A new version of SWAPGEN is available at 
http://download.sinenomine.net/swapgen/swap1308.vmarc

This version of SWAPGEN adds some new options and updates intended to target 
changes in the swap signature and disk format for releases of Linux post SLES11 
SP2 and RHEL 6.x. We recommend that all sites update to the new release as soon 
as convenient. 

NOTE: If you are running SLES 11 SP2 or higher, or RHEL 6.x, you must change 
how you invoke SWAPGEN to enable the new features. We debated changing the 
default to favor those releases, but ultimately decided to not break backward 
compatibility. See the change list below for details. 

The VMARC contains all source files, updates, and executables for SWAPGEN. The 
key files for production installs are: 

SWAPGEN EXEC
RXDASD MODULE
SWAPGEN HELPCMS

The other files are provided for reference/local modification and are not 
needed to run SWAPGEN.


Changes in this release: 
-----------------------------

1) Added the FBAPART option. 

In SLES 11 SP2 or greater, the installation code assumes that the swap 
signature is on a partition, not on the raw device. Additionally, on RHEL 6.x, 
the installer code assumes that all devices are mountable by UUID, even though 
by-id mounts are deprecated on System z. If the swap disk does not meet these 
conditions, error messages are issued during installation, and (in the case of 
RHEL), the guest may not be able to find the swap disk after logging off, since 
a VDISK does not have a persistent UUID (and in fact is not persistent across 
logoff/logon). The FBAPART option moves the swap signature to the first 
partition on the disk, and also creates a label and UUID string in the label 
written to the swap disk. The label and UUID are generated based on the VM 
userid and virtual address of the disk being created (unless overridden -- see 
below), and are consistently recreated with the same values, allowing the mount 
by-id syntax used by RHEL to work reliably. 

The FBAPART option should be added to the end of any SWAPGEN invocation for 
SLES11SP2+ or RHEL 6 installations. For compatibility with previous releases of 
SWAPGEN or older releases of Linux for System z, do not specify FBAPART.

Example: SWAPGEN 555 5000 ( FBA FBAPART generates a 5000 block VDISK at vaddr 
555 using the new partition table and label/uuid options.

2) Added a LABEL xxxxxxx option.

The LABEL option overrides the automatically generated disk label created by 
FBAPART. If not specified, FBAPART is automatically enabled. The parameter may 
have up to 16 bytes of character data as the label value.

Example:  SWAPGEN 555 5000 ( FBA LABEL SWAP1

3) Added a UUID xxxxxxxxx option.

The UUID option overrides the automatically generated disk UUID value created 
by FBAPART. If not specified, FBAPART is automatically enabled. The parameter 
must supply 16 bytes of hex data as the UUID value. 

Example: SWAPGEN 555 5000 ( FBA UUID AAAA0000... 

4) Help file now uses BOOKHELP for easier maintenance. Syntax diagrams and help 
file structure are now consistent with other IBM documentation.

5) A pretty PDF version of the help file is included in the VMARC (SWAPGEN 
PDFBIN). This file can be printed directly from VM (if you have a PostScript 
printer set up in RSCS) or downloaded in binary to a workstation with a PDF 
viewer and printed. 

6) The "?" option to SWAPGEN is now documented. 

7) Help file now credits all the contributors.   


Please let me know if you encounter any problems. 

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