Minimal HP-UX install via config file

[Andy Kosela]

I'm trying to install a minimum, small and lean HP-UX 11.23 using a config file.

Anyone "been there and done that" already?

Which sw bundles should be loaded via 'sw_sel' to accomplish this task?

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

I know of a way to do this, but it requires one manual install to lay down a template.

Run through the standard ignute-ux install interface.

Turn off everything they let you turn off.

Complete the install.

Take an ignite image, Golden Image recommended, make_tape_recovery or make_net_recovery.

Then you have a template you can copy.

Its not going to be as small as a Linux install.

HP-UX is industrial strength, requires a lot of tools and that is just how it is.

SEP

[Andy Kosela]

> Turn off everything they let you turn off.

That is a problem. Their "minimal" install is a lot of bloatware I don't really need for this kind of server I am building.

I just thought someone already came up with the solution to install only Base OS bundles.

With the 'sw_sel' clauses in config.local I can force system to install only selected bundles. I would like to come up with the configuration to have a minimal, bootable system, and then I will be able to add additional layers of software on top of it.

[TTr]

> I just thought someone already came up with the solution to install only Base OS bundles.

The problem is that the "Base OS bundles" are no longer clearly defined. What I did was to do what you are asking but in reverse. I installed the full OS and then I started swremove-ing what I did not need. It was easier to do the swremove afterwards than to unselect and go through the dependancy checking during the installation phase. For my purposes I swremoved Base-VxVM, fddi, vparprovider, isee, ldap-ux, mozilla, mozilla-src, mozilla java plugin, gwm, sysmgmtweb, parmgr, cifs-servrer, cifs development etc. You can identify others for your environment. After that you have your own "base-OS" that you can use to ignite other servers.

[Andy Kosela]

TTr,

Can you list the bundles you had left after removal of the above bundles? What is essential to run just the basic CLI system?

[TTr]

I actually had done this on an 11.11 server about a month ago. I did not bother going into the software selection during the installation. I just did my volumes and setup host info and let it install everything. If you still want the listing let me know, it is just a generic software listing.

[Scot Bean]

HP-UX is packaged into Operating Environments (OEs).

The minimal one for 11.23 is called "HPUX11i-OE, HP-UX Foundation Operating Environment Component"

So you should start with that OE, which still probably has some items you may not want.

It may be difficult to deselect all items you do not want via 'sw_sel' clauses, due to software interdependencies, but some should work OK this way.

[Scot Bean · Accepted solution]

You may find this Appendix D useful, that shows 11.23 base and optional sofware content:
http://docs.hp.com/en/5991-2701/apd.html

[Olivier Masse]

I tried in the past to remove everything that was unnecessary, tried hard in fact, and basically gave up the effort when Bastille came out many years ago. I just install the OS with package Sec30DMZ, which will basically turn off almost everything and filter out every incoming port except SSH.

There is still be lots of software which is actually installed, but with Sec30DMZ if you do a "ps -ef" there shouldn't be useless processes or daemons consuming cycles or memory. To go further, you can remove or deactivate the hardware diagnostics in virtual machines.

Good luck

[Andy Kosela]

If any of you follow this thread, this is what I came up with.

config:
sw_sel "HPUXBaseOS" {
sw_source = "core"
sd_software_list = "HPUXBaseOS,r=B.11.23,a=HP-UX_B.11.23_IA/PA,v=HP"
}=TRUE


init sw_sel "HPUXBaseAUX" {
sw_source = "core"
sd_software_list = "HPUXBaseAux.SW-DIST HPUXBaseAux.NFS HPUXBaseAux.KernelConfig"
}=TRUE

init sw_sel "FEATURE11i" { sw_source = "core" }=TRUE
init sw_sel "HWEnable11i" { sw_source = "core" }=TRUE
init sw_sel "BUNDLE11i" { sw_source = "core" }=TRUE
init sw_sel "QPKBASE" { sw_source = "core" }=TRUE
init sw_sel "QPKAPPS" { sw_source = "core" }=TRUE

init sw_sel "T1471AA" {
sw_source = "core"
sd_software_list = "T1471AA,r=A.04.50.021,a=HP-UX_B.11.23_IA/PA,v=HP"
}=TRUE

init sw_sel "EnableVxFS" {
sw_source = "core"
sd_software_list = "EnableVxFS,r=B.11.23.07,a=HP-UX_B.11.23_IA/PA,v=HP"
}=TRUE

init sw_sel "B3929DA" {
sw_source = "core"
sd_software_list = "B3929DA,r=B.11.23.0609,a=HP-UX_B.11.23_IA/PA,v=HP"
}=TRUE

I managed to cut the bloat from 5G to around 1.6G and still preserved essential patches and basic functionality. It's definetly faster now to backup and restore root disk.