Re: well deserved lambaste for changed installation tape formats

In article <350D6B4D.990E708A@garpac.com>, Jacob Salomon <jake@garpac.com> writes >Hi Family. > >Some weeks ago, as I was going through a complete, from-scratch >installation at my client site, I was happily "tar"ing my Informix tapes >into $INFORMIXDIR and running the install scripts. Finally, I got up to >the OnLine install and the tar command failed. > >Huh? > >In a moment of despeate madness, tech support (as mystified as I was) I >tried the alternate (documented) cpio command, the one with about 14 >options tacked on. It almost worked - it came back with the suggestion >add on the -c option, and this finally worked. > >OK, annoying but I got past that one. Next I came to install the cli >and Informix-Connect tapes that came with the OnLine tape. I tried the >same cpio that worked previously. Uh-uh! This one failed but suggested >I omit the the -c option. Yes, this worked. > > THIS IS INSANE! So Informix changed their release procedure and you got caught in the middle. You think it is easy support >200 platforms + x types of media per platform? Beside I have seen problems with cpio AND tar depending upon the media used. For us, some sites we can only send tar and other only cpio. This even happens to us when using the SAME machine to make the tapes, the same tape drive and the same device name i.e. no differences in high/low density or hardware compression used. Some customers can only read cpio, some only tar and some only cpio with -C65536 to get 64K block size!! That really drives me nuts!! I made up 5 tapes using tar and only 3 customers could read them, When I change to cpio for the other 2 they read them first time. For one customer when tar failed to extract a) I was doing the extraction b) I was on as root c) I did it whilst the customer was on the phone and I tried twice, both times the light came on on the tape drive! I'd liek to try gnutar everywhere but my boss won't let me.. >I told the tech that IMO Informix deserved a public roast so here it is, >in the sprit of a roast but refelecting my thought process at the time: > >Informix recently hired the well known (if you read lots of comics in >the 60's) prankster Mr. Mxyzptlk to the post of Chief Operations >Officer. We note that the acronym for the title is COO - half of a >coocoo. The completion of the remainder of the word is embodied in the >frustrated admin trying to install the products. > >Future changes include the delivery of punch card installation binaries >for more conservative clientelle (the Pentagon, the Motor Vehicles >Bureau of your state, etc) as well as microdot on a microfiche fiche for >those who had planned to exercise thier scanners anyway. > >The production department plans to award frustration points for the >engineer who comes up with the most surprising and frustrating >installation procedure; any idea that has the client flying out to >"punch out someone's lights" will be declared an automaic winner. -- David Williams Maintainer of the Informix FAQ Primary site (Beta Version) http://www.smooth1.demon.co.uk Official site http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html I see you standin', Standin' on your own, It's such a lonely place for you, For you to be If you need a shoulder, Or if you need a friend, I'll be here standing, Until the bitter end... So don't chastise me Or think I, I mean you harm... All I ever wanted Was for you To know that I care