kitcap(5) File Formats Manual kitcap(5)
Name
kitcap - kit descriptor database for gentape and genra utilities.
Description
The file is a database for kit descriptors containing product codes, directories, files, and subsets that make up a product description to
be used by or to create distribution media. All fields are separated by colons (:) with a backslash () at the end of a line indicating
continuation. Lines starting with a number sign (#) are considered comments and are ignored. Comment fields with a kitcode description
are delimited by an opening number sign (#) and a closing colon (:).
The following entry examples are for TK50 and MT9 media types:
Product-codeTK | Product Description:directory1:directory2:directory3:
SPACE:SPACE:SPACE:INSTCTRL:subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5
Product-codeMT | Product Description:directory1:directory2:directory3:
SPACE:SPACE:SPACE:INSTCTRL:subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5:
%%2:
subset6:subset7:subset8:subset9:subset10
The following parts make up the descriptor for magnetic tape media:
Product-code
This is an arbitrary name made up of letters and/or numbers unique to the product that it describes. Typical codes include a prod-
uct identifier and a version identifier, as indicated in the previous examples.
Media-code (TK or MT)
The media-code is a 2 letter reference that describes the type of media the files will be written to. The media code must be either
TK for TK50 or MT for 9-track magnetic tape devices. During run time, the utility probes the device to be written to and determines
if it is a TK50- or MT9-type device. It then appends either TK or MT to the kitcode given on the command line and searches for the
kitcode (product-code/media-code) in the kitcap file.
Product Description
This field is a description of the software product that is being created by the utility and replaces the NAME field in the file of
all the subsets that make up a product. This is an optional field for magnetic tape media.
Directories
The magnetic tape media production utility has the ability of producing multi-product tapes. That is, it can take subsets from dif-
ferent products that are based in different directories and merge them together to form a third product, which is a combination of
the original products. Directory entries provide the full path locations of where the subsets that are to be put on media will be
stored. There must be at least one directory entry for each kitcap descriptor.
SPACE
The SPACE file is a place holder for tape records composed of 1k of NULL characters. Three SPACE files are used as dummy files to
ensure compatibility with ULTRIX operating system kits.
INSTCTRL
The INSTCTRL image contains setld control information.
Subsets
This field provides a list of subsets or files that are to be either written to the magnetic tape media or verified from the mag-
netic tape media. Each subset listed must be stored in one of the directories listed in that particular kitcap descriptor. If a
file or subset is stored in a subdirectory of one of the directories listed in the kitcap descriptor, it is possible to include that
sub-path with the subset/filename entry instead of listing the entire path/subpath as another directory listing. For example, a
directory listed in the kitcap descriptor under the rules given in the Directories section is listed as:
/KITS/MYPRODUCT/001
A particular subset or file that a user would like to include on the media is stored in:
/KITS/MYPRODUCT/001/subdirectory/subset
Since the subdirectory/subset specification is part of the directory tree, it is not necessary to include the full path subdirectory
in the directory listing. An alternative is to include the subdirectory path with the subset name in the subset list. For example:
MY-PROD-001 | This is a good product:
/KITS/MYPRODUCT/001:SPACE:SPACE:SPACE:
INSTCTRL:subset1:subset2:subdirectory/subset3:subset4
Volume identifier (MT9 media only)
The volume identifier is optional. Multi-tape support is available for products that have subsets or files that take up more room
than is available by a single 9-track magnetic tape. If the subset list results in an end-of-tape condition, the subset list can be
split into any number of multi-volume sets by placing (where n is the volume number of the next tape) anywhere appropriate in the
subset list. The subsets listed between the volume identifiers must fit on a single piece of media. By default, the subset list
located directly after the directory list is always considered the first volume. Therefore, a volume identifier for the first vol-
ume in a multi-volume kit descriptor is not necessary.
The following example shows a entry for disks:
Product-codeRA:partition:
dd=/:Product_Description:
directory1:directory2:directory3:
instctrl:subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5:
dd=SUB/DIR:Product_Description:
instctrl:directory1:directory2:directory3:
subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5
The following parts make up the kitcap descriptor for disk media:
Product-code
Same as for magnetic tape.
Media-code
The media code for disks is RA and is appended to the product-code provided by the user at run time, by the utility.
Disk Partition
This field is the partition where you want the software written to on the disk.
dd=
This field tells the utility what directory you want the subsets written to on the disk media that is being created. The contrac-
tion can be thought of as the ``destination directory'' for the subsets. This field is required and allows a hierarchial structure
for those who want to put multiple products on the same disk, or want to separate parts of one product into different areas on the
disk.
Typically, a disk is mounted by the utility onto a temporary mount point under This location becomes the disks root directory. If a user
wants to have only one directory for an entire product, a valid entry would be dd=/. This entry tells the utility to write all the follow-
ing subsets under the mount point.
In the disk kitcap descriptor example given previously, the first five subsets are being written to the mount point, or root directory, for
the disk media being made. Then a new directory on the disk media is made, and the next five subsets are written into that directory on
the disk media.
It is important to note that the top-level directory of the media disk is always considered the mount point used by the script and is ref-
erenced by dd=/. Any subdirectories listed as destination directories are created starting from the mount point and must be referenced in
full. For instance, in the previous example, if the user wanted to put some other subsets in a subdirectory of DIR, the entry would be
dd=SUB/DIR/SUBSUBDIR. Note that each new destination directory requires a product description.
Product Description
This field is similar to the one defined under the magnetic tape description. However, in the case of disk media there are 2 impor-
tant differences. The product description is a required field, and all words in the description must be connected with underscores
(_). The script removes the underscores at run time. For example, suppose the desired description was as follows:
This is a good product
The Product Description entry when making disk media would become:
This_is_a_good_product
Directories
Same as for magnetic tape.
instctrl
A directory containing the same information as INSTCTRL for magnetic tape.
Subsets
Same as for magnetic tape.
Examples
TK50 and MT9 (single-volume tape)kitcap description
MYPRODUCT400 | MYPRODUCT software version 4:
:# directory listing :
/directory1:/directory2:/directory3:
SPACE:SPACE:SPACE:INSTCTRL:
:# subset listing :
subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5
MT9 kitcap description (multi-volume tape)
MYPRODUCT400 | MYPRODUCT software version 4:
/directory1:/directory2:/directory3:
SPACE:SPACE:SPACE:INSTCTRL:
subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5:
:# Volume 2 :
%%2:
subset6:subset7:subset8:subset9:subset10
RA60 kitcap description (single product)
MYPRODUCT400:c:
dd=/:MYPRODUCT_software_version_4:
/directory1:/directory2:/directory3:
instctrl:subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5
RA60 kitcap description (multiple product)
MYPRODUCT400:c:
dd=MYPRODUCT/BASE:
MYPRODUCT_software_version_4_base_subsets:
/directory1:/directory2:/directory3:
instctrl:subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5:
dd=MYPRODUCT/NONBASE:
MYPRODUCT_software_version_4_nonbase_subsets:
/directory1:/directory2:/directory3:
instctrl:subset1:subset2:subset3:subset4:subset5
See Also
genra(8), gentapes(8)
kitcap(5)