+
+
+== Putting Software in a Locker ==
+The Athena environment was designed to allow software to run on several architectures on the same network. On modern Athena, this means 32-bit x86s running Linux, 64-bit x86s running Linux, and SPARCs running Solaris. To accommodate these these various architectures AFS (at least on Athena) has a notion of what systems are compatible with the operating system. You can find these by running {{{fs sysname}}}.
+
+The special variable @sys in a path corresponds to the first of these that matches. When a user runs `add`, {{{/mit/<locker>/arch/@sys/bin}}} is added to their PATH and {{{/mit/<locker>/man}}} or {{{/mit/<locker>/arch/@sys/man}}} is added to their MANPATH.
+
+Primarily because of this fact, a typical locker is set up with the following sort of layout:
+{{{
+user@host:/mit/<some locker>$ tree -dL 2
+.
+|-- arch
+| |-- i386_linux22
+| |-- i386_linux24 -> i386_rhel4/
+| |-- i386_rh9 -> i386_linux24
+| |-- i386_rhel3 -> i386_rhel4
+| |-- i386_rhel4
+| |-- sgi_65
+| |-- sun4x_510
+| |-- sun4x_57
+| |-- sun4x_58 -> sun4x_510/
+| `-- sun4x_59 -> sun4x_58
+|-- bin -> arch/@sys/bin
+|-- include -> arch/@sys/include
+|-- info
+|-- lib -> arch/@sys/lib
+|-- man
+ `-- man1
+}}}
+
+Please note that the @sys variable should really be used ONLY in these convenience in symlinks. To make the folder in arch you usually want to either pick a more general architecture and set it up yourself or simply use the following command in the top level of the locker:
+{{{mkdir -p arch/$ATHENA_SYS/{bin,lib,include}}}}. After making this folder, make the shortcut symlinks with commands similar to {{{ln -s arch/@sys/bin bin}}} (again, this is the ''ONLY'' time you should use @sys yourself). Other than that, its mainly just a matter of making sure to run configure with options like {{{--prefix=/mit/<lockername>}}} and {{{--with-manpath=/mit/<lockername>/man}}}.
+
+See also: {{{man lockers}}}
+
+== Acquiring a new locker ==
+While it is easily possible to make an AFS group for yourself, it is harder to get a new locker. If you want a locker for something official like a student group or a piece of software, send an email to [mailto:accounts@mit.edu] explaining what you need it for and someone at IS&T will let you know. If you feel it is something less official or you would just rather consider it a SIPB project (perhaps get other SIPB people involved) send an email to [mailto:sipb-afsreq@mit.edu] instead. In either case, if a mount point under {{{/mit}}} fails to get set up for you, let [mailto:hesreq@mit.edu] know.
+
+= See Also =
+SIPB's older guide, [http://stuff.mit.edu/afs/sipb.mit.edu/project/doc/afs/html/afs-new.html Inessential AFS]
+OpenAFS documentation at [http://www.openafs.org/]
+