Software Distributor Administration Guide (March 2009)

• The POSIX default for request scripts is a shell script. The shell script must be able
to:
— Ask questions of the user.
— Read the user’s answer.
— List all current user responses in a redrawn screen.
— Ask the user to confirm an answer and continue or to go back.
• The request script stores the user response in a response file. The path of the
response file is accessible by the SW_CONTROL_DIRECTORY environment
variable.
• The POSIX recommendation for response file format is the SVR4 model of
attribute/value pairs. Answers should be written to the response file
inenv_var=value format so that the response files can be easily used by other
control scripts.
• When you use a request script to get install information, HP recommends that you
use a checkinstall script to check for proper execution of the request script. The
checkinstall script should:
— Verify that the response file exists.
— Prevent swinstall from “hanging” if:
◦ A script tries to read a response file that does not exist.
◦ The install or configuration relies on information in the missing response
file.
11.6 Execution of Other Commands by Control Scripts
Every command executed by a control script is a potential source of failure because
the command may not exist on the target system. Your script can use any command
conditionally, if it checks first for its existence and executability, and if it does not fail
when the command is unavailable.
• If the target system(s) conform with the POSIX 1003.2 Shells and Utilities standard,
then the Execution Environment Utilities of this standard will also be available.
• If a fileset has a prerequisite dependency on another product/fileset, then most of
the control scripts for the dependent fileset can use the commands of the required
product/fileset, if the $ROOT_DIRECTORY is /. (All commands perform their
tasks in prerequisite order).
• Commands should be referenced relative to the path components specified in the
PATH variable. (See the discussion of PATH and the SW_PATH environment variable
above.)
284 Using Control Scripts