admin is a generic name for an ASCII file that defines default installation actions by assigning values to installation parameters. For example, it allows administrators to define how to proceed when the package being installed already exists on the system.

/var/sadm/install/admin/default is the default admin file delivered with this release. The default file is not writable, so to assign values different from this file, create a new admin file. There are no naming restrictions for admin files. Name the file when installing a package with the -a option of pkgadd(1M). If the -a option is not used, the default admin file is used.

Each entry in the admin file is a line that establishes the value of a parameter in the following form:

param=value

Eleven parameters can be defined in an admin file, but it is not required to assign values to all eleven parameters. If a value is not assigned, pkgadd(1M) asks the installer how to proceed.

The eleven parameters and their possible values are shown below except as noted. They may be specified in any order. Any of these parameters (except the mail parameter) can be assigned the value ask, which means that if the situation occurs the installer is notified and asked to supply instructions at that time (see NOTES).

basedir

Indicates the base directory where relocatable packages are to be installed. If there is no basedir entry in the file, the installer will be prompted for a path name, as if the file contained the entry basedir=ask. This parameter can also be set to default (entry is basedir=default). In this instance, the package is installed into the base directory specified by the BASEDIR parameter in the pkginfo(4) file.

mail

Defines a list of users to whom mail should be sent following installation of a package. If the list is empty, no mail is sent. If the parameter is not present in the admin file, the default value of root is used. The ask value cannot be used with this parameter.

runlevel

Indicates resolution if the run level is not correct for the installation or removal of a package. Options are:

nocheck

Do not check for run level.

quit

Abort installation if run level is not met.

conflict

Specifies what to do if an installation expects to overwrite a previously installed file, thus creating a conflict between packages. Options are:

nocheck

Do not check for conflict; files in conflict will be overwritten.

quit

Abort installation if conflict is detected.

nochange

Override installation of conflicting files; they will not be installed.

setuid

Checks for executables which will have setuid or setgid bits enabled after installation. Options are:

nocheck

Do not check for setuid executables.

quit

Abort installation if setuid processes are detected.

nochange

Override installation of setuid processes; processes will be installed without setuid bits enabled.

action

Determines if action scripts provided by package developers contain possible security impact. Options are:

nocheck

Ignore security impact of action scripts.

quit

Abort installation if action scripts may have a negative security impact.

partial

Checks to see if a version of the package is already partially installed on the system. Options are:

nocheck

Do not check for a partially installed package.

quit

Abort installation if a partially installed package exists.

instance

Determines how to handle installation if a previous version of the package (including a partially installed instance) already exists. Options are:

quit

Exit without installing if an instance of the package already exists (does not overwrite existing packages).

overwrite

Overwrite an existing package if only one instance exists. If there is more than one instance, but only one has the same architecture, it overwrites that instance. Otherwise, the installer is prompted with existing instances and asked which to overwrite.

unique

Do not overwrite an existing instance of a package. Instead, a new instance of the package is created. The new instance will be assigned the next available instance identifier.

idepend

Controls resolution if other packages depend on the one to be installed. Options are:

nocheck

Do not check package dependencies.

quit

Abort installation if package dependencies are not met.

rdepend

Controls resolution if other packages depend on the one to be removed. Options are:

nocheck

Do not check package dependencies.

quit

Abort removal if package dependencies are not met.

space

Controls resolution if disk space requirements for package are not met. Options are:

nocheck

Do not check space requirements (installation fails if it runs out of space).

quit

Abort installation if space requirements are not met.

pkgadd(1M), pkginfo(4)

The value ask should not be defined in an admin file that will be used for non-interactive installation (since by definition, there is no installer interaction). Doing so causes installation to fail when input is needed.