Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!uunet!prcrs!paul
From: paul@prcrs.UUCP (Paul Hite)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: /system/*/pif ????
Message-ID: <1256@prcrs.UUCP>
Date: 30 Oct 90 16:29:04 GMT
References: <1150040@misty.boeing.com>
Organization: PRC Realty Systems, McLean, VA
Lines: 19

In article <1150040@misty.boeing.com>, jsadler@misty.boeing.com (Jim Sadler) writes:
> Does anyone know if the /system/*/pif files are of any use ?
> I've look at some of the modes, uid, gid and checksums and I have found a
> few that don't match.  Should I worry about it ?
> 

The pif files were great while they worked.  There was a program called pifck
(available on the contrib tape and the support tape) that could automatically
check the permissions on every hp-ux file.  With hp-ux 3.1, any mismatched
modes, uids, gids, or checksums were cause for worry.  We really liked the
information in the pif files.

With 7.0, HP ruined all of this.  The unsupported pifck has been replaced by
a supported pdfck.  But the /system/*/pdf files are all missing.  To top it
off, HP supplies /system/*/pif files full of bogus information.  If you want
a "bill of materials" system, you'll have to roll your own.

Paul Hite   PRC Realty Systems  McLean,Va   uunet!prcrs!paul    (703) 556-2243
        You can't tell which way the train went by studying its tracks.