Enable and disable preferences

As an administrator, we can remove the ability for users to edit preferences to prevent unauthorized changes. By using a response file, we can disable editing capabilities for preferences after Installation Manager is installed. Preferences that cannot be edited are shown as disabled in the Installation Manager user interface.

We can include preference keys in a response file before we install Installation Manager silently or create a separate response file to change the preferences after Installation Manager is installed. This example shows how to disable preferences for editing after Installation Manager is installed.

Disabling a preference is different from disabling the editing capabilities for the preference in the Installation Manager interface.

For example, in Installation Manager, click Files > Preferences > Repositories. Locate Search service repositories during installation and updates.

If we check the check box, we are enabling the Search service repositories during installation and updates preference.

If we clear the check box, we are disabling this preference. This preference can be enabled and disabled using either the Installation Manager interface or a response file. The preference key used for this preference in the response file is offering.service.repositories.areUsed.

You can disable the editing capabilities for this preference only using a response file. The preference key to disable the editing capabilities for Search service repositories during installation and updates is offering.service.repositories.areUsed_EDITABLE where the preference key has _EDITABLE at the end. When the preference key is set to false, the Search service repositories during installation and updates option is disabled in Installation Manager. When this option is disabled in the interface, use a response file to enable or disable the offering.service.repositories.areUsed preference.

See Silent installation preference keys for a list of preference keys and information about using the keys in a response file with the _EDITABLE option. Not all preferences can be enabled or disabled with the _EDITABLE option.

Procedure

To disable editing capabilities for preferences:

  1. Create a response file.

  2. Enter the preference keys to disable with the _EDITABLE option. For example, the response file to disable the Search service repositories during installation and updates option contains:
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<agent-input>
<preference name='offering.service.repositories.areUsed_EDITABLE' value='false'/>
</agent-input>
  3. Save the response file in an accessible location.

  4. Open the command line.

  5. Open the tools directory.

  6. Run the response file using the command:

    • Windows: imcl.exe input response_file_path_and_name
    • UNIX: ./imcl input response_file_path_and_name
  7. Repeat steps 4-6 on each computer to disable the preferences for each user.


Results

After you disable the offering.service.repositories.areUsed_EDITABLE preference as shown in the example, when a user opens the Installation Manager user interface and clicks Files > Preferences > Repositories, the Search service repositories during installation and updates option is disabled. On the OS X operating system, the Preferences option is under the IBM Installation Manager menu.


What to do next

To enable editing for a preference after it is disabled, set the preference to value='true' in the response file. For example, the response file that enables editing the preference offering.service.repositories.areUsed_EDITABLE contains:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<agent-input>
<preference name='offering.service.repositories.areUsed_EDITABLE' value='true'/>
</agent-input>


Change preference selections

After Installation Manager is installed, administrators can run a response file to change preference selections that cannot be edited by users. For example, we can enable the Search service repositories during installation and updates option and prevent users from clearing the Search service repositories during installation and updates check box after we install Installation Manager.

Procedure

To enable a preference that cannot be edited by users:

  1. Create a response file.

  2. Enter the two versions of the same preference key. Enter the first preference key with value='true' to enable the preference itself. Enter the second preference key with the _EDITABLE option and with value='false' to disable the editing capabilities for the preference. For example, the response file to enable the Search service repositories during installation and updates preference, but disable the option in the Installation Manager interface contains:
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<agent-input>
<preference name='offering.service.repositories.areUsed' value='true'/>
<preference name='offering.service.repositories.areUsed_EDITABLE' value='false'/>
</agent-input>
  3. Save the response file in an accessible location.

  4. Open the command line.

  5. Open the tools directory.

  6. Run the response file using the command:

    • Windows: imcl.exe input response_file_path_and_name
    • Linux, UNIX, IBM i, z/OS, and OS X: ./imcl input response_file_path_and_name
  7. Repeat steps 4-6 on each computer to change the preferences for each user.


Results

After you enable and then disable, the offering.service.repositories.areUsed preference as shown in the example, the user opens the Installation Manager user interface and clicks Files > Preferences > Repositories. On the OS X, the Preferences option is under the IBM Installation Manager menu. The Search service repositories during installation and updates option is disabled. However, Installation Manager continues to search service repositories for updates.


Example

Enclose file paths that include spaces with double quotation marks.

Operating system Command
Windows imcl.exe input response_file_path_and_name
Linux, UNIX, IBM i, z/OS, and OS X ./imcl input response_file_path_and_name


What to do next

To disable a preference that cannot be edited by users, set the preference key to value='false' in the response file to disable the preference itself. For example, the response file that disables the Search service repositories during installation and updates preference and prevents users from editing the preference contains:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<agent-input>
<preference name='offering.service.repositories.areUsed' value='false'/>
<preference name='offering.service.repositories.areUsed_EDITABLE' value='false'/>
</agent-input>
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