the syntax:
dump 0uf Device Filesystemname
Similarly, the restore command for AIX with the syntax:
restore -mivf Device
is the same as the 4.3 BSD restore command with the syntax:
restore ivf Device
AIX also has the 4.3 BSD rdump and rrestore commands. The only difference in the two versions is that
for AIX, each argument must be preceded by a - (dash). For example, the following command:
rdump -0 -f orca:/dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2
is equivalent to the 4.3 BSD command:
rdump 0f orca:/dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2
The backup command for AIX with the following syntax:
backup -0f /dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2
is equivalent to the 4.3 BSD dump command with this syntax:
dump 0f /dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2
Non-IBM SCSI tape support

AIX does not directly support non-IBM SCSI tape drives. However, you can add your own header and
interface that use the IBM SCSI driver.
Related concepts
System backup
Related information
Adding an Unsupported Device to the System
Startup for BSD 4.3 system managers

The following discusses AIX system startup for BSD 4.3 system managers.
On 4.3 BSD systems, the init program is the last step in the startup procedure. The main role of the
init program is to create processes for each available terminal port. The available terminal ports are
found by reading the /etc/ttys file.
On System V, the init program is started at system initialization. The init process starts processes
according to entries in the /etc/inittab file.

AIX follows the System V initialization procedure. You can edit the /etc/inittab file by directly editing
the file, using the telinit command, or by using the following commands:
Item Description
chitab(1) Changes records in the /etc/inittab file
lsitab(1) Lists records in the /etc/inittab file
mkitab(1) Makes records in the /etc/inittab file
rmitab(1) Removes records in the /etc/inittab file
Changes made to the /etc/inittab file take effect the next time the system is rebooted, or when the
telinit q command is run.
Finding and examining files for BSD 4.3 system managers

The following is a list of the BSD file commands that AIX supports.
AIX supports the following 4.3 BSD file commands:
• which
• whereis
• what
• file.
AIX does not support the 4.3 BSD fast find syntax of the find command. At this time, there is no
replacement function. The following ffind shell script can be used to simulate the functionality:
#!/bin/bsh
PATH=/bin
for dir in /bin /etc /lib /usr
do
find $dir -print | egrep $1
done
The syntax for the ffind script is:
ffind Filename
Paging space for BSD 4.3 system managers

The following commands assist in managing paging space (also known as swap space).
Item Description
chps(1) Changes attributes of a paging space
lsps(1) List attributes of a paging space
mkps(1) Add an additional paging space to the system
rmps(1) Removes a paging space from the system
swapoff(1) Deactivates one or more paging spaces
swapon(1) Specifies additional devices for paging and swapping
If a large paging space is required, place one paging logical volume for each hard disk. This allows
scheduling of paging across multiple disk drives.

Changing the default startup to permit 4.3 BSD ASCII configuration
You can administer network interfaces for AIX through the SMIT and ODM files, or through 4.3 BSD ASCII
configuration files.
To administer network interfaces through 4.3 BSD ASCII configuration files, uncomment the commands
in the /etc/rc.net file below the heading:
# Part II - Traditional
Configuration
Then if you want flat file configuration and SRC support, edit the /etc/rc.net file and uncomment the
hostname, ifconfig, and route commands with the appropriate parameters.
If you want flat file configuration without SRC support, use the smit setbootup_option fast path to
change the system to BSD-style rc configuration. This option configures the system to use the /etc/
rc.bsdnet file at startup. You also have to edit the /etc/rc.bsdnet file and uncomment the
hostname, ifconfig, and route commands with the appropriate parameters.
Additional options for ifconfig and netstat commands

The following is a list of additional options for the ifconfig and netstat commands.
The ifconfig command for AIX has the following additional options:
mtu
The mtu variable specifies the maximum transmission unit (MTU) used on the local network (and local
subnets) and the MTU used for remote networks. To maximize compatibility with Ethernet and other
networks, set both the Token-Ring and Ethernet default mtu value to 1500.
allcast
The allcast flag sets the Token-Ring broadcast strategy. Setting the allcast flag optimizes
connectivity through Token-Ring bridges. Clearing the allcast flag (by specifying -allcast)
minimizes excess traffic on the ring.
The netstat command for AIX has the -v flag. The netstat -v command prints driver statistics such as
transmit byte count, transmit error count, receive byte count, and receive error count. For more
information about the ifconfig and netstat commands, see ifconfig and netstat.
Additional network management commands

The following additional commands are supported on AIX.
Item Description
securetcpip The securetcpip shell script enables controlled access mode, which
provides enhanced network security. It disallows the running of several
unsecured TCP/IP programs, such as the tftp, rcp, rlogin, and rsh
programs. It also restricts the use of the .netrc file.
gated The gated command provides MIB support for SNMP.

Item Description
no The no command sets network options that include:
dogticks
Sets timer granularity for ifwatchdog routines
subnetsarelocal
Determines if packet address is on the local network
ipsendredirects
Specifies whether the kernel should send redirect signals
ipforwarding
Specifies whether the kernel should forward packets
tcp_ttl
Specifies the time-to-live for Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) packets
udp_ttl
Specifies the time-to-live for User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets
maxttl
Specifies the time-to-live for Routing Information Protocol (RIP) packets
ipfragttl
Specifies the time-to-live for Internet Protocol (IP) fragments
lowclust
Specifies a low water mark for cluster mbuf pool
lowmbuf
Specifies a low water mark for the mbuf pool
thewall
Specifies the maximum amount of memory that is allocated to the mbuf
and cluster mbuf pool
arpt_killc
Specifies the time in minutes before an inactive complete Address
Resolution Protocol (ARP) entry is deleted
iptrace The iptrace command provides interface-level packet tracing for Internet
protocols.
ipreport The ipreport command formats the trace into human-readable form. An
example of using this command is the following:
iptrace -i en0 /tmp/iptrace.log

# kill iptrace daemon
kill `ps ax | grep iptrace | awk '{ print $1 }'`
ipreport /tmp/iptrace.log | more
Importing a BSD 4.3 password file

You can import a BSD 4.3 password file into AIX.
To import a BSD 4.3 password file, perform the following steps:
1. Copy the BSD 4.3 password file to the /etc/passwd file and enter:
pwdck -y ALL
2. Update the /etc/security/limits file with a null stanza for any new users.
The usrck command does this, but using the usrck command can cause problems unless the /etc/
group file is imported with the /etc/passwd file. For more information about the usrck command,
see usrck.

Attention: If the /etc/security/limits file is modified, the stack must not exceed 65,536
bytes. If it does, running the usrck command can cause problems. Change the stack size to
65,536 and run usrck command again.
3. Run the grpck and usrck commands to verify group and user attributes.
Editing the password file for BSD 4.3 system managers

The following explains how to change entries in the password file and how to administer passwords on
AIX in a BSD 4.3 manner.
In AIX, the lsuser, mkuser, chuser, and rmuser commands are provided for managing passwords. All
of these commands can be used by running SMIT. However, all of these commands deal with only one
user at a time.
For more information about these commands, see lsuser, mkuser, chuser, and rmuser.
Note: Using an editor to change several user name entries at one time requires editing of several files
simultaneously, because passwords are stored in the /etc/security/passwd file, authorization
information is stored in the /etc/security/user file, and the remaining user data is stored in
the /etc/passwd file.
AIX does not support the vipw command but does support the mkpasswd command. However, you can
still administer passwords in AIX in a BSD 4.3 manner. Use the following procedure:
1. Put a BSD 4.3 password file in the /etc/shadow file.
2. Change the permissions to the file by entering:
chmod 000 /etc/shadow
3. Place the following vipw shell script in the /etc directory:
-----------------------------------------------------
----
#!/bin/bsh
#
# vipw. Uses pwdck for now. May use usrck someday
#
PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/etc:/usr/ucb # Add to this if your editor is
# some place else
if [ -f /etc/ptmp ] ; then
echo "/etc/ptmp exists. Is someone else using vipw?"
exit 1
fi
if [ ! -f /`which "$EDITOR" | awk '{ print $1 }'` ] ; then
EDITOR=vi
fi
cp /etc/shadow /etc/ptmp
if (cmp /etc/shadow /etc/ptmp) ; then
$EDITOR /etc/ptmp
else
echo cannot copy shadow to ptmp
exit 1
fi
if (egrep "^root:" /etc/ptmp >/dev/null) ; then
cp /etc/ptmp /etc/shadow ; cp /etc/ptmp /etc/passwd
chmod 000 /etc/passwd /etc/shadow
pwdck -y ALL 2>1 >/dev/null # return code 114 may change
rc=$?
if [ $rc -eq 114 ]; then
chmod 644 /etc/passwd
rm -f /etc/passwd.dir /etc/passwd.pag
mkpasswd /etc/passwd
# update /etc/security/limits, or ftp
# will fail
else
pwdck -y ALL
fi
else
echo bad entry for root in ptmp
fi
rm /etc/ptmp
-----------------------------------------------------------

4. If you use the vipw shell script or the mkpasswd command, be aware that SMIT, and the mkuser,
chuser, and rmuser commands do not use the mkpasswd command. You must run:
mkpasswd /etc/passwd
to update the /etc/passwd.dir and /etc/passwd.pag files.
Attention: Initialization of the IFS variable and the trap statements guard against some of the
common methods used to exploit security holes inherent in the setuid feature. However, the
vipw and passwd shell scripts are intended for relatively open environments where
compatibility is an important consideration. If you want a more secure environment, use only
the standard commands for AIX.
5. Put the following passwd shell script in the /usr/ucb directory:
-----------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/ksh
#
# matches changes to /etc/security/passwd file with changes to
#/etc/shadow
#
IFS=" "
PATH=/bin
trap "exit 2" 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 \
23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 60 61 62
if [ -n "$1" ]; then
USERNAME=$1
else
USERNAME=$LOGNAME
fi
if [ -f /etc/ptmp ]; then
echo password file busy
exit 1
fi
trap "rm /etc/ptmp; exit 3" 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 \
14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 \
32 33 34 35 36 60 61 62
if (cp /etc/security/passwd /etc/ptmp) ; then
chmod 000 /etc/ptmp else
rm -f /etc/ptmp exit 1
fi
if ( /bin/passwd $USERNAME ) ; then
PW=` awk ' BEGIN { RS = "" }
$1 == user { print $4 } ' user="$USERNAME:" \
/etc/security/passwd `
else
rm -f /etc/ptmp
exit 1
fi
rm -f /etc/ptmp
awk -F: '$1 == user { print $1":"pw":"$3 ":"$4":"$5":"$6":"$7 }
$1 != user { print $0 }' user="$USERNAME" pw="$PW" \
/etc/shadow > /etc/ptmp
chmod 000 /etc/ptmp
mv -f /etc/ptmp /etc/shadow
---------------------------------------------------------
6. Change the permissions to the passwd script by entering:
chmod 4711 /usr/ucb/passwd
7. Ensure that each user PATH environmental variable specifies that the /usr/ucb directory be searched
before the /bin directory.
Performance measurement and tuning for BSD 4.3 system managers

Thie following discusses AIX device attributes and performance measurement and tuning.
All devices on AIX have attributes associated with them. To view device attributes, enter:
lsattr -E -l devicename
Any attributes with the value True can be modified with the command:

chdev -l devicename -a attr=value
Attention: Changing device parameters incorrectly can damage your system.
By default, the maximum number of processes per user is 40. The default value might be too low for
users who have many windows open simultaneously. The following command can be used to change the
value systemwide:
hdev -l sys0 -a maxuproc=100
This example changes the maximum number to 100. The new value is set once the system has restarted.
To view the current setting of this and other system attributes, type:
lsattr -E -l sys0
The maxmbuf attribute is not currently supported by the mbuf services.

AIX supports the vmstat and iostat commands, but not the systat command or load averages. For
more information about these commands, see vmstat and iostat.
Printers for BSD 4.3 system managers

The AIX operating system supports two printing subsystems: 4.3 BSD and System V.
The System V style of printing subsystem uses System V Release 4 commands, queues, and files and is
administered the same way. The following paragraphs describe what you need to know to manage the 4.3
BSD style of printing subsystem. You control which subsystem is made active through SMIT. Only one
subsystem can be active at a time.
Printing is managed by programs and configurations in the /usr/lpd directory. The design,
configuration, queueing mechanism, and daemon processes of the 4.3 BSD and printer subsystems for
AIX are different. However, they both use the lpd protocol for remote printing. Both systems use /etc/
hosts.lpd, if it exists, or /etc/host.equiv otherwise. The printer subsystem for AIX offers a gateway
to 4.3 BSD printer subsystems, so systems using AIX can submit print jobs to 4.3 BSD systems and
accept print jobs submitted by 4.3 BSD systems.
The /etc/printcap file of 4.3 BSD does not exist in AIX. This file is a combination of spooler
configuration and printer capability database. Users need to understand the format and keywords of the
printcap file to set up a printer correctly.
The /etc/qconfig file of AIX contains only the spooler configuration information. The printer capability
is defined in the ODM predefined or customized database. You can use the mkvirprt (make virtual
printer) command to define to the system the capabilities of a particular printer.
To make printer lp0 available to print on the remote host viking, put the following in a 4.3 BSD
system /etc/printcap file:
lp0|Print on remote printer attached to

viking:Z
:lp=:rm=viking:rp=lp:st=/usr/spool/lp0d
To do the same in AIX, put the following in the /etc/qconfig file:
lp0:
device = dlp0
host = viking
rq = lp
dlp0:
backend = /usr/lib/lpd/rembak
AIX supports the following printer commands and library functions:
Item Description
cancel(1) Cancels requests to a line printer

Item Description
chquedev(1) Changes the printer or plotter queue device names
chvirprt(1) Changes the attribute values of a virtual printer
disable(1) Disables a printer queue
enable(1) Enables a printer queue
hplj(1) Postprocesses troff output for HP LaserJetII with the K cartridge
ibm3812(1) Postprocesses troff output for IBM 3812 Mod 2 Pageprinter
ibm3816(1) Postprocesses troff output for IBM 3816 Pageprinter
ibm5587G(1) Postprocesses troff output for IBM 5587G with 32x32/24x24 cartridge
lp(1) Sends requests to a line printer
lpr(1) Enqueues print jobs
lprm(1) Removes jobs from the line printer spooling queue
lpstat(1) Displays line printer status information
lptest(1) Generates the line printer ripple pattern
lsallqdev(1) Lists all configured printer queue device names within a queue
lsvirprt(1) Displays the attribute values of a virtual printer
mkque(1) Adds a printer queue to the system
mkquedev(1) Adds a printer queue device to the system
mkvirprt(1) Makes a virtual printer
pac(1) Prepares printer/plotter accounting records
piobe(1) Print Job Manager for the printer backend
pioburst(1) Generates burst pages (header and trailer pages) for printer output
piocmdout(3) Subroutine that outputs an attribute string for a printer formatter
piodigest(1) Digests attribute values for a virtual printer definition and stores
pioexit(3) Subroutine that exits from a printer formatter
pioformat(1) Drives a printer formatter
piofquote(1) Converts certain control characters destined for PostScript printers
piogetstr(3) Subroutine that retrieves an attribute string for a printer formatter
piogetvals(3) Subroutine that initializes Printer Attribute database variables for printer
formatter
piomsgout(3) Subroutine that sends a message from a printer formatter
pioout(1) Printer backend's device driver interface program
piopredef(1) Creates a predefined printer data stream definition
proff(1) Formats text for printers with personal printer data streams
qadm(1) Performs system administration for the printer spooling system
qconfig(4) Configures a printer queueing system
qstatus(1) Provides printer status for the print spooling system
restore(3) Restores the printer to its default state
rmque(1) Removes a printer queue from the system

Item Description
rmquedev(1) Removes a printer or plotter queue device from the system
rmvirprt(1) Removes a virtual printer
splp(1) Changes or displays printer driver settings
xpr(1) Formats a window dump file for output to a printer
Related information
Printer Overview for System Management
Commands for system administration for BSD 4.3 system managers

This list contains commands that are specifically for administering the environment for AIX.
Item Description
bosboot(1) Initializes a boot device.
bootlist(1) Alters the list of boot devices (or the ordering of these devices in the list)
available to the system.
cfgmgr(1) Configures devices by running the programs in /etc/methods directory.
chcons(1) Redirects the system console to device or file, effective next startup
chdev(1) Changes the characteristics of a device
chdisp(1) Changes the display used by the low-function terminal (LFT) subsystem.
checkcw(1) Prepares constant-width text for the troff command.
checkeq(1) Checks documents formatted with memorandum macros.
checkmm(1) Checks documents formatted with memorandum macros.
checknr(1) Checks nroff and troff files.
chfont(1) Changes the default font selected at boot time.
chfs(1) Changes attributes of a file system.
chgroup(1) Changes attributes for groups.
chgrpmem(1) Changes the administrators or members of a group.
chhwkbd(1) Changes the low function terminal (LFT) keyboard attributes stored in the
Object Data Manager (ODM) database.
chitab(1) Changes records in the /etc/inittab file.
chkbd(1) Changes the default keyboard map used by the low-function terminal (LFT) at
system startup.
chkey(1) Changes your encryption key.
chlang Sets LANG environment variable in the /etc/environment file for the next
login.
chlicense(1) There are two types of user licensing, fixed and floating. Fixed licensing is
always enabled, and the number of licenses can be changed through the -u
flag. Floating licensing can be enabled or disabled (on or off) through the -f
flag
chlv(1) Changes the characteristics of a logical volume
chnamsv(1) Changes TCP/IP-based name service configuration on a host
chprtsv(1) Changes a print service configuration on a client or server machine

Item Description
chps(1) Changes attributes of a paging space.
chpv(1) Changes the characteristics of a physical volume in a volume group.
chque(1) Changes the queue name.
chquedev(1) Changes the printer or plotter queue device names.
chssys(1) Changes a subsystem definition in the subsystem object class.
chtcb(1) Changes or queries the trusted computing base attribute of a file.
chtz Changes the system time zone information.
chuser(1) Changes attributes for the specified user.
chvfs(1) Changes entries in the /etc/vfs file.
chvg(1) Sets the characteristics of a volume group.
chvirprt(1) Changes the attribute values of a virtual printer.
crfs(1) Adds a file system.
crvfs(1) Creates entries in the /etc/vfs file.
exportvg(1) Exports the definition of a volume group from a set of physical volumes.
extendvg(1) Adds physical volumes to a volume group.
grpck(1) Verifies the correctness of a group definition.
importvg(1) Imports a new volume group definition from a set of physical volumes.
lsallq(1) Lists the names of all configured queues.
lsallqdev(1) Lists all configured printer and plotter queue device names within a specified
queue.
lsdisp(1) Lists the displays currently available on the system.
lsfont(1) Lists the fonts available for use by the display.
lsfs(1) Displays the characteristics of file systems.
lsgroup(1) Displays the attributes of groups.
lsitab(1) Lists the records in the /etc/inittab file.
lskbd(1) Lists the keyboard maps currently available to the low-function terminal (LFT)
subsystem.
lslicense(1) Displays the number of fixed licenses and the status of floating licensing.
lslpp(1) Lists optional program products.
lsnamsv(1) Shows name service information stored in the database.
lsprtsv(1) Shows print service information stored in the database.
lsps Lists paging space and attributes.
lsque(1) Displays the queue stanza name.
lsquedev(1) Displays the device stanza name.
lssrc(1) Gets the status of a subsystem, a group of subsystems, or a subserver.
lsuser(1) Displays attributes of user accounts.
lsvfs(1) Lists entries in the /etc/vfs file.
mkcatdefs(1) Preprocesses a message source file.

Item Description
runcat(1) Pipes the output data from the mkcatdefs command to the gencat
command.
mkdev(1) Adds a device to the system.
mkfont(1) Adds the font code associated with a display to the system.
mkfontdir(1) Creates a fonts.dir file from a directory of font files.
mkgroup(1) Creates a new group.
mkitab(1) Makes records in the /etc/inittab file.
mklv(1) Creates a logical volume.
mklvcopy(1) Adds copies to a logical volume.
mknamsv(1) Configures TCP/IP-based name service on a host for a client.
mknotify(1) Adds a notify method definition to the notify object class.
mkprtsv(1) Configures TCP/IP-based print service on a host.
mkps(1) Add an additional paging space to the system.
mkque(1) Adds a printer queue to the system.
mkquedev(1) Adds a printer queue device to the system.
mkserver(1) Adds a subserver definition to the subserver object class.
mkssys(1) Adds a subsystem definition to the subsystem object class.
mksysb Backs up mounted file systems in the rootvg volume group for subsequent
reinstallation.
mkszfile Records size of mounted file systems in the rootvg volume group for
reinstallation.
mktcpip(1) Sets the required values for starting TCP/IP on a host.
mkuser(1) Creates a new user account.
mkuser.sys(1) Customizes a new user account.
mkvg(1) Creates a volume group.
mkvirprt(1) Makes a virtual printer.
odmadd(1) Adds objects to created object classes.
odmchange(1) Changes the contents of a selected object in the specified object class.
odmcreate(1) Produces the .c (source) and .h (include) files necessary for ODM application
development and creates empty object classes.
odmdelete(1) Deletes selected objects from a specified object class.
odmdrop(1) Removes an object class.
odmget(1) Retrieves objects from the specified object classes and places them into an
odmadd input file.
odmshow(1) Displays an object class definition on the screen.
pwdck(1) Verifies the correctness of local authentication information.
redefinevg Redefines the set of physical volumes of the given volume group in the device
configuration database.
reducevg(1) Removes physical volumes from a volume group. When all physical volumes
are removed from the volume group, the volume group is deleted.

Item Description
reorgvg(1) Reorganizes the physical partition allocation for a volume group.
restbase(1) Restores customized information from the boot image.
rmdel(1) Removes a delta from a Source Code Control System (SCCS) file.
rmdev(1) Removes a device from the system.
rmf(1) Removes folders and the messages they contain.
rmfs(1) Removes a file system.
rmgroup(1) Removes a group.
rmitab(1) Removes records in the /etc/inittab file.
rmlv(1) Removes logical volumes from a volume group.
rmlvcopy(1) Removes copies from a logical volume.
rmm(1) Removes messages.
rmnamsv(1) Unconfigures TCP/IP-based name service on a host.
rmnotify(1) Removes a notify method definition from the notify object class.
rmprtsv(1) Unconfigures a print service on a client or server machine.
rmps(1) Removes a paging space from the system.
rmque(1) Removes a printer queue from the system.
rmquedev(1) Removes a printer or plotter queue device from the system.
rmserver(1) Removes a subserver definition from the subserver object class.
rmssys(1) Removes a subsystem definition from the subsystem object class.
rmuser(1) Removes a user account.
rmvfs(1) Removes entries in the /etc/vfs file.
rmvirprt(1) Removes a virtual printer.
savebase(1) Saves base customized device data in the ODM onto the boot device.
swapoff(1) Deactivates one or more paging space.
swapon(1) Specifies additional devices for paging and swapping.
syncvg(1) Synchronizes logical volume copies that are not current.
usrck(1) Verifies the correctness of a user definition.
varyoffvg(1) Deactivates a volume group.
varyonvg(1) Activates a volume group.
Related concepts
Major differences between 4.3 BSD and AIX
The following is a summary of the major differences between AIX and 4.3 BSD systems.
Cron for BSD 4.3 system managers

The cron daemon for this operating system is similar to the System V Release 2 cron daemon.
An entry in the /etc/inittab file starts the cron daemon.
Devices for BSD 4.3 system managers

The following discusses devices for BSD 4.3 system managers.

A device on a 4.3 BSD system is accessible to an application only when:
• The device is physically installed and functioning.
• The driver for the device is in the kernel.
• The device special files for the device exist in the /dev directory.
A device on AIX is accessible to an application only when:
• The device is physically installed and functioning.
• The driver for the device is in the kernel or in a loaded kernel extension.
• The device special files for the device exist in the /dev directory.
• The object database in the /etc/objrepos directory contains entries for the device that match the
physical configuration.
The device specific programs called methods, found in the /etc/methods directory, maintain the object
database. The methods are invoked by the Configuration Manager (accessed through the cfgmgr
command) and other commands.
If a device can no longer be accessed by an application program, it can mean that the hardware is faulty
or it can mean that the configuration database in the /etc/objrepos directory is damaged.
The cfgmgr command processes the configuration database in the /etc/objrepos directory and is
processed at startup time by the cfgmgr command (the Configuration Manager).
The pseudocode below shows the Configuration Manager logic:
/* Main */
While there are rules in the Config_Rules database
{
Get the next rule and execute it
Capture stdout from the last execution
Parse_Output(stdout)
}
/* Parse Output Routine */
/* stdout will contain a list of devices found */
Parse_OutPut(stdout)
{
While there are devices left in the list
{
Lookup the device in the database
if (!defined)
Get define method from database and execute
if (! configured)
{
Get config method from database and execute
Parse_Output(stdout)
}
}
}
UUCP for BSD 4.3 system managers

The following table lists the UUCP commands and files.
Item Description
Dialers(4) Lists modems used for BNU remote communications links
Maxuuxqts(4) Limits the number of instances of the BNU uuxqt daemons that can run
Permissions(4) Specifies BNU command permissions for remote systems
Poll(4) Specifies when the BNU program should poll remote systems
Systems(4) Lists remote computers with which the local system can communicate
rmail(1) Handles remote mail received through BNU
uucheck(1) Checks for files and directories required by BNU
uuclean(1) Removes files from the BNU spool directory

Item Description
uucleanup(1) Deletes selected files from the BNU spooling directory
uucpadm(1) Enters basic BNU configuration information
uudemon.admin(1) Provides periodic information on the status of BNU file transfers
uudemon.cleanu(1) Cleans up BNU spooling directories and log files
uudemon.hour(1) Initiates file transport calls to remote systems using the BNU program
uudemon.poll(1) Polls the systems listed in the BNU Poll file
uulog(1) Provides information about BNU file-transfer activities on a system
uupoll(1) Forces a poll of a remote BNU system
uuq(1) Displays the BNU job queue and deletes specified jobs from the queue
uusnap(1) Displays the status of BNU contacts with remote systems
uustat(1) Reports the status of and provides limited control over BNU operations
AIX also provides the 4.3 BSD uuencode and uudecode commands. The HDB uugetty command is not
supported. For information about these commands, see uuencode and uudecode.
Related information
BNU file and directory structure
File systems for BSD 4.3 system managers

Similar commands are used to mount and unmount file systems.
AIX uses the /etc/filesystem file to list file system device information, and has similar commands for
mounting and unmounting file systems.
/etc/filesystems file and /etc/fstab file

4.3 BSD systems store lists of block devices and mount points in the /etc/fstab file. SVR4 systems
store block devices and mount point information in /etc/vfstab file. AIX stores block device and mount
points information in /etc/filesystems file.
The crfs, chfs, and rmfs commands update the /etc/filesystems file.
4.3 BSD system administrators might be interested in the check variable in the /etc/filesystems file.
The check variable can be set to the value True, False, or to a number. For example, you can specify
check=2 in the /etc/filesystems file. The number specifies the pass of the fsck command that will
check this file system. The check parameter corresponds to the fifth field in an /etc/fstab file record.
There is no dump frequency parameter in the /etc/filesystems file.
File system support on AIX

AIX supports various file systems.
AIX supports disk quotas.
AIX does not allow mounting of diskettes as file systems.
The syntax of the mount and umount commands for AIX differs from 4.3 BSD and from SVR4 versions of
these commands. The commands to mount and unmount all file systems at once are shown for all three
systems in the following table:
mount and unmount Commands

Function Syntax for this operating system 4.3 BSD Syntax SVR4
Syntax
mount all file systems mount all mount -a mountall

mount and unmount Commands (continued)
Function Syntax for this operating system 4.3 BSD Syntax SVR4
Syntax
unmount all file systems umount all umount -a umountall
See ../devicemanagement/file_sys.dita#file_sys for more information.
Terminals for BSD 4.3 system managers

The following discusses terminals for BSD 4.3 system managers.
Traditionally, 4.3 BSD system managers enable or disable terminal ports by modifying the /etc/ttys file
and sending a HUP signal to the init program.
AIX stores terminal port information in the ODM and starts terminals when the init program reads
the /etc/inittab file. In AIX, use the SMIT interface to configure terminal ports.
There is no fixed mapping between the port and the device special file name in the /dev directory.
Consequently, it is confusing to system managers who are new to AIX which port is to be configured.
When using SMIT, the first planar serial port (physically labeled s1) is referred to as location 00-00-S1,
adapter sa0, and port s1 in the SMIT menus. The second planar serial port (physically labeled s2) is
referred to as location 00-00-S2, adapter sa1, and port s2.
Use the penable and pdisable commands to enable and disable a port.
termcap and terminfo

Like System V, this operating system uses terminfo entries in /usr/lib/terminfo/?/* files.
Users with 4.3 BSD Systems might find the following commands helpful:
captoinfo(1)
Converts a termcap file to a terminfo file
tic(1)
Translates the terminfo files from source to compiled format.
This operating system includes source for many terminfo entries. Some of these might need to be
compiled with the tic command. The termcap file is provided in /lib/libtermcap/termcap.src
file.

You can control input by specifying the location from which to gather data. For example, you can specify
to read input while data is entered on the keyboard (standard input) or to read input from a file. You can
control output by specifying where to display or store data. You can specify to write output data to the
screen (standard output) or to write it to a file.
Because AIX is a multitasking operating system, it is designed to handle processes in combination with
each other.
Related concepts
Commands for displaying file contents (pg, more, page, and cat commands)
The pg, more, and page commands allow you to view the contents of a file and control the speed at
which your files are displayed.

Standard input, standard output, and standard error files

When a command begins running, it usually expects that the following files are already open: standard
input, standard output, and standard error (sometimes called error output or diagnostic output).
A number, called a file descriptor, is associated with each of these files, as follows:
Item Description
File descriptor 0 Standard input
File descriptor 1 Standard output
File descriptor 2 Standard error (diagnostic) output
A child process normally inherits these files from its parent. All three files are initially assigned to the
workstation (0 to the keyboard, 1 and 2 to the display). The shell permits them to be redirected
elsewhere before control is passed to a command.
When you enter a command, if no file name is given, your keyboard is the standard input, sometimes
denoted as stdin. When a command finishes, the results are displayed on your screen.
Your screen is the standard output, sometimes denoted as stdout. By default, commands take input from
the standard input and send the results to standard output.
Error messages are directed to standard error, sometimes denoted as stderr. By default, this is your
screen.
These default actions of input and output can be varied. You can use a file as input and write results of a
command to a file. This is called input/output redirection.
The output from a command, which normally goes to the display device, can be redirected to a file
instead. This is known as output redirection. This is useful when you have a lot of output that is difficult to
read on the screen or when you want to put files together to create a larger file.
Though not used as much as output redirection, the input for a command, which normally comes from the
keyboard, can also be redirected from a file. This is known as input redirection. Redirection of input lets
you prepare a file in advance and then have the command read the file.
Standard output redirection

When the notation >filename is added to the end of a command, the output of the command is written
to the specified file name. The > symbol is known as the output redirection operator.
Any command that outputs its results to the screen can have its output redirected to a file.
Redirecting output to a file

The output of a process can be redirected to a file by typing the command followed by the output
redirection operator and file name.
For example, to redirect the results of the who command to a file named users, type the following:
who > users
Note: If the users file already exists, it is deleted and replaced, unless the noclobber option of the set
built-in ksh (Korn shell) or csh (C shell) command is specified.
To see the contents of the users file, type the following:
cat users

denise lft/0 May 13 08:05
marta pts/1 May 13 08:10
endrica pts/2 May 13 09:33
Redirecting output to append to a file

When the notation >> filename is added to the end of a command, the output of the command is
appended to the specified file name, rather than writing over any existing data. The >> symbol is known
as the append redirection operator.
For example, to append file2 to file1, type the following:
cat file2 >> file1
Note: If the file1 file does not exist, it is created, unless the noclobber option of the set built-in ksh
(Korn shell) or csh (C shell) command is specified.
Creating a text file with redirection from the keyboard

Used alone, the cat command uses whatever you type at the keyboard as input. You can redirect this
input to a file.
Press Ctrl-D on a new line to signal the end of the text.
At the system prompt, type the following:
cat > filename

This is a test.
^D
Text file concatenation

You can combine multiple files into one file. Combining various files into one file is known as
concatenation.
The following example creates file4, which consists of file1, file2, and file3, appended in the
order below.
• At the system prompt, type the following:
cat file1 file2 file3 > file4
• The following example shows a common error when concatenating files:
cat file1 file2 file3 > file1
Attention: In this example, you might expect the cat command to append the contents of
file1, file2, and file3 into file1. The cat command creates the output file first, so it
actually erases the contents of file1 and then appends file2 and file3 to it.
Standard input redirection

When the notation < filename is added to the end of a command, the input of the command is read
from the specified file name. The < symbol is known as the input redirection operator.
Note: Only commands that normally take their input from the keyboard can have their input redirected.
For example, to send the file letter1 as a message to user denise with the mail command, type the
following:
mail denise < letter1

Discarding output with the /dev/null file
The /dev/null file is a special file. This file has a unique property: it is always empty. Any data sent
to /dev/null is discarded. This is a useful feature when you run a program or command that generates
output that you want to ignore.
For example, you have a program named myprog that accepts input from the screen and generates
messages while it is running that you would rather not see on your screen. To read input from the file
myscript and discard the standard output messages, type the following:
myprog < myscript >/dev/null
In this example, myprog uses the file myscript as input, and all standard output is discarded.
Standard error and other output redirection

In addition to the standard input and standard output, commands often produce other types of output,
such as error or status messages known as diagnostic output. Like standard output, standard error output
is written to the screen unless it is redirected.
To redirect standard error or other output, use a file descriptor. A file descriptor is a number associated
with each of the I/O files that a command ordinarily uses. File descriptors can also be specified to redirect
standard input and standard output. The following numbers are associated with standard input, output,
and error:
Ite Description
m
0 Standard input (keyboard)
1 Standard output (display)
2 Standard error (display)
To redirect standard error output, type the file descriptor number 2 in front of the output or append
redirection symbols (> or > >) and a file name after the symbol. For example, the following command
takes the standard error output from the cc command where it is used to compile the testfile.c file
and appends it to the end of the ERRORS file:
cc testfile.c 2>> ERRORS
Other types of output can also be redirected using the file descriptors from 0 through 9. For example, if
the cmd command writes output to file descriptor 9, you can redirect that output to the savedata file
with the following command:
cmd 9> savedata
If a command writes to more than one output, you can independently redirect each one. Suppose that a
command directs its standard output to file descriptor 1, directs its standard error output to file
descriptor 2, and builds a data file on file descriptor 9. The following command line redirects each of
these outputs to a different file:
command > standard 2> error 9> data
Redirecting output to inline input (here) documents

You can redirect output to inline input (here) documents.
If a command is in the following form:
command << eofstring
and eofstring is any string that does not contain pattern-matching characters, then the shell takes the
subsequent lines as the standard input of command until the shell reads a line consisting of only eofstring
(possibly preceded by one or more tab characters). The lines between the first eofstring and the second

are frequently referred to as an inline input document, or a here document. If a hyphen (-) immediately
follows the << redirection characters, the shell strips leading tab characters from each line of the here
document before it passes the line to command.
The shell creates a temporary file containing the here document and performs variable and command
substitution on the contents before passing the file to the command. It performs pattern matching on file
names that are part of command lines in command substitutions. To prohibit all substitutions, quote any
character of the eofstring:
command << \eofstring
The here document is especially useful for a small amount of input data that is more conveniently placed
in the shell procedure rather than kept in a separate file (such as editor scripts). For example, you could
type the following:
cat <<- xyz

This message will be shown on the
display with leading tabs removed.
xyz
Related concepts
Redirecting output using pipes and filters

You can connect two or more commands so that the standard output of one command is used as the
standard input of another command. A set of commands connected this way is known as a pipeline.
The connection that joins the commands is known as a pipe. Pipes are useful because they let you tie
many single-purpose commands into one powerful command. You can direct the output from one
command to become the input for another command using a pipeline. The commands are connected by a
pipe (|) symbol.
When a command takes its input from another command, modifies it, and sends its results to standard
output, it is known as a filter. Filters can be used alone, but they are especially useful in pipelines. The
most common filters are as follows:
• sort
• more
• pg
• The ls command writes the contents of the current directory to the screen in one scrolling data stream.
When more than one screen of information is presented, some data is lost from view. To control the
output so the contents display screen by screen, you can use a pipeline to direct the output of the ls
command to the pg command, which controls the format of output to the screen. For example, type the
following:
ls | pg
In this example, the output of the ls command becomes the input for the pg command. Press Enter to
continue to the next screen.
Pipelines operate in one direction only (left to right). Each command in a pipeline runs as a separate
process, and all processes can run at the same time. A process pauses when it has no input to read or
when the pipe to the next process is full.

• Another example of using pipes is with the grep command. The grep command searches a file for lines
that contain strings of a certain pattern. To display all your files created or modified in July, type the
following:
ls -l | grep Jul
In this example, the output of the ls command becomes the input for the grep command.
Displaying program output and copying to a file (tee command)

The tee command, used with a pipe, reads standard input, then writes the output of a program to
standard output and simultaneously copies it into the specified file or files. Use the tee command to view
your output immediately and at the same time, store it for future use.
For example, type the following:
ps -ef | tee program.ps
This displays the standard output of the ps -ef command on the display device, and at the same time,
saves a copy of it in the program.ps file. If the program.ps file already exists, it is deleted and replaced
unless the noclobber option of the set built-in command is specified.
For example, to view and save the output from a command to an existing file:
ls -l | tee -a program.ls
This displays the standard output of ls -l at the display device and at the same time appends a copy of
it to the end of the program.ls file.
The system displays information similar to the following, and the program.ls file contains the same
information:
-rw-rw-rw- 1 jones staff 2301 Sep 19 08:53 161414

-rw-rw-rw- 1 jones staff 6317 Aug 31 13:17 def.rpt
-rw-rw-rw- 1 jones staff 5550 Sep 10 14:13 try.doc
See the tee command in the Commands Reference, Volume 5 for the complete syntax.
Clearing your screen (clear command)

Use the clear command to empty the screen of messages and keyboard input.
At the prompt, type the following:
clear
The system clears the screen and displays the prompt.
Sending a message to standard output

Use the echo command to display messages on the screen.
For example, to write a message to standard output, at the prompt, type the following:
echo Please insert diskette . . .
The following message is displayed:
Please insert diskette . . .
For example, to use the echo command with pattern-matching characters, at the prompt, type the
following:
echo The back-up files are: *.bak
The system displays the message The back-up files are: followed by the file names in the current
directory ending with .bak.

Appending a single line of text to a file (echo command)
Use the echo command, used with the append redirection operator, to add a single line of text to a file.
echo Remember to back up mail files by end of week.>>notes
This adds the message Remember to back up mail files by end of week. to the end of the file
notes.
Copying your screen to a file (capture and script commands)

Use the capture command, which emulates a VT100 terminal, to copy everything printed on your
terminal to a file that you specify. Use the script command to copy everything printed on your terminal
to a file that you specify, without emulating a VT100 terminal.
Both commands are useful for printing records of terminal dialogs.
For example, to capture the screen of a terminal while emulating a VT100, at the prompt, type the
following:
capture screen.01
Capture command is started. The file is screen.01.

Use ^P to dump screen to file screen.01.
You are now emulating a vt100 terminal.
Press Any Key to continue.
After entering data and dumping the screen contents, stop the capture command by pressing Ctrl-D or
typing exit and pressing Enter. The system displays information similar to the following:
Capture command is complete. The file is screen.01.

You are NO LONGER emulating a vt100 terminal.
Use the cat command to display the contents of your file.

For example, to capture the screen of a terminal, at the prompt, type the following:
script
Script command is started. The file is typescript.
Everything displayed on the screen is now copied to the typescript file.

To stop the script command, press Ctrl-D or type exit and press Enter. The system displays
information similar to the following:
Script command is complete. The file is typescript.
Use the cat command to display the contents of your file.

See the capture and script commands in Commands Reference for the complete syntax.
Command to display text in large letters on your screen (banner command)

The banner command displays ASCII characters to your screen in large letters.
Each line in the output can be up to 10 digits (or uppercase or lowercase characters) in length.
banner GOODBYE!
The system displays GOODBYE! in large letters on your screen.

Command summary for input and output redirection
The following are commands for input and output redirection.
Item Description
> “Standard output redirection” on page 347
< “Standard input redirection” on page 348
> > “Redirecting output to append to a file” on page 348
| “Redirecting output using pipes and filters” on page 350
banner Writes ASCII character strings in large letters to standard output
capture Allows terminal screens to be dumped to a file
clear Clears the terminal screen
echo Writes character strings to standard output
script Allows terminal input and output to be copied to a file
tee Displays the standard output of a program and copies it into a file
AIX kernel recovery

Beginning with AIX 6.1, the kernel can optionally recover from errors in selected routines, avoiding an
unplanned system outage.
Kernel recovery is disabled by default. If kernel recovery is enabled, the system might pause for a short
time during a kernel recovery action. This time is generally less than two seconds. The following actions
occur immediately after a kernel recovery action:
• The system console displays the following message:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A kernel error recovery action has occurred. A recovery log
has been logged in the system error log.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
• AIX adds an entry into the error log. You can send the error log data to IBM for service, similar to
sending data from a full system termination. The following is a sample recovery error log entry:
LABEL: RECOVERY
Date/Time: Fri Feb 16 14:04:17 CST 2007
Type: INFO
Resource Name: RMGR
Description
Kernel Recovery Action
Detail Data
Live Dump Base Name
RECOV_20070216200417_0000
Function Name
w_clear
FRR Name
w_init_clear_frr
Symptom String
273
EEEE00009627A072
F10001001B18BBC0
w_clear+D0
wdog0030+288
test_index+4C
Recovery Log Data
0001 0000 0000 0000 F000 0000 2FFC AEB0 0000 0111 0000 0000 0000 0000 0021 25BC
8000 0000 0002 9032 EEEE 0000 9627 A072 F100 0100 1B18 BBC0 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0001 0000 0000 0006 0057 D2FF 8C00 0001 0148 0500 0000 8000 0000 0002 9032
.....
• AIX generates a live dump. The data from a live dump is located by default in the /var/adm/ras/
livedump directory and the file is named RECOV_timestamp_sequence, where timestamp specifies
the time of the kernel recovery occurrence, and sequence specifies the number of times that kernel

recovery has been invoked. You can send live dump data to IBM for service, similar to sending data from
a full system termination. For more information about live dumps, see live dumps in Kernel Extensions
and Device Support Programming Concepts.
Attention: Some functions might be lost after a kernel recovery, but the operating system remains in a
stable state. If necessary, shut down and restart your system to restore the lost functions.
Memory and processor considerations

AIX maintains data on the status of kernel recovery during mainline kernel operations. When kernel
recovery is enabled, additional processor instructions are required to maintain the data and additional
memory is required to save the data. The impact to processor usage is minimal. Additional memory
consumption can be determined by the following equation, where maxthread is the maximum number of
threads running on the system and procnum is the number of processors:
memory required = 4 KB x maxthread + 128 KB x procnum
As show in the following example, a system with 16 processors and a maximum of 1000 threads
consumes an additional 6304 KB:
4 x 1000 + 128 x 16 = 6304 KB
Enabling and disabling kernel recovery

You can enable or disable kernel recovery from the SMIT path interface.
To enable, or disable kernel recovery, use the following SMIT path:
Problem Determination > Kernel Recovery > Change Kernel Recovery State > Change Next Boot
Kernel Recovery State
You can also display the current kernel recovery state by using the following SMIT path:
Problem Determination > Kernel Recovery > Show Kernel Recovery State
AIX Event Infrastructure for AIX and AIX clusters-AHAFS

AIX Event Infrastructure for AIX and AIX clusters comprise an event monitoring framework for monitoring
predefined and user-defined events.
Introduction to the AIX Event Infrastructure

The AIX Event Infrastructure is an event monitoring framework for monitoring predefined and user-
defined events.
In the AIX Event Infrastructure, an event is defined as any change of a state or a value that can be
detected by the kernel or a kernel extension at the time the change occurs. The events that can be
monitored are represented as files in a pseudo file system. Some advantages of the AIX Event
infrastructure are:
• There is no need for constant polling. Users monitoring the events are notified when those events occur.
• Detailed information about an event (such as stack trace and user and process information) is provided
to the user monitoring the event.
• Existing file system interfaces are used so that there is no need for a new application programming
interface (API).
• Control is handed to the AIX Event Infrastructure at the exact time the event occurs.
AIX Event Infrastructure components

The AIX Event Infrastructure is made up of the following four components:
• The kernel extension implementing the pseudo file system.
• The event consumers that consume the events.

• The event producers that produce events.
• The kernel component that serve as an interface between the kernel extension and the event
producers.
AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension

The AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension implements the pseudo file system.
All events are represented as files in this file system. There are four file object types:
• .list files: There is only one .list file in the pseudo file system evProds.list. This is a special file which
when read, will return the names of all currently defined event producers.
• .monFactory directories: Monitor factories are a special type of directory. These are directory
representations of the event producers. Monitor factory directories and their parent subdirectories are
automatically created for the user.
• subdirectories: Sub directories are used both for ease of management and to represent full path names
for monitor files (see .mon files).
• .mon files: The monitor files represent the events that can be monitored. The full pathname of a
monitor file from its parent monitor factory, minus the .mon extension is the full representation of the
event being monitored. For example, the file /aha/fs/modFile.monFactory/etc/password.mon is used
to monitor the modifications to the /etc/passwd file. Monitor files can only exist underneath a monitor
factory.
No other regular files can be created in this pseudo file system. Since the AIX Event Infrastructure file
system is an in-memory file system, there is a maximum of 32 KB of inodes that may exist. The number of
inodes used will be displayed in the df command output.

An example of the layout of an AIX Event Infrastructure file system is shown below:
Note:
The evProds.list file exists directly under the root of the file system, and contains the list of event
producers that are defined and usable under this operating system instance.
Using the LFS interface, the AIX Event Infrastructure will translate text input written to monitor files into
specifications on how the user wants to be notified of event occurrences. Once a user has issued a
select() or a blocking read() call to signify the beginning of their monitoring, the AIX Event Infrastructure
will notify the corresponding event producer to start monitoring the specified event.
When an event occurrence is detected, the AIX Event Infrastructure will notify all waiting consumers
whose monitoring criteria have been met.
Event consumers
Event consumers are user space processes that are waiting on events to occur.
Consumers set up event monitoring by writing information to a monitor file specifying how and when they
should be notified. Consumers may wait for event notification in a select() call or a blocking read() call.
The AIX Event Infrastructure is not thread safe. Processes should not use multiple threads to monitor the
same event.
Event producers
Event producers are sections of code within the kernel or a kernel extension that can detect an event.
When a monitored event occurs, the event producer notifies the AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension
and sends any associated information about the event to pass on to the consumer.
Currently, there are two main classes of event producers:
• Those that monitor for a state change
• Those that monitor for a value exceeding user-specified thresholds

ahafs_evprods kernel service
The ahafs_evprods kernel service facilitates communication between the AIX Event Infrastructure kernel
extension and event producers.
To facilitate communication between the AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension and event producers,
the ahafs_evprods kernel service is exported. Inside the kernel, a list of registered event producers is
used to look up event producers and to pass information between appropriate event producers and the
kernel extension.
Setting up the AIX Event Infrastructure

Steps required for setting up the AIX Event Infrastructure.
The only steps necessary to set up the AIX Event Infrastructure are:
1. Install the bos.ahafs fileset.
2. Create the directory for the desired mount point.
3. Run the following command:
mount –v ahafs <mount point> <mount point>
Example
mkdir /aha
mount -v ahafs /aha /aha
Mounting an AIX Event Infrastructure file system will automatically load the kernel extension and
create all monitor factories. Only one instance of an AIX Event Infrastructure file system may be
mounted at a time. An AIX Event Infrastructure file system may be mounted on any regular directory,
but it is suggested that users use /aha.
High-level view of how the AIX Event Infrastructure works

A consumer may monitor multiple events, and multiple consumers may monitor the same event. Each
consumer may monitor value-based events with a different threshold value. To handle this, the AIX Event
Infrastructure kernel extension keeps a list of each consumer's information including:
• Specified wait type (WAIT_IN_READ or WAIT_IN_SELECT)
• Level of information requested
• Threshold (s) for which to monitor (if monitoring a threshold value event)
• A buffer used to hold information about event occurrences.
Event information is stored per-process so that different processes monitoring the same event do not
alter the event data. When a consumer process reads from a monitor file, it will only read its own copy of
the event data.
Typical flow of monitoring an event

The steps in monitoring an event is described in this topic.
1. A process attempts to open or create a monitor file.
2. AIX Event Infrastructure passes the pathname of the monitor file to the appropriate event producer.
The event producer verifies that the monitor file represents a valid event and that the process has
access to monitor the event.
3. The process writes information to the file specifying:
a. The wait type (WAIT_TYPE=WAIT_IN_READ or WAIT_TYPE=WAIT_IN_SELECT). The default
wait type is WAIT_IN_SELECT.
b. When to be notified. For state change events, the user must specify CHANGED=YES. For
threshold value events, the user may specify THRESH_HI=<value>, THRESH_LO=<value>, or

both, depending on the capabilities of the associated event producer. There is no default for this
specification, and CHANGED=YES and THRESH_*=<value> may not both be specified.
4. AIX Event Infrastructure will then allocate the per-process block to store this information if one does
not already exist for this process and fill it with the information written by the user.
5. The process issues select() or a blocking read() on the monitor file
6. AIX Event Infrastructure will call ahafs_evprods to check that the thresholds specified are valid for
this particular event. For example, the utilFs event producer does not allow values of > 100%. If the
threshold is not valid, the select() or read() call will return RC_FROM_EVPROD and upon a read of
the monitor file will be EINVAL returned.
7. For threshold value event producers, only one value is sent to the event producer for each threshold
(hi or lo) for monitoring. At select() or blocking read() time, AIX Event Infrastructure will register this
new threshold with the event producer if one of the following is true:
a. If no other process is monitoring this event, the threshold (s) specified by this consumer are
registered with the event producer.
b. If there are other processes monitoring this event, then if the THRESH_LO specified by the
consumer is higher than the currently monitored low threshold OR if the THRESH_HI specified by
the consumer is lower than the currently monitored high threshold AIX Event Infrastructure calls
into the ahafs_evprods kernel service to update the currently monitored threshold.
8. Upon return from ahafs_evprods kernel service, the actual value of the event is returned (in some
cases). If the actual value returned has already met or exceeded either threshold, the read() or
select() call will return immediately and the RC_FROM_EVPROD logged in the event buffer will be
EALREADY. The read() or select() calls will return 0.
9. For state change event producers, the ahafs_evprods function is always called to register the event.
10. Upon a successful registration, AIX Event Infrastructure sets up notification. For consumers waiting
in select(), the notification is set up through selreg(). For consumers blocking in a read() call, the
thread is put to sleep with e_sleep_thread().
11. Once an event producer detects that an event has occurred, it will notify AIX Event Infrastructure
with information regarding the event (i.e. information about the process triggering the event, the
current value, the return code, etc.).
12. During this callback from the event producer, AIX Event Infrastructure will:
a. Determine the ahaNode corresponding to the event
b. Search the list of waiting consumers to determine whose thresholds have been met or exceeded
to notify with the selnotify() or e_wakeup() call. All consumers waiting on a state change event
will be notified.
13. Once the process is notified of the event, it reads from the monitor file to obtain event data. An
example of output from an event is below.
An example output for a state change event producer who has specified that a stack trace should be
taken:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
TIME_tvsec=1269377315
TIME_tvnsec=955475223
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=2490594
UID=0
UID_LOGIN=0
GID=0
PROG_NAME=cat
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
END_EVENT_INFO
An example for a threshold value event:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO

SEQUENCE_NUM=0
CURRENT_VALUE=2
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
END_EVENT_INFO
Note: Due to the asynchronous nature of process notification, the current value returned may be stale by
the time a process reads the monitor file. Users are notified when the threshold is first met or exceeded,
but other operations which may alter the values being monitored will not be blocked.
Using the AIX Event Infrastructure

All directories in the AIX Event Infrastructure file system have an access mode of 1777 and all files have
access mode of 0666.
Currently, all directories in the AIX Event Infrastructure file system have a mode of 1777 and all files have
a mode of 0666. These modes cannot be changed, but the ownership of files and directories may be
changed. Access control for monitoring events is done at the event producer level. Creation / modification
times are not maintained and are always returned as the current time when issuing stat () on a file object
within the pseudo file system. Any attempt to modify these times will return an error.
Monitoring events
Creating the monitor file
The monitor file corresponding to the event must be created to monitor an event.
Before monitoring an event, the monitor file corresponding to the event must be created. The AIX Event
Infrastructure does support open() with the O_CREAT flag. As an example, we will follow the steps
required to monitor the file system /filesys/clj-fs for a utilization of 90%.
• The necessary subdirectories must also be created:
mkdir /aha/fs/utilFs.monFactory/filesys
• Open the file /aha/fs/utilFs.monFactory/filesys/clj-fs.mon.

Before a monitor file can be created, the AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension will call the event
producer to determine if the event being requested is valid and to determine if the user has sufficient
authority to monitor the specified event. Here are some of the common errors which can be returned from
a monitor file create or open:
Table 62. Return Codes

Return Code Details
ENODEV There is no event corresponding to the path
specified.
Note: An ENODEV error may still be returned when
trying to open an existing monitor file when the
event no longer exists.
EPERM User does not have permission to monitor the

specified event.
ENOTSUP The event specified does not support monitoring

by AIX Event Infrastructure.
Writing to the monitor file

The consumer process writes to the monitor file to specify how and when it should be notified of events.
Once the monitor file desired is created and opened, the consumer process will write to the monitor file to
specify how and when it should be notified of events. This data is written in <key>=<value> pairs which
may be separated by a ; or whitespace. The acceptable <key>=<value> pairs are as follows:

Table 63. Acceptable <key>=<value> pairs
Key Acceptable Values Details
CHANGED YES Specifies that the event to be
monitored is of
AHAFS_THRESHOLD_STATE
type and that the consumer
should be notified when the state
of the event changes.
THRESH_HI Unsigned, 64 bit integer, This key specifies the high
specified in decimal threshold for the event. Once the
event has reached this threshold
(equal to or greater), the
consumer will be notified.
Note: While this is a 64 bit
integer, some event producers
may have limits on what values
can actually be monitored. For
example, acceptable values for
THRESH_HI for the utilFs event
producer are between 1 and 100,
inclusive. The validity of the
threshold for the event producer
is not checked at write time, but
rather at select() or blocking
read() time.
THRESH_LO Unsigned, 64 bit integer, This key specifies the low

specified in decimal threshold for the event. Once the
event has reached this threshold
(equal to or less than), the
consumer will be notified.
Note: While this is a 64 bit
integer, some event producers
may have limits on what values
can actually be monitored. For
example, acceptable values for
THRESH_LO for the utilFs event
producer are between 1 and 100,
inclusive. The validity of the
threshold for the event producer
is not checked at write time, but
rather at select() or blocking
read() time.
WAIT_TYPE WAIT_IN_SELECT (default), Specifies how the consumer will

WAIT_IN_READ wait for the event. If the
consumer wishes to block for the
event in a select() call, they
should specify
WAIT_IN_SELECT. If the
consumer wishes to block for the
event in a read() call, they should
specify WAIT_IN_READ.

Table 63. Acceptable <key>=<value> pairs (continued)
INFO_LVL 1, 2 (default), or 3 Specifies what event data should
be logged in the user's buffer:
• INFO_LVL=1 will log the
timestamp of the event,
sequence number, event
producer return code, user
information*, process
information*, program name*,
and current value of the event
(if applicable).
• INFO_LVL=2 will log all data
from level 1, plus the message
from the event producer, if
applicable.
• INFO_LVL=3 will log all data
from level 2, plus the stack of
the event if applicable.
Note: The user information,
process information, program
name and stack trace are only
available for event producers
which have specified the
AHAFS_STKTRACE_AVAILABLE
flag. Not all event producers pass
messages. See the event
producer documentation to
determine what info is available.
Examples of the event output are
shown in the “Reading Event
Data” on page 365 section.
NOTIFY_CNT -1 (default), or any value The NOTIFY_CNT specifies how

between 1 and 32767, inclusive many times the event should
occur before the process is
notified. If the -1 value is
specified, the consumer will be
notified upon every occurrence of
the event and every event
occurrence will be logged in the
user buffer. If the consumer
specifies a positive, non zero
value, the consumer will be
blocked until the event has
occurred the specified number of
times. Once the event has
occurred the specified number of
times, no more events will be
logged until the consumer blocks
in another select() or blocking
read() call. See the “Waiting on
events” on page 363 section for
more information.

Table 63. Acceptable <key>=<value> pairs (continued)
CLUSTER YES If the system is part of a cluster
and the cluster is active,
consumers may specify this key
to be notified of occurrences of
this event on other nodes in the
cluster. Not all event producers
support cluster-wide monitoring.
This feature is off by default. See
the “Cluster events” on page 383
section for more information.
BUF_SIZE A positive integer, up to 1048576 This key specifies the size of the
buffer which should be used to
record event data, specified in
bytes. The default size is 2048,
and the smallest size allocated
will be 1024 bytes, even if the
consumer requests a smaller
size.
Writing information to the monitor file only prepares for a subsequent select() or blocking read() call.
Monitoring does not start until a select() or blocking read() is done.
For example, to monitor the file system /filesys/clj-fs for the first occurrence of a utilization of 90% in a
blocking read() call, the following string is written to the /aha/fs/utilFs.monFactory/filesys/clj-fs.mon
file:
WAIT_TYPE=WAIT_IN_READ THRESH_HI=90 NOTIFY_CNT=1
Possible return codes from a write() call to a monitor file:
Table 64. Return Codes

Return Code Details
EINVAL If an invalid value is given for any of the above
keys, the write to the monitor file will fail with
EINVAL. In addition, if the notify parameters
(CHANGED or THRESH_HI/LO) specified do not
match with the capabilities of the event producer,
the write will fail with EINVAL. For example, if the
consumer specifies CHANGED=YES for the utilFs
event producer (which only monitors for
THRESH_HI/LO), the write call will return EINVAL.
Specifying CLUSTER=YES without an active cluster
will also result in EINVAL.
EBUSY If there is another thread in the process which is

currently waiting on the event, a write to the
monitor file by any other thread will return EBUSY.
ESTALE The monitor file has been deleted. In order to

monitor this event, the file descriptor will need to
be closed, then reopened with O_CREAT

Table 64. Return Codes (continued)
Return Code Details
ENOMEM Unable to allocate temporary memory or memory
for the event buffer.
ENOSPC A maximum of 512 processes may monitor a

monitor file. If there are already 512 processes
with this file open who have written to it, the write
will fail with ENOSPC.
Waiting on events
Monitoring specifications are written to the monitor file.
Once monitoring specifications are successfully written to the monitor file, the consumer process will
block for an event occurrence using select() or read(). Consumers are only notified of events that occur
once they block in select() or read(). There are three ways that the process can return from select() or a
blocking read():
1. The event has occurred the specified number of times.
• Non-error case. Consumer should read event data to determine how to handle the event.
2. There was a problem when setting up the event inside the AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension.
Errors may occur before the event is registered for monitoring with the event producer:
• read()
– If there is another thread waiting in read, the read will fail with EBUSY
– If there was no write done before this read, the read will just return 0, with 0 bytes read.
• select()
Note:
Due to the implementation of the select system call, in order for select() to return an error, the
underlying file system operations must return EBADF. As a result, if any of the following conditions
are met, select() will return EBADF.
– Another thread is attempting a select
– The monitor file has been deleted
– There was no write done specifying monitoring specifications
– There was an error when registering with the IOS subsystem
In these cases, there will be no event data to read.
3. There was a problem setting up the event with the event producer.
If an attempt is made to register the event with the event producer, an entry will be logged into the
buffer for the consumer to read. To determine what error occurred, the RC_FROM_EVPROD returned
in the event data should be referenced in the event producer's documentation. Note that the event
output for this case will only contain the timestamp, sequence number and return code from the event
producer, regardless of what INFO_LVL has been specified. See “Reading Event Data” on page 365 for
an example.
In this case, select() will return EBADF, but read() will return the return code from the underlying
uio_move operation.
If the consumer process has specified a NOTIFY_CNT greater than 1, information about each event
occurrence will be logged in the consumer's buffer until the number of events request have occurred. The
consumer process will only be woken up if the event has occurred the requested number of times, or an
unavailable event has occurred. Once the consumer process is woken up, it will no longer be monitoring
the event until it re-issues a select() or blocking read() call for the monitor file.

If a consumer has specified a NOTIFY_CNT of -1, the consumer process will be woken up after each
occurrence of the event, and any event which occurs after the initial successful select() or blocking read()
will be logged in the consumer buffer.
The select() and read() calls will not block if there is unread event data in the buffer.
Unavailable Event Occurrences

For some event producers, there may be event occurrences that cause the monitored event to become
invalid.
Some examples are:
• The death of a process for processMon and pidProcessMon .
• The unmounting of a file system containing monitored files for modDir and modFile .
• The unmounting of a file system which is being monitored by utilFs .
• The removal or renaming of a file which is being monitored by modDir or modFile
• The removal of an event producer which is currently being used to monitor events (The
RC_FROM_EVPROD will be ENODEV in this case).
Once an unavailable event occurrence has been triggered, the consumers may not continue to monitor for
that event until it becomes valid again. Examples of events becoming valid again:
• The remounting of a monitored file system.
• The recreation of a monitored file that was deleted.
• The recreation of a process that was being monitored.
When a local unavailable event is triggered, the AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension will remove the
monitor file(s) affected. When a monitor file is deleted, consumers who still have the file open will be able
to read their event data, but will not be able to write or block waiting for an event occurrence on that
monitor file. When an unavailable event occurrence is encountered by the consumer, they should take the
appropriate action (which will presumably cause the event to become valid again), close the file
descriptor for the monitor file, and re-open the monitor file with the O_CREAT flag.
Local unavailable event occurrences will also cause select() and read() to unblock before the requested
number of events occurrences have been triggered if the consumer has specified a NOTIFY_CNT > 1. For
example, if a consumer is monitoring file /foo with a NOTIFY_CNT=3, the consumer will return from
select() or read() if /foo is removed even if it is the first occurrence of an event with /foo.
Using AIX Event Infrastructure for polling

AIX Event Infrastructure does not require that event producers always maintain the current value of
events which may be monitored.
This is to allow for greater performance since event producers do not have the overhead of maintaining
this value if no one is monitoring for occurrences of the event.
This creates a problem when using synchronous polling. Since it is not always possible to obtain the
current value of an event at every point in time, poll() or synchronous select() calls are handled in the
following way:
• When a process issues select() or poll() on a monitor file for the first time, the AIX Event Infrastructure
kernel extension will register that event for monitoring with the event producer.
– For threshold value event producers who do maintain the current value, the current value will be
returned to the AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension upon event registration. This value will be
checked against the consumer threshold value at this time. If the consumer's threshold has been
exceeded, the select() or poll() will indicate that the event has occurred and will have an
RC_FROM_EVPROD of EALREADY.
• POLLSYNC flags are ignored. An event remains registered with the event producer until the event occurs
the specified number of times, or until the user closes the file.
• Subsequent poll() calls will have the following behavior:

– If the event has not yet occurred, the call will return with no return events
– If the event has occurred the specified number of times since the last poll() call, return events will be
set to indicate that the event has occurred.
Reading Event Data

Event data in AIX Event Infrastructure consists of keyword-value pairs.
Event data may only be read once and no more than one event occurrence worth of data will be returned
in a single read() call. For example, say that two events have occurred before the consumer reads from
the monitor file and each event has 256 bytes worth of data. If the consumer calls read() for 4096 bytes,
only the 256 bytes of the first event will be returned to the user. A second read() call will need to be
performed to obtain the data from the second event. Any offset given will be ignored and data will be read
starting from the last unread byte.
Event data will be at the most 4096 bytes, although most events will be much smaller ( < 512 bytes). It is
recommended that when reading events, a large enough buffer should be used so as to avoid only reading
part of an event.
Event data in AHAFS consists of keyword = value pairs, with the exception of BUF_WRAP,
EVENT_OVERFLOW, BEGIN_EVENT_INFO, END_EVENT_INFO, BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO,
END_EVPROD_INFO and STACK_TRACE which are special keywords without any values. Here are the
keywords you may see in event data:
Table 65. Keywords

Key Value Details
BUF_WRAP None The consumer buffer is handled
like a circular buffer. If any
unread data is overwritten by the
latest event data, this keyword
will be the next string returned by
the read() call even if the
consumer has partially read the
previous entry. The subsequent
call to read() will return the next
whole event.
EVENT_OVERFLOW None If the event data is too large to fit

inside the consumer's event data
buffer, this keyword will be
returned from the first read(). A
subsequent read() will return
what event data was able to fit
inside the buffer.
Note: If EVENT_OVERFLOW is
encountered, the end string
END_EVENT_INFO will not be
present.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO None This keyword signifies the

beginning of the data for an event
occurrence.
END_EVENT_INFO None This keyword signifies the end of

the data for this specific event
occurrence.

Table 65. Keywords (continued)
Key Value Details
TIME_tvsec TIME_tvnsec Integer These two fields record the
timestamp of the event
occurrence as seconds and nano-
seconds since the Epoch.
SEQUENCE_NUM Integer This field records the number of

times the event has occurred
since the first successful select()
or blocking read(). This number
is reset to 0 if the select() or
blocking read() call fails, or if the
consumer ceases to monitor the
event (through overwriting of the
event monitoring specifications,
or through reaching an event
occurrence count equal to the
NOTIFY_CNT specified).
PID Integer Process ID of the process which

triggered the event occurrence.
Only available with an event
producer who has specified the
capability, but not the
AHAFS_CALLBACK_INTRCNTX
capability.
UID Integer Effective user ID of the user who

capability.
UID_LOGIN Integer Login user ID of the user who

capability.

Key Value Details
GID Integer Effective group ID of the user
who triggered the event
occurrence. Only available with
an event producer who has
specified the
capability.
PROG_NAME String Name of the process which

capability.
CURRENT_VALUE 64 bit unsigned integer, in This key is only for

decimal AHAFS_THRESHOLD_VALUE
event producers and will return
the current value of the event at
the time the event occurrence
was detected. Note that due to
delay between the time a process
is notified and the time they read
the event data, the actual current
value of the event may have
changed.
RC_FROM_EVPROD 32 bit integer, in decimal This return code comes from the
event producer either as the
result of an error when trying to
set up the event, or as the result
of an event occurrence.
Generally, return codes less than
256 indicate an error when
attempting to register the event
with the event producer. Some
event producers will return codes
greater than 256 to provide more
information about the event
occurrence. These return codes
are documented in sys/
ahafs_evProds.h

Key Value Details
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO String* These two keywords mark the
END_EVPROD_INFO beginning and end of the string
returned by the event producer.
There will always be a newline
after BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO and
before END_EVPROD_INFO. For
consumers who have specified
CLUSTER=YES, this is where
node information will be given.
STACK_TRACE String* For consumers who have

specified INFO_LVL=3 with an
event producer who has specified
the
capability, the stack trace of the
event occurrence will be
provided. The keyword
STACK_TRACE indicates that the
remaining event data, until the
string END_EVENT_INFO is the
stack of the event occurrence.
NUM_EVDROPS_INTRCNTX Integer This keyword represents the

number of interrupt-context
event occurrences that are
dropped since the time that is
specified by the TIME0_tvsec
and TIME0_tvnsec keywords in
the report. The event
occurrences are dropped only
when the frequency of the event
occurrence is high.
TIME0_tvsec Integer These keywords record the time
stamp of the first event-
TIME0_tvnsec
occurrence drop in seconds and
nano-seconds since the Epoch.
These keywords are reported
along with the
NUM_EVDROPS_INTRCNTX
keyword.
Duplicate Event Consolidation

If the same event occurs multiple times before the consumer has read the data, the duplicate entries will
be consolidated into one entry. This consolidation is indicated by non sequential sequence numbers
without a corresponding BUF_WRAP keyword. The timestamp and sequence numbers will reflect the
most recent occurrence of the event.

Example Event Data
For an event producer which has specified AHAFS_THRESHOLD_STATE and
AHAFS_STKTRACE_AVAILABLE, and will pass a message to event consumers, the three levels of output
look like this:
INFO_LVL=1 INFO_LVL=2 INFO_LVL=3
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO BEGIN_EVENT_INFO BEGIN_EVENT_INFO

TIME_tvsec=1269863383 TIME_tvsec=1269863383 TIME_tvsec=1269863383
TIME_tvnsec=455993143 TIME_tvnsec=455993143 TIME_tvnsec=455993143
SEQUENCE_NUM=0 SEQUENCE_NUM=0 SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=6947038 PID=6947038 PID=6947038
UID=0 UID=0 UID=0
UID_LOGIN=0 UID_LOGIN=0 UID_LOGIN=0
GID=0 GID=0 GID=0
PROG_NAME=cat PROG_NAME=cat PROG_NAME=cat
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000 RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000 RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
END_EVENT_INFO BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
event producer message here event producer message here
END_EVPROD_INFO END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO STACK_TRACE
ahafs_prod_callback+3C4
ahafs_cbfn_wrapper+30
ahafs_vn_write+204
vnop_rdwr+7E4
vno_rw+B4
rwuio+12C
rdwr+184
kewrite+16C
.svc_instr
write+1A4
_xwrite+6C
_xflsbuf+B0
__flsbuf+9C
copyopt_ascii+2C0
scat+388
main+11C
__start+68
END_EVENT_INFO
For an event producer which has specified AHAFS_THRESHOLD_VALUE_HI and has not specified
AHAFS_STKTRACE_AVAILABLE, and will pass a message to event consumers, the three levels of output
look like this:
INFO_LVL=1 INFO_LVL=2 INFO_LVL=3
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO BEGIN_EVENT_INFO BEGIN_EVENT_INFO

TIME_tvsec=1269866715 TIME_tvsec=1269866715 TIME_tvsec=1269866715
TIME_tvnsec=16678418 TIME_tvnsec=16678418 TIME_tvnsec=16678418
SEQUENCE_NUM=0 SEQUENCE_NUM=0 SEQUENCE_NUM=0
CURRENT_VALUE=3 CURRENT_VALUE=3 CURRENT_VALUE=3
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000 RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000 RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
END_EVENT_INFO BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
event producer message here event producer message here
END_EVPROD_INFO END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO END_EVENT_INFO
Error format
If there is an error from the event producer, all event producers will have the following format for all
INFO_LVL:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=20
END_EVENT_INFO

If a consumer is monitoring a AHAFS_THRESHOLD_VALUE event and the current value already exceeds
the requested threshold, the error format will also be used to record this EALREADY event:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
CURRENT_VALUE=1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=56
END_EVENT_INFO
BUF_WRAP and EVENT_OVERFLOW

If unread data is overwritten by data from a new event occurrence, the keyword BUF_WRAP will be the
first output from a read() on the monitor file. If there is a buffer wrap AND an event overflow, the
BUF_WRAP will always come first, followed by the EVENT_OVERFLOW. Here is an example output from
read() in the case where we have both a buffer wrap and an event overflow:
First read() will return:
BUF_WRAP
Second read() will return:
EVENT_OVERFLOW
Third read() will return the event data that was able to fit inside the buffer:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=6947038
UID=0
UID_LOGIN=0
GID=0
PROG_NAME=cat
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
event producer message here
END_EVPROD_INFO
STACK_TRACE
ahafs_prod_callback+3C4
ahafs_cbfn_wrapper+30
ahafs_vn_write+204
vnop_rdwr+7E4
vno_rw+B4
rwuio+12C
rdwr+184
kewrite+16C
.svc_instr
write+1A4
_xwri
If event information is coming fast enough, it is possible to receive two BUF_WRAP entries in a row. If you
are seeing BUF_WRAP, increase the size of the buffer (using BUF_SIZE when writing to the monitor file).
NUM_EVDROPS_INTRCNTX
If any interrupt-context event occurrence is dropped because of a high frequency of event-occurrences,
the output from a read() call on the event file, representing that event, contains the
NUM_EVDROPS_INTRCNTX keyword just after the line that contains the BEGIN_EVENT_INFO keyword.
The following example represents an output from a read() call:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
NUM_EVDROPS_INTRCNTX=5508
TIME0_tvsec=1353437661
TIME0_tvnsec=75494625
SEQUENCE_NUM=6663

RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
...msg from event-producer...
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
This example output contains the following sets of information:

• The NUM_EVDROPS_INTRCNTX=5508 value is the number of dropped interrupt-context event-
occurrences since the time that is specified by the TIME0_tvsec and TIME0_tvnsec fields.
• The remaining information (that is, SEQUENCE_NUM=6663, RC_FROM_EVPROD=0, ...msg from
event-producer..., and so on) is about the event that occurred at the time that is specified by the
TIME_tvsec and TIME_tvnsec fields.
Pre-defined event producers
modFile
The modFile event producer monitors for modifications to the contents of a file.
Overview
The modFile event producer resides under the fs directory and monitors for modifications to a file.
The following vnode operations are monitored: vnop_rdwr(), vnop_map_lloff(), vnop_remove(),
vnop_ftrunc(), vnop_fclear() and vnop_rename(). Modifications which do not go through the LFS
layer cannot be monitored (that is writes to mapped files).
Files may not be monitored if:
• They are in a remote file system.
• They are in file system of type ahafs, procfs or namefs.
• They are a symbolic link.
• They reside under a directory which ends with an AIX Event Infrastructure extension
(.mon, .list, .monFactory).
• Monitor files with a full path name larger than MAXPATHLEN in the AIX Event Infrastructure pseudo
file system cannot be monitored.
Capabilities
AHAFS_REMOTE_EVENT_ENABLED
Return codes
The modFile event producer uses return codes which are defined in <sys/ahafs_evProds.h>.
These return codes are used to indicate how the contents of the monitored directory were modified:
AHAFS_MODFILE_WRITE
The monitored file was written to.
AHAFS_MODFILE_UNMOUNT
The file system containing the monitored file was unmounted. This is an unavailable event.
AHAFS_MODFILE_MAP
A process has mapped a portion of the monitored file for writing.
AHAFS_MODFILE_REMOVE
The monitored file has been removed. This is an unavailable event.
AHAFS_MODFILE_RENAME
The monitored file has been renamed. This is an unavailable event.
AHAFS_MODFILE_FCLEAR
A process has issued an fclear for the monitored file.

AHAFS_MODFILE_FTRUNC
A process has issued an ftrunc for the monitored file.
AHAFS_MODFILE_OVERMOUNT
The monitored file has been over mounted.
Event producer message
This event producer does not pass any messages as part of its event data.
Acceptable monitor files
To monitor for file modifications, a monitor file with the same path as the file you wish to monitor
should be created under the modFile.monFactory directory. For example, to monitor /etc/passwd,
the monitor file /aha/fs/modFile.monFactory/etc/passwd.mon would be used.
Example event data
The following event data was generated from a process writing to a monitored file. This is the output
seen with an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=5701678
UID=0
UID_LOGIN=0
GID=0
PROG_NAME=cat
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
STACK_TRACE
aha_cbfn_wrapper+30
ahafs_evprods+510
aha_vn_write+154
vnop_rdwr+7E8
vno_rw+B4
rwuio+100
rdwr+188
kewrite+104
.svc_instr
write+1A4
_xwrite+6C
_xflsbuf+A8
__flsbuf+C0
copyopt+2E8
scat+22C
main+11C
__start+68
END_EVENT_INFO
modFileAttr
The modFileAttr event producer monitors for modifications to the attributes of a file.
Overview
The modFileAttr event producer resides under the fs directory and monitors for modifications to the
attributes of a file or directory (mode, ownership and ACLs). The following vnode operations are
monitored: vnop_setattr() (only for V_OWN and V_MODE operations), vnop_setacl(), vnop_setxacl(),
vnop_remove(), vnop_rename() and vnop_rmdir().
Files or directories may not be monitored if:
• They are in a remote file system
• They are in file system of type ahafs, procfs or namefs
(.mon, .list, .monFactory)

Capabilities
Return codes
The modFileAttr event producer uses return codes which are defined in <sys/ahafs_evProds.h>.
AHAFS_MODFILEATTR_UNMOUNT
The filesystem containing the monitored file or directory was unmounted. This is an unavailable
event.
AHAFS_MODFILEATTR_REMOVE
The monitored file or directory has been removed. This is an unavailable event.
AHAFS_MODFILEATTR_RENAME
The monitored file or directory has been renamed. This is an unavailable event.
AHAFS_MODFILEATTR_OVERMOUNT
The monitored file or directory has been over mounted. This is an unavailable event.
AHAFS_MODFILEATTR_SETACL
The ACLs of the monitored file or directory were modified.
AHAFS_MODFILEATTR_SETOWN
The ownership of the monitored file or directory was modified.
AHAFS_MODFILEATTR_SETMODE
The mode of the monitored file or directory was modified.
To monitor for file modifications, a monitor file with the same path as the file you wish to monitor
should be created under the modFileAttr.monFactory directory. For example, to monitor /etc/
passwd, the monitor file /aha/fs/modFileAttr.monFactory/etc/passwd.mon would be used.
Example event data
The following event data was generated from a process changing the mode of a monitored file. This is
the output seen with an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=5767216
UID=0
UID_LOGIN=0
GID=0
PROG_NAME=chmod
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1010
STACK_TRACE
ahafs_evprods+70C
aha_process_attr+120
vnop_setattr+21C
vsetattr@AF13_1+20
setnameattr+B4
chmod+110
.svc_instr
change+3C8
main+190
__start+68
END_EVENT_INFO

modDir
The modDir event producer monitors for modifications to the contents of a directory.
Overview
The modDir event producer resides under the fs directory and monitors for modifications to the
contents of a directory. The following vnode operations are monitored: vnop_create(), vnop_link(),
vnop_symlink(), vnop_remove(), vnop_rename(), vnop_mkdir(), and vnop_rmdir().
Directories may not be monitored if:
• They are in a remote file system
• They are in file system of type ahafs, procfs or namefs
• They are a symbolic link
(.mon, .list, .monFactory)
The modDir event producer does not recursively monitor for directory modifications. Only
modifications to the specified directory are monitored.
Capabilities
Return codes
The modDir event producer uses return codes which are defined in <sys/ahafs_evProds.h>.
AHAFS_MODDIR_CREATE
A new file system object has been created under the monitored directory.
AHAFS_MODDIR_UNMOUNT
The file system containing the monitored directory has been unmounted. This is an unavailable
event.
AHAFS_MODDIR_REMOVE
A file system object within the monitored directory has been removed.
AHAFS_MODDIR_REMOVE_SELF
The monitored directory itself has been removed or renamed. This is an unavailable event.
The name of the file system object which triggered the event is included in the event data.
To monitor for modifications to the contents of a directory, a monitor file with the same path as the
directory you wish to monitor should be created under the modDir.monFactory directory. For
example, to monitor the directory /home/cheryl for modifications, the monitor file /aha/fs/
modDir.monFactory/home/cheryl.mon would be used.
Example event data
The following event data was generated from a new file named file1 being created in a monitored
directory. This is the output seen with an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=6095102
UID=0

UID_LOGIN=0
GID=0
PROG_NAME=touch
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
file1
END_EVPROD_INFO
STACK_TRACE
aha_cbfn_wrapper+30
ahafs_evprods+510
aha_process_vnop+138
vnop_create_attr+4AC
openpnp+418
openpath+100
copen+294
kopen+1C
.svc_instr
open+F8
creat64+1C
main+1EC
__start+68
END_EVENT_INFO
utilFs
The utilFs event producer monitors the utilization of a file system.
Overview
The utilFs event producer monitors the utilization of a file system as a percentage. It resides under
the fs directory. Currently, only JFS2 file systems support utilFs monitoring. Upon every file write, file
creation and file deletion, the utilization of the file system is checked to see if it meets or exceeds the
given threshold. There may be some file system specific operations which can affect the utilization of
the file system, but utilFs may not be able to detect them until the next file write, creation or deletion.
Thresholds which are exceeded due to the result of a file object deletion will not be notified until the
next file write, create or deletion.
File systems with a monitor file path name larger than MAXPATHLEN in AHAFS cannot be monitored.
To avoid a flood of event notifications and potential performance impacts, it is highly recommended
that utilFs events are monitored with a NOTIFY_CNT of 1.
Capabilities
AHAFS_THRESHOLD_VALUE_HIGH
AHAFS_THRESHOLD_VALUE_LOW
Thresholds specified must be between 1 and 100, inclusive.

Return codes
The utilFs event producer uses return codes which are defined in <sys/ahafs_evProds.h>.
AHAFS_UTILFS_THRESH_HIT
The file system being monitored has reached the threshold specified.
AHAFS_UTILFS_UNMOUNT
The file system being monitored has been unmounted. This is an unavailable event.
To monitor for file system utilization, a monitor file with the same path as the mount point of the file
system to be monitored should be created under the utilFs.monFactory directory. For example, to
monitor the file system /data/fs1, the monitor file /aha/fs/utilFs.monFactory/data/fs1.mon would
be used.

Example event data
The following is event data from an AHAFS_UTILFS_THRESH_HIT event for an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
CURRENT_VALUE=10
RC_FROM_EVPROD=1000
END_EVENT_INFO
waitTmCPU
The waitTmCPU event producer monitors the average wait time of runnable threads.
Overview
The waitTmCPU event producer monitors the average wait time of runnable threads waiting to get
CPU time in one second intervals, measured in milliseconds. The waitTmCPU resides under the cpu
directory.
Capabilities
Thresholds specified must be greater than 0.

Return codes
This event producer always returns 0 when the event occurs.
To monitor this event, the following monitor file should be used:
/aha/cpu/waitTmCPU.monFactory/waitTmCPU.mon
No other monitor files may be created in this directory.

Example event data
The following is event data from a waitTmCPU event with an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
CURRENT_VALUE=4
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
END_EVENT_INFO
waitersFreePg
The waitersFreePg event producer monitors the number of threads waiting for a free frame.
Overview
The waitersFreePg event producer monitors the number of threads waiting for a free frame over one
second intervals. The waitersFreePg resides under the mem subdirectory.
Capabilities

Return codes
/aha/mem/waitersFreePg.monFactory/waitersFreePg.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a waitersFreePg event with an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
CURRENT_VALUE=19843
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
END_EVENT_INFO
waitTmPgInOut
The waitTmPgInOut event producer monitors for the average wait time in milliseconds for threads
waiting for a page in or page out operations.
Overview
The waitTmPgInOut event producer monitors for the average wait time in milliseconds for threads
waiting for page in or page out operations to complete over a one second period. The waitTmPgInOut
event producer resides under the mem directory.
Capabilities

Return codes
/aha/mem/waitTmPgInOut.monFactory/waitTmPgInOut.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a waitTmPgInOut event with an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
CURRENT_VALUE=12
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
END_EVENT_INFO

vmo
The vmo event producer monitors for changes to the vmo tunable parameters.
Overview
The vmo event producer resides under the mem directory and monitors for changes to the following
vmo tunables.
Note: The vmo command is a self documenting command. Some of the tunable parameters listed in
the following list might not be supported.
• npskill
• npswarn
• force_relalias_lite
• low_ps_handling
• maxpin% (should be monitored as maxpin_pct.mon file)
• nokilluid
• relalias_percentage
• vmm_default_pspa
• npsrpgmin
• npsrpgmax
• npsscrubmin
• npsscrubmax
• scrubclean
• rpgcontrol
• rpgclean
• vm_modlist_threshold
• vmm_fork_policy
• lru_poll_interval
Capabilities
Return codes
To monitor any of the above tunables, monitor files of the following format should be used:
/aha/mem/vmo.monFactory/<tunable>.mon
Files which do not correspond to the above events cannot be created under this directory.
Example event data
The following is event data from the modification of a monitored tunable, with an INFO_LVL of 3.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=5701808
UID=0
UID_LOGIN=0

GID=0
PROG_NAME=vmo
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
STACK_TRACE
aha_cbfn_wrapper+30
ahafs_evprods+510
vm_mon_tunable+B0
vm_chk_mod_tun+5CC
_vmgetinfo+53C
vmgetinfo+48
.svc_instr
vmo_write_vmsetkervars+134
vmo_write_dynamic_values+404
main+BC
__start+70
END_EVENT_INFO
schedo
This event producer monitors for changes to schedo tunables.
Overview
Currently, only the vpm_xvcpus tunable may be monitored. This event producer will return a stack
trace and user information when the event occurs. This event producer resides under the cpu
directory.
Capabilities
Return codes
The monitor file used to monitor this tunable is:
/aha/cpu/schedo.monFactory/vpm_xvcpus.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from the modification of the vpm_xvcpus tunable with an INFO_LVL of 3:
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=7143474
UID=0
UID_LOGIN=0
GID=0
PROG_NAME=schedo
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
STACK_TRACE
aha_cbfn_wrapper+30
ahafs_evprods+510
schedtune+394
.svc_instr
schedo_write_schedparams+94
schedo_write_dynamic_values+6F0
main+1B0
__start+68
END_EVENT_INFO

pidProcessMon
The pidProcessMon event producer monitors for process death, based on PID.
Overview
The pidProcessMon event producer resides under the cpu directory and monitors for process death,
based on PID.
Capabilities
Return codes
The pidProcessMon event producer returns only a single return code 0.
This event producer passes PROCESS_DOWN message as part of its event data.
To monitor for process deaths, a monitor file should be created under the
pidProcessMon.monFactory directory. A monitor file name with the format
/aha/cpu/pidProcessMon.monFactory/<process_PID>.mon
has to be used.
Example event data
The following event data was generated from the death of a monitored process. This is the output
seen with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=PROCESS_DOWN
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
processMon
The processMon event producer monitors for process death.
Overview
The processMon event producer resides under the cpu directory and monitors for process death,
based on process name. Only the parent process for a given process with same name is monitored.
That means if we have a process tree abc (pid 123)->xyz (pid 345)->xyz (pid 567) and some one
requests to monitor the xyz process then (pid = 345) actually gets monitored.
Capabilities
Return codes
The processMon event producer returns only a single return code 0.
This event producer passes PROCESS_DOWN message as part of its event data.
To monitor for process deaths, a monitor file with the same path as the one used to start the process,
should be created under the processMon.monFactory directory. For example, to monitor a process
named test which is placed under the directory /usr/samples/ahafs, the monitor file /aha/cpu/
processMon.monFactory/usr/samples/ahafs/test.mon would be used.

Example event data
The following event data was generated from the death of a monitored process. This is the output
seen with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
inetsock
The inetsock event producer monitors Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol
(UDP) socket operations.
Overview
The inetsock event producer is placed under the net directory and monitors socket operations.
The following socket operations are monitored for TCP:
• Creating a socket
• Binding a port or address to the socket
• Listening on the socket
• Accepting and establishing a connection on the socket
• Connecting to a socket
• Disconnecting from a socket
• Closing the socket
The following socket operations are monitored for UDP:
• Creating a socket
• Binding a port or address to the socket
• Closing the socket
Capabilities

This event producer passes information that is available in the protocol control block and socket as a
part of its event data.
The following data is passed for the TCP socket operations:
Socket operation Data

PRU_ATTACH Common information:
• PROG_NAME
• SO_FAMILY
• SO_PID
• SO_PROTO
• SO_TYPE
• SO_UID

PRU_BIND Common information plus the following items:
• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT
PRU_LISTEN Common information plus the following items:

• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT
PRU_ACCEPT Common information plus the following items:

• SO_FADDR
• SO_FPORT
• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT
PRU_CONNECT Common information plus the following items:

• SO_FADDR
• SO_FPORT
• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT
PRU_DISCONNECT Common information plus the following items:

• SO_FADDR
• SO_FPORT
• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT
PRU_DETACH, Common information plus the following items:

PRU_ABORT
• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT
• SO_FADDR
• SO_FPORT
The following data is passed for the UDP socket operations:

PRU_ATTACH Common information:
• PROG_NAME
• SO_FAMILY
• SO_PID
• SO_PROTO
• SO_TYPE
• SO_UID

PRU_BIND, Common information plus the following items:
PRU_DYNBIND
• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT
PRU_DETACH, Common information plus the following items:

PRU_ABORT
• SO_LADDR
• SO_LPORT

To monitor the socket operations, a monitor file that has the name of the socket operation that you
want to monitor must be created in the inetsock.monFactory directory. For example, to monitor
the TCP socket creation, the /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamCreate.mon monitor file
is used. Similarly, to monitor UDP socket creation, the /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/
dgramCreate.mon monitor file is used.
The following files are used for all the Autonomic Health Advisor File System (AHAFS)-monitorable
TCP socket operations:
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamCreate.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamBind.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamListen.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamAccept.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamConnect.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamDisconnect.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamClose.mon
The following files are used for all the AHAFS-monitorable UDP socket operations:
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/dgramCreate.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/dgramBind.mon
• /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/dgramClose.mon
Example event data
The following event data was generated from a process when a socket is created. The following
example is the output that is displayed with an output level of 2 (INFO_LVL=2):
AHAFS event: /aha/net/inetsock.monFactory/streamCreate.mon

---------------------------------------------------
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
Time : Mon Jan 23 23:04:06 2012
Sequence Num: 1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
PROG_NAME=xmtopas
SO_FAMILY=2
SO_TYPE=1
SO_PROTO=6
SO_UID=0
SO_PID=5243048
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
Cluster events
When a system is part of a cluster, it can receive notifications for events occurring on other nodes that are
part of the same cluster. Event producers which specify the AHAFS_REMOTE_EVENT_ENABLED

capability support cluster wide monitoring. All the AIX Event Infrastructure event producers except the
pidProcessMon and diskState can provide such remote notifications.
Behaviour of mkcluster command with the AIX Event Infrastructure:
If the AIX Event Infrastructure is not loaded on a system and the mkcluster command is run then the AIX
Event Infrastructure pseudo filesystem will be mounted on the /aha directory and the monitor file names
will start from the /aha directory. If the AIX Event Infrastructure is already loaded on a system and
mkcluster command is run then the AIX Event Infrastructure pseudo filesystem will not be remounted
and the monitor file names will start from the directory over which the AIX Event Infrastructure pseudo
filesystem has been mounted. Consumer applications must check where the AIX Event Infrastructure
pseudo filesystem has been mounted, to get the monitor file paths.
In order to receive cluster events, consumer processes must specify CLUSTER=YES when writing to the
monitor file representing the event to monitor in the cluster. In order for the remote events to be
detected, a consumer process must be monitoring the event on each node with CLUSTER=YES specified.
Events received from a remote node do not include user or process information, or stack trace, even if the
event producer supports it.
For events received on a remote node stack trace is not provided, even if the event producer supports it.
The cluster information NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and CLUSTER_ID will be available between
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO and END_EVPROD_INFO delimiters for all cluster events. This helps the
monitoring program to identify on which node the event occurred. The information that is returned from
the lscluster -m command output in the fields: Cluster shorthand id for node, uuid for node and cluster
uuids is returned in the AIX Event Infrastructure event output in the NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID,
CLUSTER_ID fields respectively.
Below is example output from both a local and remote occurrence of an event with an INFO_LVL of 2, and
an event producer which specifies the AHAFS_STKTRACE_AVAILABLE capability.
Local Event Data Remote Event Data
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
TIME_tvsec=1262670289 TIME_tvsec=1262670289
TIME_tvnsec=453840229 TIME_tvnsec=248144872
SEQUENCE_NUM=0 SEQUENCE_NUM=0
PID=4194474 RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
UID=0 BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
UID_LOGIN=0 EVENT_TYPE=PROCESS_DOWN
GID=0 NODE_NUMBER=1
PROG_NAME=rpc.statd NODE_ID=0xF079E8C801C11DF
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0 CLUSTER_ID=0x6EA7B08888D811DFB918BEB25635B404
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO END_EVPROD_INFO
NODE_NUMBER=1 END_EVENT_INFO
NODE_ID=0xF079E8C801C11DF
CLUSTER_ID=0x6EA7B08888D811DFB918BEB25635B404
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
Pre-defined event producers for a Cluster Aware AIX instance

These event producers are only available when the system is part of an active cluster.
nodeList
The nodeList event producer monitors changes in cluster membership.
Overview
The nodeList event producer resides under the cluster directory and monitors for nodes added or
removed from the cluster. This event producer is available only when the system is part of a cluster.
This event is generated when a node is added or removed from the cluster (for example, via the
chcluster command).

Capabilities
Return codes
The nodeList returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed then
AHAFS_CLUSTER_REMOVE (-1) is returned.
This event producer passes NODE_ADD and NODE_DELETE messages as part of its event data. Also,
as it is a cluster event producer it will additionally pass NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and CLUSTER_ID
information.
To monitor for changes in the list of nodes, a monitor file should be created under the
nodeList.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/cluster/nodeList.monFactory/nodeListEvent.mon
has to be used. No other monitor files may be created in this directory.

Example event data
The following is event data from a nodeList event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=NODE_ADD
NODE_NUMBER=1
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
clDiskList
The clDiskList event producer monitors changes in cluster membership.
Overview
The clDiskList event producer resides under the disk directory and monitors for disks added or
removed from the cluster. This event producer is available only when the system is part of a cluster.
This event is generated when a disk is added or removed from the cluster (for example, using the
chcluster command).
Capabilities
Return codes
The clDiskList returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed
This event producer passes the DISK_ADD and DISK_DELETE messages as part of its event data in
the EVENT_TYPE field. It will pass the DISK_NAME and the DISK_UID of the concerned disk. Also,
as it is part of a cluster event producer it will additionally pass the NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and
CLUSTER_ID information.

To monitor for changes in the list of disks, a monitor file should be created under the
clDiskList.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/disk/clDiskList.monFactory/clDiskListEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a clDiskList event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=DISK_ADD
DISK_NAME=cldisk1
DISK_UID=3E213600A0B800016726C000000FF4B8677C80F1724-100 FAStT03IBMfcp
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
linkedCl
The linkedCl event producer is generated when a cluster is linked or unlinked with another cluster.
Overview
The linkedCl event producer resides under the cluster directory and monitors for link status changes.
This event producer is available only when the system is part of a cluster. This event is generated
when a cluster is linked or unlinked with another cluster.
Capabilities
Return codes
The linkedCl returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed AHAFS_CLUSTER_REMOVE
(-1) is returned.
This event producer passes LINK_UP or LINK_DOWN messages as part of its event data. It will pass
the LINK_ID information. Also, as it is a cluster event producer it will additionally pass
NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and CLUSTER_ID information.
linkedCl.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/cluster/linkedCl.monFactory/linkedClEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a linkedCl event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=LINK_DOWN
LINK_ID=0x7BE9C1BD
NODE_NUMBER=1

END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
nodeContact
The nodeContact event producer monitors the last contact status of the node in a cluster.
Overview
The nodeContact event producer resides under the cluster directory and monitors the last contact
status of the node in the cluster. This event producer is available only when the system is part of a
cluster.
Capabilities
Return codes
The nodeContact returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed
This event producer passes the CONNECT_UP and CONNECT_DOWN messages as part of its event
data. It will pass the concerned INTERFACE_NAME. Also, as it is a cluster event producer it will
additionally pass the NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and CLUSTER_ID information.
nodeContact.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/cluster/nodeContact.monFactory/nodeContactEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a nodeContact event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=CONNECT_DOWN
INTERFACE_NAME=en0
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
nodeState
The nodeState event producer monitors for the state of a node in the cluster.
Overview
The nodeState event producer resides under the cluster directory and monitors for the state of a
node in the cluster. This event producer is available only when the system is part of a cluster. This
event is generated, for example, when a node crashes or is shutdown.
Capabilities

Return codes
The nodeState returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed
This event producer passes NODE_UP and NODE_DOWN messages as part of its event data. Also, as
it is a cluster event producer and it will additionally pass the NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and
To monitor for changes in the status of nodes, a monitor file should be created under the
nodeState.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/cluster/nodeState.monFactory/nodeStateEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a nodeState event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=NODE_UP
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
nodeAddress
The nodeAddress event producer monitors the network address of the node.
Overview
The nodeAddress event producer resides under the cluster directory and monitors the network
address of the node. This event producer is available only when the system is part of a cluster. This
event is generated for example, when an alias is added or removed from a network interface.
Capabilities
Return codes
The nodeAddress returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed
This event producer passes ADDRESS_ADD and ADDRESS_DELETE messages as part of its event
data. It will pass the INTERFACE_NAME, of the concerned interface and the FAMILY, ADDRESS and
NETMASK of the IP address. Also, as it is a cluster event producer it will additionally pass the
nodeAddress.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/cluster/nodeAddress.monFactory/nodeAddressEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a nodeAddress event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
TIME_tvnsec=9053410
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=ADDRESS_ADD
INTERFACE_NAME=et0
FAMILY=2
ADDRESS=0x0A0A0A0A
NETMASK=0xFF000000
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
networkAdapterState
The networkAdapterState event producer monitors the network interface of a node in the cluster.
Overview
The networkAdapterState event producer resides under the cluster directory and monitors the
network interface of a node in the cluster. This event producer is available only when the system is
part of a cluster. This event is generated when a network interface goes down or comes up.
Capabilities
Return codes
The networkAdapterState returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed
This event producer passes the ADAPTER_UP, ADAPTER_DOWN, ADAPTER_ADD and
ADAPTER_DEL messages as part of its event data. It will pass the concerned INTERFACE_NAME.
Also, as it is a cluster event producer it will additionally pass NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and
networkAdapterState.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/cluster/networkAdapterState.monFactory/networkAdapterStateEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a networkAdapterState event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=ADAPTER_UP
INTERFACE_NAME=en0
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO

clDiskState
The clDiskState event producer monitors cluster disks.
Overview
The clDiskState event producer resides under the disk directory and monitors cluster disks. This
event producer is available only when the system is part of a cluster. This event is generated when a
cluster disk goes down or comes up.
Capabilities
Return codes
The clDiskState returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is
removedAHAFS_CLUSTER_REMOVE (-1) is returned.
This event producer passes the DISK_UP and DISK_DOWN messages as part of its event data in the
EVENT_TYPE field along with the concerned cluster disk name. Also, as it is a cluster event producer
it will additionally pass the NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and CLUSTER_ID information.
To monitor cluster disks, a monitor file should be created under the clDiskState.monFactory
directory. The monitor file name
/aha/disk/clDiskState.monFactory/clDiskStateEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a clDiskState event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=DISK_DOWN
DISK_NAME=cldisk1
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
repDiskState
The repDiskState event producer monitors for repository disks.
Overview
The repDiskState event producer resides under the disk directory and monitors for repository disk.
when a repository disk goes down or comes up.
Capabilities
Return codes
The repDiskState returns 0 as the return code. Only if the cluster is removed then

This event producer passes REP_UP and REP_DOWN messages as part of its event data in the
EVENT_TYPE field, along with the disk name of the concerned repository disk. Also, as since it is a
cluster event producer it will additionally pass NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and the CLUSTER_ID
information.
To monitor repository disks, a monitor file should be created under the repDiskState.monFactory
directory. The monitor file name
/aha/disk/ repDiskState.monFactory/repDiskStateEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a repDiskState event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=REP_UP
DISK_NAME=hdisk2
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
diskState
The diskstate event producer monitors for local disk changes.
Overview
The diskState event producer resides under the disk directory and monitors for local disk changes.
when a local disk goes down or comes up. This event will be notified only for disks that are supported
by the storage framework.
Capabilities
Return codes
The diskState returns 0 as the return code. The AHAFS_CLUSTER_REMOVE (-1) is returned only if
the cluster is removed.
This event producer passes LOCAL_UP and LOCAL_DOWN messages along with the concerned local
disk name as part of its event data. Also, as a cluster event producer it will additionally pass
To monitor local disks, a monitor file should be created under the diskState.monFactory directory.
The monitor file name of the format
/aha/disk/diskState.monFactory/<hdiskn>.mon
must be used, with the name of the local disk that has to be monitored.
Example event data
The following is event data from a diskState event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO

SEQUENCE_NUM=1
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=LOCAL_UP
DISK_NAME=hdisk4
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO
vgState
The vgstate event producer can verify the status of the VG on a disk.
Overview
The vgState event producer resides under the disk directory. This event producer is available only
when the system is part of a cluster. Whenever a local (registered with diskState) or cluster disk up or
down event happens a corresponding VG_UP and VG_DOWN event is triggered for the volume group
residing on that disk. Using this event producer, an application can verify the status of a VG on the
disk, with the LVM subsystem.
Capabilities
Return codes
The vgState returns 0 as the return code. The AHAFS_CLUSTER_REMOVE (-1) is returned only if the
cluster is removed.
This event producer passes VG_UP and VG_DOWN messages, as part of its event data. It will pass the
concerned disk name and volume group name. Also, as this is a cluster event producer it will
additionally pass NODE_NUMBER, NODE_ID and CLUSTER_ID information.
vgState.monFactory directory. The monitor file name
/aha/disk/vgState.monFactory/vgStateEvent.mon

Example event data
The following is event data from a vgstate event with the default INFO_LVL.
BEGIN_EVENT_INFO
SEQUENCE_NUM=0
RC_FROM_EVPROD=0
BEGIN_EVPROD_INFO
EVENT_TYPE=VG_UP
DISK_NAME=hdisk3
VG_NAME=myvg
NODE_NUMBER=2
END_EVPROD_INFO
END_EVENT_INFO

Notices
This information was developed for products and services offered in the US.
IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries.
Consult your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in
your area. Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only
that IBM product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or
service that does not infringe any IBM intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the
user's responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service.
IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this
document. The furnishing of this document does not grant you any license to these patents. You can send
license inquiries, in writing, to:
IBM Director of Licensing

IBM Corporation
North Castle Drive, MD-NC119
Armonk, NY 10504-1785
US
For license inquiries regarding double-byte character set (DBCS) information, contact the IBM Intellectual
Property Department in your country or send inquiries, in writing, to:
Intellectual Property Licensing

Legal and Intellectual Property Law
IBM Japan Ltd.
19-21, Nihonbashi-Hakozakicho, Chuo-ku
Tokyo 103-8510, Japan
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS"

WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in
certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you.
This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically
made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication.
IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this
publication at any time without notice.
Any references in this information to non-IBM websites are provided for convenience only and do not in
any manner serve as an endorsement of those websites. The materials at those websites are not part of
the materials for this IBM product and use of those websites is at your own risk.
IBM may use or distribute any of the information you provide in any way it believes appropriate without
incurring any obligation to you.
Licensees of this program who wish to have information about it for the purpose of enabling: (i) the
exchange of information between independently created programs and other programs (including this
one) and (ii) the mutual use of the information which has been exchanged, should contact:
IBM Director of Licensing

IBM Corporation
North Castle Drive, MD-NC119
Armonk, NY 10504-1785
US
Such information may be available, subject to appropriate terms and conditions, including in some cases,
payment of a fee.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2010, 2018 393

The licensed program described in this document and all licensed material available for it are provided by
IBM under terms of the IBM Customer Agreement, IBM International Program License Agreement or any
equivalent agreement between us.
The performance data and client examples cited are presented for illustrative purposes only. Actual
performance results may vary depending on specific configurations and operating conditions.
Information concerning non-IBM products was obtained from the suppliers of those products, their
published announcements or other publicly available sources. IBM has not tested those products and
cannot confirm the accuracy of performance, compatibility or any other claims related to non-IBM
products. Questions on the capabilities of non-IBM products should be addressed to the suppliers of
those products.
Statements regarding IBM's future direction or intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice,
and represent goals and objectives only.
All IBM prices shown are IBM's suggested retail prices, are current and are subject to change without
notice. Dealer prices may vary.
This information is for planning purposes only. The information herein is subject to change before the
products described become available.
This information contains examples of data and reports used in daily business operations. To illustrate
them as completely as possible, the examples include the names of individuals, companies, brands, and
products. All of these names are fictitious and any similarity to actual people or business enterprises is
entirely coincidental.
COPYRIGHT LICENSE:
This information contains sample application programs in source language, which illustrate programming
techniques on various operating platforms. You may copy, modify, and distribute these sample programs
in any form without payment to IBM, for the purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing
application programs conforming to the application programming interface for the operating platform for
which the sample programs are written. These examples have not been thoroughly tested under all
conditions. IBM, therefore, cannot guarantee or imply reliability, serviceability, or function of these
programs. The sample programs are provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind. IBM shall not be
liable for any damages arising out of your use of the sample programs.
Each copy or any portion of these sample programs or any derivative work must include a copyright notice
as follows:
© (your company name) (year).
Portions of this code are derived from IBM Corp. Sample Programs.
© Copyright IBM Corp. _enter the year or years_.
Privacy policy considerations

IBM Software products, including software as a service solutions, (“Software Offerings”) may use cookies
or other technologies to collect product usage information, to help improve the end user experience, to
tailor interactions with the end user or for other purposes. In many cases no personally identifiable
information is collected by the Software Offerings. Some of our Software Offerings can help enable you to
collect personally identifiable information. If this Software Offering uses cookies to collect personally
identifiable information, specific information about this offering’s use of cookies is set forth below.
This Software Offering does not use cookies or other technologies to collect personally identifiable
information.
If the configurations deployed for this Software Offering provide you as the customer the ability to collect
personally identifiable information from end users via cookies and other technologies, you should seek
your own legal advice about any laws applicable to such data collection, including any requirements for
notice and consent.
394 Notices
For more information about the use of various technologies, including cookies, for these purposes, see
IBM’s Privacy Policy at http://www.ibm.com/privacy and IBM’s Online Privacy Statement at http://
www.ibm.com/privacy/details the section entitled “Cookies, Web Beacons and Other Technologies” and
the “IBM Software Products and Software-as-a-Service Privacy Statement” at http://www.ibm.com/
software/info/product-privacy.
Trademarks
IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be
trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the web at
Copyright and trademark information at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.
The registered trademark Linux® is used pursuant to a sublicense from the Linux Foundation, the
exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a worldwide basis.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Notices 395
Index
Special Characters accounting system (continued)

commands (continued)
: built-in command running from the keyboard 155
Bourne shell 264 connect-time data
Korn or POSIX shell 230 collecting 168
. built-in command displaying 165
Bourne shell 264 reporting 153
Korn or POSIX shell 230 CPU usage
.env file 319 displaying 165
.mwmrc file 321 disk-usage data
.profile file 48, 319 displaying 166
.Xdefaults file 321 reporting 153
.xinitrc file 320 failure
@ built-in command recovering from 158
C shell 285 fees
/dev/null file 349 charging 170
/etc/environment file 318 reporting 153
/etc/hosts 16 files
/etc/inittab file data files 157
changing 7 formats 160
/etc/passwd file 198 overview 156
/etc/profile file 48, 318 report and summary files 157
/etc/security/passwd file 299 runacct command files 158
/usr/bin/ksh93 217 holidays file
/usr/bin/psh command 198 updating 167
/usr/bin/sh command 198 overview 150
printer-usage data
displaying 166
Numerics problems
64-bit mode fixing bad times 172
filesets 49 fixing incorrect file permissions 171
fixing out-of-date holidays file 167
fixing runacct errors 173
A process data
collecting 168
access control
reporting 169
displaying information 308
reporting data
editing information 310
overview 150
setting information 309
reports
access control lists
daily 150
example 309
fiscal 154
example for AIXC ACL 306
monthly 152, 153
for file system objects 304
runacct command
maintaining 304
restarting 158
access modes
starting 157
controlling 300
setting up 160
directories 300
summarizing records 152
displaying group information 302
system activity data
files 300
displaying 163
numeric representation of 301
displaying while running a command 163
symbolic representation of 301
reporting 154
user classes 300
tacct errors
accessing a system that will not boot 18
fixing 170
accounting system
wtmp errors
BSD System Managers 330
fixing 171
commands
ACL Type
overview 154
AIXC 304
running automatically 155
Index 397
ACL Type (continued) backup (continued)
NFS4 306 compressing files 35
acledit command 304, 310 compressing files before 35
aclget command 304, 308 files 19
aclput command 304, 309 implementing with scripts 40
ACLs media 21
example 309 methods 19
example for AIXC ACL 306 overview 19
for file system objects 304 performing regularly scheduled 40
maintaining 304 policy 20
ahafs_evprods procedure for system and user data 23
definition 357 procedure for user file systems 24
AIX replicating a system (cloning) 23
overview for BSD system managers restoring data 25
paging space 333 restoring files 29
AIX Event Infrastructure (AHAFS) 354 strategy for managing
AIX Event Infrastructure Components guidelines for 20
definition 354, 364 planning 22
AIX Event Infrastructure kernel extension 355 user file systems 24
AIX Runtime Expert 59 user files 24
aixterm command 317 user-defined volume group 38
AIXwindows using smit command 46
starting Window Manager 319 backup command 21, 45, 46
startup files 319 banner command 352
alias built-in command batch processes 137
C shell 285 bg built-in command
Korn or POSIX shell 237, 254 C shell 285
alias command 128 Korn or POSIX shell 237
alias substitution bidirectional languages 317
C shell 274 binding a process to a processor 147
aliases blanks
creating 254 definition 199
exporting 254 interpretation of 273
listing 254 boot images
not supported 254 creating 12
r 126, 127 boot processing
removing 254 phases of 15
tracked 255 booting
aliasing BSD System Managers 332
Korn or POSIX shell 254 crashed system 5
append redirection operator 348 diagnosing problems 19
apropos command 132 from hard disk for maintenance 5
arguments rebooting a running system 4
in commands 123 understanding
arithmetic maintenance mode 17
factoring numbers 131 overview 15
arithmetic evaluation RAM file system 18
Korn or POSIX shell 209 system boot processing 15
assigning Bourne shell
values and attributes 222 built-in commands 263
at command 137, 138 character classes 203
atq command 138 command substitution 269
attributes commands 260
supported by Korn or POSIX shell 222 compound commands 262
authentication 299 conditional substitution 257
authorization 307 environment 256
awk command 183 file name substitution 258
list of built-in commands 260
pattern matching 258
B positional parameters 258
background processes 132 predefined variables 272
backup quoting characters 261
BSD system managers 332 redirecting input and output 259
commands, list of 19 reserved words 262

Bourne shell (continued) built-in commands (continued)
signal handling 262 getopts 237
starting 256 glob 285
user-defined variables 269 goto 285
variable substitution 269 hangups 285
variables 270 hash 264
break built-in command hashstat 285
Bourne shell 264 history 285
C shell 285 if 285
Korn or POSIX shell 230 jobs 237, 281, 285
breaksw built-in command kill 237, 285
C shell 285 Korn or POSIX shell 229
BSD let 209, 237
comparison for system managers limit 285
accounting 330 login 285
backup 332 logout 285
boot and startup 332 newgrp 230
commands 340 nice 285
cron 343 notify 285
devices 343 onintr 285
file comparison 328 popd 285
file systems 345 print 237
finding and examining files 333 pushd 285
networking 325, 329, 334 pwd 237, 264
performance 337 read 237, 264, 269
printers 338 readonly 229, 230, 264
UUCP 344 regular 229, 237, 263
comparison to AIX for system managers rehash 285
paging space 333 repeat 285
comparison to system managers return 230, 264
NFS and NIS (formerly Yellow Pages 330 set 230, 258, 264, 285
online documentation and man command 329 setenv 285
bsh command 198, 204, 216, 256 setgroups 237
buf_wrap 370 setsenv 237
built-in commands shift 230, 258, 264, 285
: 230, 264 source 285
. 230, 264 special 229, 230, 263, 264
@ 285 stop 285
alias 237, 254, 285 suspend 285
bg 237, 285 switch 285
Bourne shell 260, 263 test 237, 264
break 230, 264, 285 time 285
breaksw 285 times 230, 264
C shell 284, 285 trap 230, 264
case 285 type 264
cd 237, 264, 285 typeset 209, 222, 229, 230, 252
chdir 285 ulimit 237, 264
command 237 umask 237, 264, 285
continue 230, 264, 285 unalias 237, 254, 285
default 285 unhash 285
definition 199 unlimit 285
dirs 285 unset 230, 264, 285
echo 237, 264, 285 unsetenv 285
else 285 wait 237, 264, 285
end 285 whence 237
endif 285 while 285
endsw 285 bytes
eval 230, 264, 285 counting number of 190
exec 230, 252, 264, 285
exit 230, 264, 285
export 229, 230, 252, 264
C
fc 127, 237, 254 C shell
fg 237, 285 alias substitution 274
foreach 285 built-in commands 284, 285
Index 399
C shell (continued) combining commands 121
command execution 294 command aliasing
command substitution 294 Korn or POSIX shell 254
commands 284 tilde substitution 255
environment variables 279 command built-in command
expressions 292 Korn or POSIX shell 237
file name substitution 277 command flags 121
history lists 295 command history
history substitution 295 editing 127
job control 281 Korn or POSIX shell 254
limitations 274 substitution 254
list of built-in commands 281 command substitution
operators 292 Bourne shell 269
redirecting input and output 297 C shell 294
signal handling 284 Korn or POSIX shell 208
starting 273 command summaries
startup files 273 backup files 23
variable substitution 275 file security 311
cal command 130 files 197
calendar I/O redirection 353
displaying 130 storage media 23
canceling system information 317
foreground processes 136 system security 311
capture command 352 user environment 317
case built-in command commands
C shell 285 /usr/bin/psh 198
cat command 188, 193, 348, 352 /usr/bin/sh 198
cd built-in command < 348
Bourne shell 264 > 347
C shell 285 >> 348
Korn or POSIX shell 237 | 350
CDPATH variable 206 acledit 304, 310
changing aclget 304, 308
control keys 324 aclput 304, 309
default font 323 aixterm 317
defaults 321 alias 128
permissions 303 at 137, 138
priority of processes 135 atq 138
system prompt 324 awk 183
character classes backup 21, 45, 46
Bourne shell 203 banner 352
characters Bourne shell 260
quoting in Korn or POSIX shell 214 Bourne shell built-in 263
chdir built-in command bsh 198, 204, 216, 256
C shell 285 C shell 284
checking C shell built-in 284, 285
integrity of tapes 44 capture 352
process status 134 cat 188, 193, 348, 352
chfont command 323 chfont 323
chgrp command 309 chgrp 309
chmod command 301, 303, 304 chmod 301, 303, 304
chown command 299, 300, 309 chown 299, 300, 309
classes clear 351
user 300 colrm 193
clDiskList 385 combining 121
clDiskState 390 compound Korn shell 251
clear command 351 compress 35
clearing your screen 351 cp 185
clock cpio 21
resetting 57 cpio -i 44
clock battery 56 cpio -o 43
Cluster Events 383 creating shortcut names 128
colrm command 193 csh 198, 273
COLUMNS variable 206 cut 191

commands (continued) commands (continued)
date 57 Rsh 198, 204, 216
definition 199 saving entered 125
del 195 script 352
diag 56 setclock 57
diff 190 sh 198
dosdel 196 shutdown 124
dosdir 196 smit 25, 46, 323
dosread 195 smit rmat 138
doswrite 196 sort 189
echo 351, 352 stty 315, 324
env 316 su 307
export 323 substituting strings 127
fdformat 42 syntax 122
file 187 tail 191
find 46, 186 tapechk 20, 44
flags 122 tar 21, 35, 45
flcopy 43 tcopy 44
for BSD System Managers 340 tee 351
format 42 text formatting 128
fsck 20, 42 tn 9
grep 9, 188, 350 tsh 198
groups 299 tty 314
head 190 uncompress 35, 36
history 125 unpack 35, 36
id 299 usage statements 123
kill 9, 139, 148 wc 190
Korn or POSIX shell 249 whatis 125
Korn or POSIX shell built-in 229 whereis 124
ksh 44, 198, 252 who 148
ln 193, 194 xinit 320
lock 310 xlock 310
login 307 zcat 36
ls 299, 301 commands list
lscfg 312 apropos 132
lscons 313 cal 130
lsdisp 314 factor 131
lsfont 314 for Bourne shell 260
lsgroup 302 for C shell 281
lskbd 314 for Korn or POSIX shell 211, 212
lslpp 315 leave 132
man 124 comments
more 188 definition 199
mv 184 comparing files 190
mwm 319 compound commands
names 122 Bourne shell 262
nice 135 compress command 35
nl 192 compressing
overview 121 files 35
pack 35, 36 concatenating
page 188 text files 348
parameters 123 conditional substitution
paste 191 Bourne shell 257
pg 148, 188, 193 connect-time accounting 168
piping 121 console
printenv 316 displaying name 313
ps 9, 134, 148, 237 continue built-in command
psh 198, 252 Bourne shell 264
r 126, 127 C shell 285
renice 135, 148 Korn or POSIX shell 230
repeating entered 126 control keys
restore 25, 45, 46 changing 324
rm 184, 195 displaying settings 315
rsh 198 control mode 245
Index 401
converting diagnosing boot problems (continued)
DOS files 195 accessing a system that will not boot 18
coprocess facility rebooting a system with planar graphics 7
Korn or POSIX shell 228 diagnostic output 347
copying diff command 190
base operating system files 196 directories
DOS files 195 access modes 300
files 185 changing ownership 300
files from tape or disk 44 changing permissions 303
files to tape or disk 43 linking 193
screen to file 352 listing DOS files 196
to or from diskettes 43 permissions 300
to or from tape 44 dirs built-in command
counting C shell 285
bytes 190 discarding output 349
lines 190 disk-usage accounting 169
words 190 diskettes
cp command 185 copying to or from 43
cpio -i command 44 formatting 42
cpio -o command 43 handling 21
cpio command 21 using as backup medium 21
CPU usage diskState 391
displaying 165 displaying
creating access control information 308
aliases 254 available displays 314
command alias 128 calendar 130
shell scripts 204 console name 313
Creating the monitor file control key assignments 315
definition 359 DOS directory contents 196
cron environment variables 316
for BSD System Managers 343 file contents 187
cron daemon file types 187
generating data with 167 first lines of files 190
csh command 198, 273 fonts available 314
Ctrl-C sequence 9 group information 302
customizing keyboard maps 314
colors and fonts 321 last lines of files 191
key bindings 321 one screen at a time 188
menu definitions 321 software products 315
mouse button bindings 321 system devices 312
system environment 323, 324 terminal name 314
cut command 191 text in large letters on screen 352
cutting values of environment variables 316
sections of text files 191 displays
listing currently available on system 314
DOS files
D converting 195
daemon processes 132 copying 195
date command 57 deleting 196
default built-in command listing contents 196
C shell 285 dosdel command 196
default shell 198 dosdir command 196
defaults dosread command 195
changing 321 doswrite command 196
del command 195 duplicate event consolidation 368
deleting Dynamic Processor Deallocation 50, 51
DOS files 196
files 184 E
device
for BSD System Managers 343 echo built-in command
devices Bourne shell 264
displaying information about 312 C shell 285
diag command 56 Korn or POSIX shell 237
diagnosing boot problems echo command 351, 352

ed editor 184 exit built-in command (continued)
editing Bourne shell 264
access control information 310 C shell 285
command history 127 Korn or POSIX shell 230
inline in Korn or POSIX shell 242 exit status
EDITOR variable 206 Korn or POSIX shell 221
editors expanding
ed 184 files 35, 36
emacs 242, 243 export built-in command
gmacs 242, 243 Bourne shell 264
inline editing 242 Korn or POSIX shell 230, 252
vi 184, 242 export command 323
else built-in command exporting
C shell 285 aliases 254
emacs editor shell variables 323
inline editing 242, 243 expressions
emergency C shell 292
shutting down in an 47 conditional 212
end built-in command finding files with matching 186
C shell 285
endif built-in command
C shell 285
F
endsw built-in command factor command 131
C shell 285 factoring numbers
enhanced Korn shell factor command 131
arithmetic enhancements 217 fc built-in command
associative arrays 217 Korn or POSIX shell 237
built-in commands 217 FCEDIT variable 206
command return values 217 fdformat command 42
compound assignments 217 fee accounting 170
compound variables 217 fg built-in command
description 217 C shell 285
discipline functions 217 Korn or POSIX shell 237
function environments 217 field splitting
parameter expansions 217 Korn or POSIX shell 210
PATH search rules 217 file
shell history 217 command 187
variable name references 217 descriptor 347, 349
variables 217 file name substitution
env command 316 Bourne shell 258
ENV variable 206 C shell 277
environment Korn or POSIX shell 225
displaying current 316 file systems
file 318 backing up user file systems 24
setting 318 backing up with scripts 40
system 311 checking for consistency 42
environment variables conducting interactive repairs 42
C shell 279 example 182
displaying values 316 for BSD System Managers 345
ERRNO variable 205 file types
Error Format 369 binary 181
error output 347 directory 181
eval built-in command text 181
Bourne shell 264 files
C shell 285 .env file 319
Korn or POSIX shell 230 .mwmrc 321
Event consumers 356 .profile 319
Event producers .Xdefaults 321
definition 356 .xinitrc 320
exec built-in command /dev/null 349
Bourne shell 264 /etc/environment 318
C shell 285 /etc/passwd 198
Korn or POSIX shell 230, 252 /etc/profile 318
exit built-in command /etc/security/passwd 299
Index 403
files (continued) finding (continued)
access modes 300 text strings within files 188
appending single line of text 352 flags
archiving 45 in commands 122
ASCII 181 flat network 16
backing up 45 flcopy command 43
binary 181 Flow of monitoring an event 357
changing ownership 300 fonts
changing permissions 303 changing 323
comparing 190 listing available for use 314
compressing 35 foreach built-in command
concatenating 348 C shell 285
copying 185 foreground processes 132
copying from DOS 195 format command 42
copying from screen 352 formatting
copying from tape or disk 44 diskettes 42
copying to DOS 196 FPATH variable 206
creating with redirection from keyboard 348 fsck command 20, 42
cutting selected fields from 191
deleting 184
deleting DOS 196
G
displaying contents 187 getopts built-in command
displaying first lines 190 Korn or POSIX shell 237
displaying last lines 191 glob built-in command
displaying types 187 C shell 285
environment 318 gmacs editor
executable 181 inline editing 242, 243
expanding 36 goto built-in command
for BSD System Managers 328, 333 C shell 285
formatting for display 187 grep command 9, 188, 350
handling 184 groups command 299
HISTFILE 254
identifying type 187
joining 348 H
linking 193, 194
hangups built-in command
locating sections 124
C shell 285
matching expressions 186
hash built-in command
merging the lines of several 191
Bourne shell 264
metacharacters 183
hashstat built-in command
moving 184
C shell 285
naming conventions 182
head command 190
numbering lines 192
here document 226, 349
overview 181
hierarchical network 16
ownership 299
High-level view of the AIX Event Infrastructure
packing 35
definition 357
pasting text 191
HISTFILE
path names 182
file 254
permissions 181, 300
variable 206
regular expressions 183
history
removing 184
editing 127
removing columns 193
lists in C shell 295
removing linked 195
substitution in C shell 295
renaming 184
history built-in command
restoring 25, 29, 46
C shell 285
retrieving from storage 45
history command 125
searching for a string 188
HISTSIZE variable 206, 254
sorting text 189
HOME variable 206
uncompressing 36
unpacking 36
writing to output 191 I
filters 350
find command 46, 186 i-node number 181, 193
finding I/O redirection
files 186 Bourne shell 259

I/O redirection (continued) keyword search
C shell 297 apropos command 132
Korn or POSIX shell 226 kill built-in command
standard 347 C shell 285
id command 299 Korn or POSIX shell 237
idbgen 48 kill command 9, 139, 148
identifier Korn shell or POSIX shell
definition 199 arithmetic evaluation 209
IDs built-in commands 229
user 299 command aliasing 254
if built-in command command history 254
C shell 285 command substitution 208
IFS variable 206 compound commands 251
inactive system conditional expressions 212
checking hardware 9 coprocess facility 228
checking processes 9 editing 242
restarting the system 11 enhanced 217
inetsock 381 environment 252
inittab file exit status 221
srcmstr daemon in 177 field splitting 210
inline editing file name substitution 225
emacs editing mode 243 functions 253
gmacs editing mode 243 job control 241
Korn or POSIX shell 242 list of regular built-in commands 212
vi editing mode 245–248 list of special built-in commands 211
inline input documents 349 parameter substitution 222, 223
inoperable system pattern matching 225
checking hardware 9 predefined parameters 224
checking processes 9 predefined variables 205
restarting the system 11 quote removal 226
input quoting 214
redirection 347 redirecting input and output 226
redirection operator 348 redirecting input and output from coprocesses 229
input mode reserved words 216
definition 245 signal handling 242
input edit commands 246 starting 252
integer arithmetic 209 tilde substitution 255
international character support user-defined variables 206
text formatting 128 using commands 249
interpreting ksh command 44, 198, 252
blanks 273 ksh93
arithmetic enhancements 217
associative arrays 217
J built-in commands 217
job control command return values 217
C shell 281 compound assignments 217
Korn or POSIX shell 241 compound variables 217
jobs description 217
listing scheduled 138 discipline functions 217
removing from schedule 138 function environments 217
scheduling 137 parameter expansions 217
jobs built-in command PATH search rules 217
C shell 281, 285 shell history 217
Korn or POSIX shell 237 variable name references 217
variables 217
K
L
key bindings 321
keyboard LANG variable 206
changing attributes languages
using chhwkbd command 340 bidirectional 317
keyboard maps LC_ALL variable 206
listing currently available 314 LC_COLLATE variable 206
LC_CTYPE variable 206
Index 405
LC_MESSAGES variable 206 maintaining
leave command 132 access control lists 304
let built-in command ACLs 304
Korn or POSIX shell 209, 237 man command
limit built-in command BSD System Managers 329
C shell 285 man pages
line of text finding with keyword searches 132
appending to file 352 maps
LINENO variable 205 keyboard 314
lines menu definitions 321
counting number of 190 message of the day
LINES variable 206 changing 58
linked files messages
removing 195 displaying on screen 351
linkedCl 386 sending to standard output 351
linking messages, screen, responding to 149
directories 193 metacharacters
files 193, 194 definition 199
links quoting in Korn or POSIX shell 214
creating 194 moddir 374
hard 194 modDir 381
overview 193 modfile 371, 372
removing 195 modFile 381
symbolic 194 monitoring processes 143
types 194 more command 188
listing motd file 58
aliases 254 mouse button bindings 321
scheduled processes 138 multibyte character support
lists enter characters 129
definition 199 text formatting 129
ln command 193, 194 multiuser systems
lock command 310 changing run levels on 14
locking mv command 184
your terminal 310 mwm command 319
login
shell 198
user ID 299
N
login built-in command named parameters 222
C shell 285 naming conventions
login command 307 files 182
login files network
.env file 319 for BSD System Managers 325, 329, 334
.profile 319 network planning
.profile file 48 TCP/IP 16
/etc/environment 318 networkAdapterState 389
/etc/profile 318 newgrp built-in command
/etc/profile file 48 Korn or POSIX shell 230
logout built-in command NFS and NIS
C shell 285 BSD System Managers 330
ls command 299, 301 nice built-in command
lscfg command 312 C shell 285
lscons command 313 nice command 135
lsdisp command 314 NIS 330
lsfont command 314 nl command 192
lsgroup command 302 NLSPATH variable 206
lskbd command 314 nodeAddress 388
lslpp command 315 nodeContact 387
lssrc command 179 nodeList 384
nodeState 387
M notify built-in command
C shell 285
MAIL variable 206 NUM_EVDROPS_INTRCNTX 370
MAILCHECK variable 206 numbering
MAILPATH variable 206 lines in text files 192

O positional parameters (continued)
Bourne shell 258
OLDPWD variable 205 PPID variable 205
onintr built-in command predefined variables
C shell 285 Bourne shell 272
operands Korn or POSIX shell 205
in commands 123 print built-in command
operating system Korn or POSIX shell 237
loading 11 printenv command 316
shutting down 124 printer
operators for BSD System Managers 338
C shell 292 printer-usage accounting 169
OPTARG variable 205 priority of processes 146
OPTIND variable 205 process identification number 132
options process summaries 140
in commands 122 processes
output background 132
discarding with /dev/null file 349 batch 137
redirecting to a file 347 binding of to a processor 147
redirection 347 canceling foreground processes 136
redirection operator 347 changing priority 135
checking status 134
collecting accounting data on 168
P daemon 132
pack command 35, 36 description 132
page command 188 displaying all active 134
paging space displaying CPU usage 165
AIX for BSD System Managers 333 foreground 132
parameter assignment lists generating accounting reports 169
definition 199 listing scheduled 138
parameter substitution management of 143
Korn or POSIX shell 223 monitoring of 143
parameters priority alteration of 146
in commands 123 removing background processes 139
Korn or POSIX shell 222, 224 removing from schedule 138
named 222 restarting stopped 136
positional 222 scheduling for later operation 137
predefined 224 setting initial priority 135
special 222, 224 starting 133
paste command 191 stopping foreground processes 136
pasting termination of 146
sections of text files 191 zombie 132
path names processMon 380, 381
absolute 182 profile
files 182 files 48
PATH variable 206 overview 48
pattern matching profile files 317
Bourne shell 258 program
Korn or POSIX shell 225 copying output into a file 351
performance prompt
BSD System Managers 337 changing 324
permissions ps command 9, 134, 148, 237
directory 303 PS1 variable 206
file 303 PS2 variable 206
pg command 148, 188, 193 PS3 variable 206
PID number 132 PS4 variable 206
pidProcessMon 380, 381 psh command 198, 252
pipelines pushd built-in command
definition 199, 350 C shell 285
pipes 350 pwd built-in command
piping 121 Bourne shell 264
popd built-in command Korn or POSIX shell 237
C shell 285 PWD variable 205
positional parameters
Index 407
Q Restricted Korn Shell
starting 216
quote removal restricted shell
Korn or POSIX shell 226 starting 204
quoting characters Restricted shell 198
Bourne shell 261 return built-in command
Korn or POSIX shell 214 Bourne shell 264
Korn or POSIX shell 230
rm command 184, 195
R rsh command 198
r alias 126, 127 Rsh command 198, 204, 216
r command 126, 127 run level
RANDOM variable 205 displaying history 13
read built-in command identifying 13
Bourne shell 264, 269 runacct command
Korn or POSIX shell 237 restarting 158
Reading Event Data 365 starting 157
readonly built-in command running
Bourne shell 264 shell scripts 204
rebooting a system with planar graphics 7 S
recovery procedures
accessing a system that will not boot 18 schedo 379, 381
rebooting a system with planar graphics 7 scheduling
redirecting processes 137
input and output from coprocesses 229 screen messages, responding to 149
input and output in Bourne shell 259 screens
input and output in Korn or POSIX shell 226 clearing 351
output to a file 347 copying display to a file 351
standard error output 349 copying to file 352
standard input 348 displaying text in large letters 352
standard output 347 displaying text one screen at a time 188
refresh command 180 script command 352
regular built-in commands searching
Korn or POSIX shell 212, 237 keywords 132
regular expressions 183 SECONDS variable 205
rehash built-in command security
C shell 285 /etc/security/passwd file 299
remote authentication 299
shell 198 file 298
removing identification 299
aliases 254 login user ID 299
background processes 139 system 298
columns in text files 193 unattended terminals 299
linked files 195 set built-in command
processes from schedule 138 Bourne shell 264
renaming C shell 285
files 184 Korn or POSIX shell 230
renice command 135, 148 setclock command 57
repDiskState 390 setenv built-in command
repeat built-in command C shell 285
C shell 285 setgroups built-in command
REPLY variable 205 Korn or POSIX shell 237
reserved words setsenv built-in command
Bourne shell 262 Korn or POSIX shell 237
Korn or POSIX shell 216 setting
resource files access control information 309
modifying 321 initial priority of processes 135
restart the system 11 sh command 198
restarting shell commands
stopped processes 136 fc 127
restore command 25, 45, 46 history 125
restoring r alias 126, 127
files 25, 46 shell environments

shell environments (continued) shells (continued)
customizing 48 Restricted 198
shell procedures 121 signal handling in C shell 284
shell scripts standard 198
creating 204 starting Bourne shell 256
specifying a shell 201 starting C shell 273
SHELL variable 206 starting Korn or POSIX 252
shell variables starting restricted 204, 216
definition 199 terminology 199
exporting 323 trusted 198
local 323 types 198
shells using Korn or POSIX commands 249
alias substitution in C shell 274 variable substitution in C shell 275
Bourne 198 variables used by Bourne 270
Bourne built-in commands 263 shift built-in command
Bourne command substitution 269 Bourne shell 264
Bourne environment 256 C shell 285
Bourne I/O redirection 259 Korn or POSIX shell 230
Bourne list of built-in commands 260 shortcut name for commands
Bourne predefined variables 272 creating 128
Bourne user-defined variables 269 shutdown
Bourne variable substitution 269 emergency 47
C 198 to single-user mode 47
C built-in commands 284, 285 understanding 46
character classes in Bourne 203 without rebooting 47
command execution in C shell 294 shutdown command 124
command substitution in C shell 294 shutting down the operating system 124
conditional substitution in Bourne 257 shutting down the system 47
creating shell scripts 204 SIGINT signal 242
default 198 signal handling
environment variables in C shell 279 Bourne shell 262
features 202 C shell 284
file name substitution in Bourne 258 Korn or POSIX shell 242
file name substitution in C shell 277 signals
history lists in C shell 295 SIGINT 242
history substitution in C shell 295 SIGQUIT 242
job control in C shell 281 SIGQUIT signal 242
Korn 198 simple commands
Korn or POSIX arithmetic evaluation 209 definition 199
Korn or POSIX built-in commands 229 single-user mode 47
Korn or POSIX command aliasing 254 single-user systems
Korn or POSIX command history 254 changing run levels on 14
Korn or POSIX command substitution 208 smit command
Korn or POSIX compound commands 251 restoring files 25
Korn or POSIX conditional expressions 212 smit rmat command 138
Korn or POSIX coprocess facility 228 software products
Korn or POSIX environment 252 displaying information about 315
Korn or POSIX exit status 221 sort command 189
Korn or POSIX file name substitution 225 sorting
Korn or POSIX I/O redirection 226 text files 189
Korn or POSIX inline editing 242 source built-in command
Korn or POSIX job control 241 C shell 285
Korn or POSIX list of regular built-in commands 212 special built-in commands
Korn or POSIX list of special built-in commands 211 Bourne shell 264
Korn or POSIX reserved words 216 Korn or POSIX shell 211, 230
Korn or POSIX signal handling 242 special parameters 222
login 198 srcmstr command 180
overview 198 srcmstr daemon 177
parameters 222 standard error 347
positional parameters in Bourne 258 standard error output
POSIX 198 redirecting 349
quoting in Korn or POSIX 214 standard input
redirecting input and output in C shell 297 copying to a file 351
remote 198 redirecting 348
Index 409
standard output summaries (continued)
appending to a file 348 for processes 140
redirecting 347 system startup files 311
standard shell suspend built-in command
conditional expressions 212 C shell 285
starting switch built-in command
AIXwindows Window Manager 319 C shell 285
Bourne shell 256 switches
C shell 273 in commands 122
Korn or POSIX shell 252 system
processes 133 changing prompt 324
Restricted Korn Shell 216 customizing environment 323, 324
restricted shell 204 default variables 318
startsrc command 178 environment 311
startup security 298
controlling windows and applications 320 starting the 3
startup files startup files 317
AIXwindows 319 system accounting
C shell 273 commands
system 317 running automatically 155
X Server 319 running from the keyboard 155
stderr 347 connect-time data 153, 165, 168
stdin 347 CPU usage
stdout 347 displaying 165
stop built-in command disk-usage data
C shell 285 collecting 169
stopping failure
foreground processes 136 recovering from 158
stopsrc command 178 fees
storage media 19 charging 170
strings reporting 153
finding in text files 188 files
stty command 315, 324 data files 157
su command 307 formats 160
subserver overview 156
description of 176 report and summary files 157
displaying status 179 runnact command files 158
starting 178 holidays file
stopping 178 updating 167
turning off tracing 180 overview 150
turning on tracing 180 printer-usage data
subshells collecting 169
definition 199 reporting 153
subsystem problems
displaying status 179 fixing bad times 172
properties of 176 fixing incorrect file permissions 171
refreshing 180 fixing runacct errors 173
starting 178 fixing-out-of-date holidays file 167
stopping 178 process data
turning off tracing 180 collecting 168
turning on tracing 180 reporting 169
subsystem group reporting data
description of 176 overview 150
displaying status 179 reports
refreshing 180 daily 150
starting 178 fiscal 154
stopping 178 monthly 152, 153
turning off tracing 180 runnacct command
turning on tracing 180 restarting 158
summaries starting 157
AIXwindows startup files 311 setting up 160
commands 353 summarizing records 152
customizing system environment 311 system activity
for commands 140 data 154

system accounting (continued) test built-in command (continued)
system activity data Korn or POSIX shell 237
displaying 163 text
displaying while running a command 163 appending to a file 352
tacct errors displaying in large letters 352
fixing 170 text files
wtmp errors concatenating 348
fixing 171 creating from keyboard input 348
system activity cutting sections 191
tracking 154 finding strings 188
system battery 56 numbering lines 192
system clock pasting sections 191
resetting 57 removing columns 193
testing the battery 56 sorting 189
system environment text formatting
64-bit mode 49 commands 128
Dynamic Processor Deallocation 50, 51 extended single-byte characters 129
message of the day 58 international character support 128
profile 48 multibyte character support 129
time data manipulation services 48 tilde substitution
system failure aliasing commands 255
checking hardware 9 time built-in command
checking processes 9 C shell 285
restarting the system 11 time management
System Resource Controller calendar command 130
commands creating reminders 132
list of 177 reminder messages 130
functions of 176 writing reminder messages 130
starting 177 times built-in command
system run level 13 Bourne shell 264
TMOUT variable 206
T tn3270 command 325
tacct errors tracesoff command 180
fixing 170 traceson command 180
tail command 191 tracked aliases 255
tapechk command 20, 44 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol 16
tapes trap built-in command
checking integrity 44 Bourne shell 264
copying to or from 44 Korn or POSIX shell 230
using as backup medium 21 trusted shell 198
tar command 21, 35, 45 tsh command 198
tcopy command 44 tty command 314
TCP/IP type built-in command
/etc/hosts 16 Bourne shell 264
naming typeset built-in command
flat network 16 Korn or POSIX shell 209, 222, 230, 252
hierarchical network 16
network planning 16 U
tee command 351
terminal problems ulimit built-in command
stopping stalled processes 148 Bourne shell 264
terminal, locked up 148 Korn or POSIX shell 237
terminals umask built-in command
displaying control key assignments 315 Bourne shell 264
displaying name 314 C shell 285
displaying settings 316 Korn or POSIX shell 237
for BSD System Managers 346 unalias built-in command
locking 310 C shell 285
unattended 299 Korn or POSIX shell 237, 254
terminology Unavailable Event Occurrences
for shells 199 definition 364
test built-in command uncompress command 35, 36
Bourne shell 264 uncompressing
Index 411
uncompressing (continued) variables (continued)
files 36 NLSPATH 206
underscore variable 205 OLDPWD 205
unhash built-in command OPTARG 205
C shell 285 OPTIND 205
unlimit built-in command PATH 206
C shell 285 PPID 205
unpack command 35, 36 predefined 205
unpacking PS1 206
files 36 PS2 206
unset built-in command PS3 206
Bourne shell 264 PS4 206
C shell 285 PWD 205
Korn or POSIX shell 230 RANDOM 205
unsetenv built-in command 285 REPLY 205
usage statements SECONDS 205
for commands 123 SHELL 206
user SHELL PROMPT variable 206
classes 300 TMOUT 206
displaying group information 302 underscore 205
groups 299 user-defined 206
user environments variables
customizing 48 SHELL PROMPT 206
user ID VISUAL 206
login 299 vgState 392
user-defined variables vi editor
Bourne shell 269 commonly used edit commands 248
utilFs 375, 381 control mode 245
UUCP cursor movement 246
BSD System Managers 344 inline editing 242, 245–248
input edit commands 246
input mode 245, 246
V miscellaneous edit commands 248
variable substitution motion edit commands 246
Bourne shell 269 search edit commands 247
C shell 275 text-modification edit commands 247
Korn or POSIX shell 205 VISUAL variable 206
variables vmo 378, 381
Bourne shell 270, 272
Bourne shell user-defined 269 W
C shell environment 279
CDPATH 206 wait built-in command
COLUMNS 206 Bourne shell 264
EDITOR 206 C shell 285
ENV 206 Korn or POSIX shell 237
ERRNO 205 waitersFreePg 376, 381
exporting 323 Waiting on events
FCEDIT 206 definition 363
FPATH 206 waitTmCPU 376, 381
HISTFILE 206 waitTmPgInOut 377, 381
HISTSIZE 206, 254 wc command 190
HOME 206 whatis command 125
IFS 206 whence built-in command
Korn or POSIX shell 205, 206 Korn or POSIX shell 237
LANG 206 whereis command 124
LC_ALL 206 while built-in command
LC_COLLATE 206 C shell 285
LC_CTYPE 206 who command 148
LC_MESSAGES 206 wildcard characters
LINENO 205 asterisk 182
LINES 206 definition 199
MAIL 206 question mark 183
MAILCHECK 206 words
MAILPATH 206 counting number of 190

words (continued)
definition 199
reserved in Korn or POSIX shell 216
Writing to the monitor file
definition 359
wtmp errors
fixing 171
X
X Server
startup files 319
xinit command 320
xlock command 310
Y
Yellow Pages
BSD System Managers 330
Z
zcat command 36
zombie processes 132
Index 413
IBM®

Aix 72

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Aix 72

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Aix 72

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

AIX Version 7.

Operating system management

About this document..............................................................................................v

Operating system management..............................................................................1

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2010, 2018 v

What's new in Operating system management

How to see what's new or changed

Operating system administration

Available system management interfaces

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2010, 2018 1

Software vital product data

Operating system updates

2 AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management

To determine if a recommended maintenance package or technology level is installed (in this

oslevel -rl 6100-02

Operating system management 3

Administering system startup

Rebooting a running system

Task SMIT Fast Path Command or File

Rebooting a unresponsive system remotely

no - Indicates remote reboot is disabled

4 AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management

chdev -P -l tty0 -a remreboot=reboot

Booting from hard disk for maintenance

Booting a system that has crashed

Operating system management 5

Resetting an unknown root password

6 AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management

Deploying run level script execution

Modifying the /etc/inittab file

mkitab Identifier:Run Level:Action:Command

mkitab tty002:2:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2

In the above example:

Operating system management 7

Changing records - chitab command

chitab Identifier:Run Level:Action:Command

chitab tty002:23:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2

In the above example:

Listing records - lsitab command

To list a specific record in the /etc/inittab file, type:

Reactivation of an inactive system

8 AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management

Checking the processes

Operating system management 9

The -e and -f flags identify all active and inactive processes.

ps -ef | grep xlock

10 AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management

Restarting the system

Operating system management 11

Creating boot images

Creating a boot image on a boot logical volume

bosboot -ad /dev/ipldevice

12 AIX Version 7.2: Operating system management

Creating boot images for network devices

bosboot -ad /dev/ent

For a Token-Ring boot:

bosboot -ad /dev/tok

System run level

The following are the currently-defined run levels: