Installing and managing software over the network

Verifying software

The Verify options in the Software Manager let you check the software files on your machine against the product and component databases (which define how each product and component should be arranged). Depending on which Verify option you choose, you can check for (and automatically fix) broken or missing symbolic links, and incorrect file permissions, owner, group, major and minor numbers, and number of hard links. The verification can also check for missing files and for incorrect file type, checksum, and size. If you want to resolve these discrepancies (with the exception of certain missing files), you must fix them manually after exiting the Software Manager. (See customextract(ADM) for information on restoring files.)

To verify (and optionally fix) certain products, components, and packages, select them from the list of installed software, then select Verify from the Software menu.
To verify (and optionally fix) all the products on the machine, select Verify System from the Software menu.
Indicate whether you want to check for:

``Normal system state (Quick)''
Verifies that the status of the system is consistent with normal operation. It does not report on size or checksum changes for configuration (CLIENT) files, because these often change as part of normal operation. It also does not verify checksums for SHARED files, and it does not remove a ``corrupt'' setting from a verified package.

``Normal system state (Thorough)''
Verifies the checksums for SHARED files in the selected packages, in addition to the checks made during the ``Quick'' option. When the ``Thorough'' option has verified and fixed a package marked ``corrupt'', it replaces the package's ``corrupt'' icon on the main Software Manager window.

``Modified configuration files''
Reports checksum changes for configuration (CLIENT) files, showing which configuration files have changed since installation. Also verifies permissions, owner, group, major and minor numbers, number of hard links, symbolic link target, export location, file type, and size for each configuration file in the selected packages.

``Broken/missing symbolic links''
Reports symbolic links that should link a file from /opt or /var/opt to an external directory, but are broken or missing.
A weekly cron job runs this option on the entire system and mails the report to root.

``Strict database compliance''
Compares files in the selected packages to the product and components databases, and reports all discrepancies, including expected discrepancies such as changed configuration files and missing optional files. This option can take a long time.
When the verification report is finished, indicate whether you want to send it to a printer or save it to a file, or both. If you do not want to fix the discrepancies, select Done at this point, then retrieve the printed or saved report.
To fix the discrepancies, select Fix Discrepancies. The verification report lists which types of discrepancies can be fixed automatically and which must be fixed manually.

Updating product databases

It is no longer possible to update product databases in the Software Manager. See the custom(ADM) manual page.