pkgtrans translates an installable package from one format to another. It translates:

• a file system format to a datastream
• a datastream to a file system format
• one file system format to another file system format

The options and arguments for this command are:

-i

Copy only the pkginfo(4) and pkgmap(4) files.

-n

Create a new instance of the package on the destination device if any instance of this package already exists, up to the number specified by the MAXINST variable in the pkginfo(4) file.

-o

Overwrite the same instance on the destination device; package instance will be overwritten if it already exists.

-s

Indicates that the package should be written to device2 as a datastream rather than as a file system. The default behavior is to write a file system format on devices that support both formats.

device1

Indicates the source device. The package or packages on this device will be translated and placed on device2.

device2

Indicates the destination device. Translated packages will be placed on this device.

pkginst

Specifies which package instance or instances on device1 should be translated. The token all may be used to indicate all packages. pkginst.* can be used to indicate all instances of a package. If no packages are defined, a prompt shows all packages on the device and asks which to translate.

The asterisk character (*) is a special character to some shells and may need to be escaped. In the C-Shell, "*" must be surrounded by single quotes (') or preceded by a backslash (\).

The MAXINST variable is set in the pkginfo(4) file and declares the maximum number of package instances.

0

Successful completion.

>0

An error occurred.

See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

pkginfo(1), pkgmk(1), pkgparam(1), pkgproto(1), installf(1M), pkgadd(1M), pkgask(1M), pkgrm(1M), removef(1M), pkginfo(4), pkgmap(4), attributes(5)

Application Packaging Developer's Guide

Device specifications can be either the special node name (for example, /dev/diskette) or a device alias (for example, diskette1). The device spool indicates the default spool directory. Source and destination devices cannot be the same.

By default, pkgtrans will not translate any instance of a package if any instance of that package already exists on the destination device. Using the -n option creates a new instance if an instance of this package already exists. Using the -o option overwrites an instance of this package if it already exists. Neither of these options are useful if the destination device is a datastream.