Getting Started on AIX Systems
| Chapter 4. Installing Additional Client Machines |

## Getting Started on AIX Systems

In this section you load AFS into the AIX kernel. Then incorporate AFS modifications into the machine's secondary authentication system, if you wish to enable AFS login.

### Loading AFS into the AIX Kernel

The AIX kernel extension facility is the dynamic kernel loader provided by IBM Corporation. AIX does not support incorporation of AFS modifications during a kernel build.

For AFS to function correctly, the kernel extension facility must run each time the machine reboots, so the AFS initialization script (included in the AFS distribution) invokes it automatically. In this section you copy the script to the conventional location and edit it to select the appropriate options depending on whether NFS is also to run.

After editing the script, you run it to incorporate AFS into the kernel. In a later section you verify that the script correctly initializes the Cache Manager, then configure the AIX inittab file so that the script runs automatically at reboot.

1. Unpack the distribution tarball. The examples below assume that you have unpacked the files into the /tmp/afsdist directory. If you pick a different location, substitute this in all of the following examples. Once you have unpacked the distribution, change directory as indicated.

          # cd /tmp/afsdist/rs_aix42/dest/root.client/usr/vice/etc

2. Copy the AFS kernel library files to the local /usr/vice/etc/dkload directory, and the AFS initialization script to the /etc directory.

          # cp -rp  dkload  /usr/vice/etc
          # cp -p  rc.afs  /etc/rc.afs

3. Edit the /etc/rc.afs script, setting the `NFS` variable as indicated.

   If the machine is not to function as an NFS/AFS Translator, set the `NFS` variable as follows.

          NFS=$NFS_NONE

   If the machine is to function as an NFS/AFS Translator and is running AIX 4.2.1 or higher, set the `NFS` variable as follows. Note that NFS must already be loaded into the kernel, which happens automatically on systems running AIX 4.1.1 and later, as long as the file /etc/exports exists.

          NFS=$NFS_IAUTH

4. Invoke the /etc/rc.afs script to load AFS modifications into the kernel. You can ignore any error messages about the inability to start the BOS Server or the Cache Manager or AFS client.

          # /etc/rc.afs

### Enabling AFS Login on AIX Systems

In modern AFS installations, you should be using Kerberos v5 for user login, and obtaining AFS tokens following this authentication step.

There are currently no instructions available on configuring AIX to automatically obtain AFS tokens at login. Following login, users can obtain tokens by running the aklog command

Sites which still require kaserver or external Kerberos v4 authentication should consult Enabling kaserver based AFS Login on AIX Systems for details of how to enable AIX login.

1. Proceed to Loading and Creating Client Files.

Performing Platform-Specific Procedures |  | Getting Started on Linux Systems