Installation Manager command-line arguments for silent mode

Use the reference tables to learn more about IBM® Installation Manager command line (imcl).

Command-line arguments consist of commands and options. You can use commands without specifying an option. Most commands do not use a dash. Several commands start with a dash for compatibility with earlier versions of Installation Manager. You must specify a command when you use an option. Options start with a dash.
Restriction: Asterisks (*) must not be used in the Installation Manager command line. When an asterisk is entered, Installation Manager cannot recognize the command-line argument and produces an error.

For more information about the imutilsc commands, see Commands for imutilsc.

Table 1 lists commands and Table 2 lists options.

Table 1. Commands. Provides a list of commands and descriptions of the commands.
Commands Description 
encryptString stringToEncrypt
 Encrypt the entered string.

In the command-line interface, open the eclipse directory and enter the encryptString command and a string with the -nosplash option to return an encrypted string. The String Encryption Utility window opens and the String to be encrypted field contains the string to encrypt. The Encrypted version of the string field contains the encrypted value to copy into the response file. In the String Encryption Utility, you can change the String to be encrypted field, and then click OK to generate a new encrypted string.

Use encryptString with -passwordKey to increase encryption security.

When you record a response file, encrypted strings for passwords are created and stored in the response file. An example of an encrypted string from a response file for IBM Rational® ClearCase®:

profile installLocation='C:\Program Files\IBM\RationalSDLC' id='IBM Rational SDLC'
data key='user.CC_ServerProcessPassword,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.nt_i386' value='1ML/Coqkg33e5616BcUnYg=='
/profile

After you record the response file, use encryptString to generate and paste different encrypted strings into the response file. For example, you record a response file. You have five computers to install an IBM product on by using the response file. Each of the five computers requires a different password value for a data key in the response file. Before you run the installation on one of the computers, generate the encrypted string for the password to be used on the computer. Copy the encrypted string into the response file. Start the silent installation with the updated response file.

 
exportInstallData outputFileName
 Export installation data to the specified file in a .zip format where outputFileName is the name of the generated file that contains the exported data.

In the command-line interface, open the eclipse directory and enter the exportInstallData command and file name with the -noSplash option to export installation data.

 
help, -help, -h, -? 
	help command
	help all
 Show a description of Installation Manager command-line arguments.

When the help command is used with another command, a description of the command shows. When used with all, more help commands display.

 
input responseFile
Specify an XML response file as the input to Installation Manager or the Installation Manager installer. The response file contains commands that Installation Manager or the Installation Manager installer run.
Use with the options:
  • -installationDirectory
  • -keyring: This option is deprecated.
  • -masterPasswordFile: Use this option with the -secureStorageFile option.
  • -password: This option is deprecated.
  • -secureStorageFile
Do not use with the commands:
  • install
  • modify
  • rollback
  • uninstall
  • uninstallAll
  • updateAll
You can use a file path or a URL for the responseFile value. These examples show file paths and URL strings:
  • File path:
    • Windows: input C:\response_files\myresponsefile.xml
    • Linux®, UNIX, and the OS X operating system: input /response_files/myresponsefile.xml
  • URL: input http://server/response_files/myresponsefile.xml
For more information about storing credentials for response files that require authentication, see Storing credentials. Credentials must be stored in a storage file or a key ring file and not in the silent installation scripts.

You can record a response file, edit a sample response file, or manually create a response file.

 
updateAll
 Update all installed packages from service repositories and repositories that are defined in the Installation Manager preferences.
Use the updateAll command with:
  • -installationDirectory
  • -installFixes
  • -properties
  • -repositories
Do not use updateAll with the command:
  • input
 
version
 Show the version and internal version of Installation Manager.
Table 2. Options
Options Description 
-acceptLicense
 Include the -acceptLicense option in your command when the package you install requires that you accept the licensing agreement. 
-dataLocation, -dL dataLocation
 Specify the directory location for the Installation Manager data directory. This location stores information about installed packages. Set this location when you install Installation Manager. Use this option with the Installation Manager installer only. Do not use this option when you start an installed instance of Installation Manager.
Attention:
  • Do not change this argument after Installation Manager is installed. Changing this argument can damage the installation data. This damage can prevent you from modifying, updating, rolling back, or uninstalling installed packages.
  • If you specify a directory location for -dataLocation that is not the default value, the same location must be used each time that you use the Installation Manager installer by using the -datalocation option. The installed instance of Installation Manager uses the stored location each time you start Installation Manager. This stored location was specified by the -dataLocation option during the installation.
  • The directory location set by -datalocation must not be a subdirectory of the Installation Manager installation directory.

For more information about the types of files and information that is stored in the agent data location, see Agent data location.

 
-installationDirectory installation_directory
 Specify the directory path to the installation location.

The same package might be installed in more than one location. Use this option to specify the installation location.

 
-installFixes none|recommended|all
 Choose to install or not to install fixes with the offering.
Valid values are:
  • none: No fixes are installed.
  • recommended: Only recommended fixes that are available are installed.
  • all: All available fixes are installed. The available fixes can be either recommended fixes or fixes that are not recommended.
Use with the commands:
  • install: If the offering version is specified, the -installFixes option defaults to none. If no offering version is specified, -installFixes defaults to all.
  • updateAll: If the -installFixes option is not specified, the default value all is used.
 
-keyring file [ -password password ]
 The -keyring and -password options are deprecated. Use the -secureStorageFile and -masterPasswordFile options to store credentials. For more information, see Migrate from key ring files to storage files.

Create a key ring file if a key ring file does not exist. The -password password argument is optional. If the password is not specified, Eclipse uses a default password. You can provide stronger encryption by specifying a password to open the key ring file.

The contents of the key ring file are encrypted. You must have write permissions for the key ring file.

For more information about storing credentials in a key ring file, see Storing credentials.

Installation Manager uses the Eclipse infrastructure to save credentials to a key ring file. For more information about key ring files, see the Eclipse workbench user guide.

 
--launcher.suppressErrors
 Suppress the Java™ virtual machine (JVM) error dialog. 
-log, -l log_file
 Specify a log file that records the result of Installation Manager operations. The log file is an XML file.

Do not use -log when you record a response file.

 
-nl value
 When you include the nl option and a language code with a command, the behavior of the command line adjusts according to the settings for the specified language.

You can access a list of language codes at the Library of Congress site Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages. Installation Manager supports only some of the languages that are listed. Of those languages, Installation Manager uses the ISO 639-1 Code, which uses the two-letter codes and not the ISO 639-2 Code, which uses the three-letter codes.

Some languages support only partial translations. When a language is partially translated, the nontranslated content is presented in English.

For a list of languages that Installation Manager supports, see Starting Installation Manager. For a list of languages that a package supports, see the documentation for that package.

 
-nosplash
 Suppress the splash screen. 
-passwordKey, -pK passwordKey
 Use passwordKey to encrypt or decrypt passwords. 
-properties key_1=value_1a,,value_1b, 
	key_2=value_2
 Define the package group profile properties, such as languages.

You can include a list of properties by separating each with a comma. For properties that have multiple values, you must use two commas between the values: key_1=value_1a,,value_1b.

The list contains the predefined property keys and related values:
  • eclipseLocation: Specifies an existing Eclipse location value, such as c:\myeclipse\eclipse.
  • cic.selector.arch: Specifies the architecture to install: 32-bit or 64-bit.
  • cic.selector.os: Specifies the operating system.
  • cic.selector.ws: Specifies the type of window system.
  • cic.selector.nl: Specifies the language pack to install by using ISO-639 language codes such as zh, ja, and en. If you install the translations for an offering, you must include the cic.selector.nl property key in your command. Example: -properties cic.selector.nl=en,,fr,,pt_BR. Your language choices apply to all packages that are installed in the package group.
For more information about the supported values for the cic.selector.key keys, see information about imcl command arguments.

You can find extra property keys in the documentation for the product that you install.

Use the option with the following commands:
  • updateAll
 
-record responseFile
 Generates a response file from actions in the Installation Manager UI, command line, or console mode, and specifies the location of the response file. 
-secureStorageFile storage_file -masterPasswordFile master_password_file
 Use these options to store credentials for repository authentication.

The -secureStorageFile option specifies the file and path to the storage file.

The -masterPasswordFile option specifies the file and path to the master password file. The master password file is a text file that contains a passphrase and that is used to encrypt sensitive contents in the storage file.

For more information about storing credentials in a storage file, see Storing credentials.

 
-showProgress, -sP
 Show a progress bar on the console. 
-showVerboseProgress, -sVP
 Show progress text on the console. For example, the text Reboot the machine to complete the install. is shown when a restart of the computer is required. 
-skipInstall, -sI dataLocation
 Record a response file without installing the IBM product. The dataLocation value specifies the directory location for the installation folders and files. Although the IBM product is not installed, the files and folders that are required for installation are created and stored in the specified directory. The directory must be writable.

Verify that the file paths in the argument exist. Installation Manager does not create directories for response files.

Attention:
  • Do not specify an existing dataLocation directory for the new dataLocation location value. See Agent data location for default locations of the dataLocation directory.
  • When you record a response file by using the -skipInstall argument, you must keep the directory, folders, and files that are created. By keeping the dataLocation directory, you can modify the installation later. When you record a new response file to modify the installation, you must specify the same directory for dataLocation.

Use a different dataLocation value for each version of an IBM product that you install.

You must first record an installation of an IBM product by using -skipInstall before you record an update.

 
-stopBlockingProcesses
 Installation Manager finds and stops processes that are running. These processes lock files that must be accessed or modified by Installation Manager. 
-vm
 Specifies the Java launcher. In silent mode, always use java.exe on Windows, and java on Linux, UNIX, IBM i, IBM z/OS®, and the OS X operating system.