3rd party install woes

[MaxCrack]

I'm logged in as root.
The format paritions look like this

0 root 2194-5770 1.16GB
1 swap 0-2193 1.01GB
2 backup 0-8891 4.01GB
3 unassigned
4 unassigned
5 unassigned
6 unassigned
7 home 5771-8891 1.41GB
================
df -k looks like this


/dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 1.64GB 1.17GB 0.41 74% /
/proc 0 0 0 0% /proc
fd 0 0 0 0% /dev/fd
mnttab 0 0 0 0% /etc/mnttab
swap 1.08 368KB 1.08 1% /var/run
swap 1.08 0 1.08 0% /tmp
/dev/dsk/c0t0d0s7 1.43 9KB 1.37 1% /export/home
==================

Everytime I try to install this software it either says I do not have enough memory (needs 475MB, has 404MB) or it says can not create directory.
Everywhere it says can not create directory I have gone in a terminal and tried to create the directory myself and I get this error
mkdir: Failed to make directory "ansys_inc"; Operation not applicable

Please help I have run out of ideas.
(besides calling ansys and saying their software is really bad, but I'm not sure it is them yet)

 

[ianf]

As your partition table stands, the default place that the installation will take place is under root (/). That is unless the installation will allow you to specify an alternate installation partition, most programs will allow you to do this, but I don't know specifically about ansys.

Looking at the partition table you only really have /home with enough space available for the installation. Your root is already 74% full.

Remember that most (well, pretty much all really) programs will not install across different partitions because of issues with soft vs hard links.

If you had a disk with a /usr or /opt partition defined, the installation would probably look for one of them rather than installing on root.

Reasons not to install non-OS applications on root are manifold, including ease of backup/restore, lessened chance of OS corruption, etc, etc.

In this situation I would find out exactly where the installation process is trying to install to (should be in a README somewhere) and how to customise the installation process to install to your /home partition. Depending on the nature of the program this may be the point where you want to contact ansys.

Alternatively you are looking at adding another filesystem or reinstalling the whole system with a different partition table. Ian

"IF" is not a word it's a way of life

 

[mikeclark]

Adding to Ian's comments, I have seen applications that allow you to install them where you chose, but then try to install in the default location anyway (usually /opt)
so watch out for this. Sometimes they can install the program where you tell it to but then put data files in the default installation directory.
Also I have seen a case of the installation program being unable to cope with over 2Gb of free space in a partitian and reporting about 400Mb free. In this case it was necessary to pad the free space with files until the free space was below 2Gb and the application would then report the correct free space.

It all boils down to keeping your eyes open during installs and don't assume things will go where you think they will.