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The CAAC has reviewed this IBM Idea and recommends that IBM view this as a medium priority Idea that should be addressed.
And would like IBM to address the critique on comment above.
Background: The COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CAAC has a key role in working with IBM i development to help assess the value and impact of individual IBM Ideas on the broader IBM i community and has therefore reviewed your Idea.
For more information about CAAC, see www.common.org/caac
Carmelita Ruvalcaba - CAAC Program Manager
I do agree that we need a better way to handling this.
However, there are already ways to assist right now.
If you use image catalogs, either local or use them over the network, this can be done:
First copy all not applied PTFs cover letters from the installation media: CPYPTFCVR DEV(<installation_device>) SELECT(*NOTAPY)
Then display only cover letters (with or without the OUTPUT(*PRINT) option) that have special instructions: DSPPTFCVR SELECT(*NOTAPY) CVRATR(*SPCINST)
Or if you going to install PTF with an IPL: DSPPTFCVR SELECT(*NOTAPY) CVRATR(*PREDLY *POSTOPR)
I really would like IBM to add an *POSTDLY attribute as well, as many of the special instructions is about restarting different services and they are displayed with the *POSTOPR attribute.
An other way is to use the SQL services, like SYSTOOLS.PTF_COVER_LETTER, but you need to parse the cover letter your self.
Scott Forstie have also made a gist about using SQL to only display the special instructions. I have sadly not get it to work the way I want, so I still use the CPYPTFCVR and DSPPTFCVR way