7.1 POSCDTool Command Line Options

POSCDTool is a command line utility that performs the initial system preparation required to build client images with ImageBuilder.

The POSCDTool command syntax is as follows:

poscdtool [options]

Table 7-1 summarizes the available POSCDTool options.

Table 7-1 POSCDTool command options

Option

 

Description

--copy

 

Copies the Novell Linux Point of Service CDs to the distribution directory structure.

NOTE:The distribution directory structure is referenced in the AdminServer.conf and Distribution.xml files so ImageBuilder can locate the RPMs required to build the image.

For more information, see Section 7.3.1, Copying the Novell Linux Point of Service CDs.

 

[--type=cd|dir|iso]

Indicates the source media to be copied (CD, directory, or ISO).

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool assumes the source media is CD.

NOTE:The iso option is not currently supported.

 

--source=source_media

Indicates the path to the source media.

For a CD, the path is expressed as /media/cdrom_name, For example, cdrom, dvdrecorder, cdrecorder, dvd.

For a directory, the contents of the directory are treated as a CD.

For an ISO, the path is expressed as a full path including the filename.

 

[--dest=distribution_ directory]

Indicates the distribution directory to which the CD media is copied.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool copies to the default distribution directory, /opt/SLES/POS/dist/.

IMPORTANT:/opt/SLES/POS/dist/ is the default path ImageBuilder uses to build client images.

The CDs are copied by distribution and CD number. That is, under the destination directory (/opt/SLES/POS/dist/), there are distribution directories (NLD, SLES, SLRS). Within each of the distribution directories are revision directories (FCS, SP1, SP2, and so forth). Under each revision directory are CD directories (CD1, CD2, and so forth). A complete path might appear as follows:

/opt/SLES/POS/dist/SLRS/FCS/CD1/

 

[--force]

Forces POSCCDTool to copy the source CDs, even if they already exist in the distribution directory.

--link

 

Creates a link between the distribution directory structure required by ImageBuilder and the directories where the CD source media are currently located.

This option is required only if the Novell Linux Point of Service CDs are not archived in the distribution directory structure required by ImageBuilder. For example, if the CD source media is mounted on an NFS server to provide a single point of installation for Administration and Branch Servers throughout your network, you can use the --link option to create a link between the files' current location and the distribution directory structure ImageBuilder requires to build images.

NOTE:If you copy the CDs using POSCDTool, the CDs are automatically copied to the distribution directory structure required by ImageBuilder.

For more information, see Section 7.3.2, Linking the Novell Linux Point of Service CDs.

 

--source=source_media

Indicates the source path for the link. This is the path to the CD source media.

 

[--dest=distribution_ directory]

Indicates the destination path for the link. This is the path to the distribution directory on the Administration Server.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool links to the default distribution directory, /opt/SLES/POS/dist/.

--mount

 

Mounts the Novell Linux Point of Service CDs.

This option is required only if the CD source media are on another server. For example, if you require multiple Administration Servers to build images, you can copy the CD source media to one of those servers and mount the other image servers to that source. This eliminates the need to copy the CD source media on every Administration Server.

For more information, see Section 7.3.3, Mounting the Novell Linux Point of Service CDs.

 

--source=mount_source

Indicates the mount source.

 

[--dest=distribution_ directory]

Indicates the mount endpoint; that is, the distribution directory.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool mounts to /opt/SLES/POS/dist/.

--generate

 

Generates the AdminServer.conf file for scr and the Distribution.xml document for xscr.

For more information, see Section 7.3.4, Generating AdminServer.conf or Distribution.xml.

 

[--type=conf|xml]

Designates what type of file to create.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined,POSCDTool creates both the AdminServer.conf file and the Distribution.xml document.

conf generates the AdminServer.conf file.

xml generates the Distribution.xml document.

 

[--source=distribution_ directory]

Indicates the distribution directory where the CD source media is located.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined. POSCDTool uses the default distribution directory, /opt/SLES/POS/dist/.

 

[--dest=output_path]

Indicates the destination path for the output file.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool creates the files as follows:

  • The AdminServer.conf file is created in /etc/opt/SLES/POS/.
  • The Distribution.xml document is created in /opt/SLES/POS/system/template/.

 

[--imageclass=NLD|SLES]

Defines the ImageClass element in the Distribution.xml document.

The parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool creates the Distribution.xml file with both the SLES and NLD image classes.

POSCDTool verifies you have the CD source that corresponds to each image class before it generates the distribution.xml document.

IMPORTANT:The ImageClass element in the Distribution Source Document must match the ImageClass element in the Image Specification Document.

--verify

 

Verifies the availability of the CD source files that correspond to the image classes defined in the Distribution.xml document.

 

[--source=distribution_ directory]

Indicates the distribution directory where the CDs have been copied, linked, or mounted.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool references the default distribution directory, /opt/SLES/POS/dist/.

 

[--imageclass=NLD|SLES]

Indicates which CD source set should be verified. NLD or SLES.

This parameter is optional. If it is not defined, POSCDTool verifies both image classes.

If you want to restrict the verification process, designate a specific image class.