You can use the Installation Manager GUI to record response files that can be used to
install the product.
About this task
When you record a response file, the selections that you make in Installation Manager are stored
in an XML file. When you run Installation Manager in silent mode, Installation Manager uses the data
in the XML response file to install packages. For authenticated repositories, recording the
installation also creates a credential storage file that stores your authentication information.
For more information about response files, see the IBM Installation Manager
documentation.
Procedure
- Optional: If you are installing from an authenticated remote repository and want to secure your
credentials, create a master password file.
The master password file is a text file that contains a passphrase such as "This text is the
master password." This file is used to secure your authentication credentials.
If you create a master password file and use it when you create credentials, you must always
specify the master password file.
Tip: To secure this file, set permissions to restrict access to this file as appropriate
for your operating system.
- From a command line, change to the eclipse subdirectory in the directory
where you installed Installation Manager.
- Start Installation Manager from the command line using the -record
option.
Important: For authenticated repositories, specify the
-secureStorageFile option and a location to create a credential storage file.
The storage file stores credentials for URLs that require authentication, such as your remote
repositories. This credential storage file is secured with the optional master password file.
For example:
Administrator or
non-administrator:IBMIM.exe -skipInstall "C:\temp\imRegistry"
-secureStorageFile C:\IM\credential.store -masterPasswordFile C:\IM\master_password.txt
-record C:\temp\install_response_file.xml
![[AIX]](../images/aixlogo.gif)
![[HP-UX]](../images/hpux.gif)
![[Linux]](../images/linux.gif)
Administrator:
./IBMIM -skipInstall /var/temp/imRegistry
-secureStorageFile /var/IM/credential.store -masterPasswordFile /var/IM/master_password.txt
-record /var/temp/install_response_file.xml
![[AIX]](../images/aixlogo.gif)
![[HP-UX]](../images/hpux.gif)
![[Linux]](../images/linux.gif)
Non-administrator:
./IBMIM -skipInstall user_home/var/temp/imRegistry
-secureStorageFile user_home/var/IM/credential.store -masterPasswordFile user_home/var/IM/master_password.txt
-record user_home/var/temp/install_response_file.xml
Tip: Specifying the
-skipInstall parameter records the
response file without actually installing the product, which speeds up the recording.
If you use
a temporary data location with the -skipInstall parameter, Installation Manager
writes the installation registry to the specified data location while recording. When you start
Installation Manager again without the -skipInstall parameter, you then can use
your response file to install against the real installation registry.
Do not use the
-skipInstall operation on the actual agent data location used by Installation
Manager. This is unsupported. Use a clean writable location, and re-use that location for future
recording sessions.
- When a window opens that requests your credentials for the authenticated remote repository,
enter the correct credentials, select Save password, and click
OK.
- Follow the instructions described in Installing the product offerings on distributed operating systems by using the GUI.
Results
You created the following files:
- A response file that installs the product offering, such as
install_response_file.xml
- A credential storage file to store the authentication information for your repository, such as
credential.store
- A master password text file to secure your credential storage file, such as
master_password.txt
What to do next
Use the response files to install the product. For more information, see Installing the product offerings by using response files.