Q: What is Hesiod cluster information and how is it used by Debathena?

Answer

The Hesiod name service specification includes a HesiodType of cluster. This cluster information is used by your workstation in a number of ways. While Athena workstations can function without Hesiod cluster information, it's strongly encouraged to take advantage of a number of features, such as automatic release upgrades for debathena-cluster workstations.

Viewing your Hesiod cluster information

You can view your Hesiod cluster information with the following command:

apt_release proposed
ubuntu_release jaunty 9.04
ubuntu_release lucid 10.04
syscontrol control/control-8.3 8.3
syscontrol control/control-8.4 8.4
syscontrol control/control-9.0 9.0
syscontrol control/control-9.1 9.1
syscontrol control/control-9.2 9.2
syscontrol control/control-9.3 9.3
syscontrol control/control-9.4 9.4
sysprefix /afs/dev.mit.edu/system/rhlinux
lpr mark-the-great

If your workstation does not have any cluster info, you'll see the following error when you try and look up cluster information:
hesiod_resolve: Hesiod name not found

Requesting Hesiod cluster information

To request Hesiod cluster information for your workstation, please send mail to hesreq@mit.edu and request that your workstation be added to the public-linux Hesiod cluster. Be sure to include your workstation's hostname in the request.

Hesiod cluster information values

Hesiod cluster entries (or "records") consist of 2 to 4 space-separated fields. For more information on the meaning of these fields, please see the getcluster(1) man page.