Solaris Flash flar Command

Solaris Flash flar Command
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Use the Solaris Flash flar command to create a Solaris Flash archive and administer the archive

The flar Command

The flar command can be used with the following options:

flarcreate creates an archive
flar combin merges two archives
flar split breaks an archive into sections
flar info checks the structure of an archive

Use the flarcreate command to create a Solaris Flash archive from a master system. You can use this command when the master system is running in multiuser mode or single-user mode. You can also use flarcreate when the master system is booted from the following media.

Solaris Operating System DVD
Solaris Software - 1 CD
An image of the Solaris Software CDs and Solaris Languages CD

The master system should be in as stable a state as possible when you create a Solaris Flash archive.

Note

You can create a Solaris Flash archive by using either of these command options:

As two words: flar with the create subcommand
As one word: flarcreate

The syntax of the command is as follows:

flarcreate n archive_name [R root] [A unchanged_master_image_dir] [H][I][M][[S]c][t [p posn] [b blocksize]][i date][u section ...][m master][f [list_filename| -] [F][a author][e descr|E descr_file][L cpio][T type][U key=val ...][x exclude_dir/filename] [y include_dir/filename] [z list_filename] [X list_filename]path/filename

flar combine [d dir] [u section...] [t [p posn] path/filename

flar split [d dir] [u section...] [f] [S section] [t [p posn] path/filename

flar info [l] [k keyword] [t [p posn] path/filename

In the previous command lines, path is the directory in which you want the archive file to be saved. filename is the name of the archive file. If you do not specify a path, flarcreate saves the archive file in the current directory.

Table 5.7. Command-Line Options for the flar Command

Option	Description
Required Options
`n` `archive_name`	The value of this flag is the name of the archive. The `archive_name` you specify is the value of the `content_name` keyword.
Option for Compression
`c`	Compresses the archive by using compress(1).
Options for Directories and Sizes
`R` `root`	Creates the archive from the file system tree that is rooted at `root`. If you do not specify this option, flarcreate creates an archive from a file system that is rooted at `/`.
`S`	Omits sizing information in the archive.
`H`	Does not generate the hash identifier.
Options for Creating a Differential Archive
`A` `unchanged_master_image_dir`	Creates a differential archive by comparing a new system image with the image that is specified by the `unchanged_master_image_dir` argument. By default, the new system image is root (`/`). You can change the default with the `R` option. `unchanged_master_image_dir` is a directory where the unchanged master system image is stored or mounted through UFS, NFS, or lumount. You can modify the effects of file selection for a differential archive by using the options for contents selection described in the next section of the table.
`M`	Excludes the manifest file. When you use this option, no validation occurs on the differential archive. When creating a differential archive, flarcreate creates a long list of the files in the system that are unchanged, are changed, and are to be deleted from the archive. This list is stored in the manifest section of the archive. When the differential archive is deployed, the software uses this list to perform a file-by-file check, ensuring the integrity of the clone system. Use of this option avoids such a check and saves the space that is used by the manifest section in a differential archive. However, you must consider the savings in time and disk space against the loss of an integrity check upon installation. Because no validation occurs, avoid using this option.
Options for Contents Selection
Caution Use the flarcreate file-exclusion options with caution. If you exclude some directories, others that you were unaware of might be left in the archive, such as system configuration files. The system would then be inconsistent and the installation would not work. Excluding directories and files is best used with data that can easily be removed without disrupting the system, such as large data files.
`y` `include_dir/filename`	Adds to the archive those files and directories that are specified on the command line. This option is used when you have excluded a directory, but want to restore individual subdirectories or files. `include_dir/filename` is the name of the subdirectory or file to be included.
`f` `list_filename`	Adds files and directories from a list to the archive. `list_filename` is the full path to a file that contains a list. The contents of the file are added to the file list unless `F` is specified. The `list_filename` file must contain one file per line. If you specify a file system with `R` `root`, the path to each file must be relative to the alternate `root` directory or an absolute path. If `filename` is “-”, flarcreate reads standard input as the list of files. When you use the value “-”, the archive size is not calculated.
`F`	Uses only the files in `f` `list_filename` to create the archive. This option makes the `f` `list_filename` the absolute list, rather than a list that is appended to the normal file list.
`x` `exclude_dir/filename`	Excludes files and directories from the archive. These files and directories are specified at the command line. You can use multiple instances of this option to exclude more than one file or directory. `exclude_dir/filename` is the name of the directory or file to be excluded.
`X` `list_filename`	Excludes a list of files or directories from the archive. `list_filename` is the full path to a file that contains the list. The `list_filename` file must contain one file per line. If you specify a file system with `R` `root`, the path to each file must be relative to the alternate `root` directory or an absolute path. If `list_filename` is “-”, flarcreate reads standard input as the list of files. When you use the value “-”, the archive size is not calculated.
`z` `list_filename`	Excludes or includes a list of files or directories from the archive. Each file or directory in the list is noted with a plus “+” or minus “-”. A plus indicates an included file or directory and the minus indicates an excluded file or directory. `list_filename` is the full path to a file that contains the list. The `list_filename` file must contain one file per line. If you specify a file system with `R` `root`, the path to each file must be relative to the alternate `root` directory or an absolute path.
`I`	Override the integrity check. To prevent you from excluding important system files from an archive, flarcreate runs an integrity check. This check examines all files that are registered in a system package database and stops archive creation if any of them are excluded. Use of this option overrides this integrity check. Therefore, avoid the use of the `I` option.
Options for Splitting and Merging Archives
`d` `dir`	Retrieves the sections to copy from `dir`, rather than from the current directory.
`u` `section`	If you use this option, flar copies the cookie, identification, archive, and `section` sections. You can specify a single section name or a space-separated list of section names. If you do not use this option, flar copies the cookie, ldentification, and archive sections only.
`f` archive	Extracts the archive section into a directory that is named `archive`, rather than placing it in a file with the name `archive`. Used for splitting an archive
`S` `section`	Only copies the section that is named `section` from the archive. This section is user defined. Used for splitting an archive.
Option Used To Copy Files (Archive)
`L cpio`	The pax utility is the default copy method. For backward compatibility issues, you can create a cpio archive with the `L cpio` option. A cpio archive cannot contain Individual file sizes over 4 Gbytes.
Options Used With User-Defined Sections
`u` `section`	Includes `section` as a user-defined section. To include more than one user-defined section, `section` must be a space-separated list of section names.
`d` `dir`	Retrieves the section file that is specified with `u` from `dir`.
Options Used With Tape Archives
`t`	Creates an archive on a tape device. The `filename` argument is the name of the tape device.
`p` `posn`	Use only with the `t` option. Specifies the position on the tape device for flarcreate to store the archive. If you do not use this option, flarcreate places the archive at the current position of the tape.
`b` `blocksize`	Specifies the block size flarcreate uses when creating the archive. If you do not specify a block size, flarcreate uses the default block size of 64 KB.
Options for Archive Identification These keywords and values appear in the archive identification section of the archive.
`U` `key=val`	Includes user-defined keywords and values in the archive identification section.
`i` `date`	Uses `date` as the value for the `creation_date` keyword. If you do not specify a date, flarcreate uses the current system time and date.
`m` `master`	Uses `master` as the name of the master system on which you created the archive. `master` is the value for the `creation_master` keyword. If you do not specify `master`, flarcreate uses the system name that is reported by uname -n.
`e` `descr`	Uses `descr` for the value of the `content_description` keyword. You cannot use this option when you use the `E` option.
`E` `descr_file`	Retrieves the value for the `content_description` keyword from the `descr_file` file. You cannot use this option when you use the `e` option.
`a` `author`	Uses `author` as the author name in the archive identification section. `author` is the value for the `content_author` keyword. If you do not specify an author, flarcreate does not include the `content_author` keyword in the archive identification section.
`T` `type`	Uses `type` as the value for the `content_type` keyword. `type` is user defined. If you do not specify a type, flarcreate does not include the `content_type` keyword.

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