AppleSearch: Changing Index Location On An AWS 95

The AppleSearch Server requires a "volume" be selected as a point for indexing on an Apple Workgroup Server (AWS) 95.

Under the A/UX operating system, the root file system is the only choice that is presented. The reason for this is that the UNIX operating system "mounts" other file systems as a node on the current file system. For example, an external drive could be mounted as /shared data/software and could contain shared data.

The root file system could have only a couple of megabytes free, and a lot on /shared data/software, but since AppleSearch looks for Macintosh style volumes, that being "/" it uses the root file system for indexing. Most UNIX systems have a small root file system and a large data (/shared data) and /usr partitions. This way, the UNIX system can be reinstalled with minimal hassle. Under AppleSearch, this presents a problem, is there a workaround?
AppleSearch 1.0 forces the "AppleSearch Indexes" folder to be at the root of HFS partition. This is fine for HFS disks, but for the UFS disks there are times when you want to move them (if, for instance, /users is a separate disk and you want the indexes there).

Here is a workaround you can use:

1) Start AppleSearch and create the information source indexes in "/".
2) Quit AppleSearch.
3) Move the index to wherever you want them to exist.
4) Restart AppleSearch. It will ask you where the indexes are, navigate to them, and then AppleSearch remembers the new location.
5) Index as usual.

Also, you may want to have fair amount of available space on the "/" directory. AppleSearch uses this directory to store temporary files when reindexing, which can be large at times.
Published Date: Feb 19, 2012