Geek Answers Handbook

AIX deployment: installp or rpm?

I am deploying a large set of perl / shell / sql code on AIX. it can be (and is) different applications with their own development teams, version control repositories, etc.

I am lazy and want to facilitate deployment / rollbacks - and I delve into rpm packaging with all the benefits of +/-.

AIX custom installp system (with bff files). am i on the right track with rpm ? oss4aix.org uses rpm FWIW. any input / best practice appreciated.

thanks

+4
source share
5 answers

"installp" is a bit of a black art. For a long time, it was impossible to get build software without spending unnecessary amounts of money, so very few people outside of IBM (and Bull) were worried about this.

"rpm", on the other hand, has been freely available for many years. There should be no particular considerations for AIX for script-type material, so the vast amount of experience, knowledge, and code examples available for Linux will be useful to you.

I don't think IBM will let AIX go soon, but they are actively porting standard Linux tools on AIX and some of the AIX tools on Linux to make the environments converge. I think this is only a matter of time before installp begins to "depreciate" in favor of rpm.

+1
source

I never had to develop instalp packages. I get the impression that IBM is going to buy a large Linux distribution and will soon cease its own commercial business. I think that in the long run, switching to rpm will be ahead of the curve.

+1
source

Aix 4,5,6 use RPM v3.0 - 1998 circa, iirc RedHat 6.2. In millions of resolved errors and new features in rpm today. So use it, but don't do the aspect of what you can do with it, what others do in moderm linux rpm distro.

Or, as a good alternative to build rpm 5 for yourself - what else on aix? - try openpkg http://www.openpkg.org/

+1
source

I found one document for building rpm 5.0 and yum on AIX.

http://www.tekwire.net/joomla/building/rpm/rpm_AIX_5.2.htm

+1
source

Check out the polypkg tool we wrote; this is a shell script that does the hard work of creating packages for you.

0
source

More articles:


All Articles