Installing as an administrator, nonadministrator, or group

You can install software with IBM® Installation Manager as an administrator, nonadministrator, or group.

Attention: Read this topic to ensure that you understand what mode you want to use. Once you use a mode to install the product, your installation cannot be undone. For example, if you use the root installation, migrating the installation repository information from the root installation to a non-root installation is not supported. Also, if you change the content, files, or directories in the agent data location directory or subdirectories, you corrupt your product installation, forcing you to uninstall and reinstall your products.

After you use one user's account to install the product in nonadministrator mode, that installation cannot be transferred to another user's account.


Saving credentials in a key ring file when you share an instance of Installation Manager

The -keyring and -password options that are used to store credentials to a key ring file are deprecated. Use the -secureStorageFile and -masterPasswordFile options to store credentials to a credential file. For more information, see Migrate from key ring files to storage files.
Note: For versions 1.7 and later, if you do not want share your secure storage file with other users, you must create a secure storage file that only you can access. Multiple users can use the same instance of Installation Manager that is installed in either group mode or administrator mode. Some repositories might require credentials. If the default secure storage file location is used and you did not use the -masterPasswordFile option when you created the secure storage file, other users can use your credentials to access the repository. Create a secure storage file by using the -secureStorageFile and -masterPasswordFile options with IBMIM, imcl, or imutilsc saveCredential.

If you do not save your credentials, you are prompted to enter your credentials each time you access the repository. For more information about how to create key ring files, see Storing credentials.


Identifying the current mode

To identify the mode that you are running Installation Manager in:
  1. Click File > View Log.
  2. Select a log file.
  3. Click the Log filters icon Log filters icon.
  4. Select the Information checkbox to show information entries in the log.
  5. Locate this entry: Installation Manager mode: mode.

To identify the user that is running Installation Manager, locate the entry:

user.name: user, mode

For more information about finding and using log files, see Viewing log files by using wizard mode.


Installation notes for Windows platforms

Group mode is not available on Windows operating systems.

Important: In some cases, installing IBM software products on Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7 requires the use of the Run as administrator option. For more information, see Running as administrator on Windows.

Installation notes for Linux, UNIX, IBM i, IBM z/OS®, and OS X platforms

You must have execute permission on Installation Manager directories, package directories, and parent directories. If you do not have execute permission, Installation Manager cannot access the child directories or files. Without this permission, unexpected behavior or failures can occur when you use Installation Manager.

On Linux®, UNIX, and Installation Manager platforms, if the directory for the registry files is write-protected, the installation of Installation Manager in administrator or nonadministrator mode fails. For the location of registry files for administrators and nonadministrators, see Table 1. You cannot change the directory for the registry file. To work around this issue, you can install in group mode. In group mode, the registry file is written to the agent data directory. The agent data directory can be changed to a writeable directory. Before you install Installation Manager in group mode, check the documentation for your package to verify that group mode is supported by the package. Group mode is not supported on the IBM i platform.

For administrator and nonadministrator modes, if the umask value is 000, Installation Manager automatically modifies the umask value to 022. The umask value is set only for the current session of Installation Manager and does not persist after the user exits Installation Manager. The umask values are logged in the log file.

For group mode permissions, Installation Manager automatically sets the permissions.

Installation default settings

Table 1. Administrator, nonadministrator, and group installation default settings
Description Administrator Nonadministrator Group
Windows: Display of Installation Manager in Windows menu and Add or Remove Programs IBM Installation Manager My IBM Installation Manager Not available
Windows: Microsoft registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\IBM\Installation Manager HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IBM\Installation Manager Not available
Default installation directory
Note: Before Installation Manager version 1.10, the default installation directory location of the administrator installation for Windows XP is C:\Program Files\IBM\Installation Manager. The default installation directory location of the nonadministrator installation for Windows XP is C:\Documents and Settings\user\IBM\Installation Manager.

Windows: C:\Program Files [(x86)]\IBM\Installation Manager

Linux and UNIX: /opt/IBM/InstallationManager

IBM i: /QIBM/ProdData/InstallationManager

z/OS: /InstallationManager/bin

OS X operating system: /Applications/IBM/Installation Manager

Windows: C:\Users\user\IBM\Installation Manager

Linux and UNIX: /user_home_directory/IBM/InstallationManager

IBM i: /user_home_directory/IBM/InstallationManager

z/OS: /user_home_directory/InstallationManager/bin

OS X operating system: /Users/user_home_directory/IBM/Installation Manager

 Linux and UNIX: /user_home_directory/IBM/InstallationManager_Group

z/OS: /InstallationManager/bin

OS X operating system: /Users/user_home_directory/InstallationManager_Group
The eclipse\tools directory is a subdirectory of the installation directory. Windows: installation_directory\eclipse\tools

Linux, UNIX, IBM i, z/OS, and the OS X operating system: installation_directory/eclipse/tools

For more information about the tools directory, see Locating the tools directory.
Default registry file location

Linux and UNIX: /etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

IBM i: /QIBM/InstallationManager/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

z/OS: /etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

OS X operating system: /etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

Linux and UNIX: /user_home_directory/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

IBM i: /user_home_directory/etc/.ibm/registry

z/OS: /user_home_directory/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

OS X operating system: /Users/user_home_directory/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

Linux and UNIX: /user_home_directory/var/ibm/InstallationManager_Group/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

z/OS: /InstallationManager/appdata/.etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

OS X operating system: /Users/user_home_directory/InstallationManager/appdata/.etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat
Default agent data location

For more information about the agent data location, see Agent data location.

Important: Do not change the content, files, or directories in the Agent data location directory or subdirectories. Changes to these contents can prevent Installation Manager from working.
 Windows: C:\ProgramData\IBM\Installation Manager

Linux and UNIX: /var/ibm/InstallationManager

IBM i: /QIBM/UserData/InstallationManager

z/OS: /InstallationManager/appdata

OS X operating system: /Applications/Installation Manager/appdata

 Windows: C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\IBM\Installation Manager

Linux and UNIX: /user_home_directory/var/ibm/InstallationManager

IBM i: /user_home_directory/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat

z/OS: /user_home_directory/InstallationManager/appdata

OS X operating system: /Users/user_home_directory/InstallationManager/appdata

 Linux and UNIX: /user_home_directory/var/ibm/InstallationManager_Group

z/OS: /InstallationManager/appdata

OS X operating system: /Users/user_home_directory/Installation Manager/appdata
The Eclipse log is in a subdirectory of the agent data directory. Windows: agent_data_directory\pluginState\.metadata\.log

Linux, UNIX, IBM i, z/OS, and the OS X operating system: /agent_data_directory/pluginState/.metadata/.log
The uninstall directory is a subdirectory of the agent data directory. Windows: agent_data_directory\uninstall

Linux, UNIX, IBM i, z/OS and, the OS X operating system: /agent_data_directory/uninstall