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Archive date: 2025-09-28

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Introduction

When working with any operating system, identifying the package that provides a specific command can be challenging. On Linux, the command-not-found package addresses this issue by suggesting the package to install when a command is not found.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to setup IBM AIX server to achieve similar functionality using a Network Installation Management (NIM) server's lpp_source as the installation source for recognized commands.

Steps

Perform the following steps to set up automatic installation of filesets for missing commands on AIX:

Add filesets to NIM's lpp_source.

By default, the lpp_source created on a NIM server will not include all packages available in the AIX media. You must manually copy them over to the lpp_source.
1. Create an lpp_source fileset using the Configuring the NIM master and creating basic installation resources from the command line documentation.
2. Copy the packages from AIX media to the lpp_source using the following command:
```
 # cp –prh <AIX MEDIA PATH>/installp/ppc/* <lpp_source                 dir>/installp/ppc/
 # nim -Fo check <lpp_source>
```
3. Allocate lpp_source to client, from the NIM client using the following command:
```
# nimclient -o allocate -a lpp_source=<lpp_source>
```

Install the bos.content_list fileset.

The bos.content_list fileset provides an inventory of all commands and their respective packages. You must Install it on the NIM client.

Install the bos.content_list fileset using the following command:

 # nimclient –o cust –a filesets=bos.content_list
 # lslpp -l bos.content_list
   Fileset                      Level  State      Description
 -----------------------------------------------------------------        -----------
 Path: /usr/lib/objrepos
   bos.content_list           7.3.3.0  COMMITTED  AIX Release         Content List
 #

After the bos.content_list fileset is installed, you can identify the fileset a particular command belongs to using the which_fileset command. Example:
```
 # which_fileset rpvstat
 /usr/sbin/rpvstat                       glvm.rpv.client 7.3.2.0
 #
```

Prepare .profile file.

The default shell in AIX is ksh. Create a .profile file for automatic command installation. If you already have a .profile file, append the following content to it. The same approach can be applied to other shells.

 # cat /.profile
 # Define the find_cmd function
 find_cmd() {
 COMMAND=$(fc -ln -1 | tail -1 | awk '{print $1}')
 rc=$?
 if [ $rc = 0 ]; then
     type $COMMAND > /dev/null 2>&1
     if [ $? != 0 ]; then
     which_fileset $COMMAND >/dev/null  2>&1
     rc=$?
     if [ $rc != 0 ]; then
         echo "ksh: $COMMAND: not found." >/dev/null  2>&1
     else
         FILESETS=$(which_fileset $COMMAND | awk '{print $(NF-1)}' |     awk '!x[$0]++')
         echo "$COMMAND belongs to fileset $FILESETS. It's not         installed on the system. Do you want to install it? (y/Yes)"
         read Option
         if [[ "$Option" = "y" || "$Option" = "yes" || "$Option" =     "Y" || "$Option" = "Yes" ]]; then
             LPP_SOURCE_LIST=$(nimclient -l -c resources `hostname -    s` | grep lpp_source | awk -F" " '{print $1}' | awk '!x[$0]++')
             if [ -n "$LPP_SOURCE_LIST" ]; then
                 for LPP_SOURCE in $LPP_SOURCE_LIST; do
                     for FILESET in $FILESETS; do
                         nimclient -o showres -a     resource=$LPP_SOURCE | grep $FILESET >/dev/null  2>&1
                         if [ $? = 0 ]; then
                             nimclient -o allocate -a     lpp_source=$LPP_SOURCE
                             nimclient -o cust -a     filesets="$FILESET"
                             if [ $? = 0 ]; then
                                 echo "$FILESET for command $COMMAND     successful"
                             else
                                 echo "$FILESET installation failed     "
                             fi
                             nimclient -o allocate -a     lpp_source=$LPP_SOURCE
                         fi
                     done
                 done
             else
                 echo "LPP source not allocated to client"
             fi
         fi
     fi
     fi
 fi
 COMMAND=""
 }

 trapDbg() {
    local c="$BASH_COMMAND"
    [[ "$c" != "pc" ]] && export _cmd="$c"
 }
 pc() {
    local r=$?
    trap "" DEBUG
    [[ -n "$_cmd" ]] && _ret="$r " && find_cmd || _ret=""
    export _ret
    export _cmd=
    trap 'trapDbg' DEBUG
 }

 # Shell-specific configurations
 case "$SHELL" in
     *ksh)

         # Use DEBUG trap for ksh
         trap ' [ "$ERRNO" = "2" ] && find_cmd' DEBUG
         #trap - HUP INT ERR QUIT KILL
         ;;
     *bash)
         # Use PROMPT_COMMAND for bash
 #        PS1='$_ret$ '
         export PROMPT_COMMAND=pc
         trap 'trapDbg' DEBUG

         ;;
     *zsh)
         # Use preexec function for zsh
         preexec() {
             find_cmd
         }
         ;;
     *)
         echo "Unsupported shell: $SHELL"
         ;;
 esac

Test the setup.

After the .profile file is prepared and sourced in the current shell, you can run the required commands and test the automatic installation of missing commands.

Verify the lpp_source allocation using the following command:
```
 # nimclient -l -c resources `hostname -s`
 730_TL2_SP1_LPP     lpp_source
 #
```
If no lpp_source is allocated, allocate the lpp_source using the following command:
```
 # nimclient -o allocate -a lpp_source=<lpp_source>
```

After sourcing the .profile file, try running the commands you want. If a command is valid and not found on the system, you will be prompted to install the corresponding fileset. Example:

 # dpasswd
 ksh: dpasswd:  not found.
 dpasswd belongs to fileset dsm.core. It's not installed on the system. Do you want to install it? (y/Yes)
 y
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                     Pre-installation Verification...
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 Verifying selections...done
 Verifying requisites...done
 Results...
 SUCCESSES
 ---------
   Filesets listed in this section passed pre-installation verification
   and will be installed.
   Selected Filesets
   -----------------
   dsm.core 7.3.0.0                            # Distributed Systems Manageme...
   << End of Success Section >>
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                    BUILDDATE Verification ...
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 Verifying build dates...done
 FILESET STATISTICS
 ------------------
     1  Selected to be installed, of which:
         1  Passed pre-installation verification
   ----
     1  Total to be installed
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                          Installing Software...
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 installp:  APPLYING software for:
         dsm.core 7.3.0.0
 . . . . . << Copyright notice for dsm >> . . . . . . .
 Licensed Materials - Property of IBM
 5765CD300
    Copyright International Business Machines Corp. 2008, 2021.
 All rights reserved.
 US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure
 restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.
 . . . . . << End of copyright notice for dsm >>. . . .
 Finished processing all filesets.  (Total time:  4 secs).
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                 Summaries:
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 Installation Summary
 --------------------
 Name                        Level           Part        Event       Result
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 dsm.core                    7.3.0.0         USR         APPLY       SUCCESS
 dsm.core                    7.3.0.0         ROOT        APPLY       SUCCESS
 dsm.core for command dpasswd successful
 #

If a command is not found to be part of any fileset, you will receive the not found error message. Example:

 # leap
 ksh: leap:  not found.
 #

Summary

This comprehensive approach described in this tutorial ensures you to identify and install the fileset corresponding to a missing command on AIX, similar to the command-not-found functionality in Linux. This setup can be adapted for other shells like bash, sh, zsh, and so on.

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Intelligent auto-installation of filesets for missing commands in IBM AIX

Introduction

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