Group mode roadmaps and silent installations

On Linux, UNIX, ZOS and OS X platforms, users can share packages in a common location and manage the packages with the same instance of Installation Manager using group mode.

Not all IBM packages support group mode. Check the documentation for the package for group mode support.

When we use one of your predefined user groups, all users in the group can run the same instance of Installation Manager to manage packages that support group mode. Start Installation Manager in group mode with the ./IBMIM command. Group mode is not available on Windows and IBM i platforms.

For Windows, use IBMIM.exe. The launcher.exe is deprecated.

For Linux, UNIX, and OS X, use the ./IBMIM command. The ./launcher command is deprecated.

When we install Installation Manager or packages in group mode, the installation location includes the specified directory path for packages that belong to that group.

We can specify a shared resources directory and create a package group when we run Installation Manager in group mode.

The shared resources directory in group mode can be specified only the first time we install a package. Use your largest drive for this installation. We cannot change the directory location until we uninstall all packages.


Silent installations

Use Installation Manager in group mode silently to install software packages:
  1. Set the primary group for each user to the group that shares the instance of the group Installation Manager. If the primary group is not set, the user must be logged in to the group that is associated with the Installation Manager. Alternatively, a user with root privileges must run chgrp to change the group that is associated with the installed files of the user.

    For information about permissions, see Permissions in group mode.

    User Primary group Other groups
    User_A wasadmin User_A
    User_B wasadmin User_B
  2. Set the environment variables for changing shortcuts from the default application data location.

  3. Install in group mode. See Install or update Installation Manager silently using the installer. As we install Installation Manager in group mode, do the follwing actions:

    • Change the installation location from the default location in the home directory of the current user to a location that is read/write accessible by all users in the group.
    • Change the agent data location from the default location in the home directory of the current user to a location that is read/write accessible by all users in the group. For information about changing the agent data location.
    • Specify the shared resources directory in a location that is accessible by all users in the group and has enough disk space. To change the shared resources directory later, we must uninstall all packages and reinstall the packages in the new location.
  4. Consult the product documentation to verify that the packages we install support group mode.

    If the package we install in group mode does not support group mode, you receive an error and cannot continue with the package installation. We can use administrator or nonadministrator mode to install packages when group mode is not supported.

  5. Record a response file in group mode or create a response file manually.
  6. Begin installing packages silently in group mode.

Related concepts:

  • Silent installation roadmaps Related reference:
  • Agent data location
  • Installation default settings
  • Installation Manager features
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