A silent installation (sometimes referred to as an unattended install) is done by running InstallShield and providing a response file that contains answers to all of InstallShield’s questions. There are two methods of generating a response file for InstallShield. The first method is to run InstallShield in GUI mode and record all of the responses into a response file. This response file then be edited with an editor to customize the responses if needed.
The second method is to run InstallShield and have it write out a template through the file in an editor and provide responses for each question. InstallShield is then invoked with the response file and all questions that would be been asked are answered by reading from the response file.
To perform the silent installation using the resource file that you created by running InstallShield through the installation process:
Change default directory to the CD.
Run the setup program with the -options-record filename:
setup –options-record session1.txt
Run through the installation saving all of the responses.
Edit the response file to customize it for your needs.
Run the setup program with the -option filename and -silent command line arguments. Additionally you must include the -W argument that indicates that you accept the license agreement.
./setup -options "/tmp/neals_install.txt" -W SybaseLicense.agreeToLicense=true -silent
To use a template response file, skip step three and alter step two above to do the following:
Setup –options-template <response-file-name>
In either case it is possible to custom configure the servers as well as being able to select a typical install and use the default configuration values.
Except for the absence of the GUI screens all actions of InstallShield are the same and the result of an installation in silent mode is exactly the same as one done in GUI mode with the same responses.
The value for -options, -options-template,
and -options-record must specify
an absolute path.
