Once sysf has been fully set up, configuring a new host on the network
is a simple task. First one must add the new host name in the hosts.conf
file. It must be added to the ALL list as well as to any other host group
the host should belong to. There is no need to modify the sysf.conf
file.
The next task is to create all the necessary configuration files. Most entry
will have a DEFAULT or HOST GROUP. These files will usually be
appropriate and require no alteration, but should one host require a
specific system file one can make a copy of an existing config file and
customise it for the new host. SHARED files can be ignored.
sysf entries which have the h flag set are the ones for which a
specific config file must be created one way or another.
Most of them will be created during the installation on the operating system.
The Linux lilo.conf or the fstab files are typical examples.
Some of the host specific system files can easily be prepared before the new
host is installed.
The /etc/sysconfig/network file for example can be copied and
customised from an existing file. One would thus create the config file
prior to the installation of the new host.
Some other system files, especially those which depend very much on the
hardware like the fstab or the XF86Config files, are better
created during the installation of the operating system. Any further
customisation can be done
just after the installation. In particular, one should at least add to the
fstab file an NFS entry for the NFS partition on which the config
directory resides. The directory must be mounted before sysf can be
used (though it can be mounted by hand too).
Once all the files have been prepared, the command
sysf -OS_install ALL
will perform the appropriate operation to configure the new host. This
command will create or update the system and config file according to the
following rule:
If the config file exists, the sysf -first_install command is executed,
to make a copy of the system file with the .DIST extension (if there is
none yet) and to copy the config file into the system file. If the config file
does not exist, then if the sysf h flag is on for that entry, the
command sysf -new is executed to create the config file for the new host.
If the sysf h flag is off nothing is done.