'\"macro stdmacro
.if n .pH g1a.pkgask @(#)pkgask	40.10 of 10/10/89
.\" Copyright 1989 AT&T
.nr X
.if \nX=0 .ds x} pkgask 1M "Essential Utilities" "\&"
.if \nX=1 .ds x} pkgask 1M "Essential Utilities"
.if \nX=2 .ds x} pkgask 1M "Essential Utilities" "\&"
.if \nX=3 .ds x} pkgask "Essential Utilities" "\&"
.TH \*(x}
.SH NAME
\f4pkgask\f1 \- stores answers to a request script
.SH SYNOPSIS
\f4pkgask \f1[\f4\-d \f2device\f1] \f4\-r \f2response pkginst\f1 [\f2pkginst\f1 [...]\|]
.SH DESCRIPTION
\f4pkgask\f1
allows the administrator to store answers to an interactive package
(one with a request script).
Invoking this command generates a \f2response\f1 file that is
then used as input
at installation time.
The use of
this \f2response\f1 file prevents any interaction
from occurring during installation since the file already contains all
of the information the package needs.
.PP
.PD 0
.TP 10
\f4\-d\f1
Runs the request script for a package on \f2device\f1.
\f2device\f1 can be
a directory pathname or the identifiers for tape, floppy disk or removable disk
(for example, \f4/var/tmp\f1, \f4/dev/diskette\f1, and
\f4/dev/dsk/c1d0s0\f1).
The default device is the installation spool directory.
.sp
.TP 10
\f4\-r\f1
Identifies a file or directory,
which should be created to contain the responses 
to interaction with the package.
The name must be a full pathname.
The file,
or directory of files,
can later be used as input to the \f4pkgadd\f1 command.
.sp
.TP 10
\f2pkginst\f1
Specifies the package instance or list of instances for which request
scripts will be created.
The token \f4all\f1 may be used
to refer to all packages available on the source medium.
.SH NOTES
The \f4\-r\f1 option can be used to indicate a
directory name as well as a
filename.
The directory name is used to create
numerous \f2response\f1 files,
each sharing the name of the package with which
it should be associated.
This would be used, for example,
when you will be adding multiple interactive packages
with one invocation of \f4pkgadd\f1.
Each package would need a \f2response\f1 file.
To create multiple response files
with the same name as the package instance,
name the directory in which the files should be created and supply multiple
instance names with the \f4pkgask\f1 command.
When installing the packages, you will be able to identify this directory to
the \f4pkgadd\f1 command.
.SH SEE ALSO
\f4installf\fP(1M),
\f4pkgadd\fP(1M),
\f4pkgchk\fP(1),
\f4pkgmk\fP(1),
\f4pkginfo\fP(1),
\f4pkgparam\fP(1),
\f4pkgproto\fP(1),
\f4pkgtrans\fP(1),
\f4pkgrm\fP(1M),
\f4removef\fP(1M).
