Displaying and Setting the System Type Name
| Chapter 10. Administering Client Machines and the Cache Manager |

## Displaying and Setting the System Type Name

The Cache Manager stores the system type name of the local client machine in kernel memory. It reads in the default value from a hardcoded definition in the AFS client software.

The Cache Manager uses the system name as a substitute for the @sys variable in AFS pathnames. The variable is useful when creating a symbolic link from the local disk to an AFS directory that houses binaries for the client machine's system type. Because the @sys variable automatically steers the Cache Manager to the appropriate directory, you can create the same symbolic link on client machines of different system types. The link also remains valid when you upgrade the machine to a new system type.

Configuration is simplest if you use the system type names that AFS assigns. For a list, see the OpenAFS Release Notes.

To display the system name stored in kernel memory, use the sys or fs sysname command. To change the name, add the latter command's -newsys argument.

### To display the system type name

1. Issue the fs sysname or sys command.

          % fs sysname
          % sys

The output of the fs sysname command has the following format:

       Current sysname is 'system_name'

The sys command displays the system_name string with no other text.

### To change the system type name

1. Become the local superuser root on the machine, if you are not already, by issuing the su command.

          % su root
          Password: <root_password>

2. Issue the fs sysname command, using the -newsys argument to specify the new name.

          # fs sysname <new sysname>

   where

   sys

     Is the shortest acceptable abbreviation of sysname.

   new sysname

     Specifies the new system type name.

Controlling the Display of Warning and Informational Messages |  | Enabling Asynchronous Writes