Performing Package Administration

The application software for Solaris OS is delivered in units called packages. A package is a set of files and directories in a defined format. The package format conforms to the application binary interface (ABI), which is a supplement to the System V Interface Definition. An ABI describes the low-level interface between an application program and the operating system, between an application and its libraries, or between different parts of the application. An ABI is like an Application Programming Interface (API): an API defines the interface between the application source code and libraries, thereby enabling the same source code to compile on any system supporting that API. Similarly, an ABI allows compiled object code to function without changes or the need to recompile on all systems using compatible ABIs.
Building a software product in units of one or more packages makes it easier to transfer it to a medium, to mass produce it, and to install and manage it. To build a package, an application developer must provide the following package components:
•Required components;
oPackage objects. These are the files and directories of the application software.
oControl files. These are the information files and installation scripts. Only two control files, which are the information files, are required: the pkginfo and prototype files.
•Optional components:
oOptional information files
oInstallation scripts