Response file commands

Use this reference table to learn more about response file commands.

Note: The offering id value is the package ID in the provided examples: id='offering id'.
Table 1. Response file commands
Response file commands Description

Variables

<variables>
<variable name='name1'/>
<variable name='name2' value='value2'/>
<variable name='name3'>
<if name='name1' equals='some_value' value='value1,value3'/>
<if name='name1' equals='another_value' value='value2,value3'/>
</variables>
Use the variables command to define variables.
name
The name of the variable, which can contain only letters and numbers.
value
The default value of the variable can be optionally specified. If value is not specified, it must be set on the command line. Otherwise an error is generated.

For more information about variables, see Response file variables

Profile

<profile 
id='the profile (package group) id' 
installLocation='the installation location of
the profile'
<data key='key1' value='value1'/>
<data key='key2' value='value2'/>

</profile>
 A profile is an installation location. Use the profile command to create a package group or installation location. If the specified package group exists, then the command has no effect. When you create the profile, the silent installation creates two installation contexts: one for Eclipse and one for native.

You can use the data element to set profile properties.

The list contains the supported 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 be installed by using ISO-639 language codes such as zh, ja, and en. If you install the translations for an offering, you must include this property key in your response file. Your language choices apply to all packages that are installed in the package group. Separate multiple NL values with commas.
For more information about the supported values for the cic.selector.key keys, see imcl command arguments.

Repositories

<server>
<repository location='http://example/
repository/'>
<repository location='file:/C:/
repository/'>
!—add more repositories below--
…
      </server>
 Use this command to specify the repositories that are used during a silent installation. Use a URL or UNC path to specify the remote repositories. Or use directory paths to specify the local repositories.

Install

<install>
<offering profile='profile id'
features='feature ids'
id='offering id' version='version'
selected='true' installFixes='value'expandFeatureTree='value'></offering>

!—add more offerings below
…

</install>

Install features with a package:

<install modify='true'> or <install modify='false'> (optional attribute)

<install modify='true'>
<offering profile='profile id'
id='offering id' version='version' 
features='-'/>
</install>
 Use the install command to specify the installation packages to install. To update a package, you use the install command.
profile
The profile ID must match an existing profile or a profile that is created by the set profile command.
features
Feature IDs can be optionally specified by a comma-delimited list. For example: features='Feature_A,Feature_B'. If no feature IDs are specified, the default features are installed.

Required features are installed even when they are not explicitly specified in the comma-delimited list.

expandFeatureTree
This attribute controls the initial display of the feature tree of the offering in the Install wizard feature selection panel. Set to true to expand the tree or false to collapse the tree. By default, the feature tree is expanded for single offering installations and collapsed for multi-offering installations.

Example: <offering id='com.ibm.offeringA' version='1.0.0' features='f1,f2' expandFeatureTree='true'

modify
Use modify to allow or prevent the update to a different version of the installed package. The default value is false. This attribute is optional.

When modify='true', you cannot update the package version. The installation fails when you try to update to an earlier or a later version of the package.

When modify='false', you can update the package version.

For example, you have the entry in the response file:

<install  modify='false'>
<offering id='A' version='1.0.1' features='Feature_B,Feature_C'>

  • You have package A version 1.0.0 that is installed with features A and B. You update package A to version 1.0.1 and add feature C. The version of package A is 1.0.1 and features B and C are installed. Feature A is not installed.
  • You have package A version 1.0.1 that is installed with features A and B. You modify package A to add feature C. The version of package A is 1.0.1 and features A, B, and C are installed.
Important: When you install only more language packs, use a hyphen in the feature list to indicate that no other new features are being added. You must specify modify='true' and features='-' to add language packs. If you do not, the install command installs all of the default features.
selected
This attribute is optional. The default value is true. When selected='false', the silent installation does not install the package. When you run in the wizard mode, the package shows in the package selection page but is not selected.
version
The version number is not required. If the version is not specified, Installation Manager installs the latest version of the package that was found in the available repositories for the specified ID.
Note: In some cases, a package might be rolled back to an earlier version. This roll back can happen if the version specified is earlier than the installed version or if a version is not specified. For example, you have version 1.0.2 of a package that is installed and the latest version of the package available in the repository is version 1.0.1. When you install the package, the installed version of the package is rolled back to version 1.0.1.

To install Package A version 1.0.0:

<server>
     <repository location=http://productA/version100/repository/>
</server>

<install>
     <offering profile= 'IBM Software' features= 'main_feature' id= 'com.ibm.packageA'>
</offering>
</install>

To install Package A version 1.0.1:

<server>
     <repository location=http://productA/version101/repository/>
</server>

<install>
<offering profile= 'IBM Software' features= 'main_feature' id= 'com.ibm.packageA'>
</offering>
</install>

installFixes
You can choose to install or not to install fixes. To specify whether fixes are or are not installed, use the installFixes option:
  • installFixes='all'
  • installFixes='recommended'
  • installFixes='none'
If you specify a version for your package, the installFixes default value is none. If you do not specify a version for your offering, the default value for installFixes is all.
showFixes
You can choose to show fixes that are not selected in the Installation Manager GUI. This attribute is used only with the installFixes attribute to show fixes that are cleared by default when you record a response file. The installFixes attribute shows the fixes that are selected by default.
Valid values are none, recommended, and all. The value of the showFixes attribute depends on the value of the installFixes attribute. For valid settings of these two attributes, see Table 3.

An example of an entry in a response file is the following text: <offering id='offering' selected='true' installFixes='recommended' showFixes='all'/>. Fixes that are recommended show as selected because the installFixes attribute has a value of recommended. Fixes that are not recommended show and are cleared because the showFixes attribute has a value of all.

Update (in wizard mode)

<update>
<offering profile='profile id'>
</update>
Use this command to specify the profile to update. The profile ID must match an existing profile.

This command can be used only to start the Update wizard in the Installation Manager GUI. The command does not work in silent mode.

To update a package by using a response file, use the install command.

Modify (in wizard mode)

<modify>
<offering profile='profile id'>
</modify>
Use this command to specify the profile to modify. The profile ID must match an existing profile.

This command can be used to start the Update wizard in the Installation Manager GUI. The command does not work in silent mode.

Uninstall

<uninstall>
<offering profile='profile id' 
features='feature ids' 
id='offering id' version='version'>
</offering>

!—add more offerings below
<…>
</uninstall>

Uninstall a package without specifying a version:

<uninstall>
<offering profile='profile id' 
id='offering id'></offering>
</uninstall>

Uninstall all packages within a package group:

<uninstall>
<offering profile='profile id'>
</offering>
</uninstall>

Uninstall features:

<uninstall modify='true'> or <uninstall modify='false'> (optional attribute)

<uninstall modify='true'>
<offering profile='profile id'
 id='offering id' version='version' 
features='-'/>
</uninstall>
 Use the uninstall command to specify the packages to uninstall.
profile
The profile ID must match an existing profile or a profile that is specified in a profile command. Specifying the feature ID, offering ID, or version is optional. You can specify the profile ID with none, one, two or all three of the options: feature ID, offering ID, or version.

For example, when no feature ID, offering ID, or version that is specified exists, then all of the features, offerings, and versions in the specified profile ID are uninstalled. If you specify the profile ID and version, then the installed packages that match the profile ID and version are uninstalled. The features and offerings that match the profile ID and version are uninstalled.

modify
The default value is false. This attribute is optional. Use the modify='false' attribute to indicate that you do not want to modify an existing uninstall by removing more features. Use the modify='true' attribute to indicate that you want to modify an existing uninstall by removing more features.
Important: When you are uninstalling only more language packs, use a hyphen in the feature list to indicate that no other features are being removed. You must specify modify='true' and features='-' to remove language packs. If you do not, the uninstall command removes all of the features.

UninstallAll

<uninstallAll profile='profile id'>
</uninstallAll>
Use the uninstallAll command to uninstall all packages.
profile
The profile ID must match an existing profile or a profile that is specified in a profile command.

Import

<import>
<offering profile='profile id' 
features='feature id' 
id='offering id' version='version' 
selected='true'></offering>

!—add more offerings below
<…>

</import>
 Use the import command to specify the existing installation packages to import.

Rollback

<rollback>
<offering profile='profile id'
id='offering id' 
version='version'>
</offering>

!—add more offerings below
<…>

</rollback>
 Use the rollback command to roll back to an earlier version of the package. You can specify the version to roll back to by using the version option. If you do not specify the version, Installation Manager rolls back to the previously installed version.

You cannot specify features in a rollback command.

UpdateAll

<updateAll profile='profile id' installFixes='value'/>
</updateAll>
 Use this command to silently search for and update all available packages.
profile
When you specify a profile ID, only the packages in that profile are updated. The profile ID must match an existing profile or a profile that is specified in a profile command. If you do not specify a profile ID, all profiles are updated.
installFixes
You can choose to update or not to update fixes with the offering. Include one of the values with the updateAll command to specify fixes to update with the latest version of all offerings:
  • installFixes='all'
  • installFixes='recommended'
  • installFixes='none'
The installFixes default value for updateAll is 'all'.
showFixes
You can choose to show fixes that are not selected in the Installation Manager GUI. This attribute is used only with the installFixes attribute to show fixes that are cleared by default when you record a response file. The installFixes attribute shows the fixes that are selected by default.
Valid values are none, recommended, and all. The value of the showFixes attribute depends on the value of the installFixes attribute. For valid settings of these two attributes, see Table 3.

An example of an entry in a response file is the following text: <offering id='offering' selected='true' installFixes='recommended' showFixes='all'/>. Fixes that are recommended show as selected because the installFixes attribute has a value of recommended. Fixes that are not recommended show and are cleared because the showFixes attribute has a value of all.

License

<license policyFile='policy file location'  merge='true'/>

For example:

<license policyFile='c:\mylicense.opt' merge='true'/>
Use the license command to generate a response file that contains a license command. You start the Manage Licenses wizard after you start IBM® Installation Manager in record mode.

During record mode, when you set flex options through the Manage Licenses wizard, the options that you set are recorded in a license policy file named license.opt. The license.opt file is in the same directory as the generated response file and the response file contains a license command that references the policy file.

Set the merge attribute to true or false. By default, the merge attribute is set to true. When set to the default setting of true, new policy data in the specified license policy is merged with the existing license policy. When set to false, the exist policy is overwritten by the policy that is specified in the license policy file.

Not all IBM products use Installation Manager to manage licenses. Check documentation for your product for license administration information.
Table 2. Additional response file attributes
Response file attribute Description

Clean

<agent-input clean='true'>
</agent-input>

The default value is false. Installation Manager uses the repository and other preferences that are specified in the response file and the existing preferences that are set in Installation Manager. If a preference is specified in the response file and set in the Installation Manager, the preference that is specified in the response file takes precedence.

When clean='true', Installation Manager uses the repository and other preferences that are specified in the response file. Installation Manager does not use the existing preferences that are set in Installation Manager.

Temporary

<agent-input clean='true' temporary='false'>
</agent-input>
<repository location='.' temporary='true'/>
<repository location='http://test' temporary='false'/>
The default value is false.

When temporary='false', the preferences that are set in your response file persist.

When temporary='true', the preferences that are set in the response file do not persist.

You can use temporary and clean together. For example, you set clean='true' and temporary='false'. After you run the silent installation, the repository setting that is specified in the response file overrides the preferences that were previously set.

In the repository example, use temporary to persist your repository location at http://test and to not persist the Installation Manager installation repository at '.'.

Reboot later

<agent-input rebootLater='false'>
</agent-input>
 When rebootLater='false' and the installed package requires you to restart the system on Windows, Installation Manager restarts the system after the execution of the response file is finished. The default value is false.

When rebootLater='true', the system does not restart.
Table 3. Value of the showFixes attribute based on the version and installFixes attributes
version installFixes showFixes Display behavior in the Installation Manager interface
Specified Not specified, default value is none Not specified, default value is none Packages are shown.
none Packages are shown.
recommended Packages and recommended fixes are shown. The recommended fixes are cleared.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are cleared.
none Not specified, default value is none Packages are shown.
none Packages are shown.
recommended Packages and recommended fixes are shown. The recommended fixes are cleared.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are cleared.
recommended Not specified, default value is recommended Packages and recommended fixes are shown. The recommended fixes are selected.
none Do not set the showFixes attribute to none when the installfixes attribute is set to recommended.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
recommended Packages and recommended fixes are shown. The recommended fixes are selected.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. The recommended fixes are selected. Fixes that are not recommended are cleared.
all Not specified, default value is all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are selected.
none Do not set the showFixes attribute to none when the installfixes attribute is set to all.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
recommended Do not set the showFixes attribute to recommended when the installfixes attribute is set to all.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are selected.
Not specified Not specified, default value is all Not specified, default value is all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are selected.
none Do not set the showFixes attribute to none when the installfixes attribute is set to all.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
recommended Do not set the showFixes attribute to recommended when the installfixes attribute is set to all.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are selected.
none Not specified, default value is none Packages are shown.
none Packages are shown.
recommended Packages and recommended fixes are shown. The recommended fixes are cleared.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are cleared.
recommended Not specified, default value is recommended Packages and recommended fixes are shown. The recommended fixes are selected.
none Do not set the showFixes attribute to none when the installfixes attribute is set to recommended.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
recommended Packages and recommended fixes are shown. The recommended fixes are selected.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. The recommended fixes are selected. Fixes that are not recommended are cleared.
all Not specified, default value is all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are selected.
none Do not set the showFixes attribute to none when the installfixes attribute is set to all.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
recommended Do not set the showFixes attribute to recommended when the installfixes attribute is set to all.

An error occurs because the showFixes attribute is a superset of the installFixes attribute.
all Packages, recommended fixes, and fixes that are not recommended are shown. All fixes are selected.