HP-UX System Administrator's Guide: Configuration Management

Most changes made in system files can be made using the kernel configuration
commands, and vice versa. Here are the equivalents:
Kernel Configuration CommandSystem File Line
kcmodule modulename=bestmodulename
kcmodule modulename=bestmodule modulename best
kcmodule modulename=statemodule modulename state [version]
1
kcmodule modulename=unused(no entry for modulename)
kctune tunablename=tunablevaluetunablename tunablevalue
kctune tunablename=tunablevaluetunable tunablename tunablevalue
kctune tunablename=default(no entry for tunablename)
1 System files created by the kernel configuration tools always list the version number for each module.
However, it is not required. Administrators adding module lines to a system file need not give version
numbers.
Uses for System Files
System files are primarily useful in the following situations.
1. They are useful for system administrators who are familiar with them from previous
releases of HP-UX. If you are used to editing /stand/system and running
mk_kernel to make configuration changes, it will still work.
2. System files are useful if you want to apply multiple configuration changes
simultaneously. You can edit a /stand/system and change three tunable values
and two module states, and have all of those changes take effect together when
you import the system file with kconfig -i or mk_kernel. By contrast, each
invocation of one of the kernel configuration commands applies changes separately
(although multiple changes listed on the same configuration command line are
applied together).
Applying multiple changes together is particularly valuable when modules are
moved into or out of static state, because each command that does this will run
for quite a while. This occurs because such changes require that the kernel
executable be relinked. If you have multiple such changes to make, it is best that
you list them all on the same kcmodule command line, or make the changes in a
system file and import it. Either of these techniques will ensure that the kernel
executable is only relinked once.
3. System files are used for copying configurations from one system to another. It is
not safe to copy a kernel configuration directory from one machine to another,
and HP does not support doing that. However, it is perfectly safe to export a system
file from a configuration on one system, move that system file to a different system,
194 Configuring the Kernel