HP-UX System Administrator's Guide: Routine Management Tasks

Changing the Contents of the Autoexecute File
On HP 9000 systems, an important part of what makes an automatic boot possible is
a file known as an autoexecute file that contains the command that you normally use
to boot the HP-UX operating system (the hpux command that you would enter at the
ISL> prompt). The contents of this file are used during the boot process when some
or all of the hpux command elements have been omitted from the command given to
ISL, as in the case of automatic booting.
The autoexecute file is not located in any HP-UX file system because its contents are
needed before HP-UX is running (before HP-UX can access its file systems). Instead,
the autoexecute file, called AUTO, is located in the LIF area (sometimes called the boot
area) on one of your bootable disks. This is the area is where ISL itself resides.
You rarely need to change the contents of the AUTO file. However, there are occasions
when you might want to, such as when you create a new kernel file (with a name other
than the default, /stand/vmunix) that you regularly want to boot from, or to boot
from a device on a different disk from where ISL resides.
To create new contents for the AUTO file, use the /usr/sbin/mkboot command:
mkboot -a "contents of autofile" device_file_name
Example:
mkboot -a "hpux disc(8.0.1;0)/stand/vmunix.new" /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0
See mkboot(1M) for details.
To display the AUTO file when HP-UX is running, enter:
/usr/bin/lifcp /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0:AUTO -
You can also display the boot command string in the AUTO file at the ISL> prompt:
ISL> lsautofl
Booting into Single-User Mode
If you need to boot a system into single-user mode, for example to make sure no one
else logs on when you boot the system to do maintenance work:
1. After powering on or resetting your computer (or nPartition) take control of the
boot process by hitting any key on the console keyboard so that
autoboot/autosearch will not boot the system automatically (if they are
currently enabled). The Boot Console Handler will display its main menu.
The Boot Console Handler (BCH) will display its main menu and prompt for a
command:
Main Menu: Enter command >
2. Boot the desired device using the BOOT command at the BCH interface, and specify
that the boot process stop at the ISL prompt (reply y to the “stop at the ISL prompt”
question).
68 Booting and Shutdown