Preparing Linux systems for installation
This topic describes how to prepare a Linux® system for installing WebSphere® Application Server.
Before you begin
The installation uses Installation Manager. You can use the graphical interface, the command line, or a response file.
If you want to install 32-bit WebSphere Application Server on a 64-bit operating system, you must install the appropriate 32-bit libraries on your system.
$ readlink /bin/sh
If
the result of the command is dash, consult your operating system documentation for the
steps to properly switch to bash as the default shell. Failure to use the
bash shell can result in errors and hang situations during the profile creation
process. About this task
Preparing the operating system involves such changes as allocating disk space and installing patches to the operating system. IBM® tests WebSphere Application Server products on each operating system platform. Such tests verify whether an operating system change is required for WebSphere Application Server products to run correctly. Without the required changes, WebSphere Application Server products do not run correctly.
While this article lists many steps that are common to all Linux distributions, specific Linux distributions might require additional steps. Complete all common steps, as well as any additional steps that are required for your distribution. If your distribution is not listed in this article, but is supported by WebSphere Application Server, check for any post-release technical notes that are available for your operating system at the product support site at https://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/support/. If a technical note is not available for your distribution, additional steps might not be required.
When additional steps are required, it is typically because a default installation of the distribution does not provide required libraries or operating system features. If you install WebSphere Application Server on a customized Linux installation that has installed packages that differ significantly from the packages provided by a default installation of the distribution, ensure that your customized installation has the packages required for WebSphere Application Server to run. WebSphere Application Server does not maintain lists of the packages required for each Linux distribution or for updates to each distribution.
Procedure
Results
This procedure results in preparing the operating system for installing the product.