Use root or non-root when installing with the Update Installer

Use the IBM Update Installer for WebSphere Software to install interim fixes, fix packs, and refresh packs. Learn about important prerequisites, permissions, and precautions before installing a maintenance package.

Use root or non-root for maintenance installation

In order to avoid problems, always use the same user ID for applying maintenance that you used to install WAS, the Update Installer, and any fix packs. If we choose to use a different user, then the maintenance action might not be successful, depending on the ownership and permissions of the files to be updated. If the update action is successful, the file ownerships of the updated files belong to the last user to perform the update and will prevent the original user from performing further updates.

The technote Servers fail to start after applying fixes in version 6.1 describes how to restore file ownership to the original user and allow users to apply future updates.

If WAS is installed by root, and if we try to use a non-root user ID to update WAS, the install will fail because it does not have authority to update the files owned by root. Similarly, if WAS is installed by a non-root user and a different non-root user applies maintenance, the install could fail if the second non-root user ID does not have write authority to those files owned by the first non-root user. In these cases, the user will get a warning message similar to the following:

The current operation must be performed by the same  user who owns the existing files. Typically, the file owner is the user who performed the original installation.  Switch to the right user, and then run the installer again.

To avoid these potential problems, always use the same user ID for applying maintenance that you used to install WAS ND.