Managing file_list in 16.02-up ***MASTER RECORD***

• Article Type: General
• Product: Aleph
• Product Version: 19.01

Description:
How, exactly, does the file_list work in 16.02? Do we no longer need a file_list in the library's $data_root?

If not and if we want to add a table to the file_list for a particular library, how should we do it -- should we update the template in the ./aleph/tab?

Resolution:
[There is a very comprehensive description of the new file list mechanism in 16.02 rep_change 198 (included as Article 24527 -- KB 8037)}. Please refer to that for complete information.].

The new file_list templates in the a-tree ./aleph/tab directory are intended to simplify installation and upgrade. When an upgrade is received and there's an addition to the file_list, you would need to do nothing, since the new files will be automatically added to the $aleph_dev/aleph/tab/file_list.XXXX..

You have three choices for each library:

1. Use only the file_list in the library's $data_root (as you have been pre-16.02).

How? By omitting the file_list_type parameter in the $data_root/prof_library file. In this case you need to make sure that you add any tables, indexes, etc., which are new with 16.02 (or whatever version you are going to) to the file_list.
Note: in some cases, in version 18, we have found that sites get a Segmentation fault if the file_list_type and file_list_size are omitted from the prof_library. **See KB 8192-3992 for more.**

2. Use only the $aleph_dev/aleph/tab/file_list.XXXX.

How? By deleting everything except for the header from the library's $data_root/file_list and setting the file_list_type, file_list_size, and file_list_ts1 parameters in the prof_library, as described in v16 rep_change 198 (included as KB 8037).
In the case of a library which is both the $pw_library and the $usr_library, "file_list_type NONE" can be specified).

3. Use both.

How? By specifying the prof_library parameters as described in # 2 above and setting up a $data_root/file_list. You do not want to change the template since the template is in the a-tree and subject to replacement by ALEPH updates. You definitely do not want to copy the template into your local file_list. The template lines are in a special form and cannot be read and will not work in a $data_root/file_list..

In this case (#3), the util a/17/10/2 "View merged file_list" display will include the lines from the library's local file_list and, when a table or index is not found there, the lines from the template. (The merged file_list will be placed in the library's $data_scratch as "file_list".)
Similarly, when you do util a/17/1 (to drop/create tables for the library) it will look for lines in the $data_root file_list and, if not there, the template.
See KB 8192-4217 for more on the merged file_list.