From: haedener@iacrs1.unibe.ch (Konrad Haedener)
Subject: Re: more on PTF hell
Followup-To: <1992Sep15.120620.2323@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca>
Keywords: U403376 U403377 U403378 U403380 U403381
Reply-To: haedener@iacrs1.unibe.ch
Organization: University of Berne
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 14:58:45 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.120620.2323@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca>, dedourek@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (John DeDourek) writes:
|> 
|> I am not sure what information you are looking for about these PTF's.
|> What I usually want to know first, is what they are supposed to fix.
|> Unfortunately, I have not been able to figure out how to find out
|> BEFORE I apply them.  After they are applied :-( nuts), the command

   [ text deleted ]

You can certainly do that using smit:

  Installation and Maintenance
     Standard Installation & Maintenance
        Software Installation & Maintenance
           List All Problems Fixed by Software on Installation Media

smit invokes installp with proper switches _without_ installing anything.

|> John DeDourek
|> dedourek@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca

The actual problem is with the bundling of PTFs as currently practiced
by IBM. I always thought the key idea was to have _selective_ updates,
but look at what I received today as the famous amd fix:

        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402027.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404984.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U405867.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U404116.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U404322.
        bosext2.acct.obj 3.2.0.0.U404902.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U404918.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U407546.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402211.
        bosnet.tcpip.obj 3.2.0.0.U406325.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404727.
        hanfs.obj 3.2.0.0.U403233.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U401986.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U402035.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404554.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U405502.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U402385.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U401980.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402371.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402515.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U401864.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402156.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U401979.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402191.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402478.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U403303.
        X11rte.obj 1.2.0.0.U402470.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U401969.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402098.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402208.
        hanfs.obj 3.2.0.0.U404106.
        bosext2.acct.obj 3.2.0.0.U405566.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402761.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403265.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404298.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402153.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U405803.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402731.
        bosext1.extcmds.data 3.2.0.0.U402611.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402367.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402536.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402044.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402157.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403766.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404380.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404382.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402477.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403104.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403088.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402398.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403285.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402093.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402341.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403244.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402336.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402489.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402634.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402344.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402315.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404307.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406878.
        bosext1.extcmds.obj 3.2.0.0.U402609.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402381.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402842.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U404528.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402476.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403101.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403108.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402108.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402345.
        bosext1.extcmds.obj 3.2.0.0.U405554.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403173.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U402413.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406852.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406518.
        bosnet.tcpip.obj 3.2.0.0.U406646.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406700.
        bosnet.tcpip.obj 3.2.0.0.U406848.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U406877.
        bosnet.snmpd.obj 3.2.0.0.U405299.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406133.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406571.
        bosext1.csh.obj 3.2.0.0.U407535.
        bosadt.lib.obj 3.2.0.0.U406435.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U405848.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403342.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406855.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U406849.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U403441.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U407553.
        bos.obj 3.2.0.0.U407529.

We are speaking of 33 MB on a 1/4" tape. The list of all IX2nnnn with a one
line description of each fix contained in this update covers _7_ printed A4
pages! The vast majority of fixes bundled with this update have nothing 
(really) to do with amd.

Earlier on I have claimed AIX software distribution to be a mess. I'd like
to hear some words of wisdom from IBM explaining their update/fix philosophy.
-- 
Konrad Haedener                             Phone: +41 31 65 42 25
Institute for Physical Chemistry            FAX:   +41 31 65 44 99
University of Berne
Switzerland                                 haedener@iacrs1.unibe.ch
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix,comp.windows.x