2 replies to this topic

[KeithC]

Ran into an issue attempting to use native UNIX commands and thought I'd see if anyone had any suggestions (beside, "Use a script").

The short version of the story is that I need to copy several tar files into a new child directory, untar them, then run a few miscellaneous commands on the resulting files (i.e. CHMOD, pkgadd, etc.).  I created Exec Wizard Action beans for each of these individual actions but couldn't get things to fly (at least not consistently). Two calls to InstallShield resulted in the same answer: we never tested native commands, use a script.

Has anyone run into a similar scenario or problem? We already have these tasks scripted, so we'd essentially be paying IPMP's ŪK pricetag for nothing more than a GUI front-end to our existing process and are questioning the value of that.

Suggestions and comments are appreciated.

Thanks,
Keith C.

[karu]

Use xterm to run the script. Unlike MS Win that opens a Command prompt when you run a batch file UNIX needs to be told that it is a script.

[josh]

          I found no problem launching native unix commands.  

Like Karu said, most commands on unix have to be run through an xterm. So your exec action launches
/usr/openwin/bin/xterm

with the args:
-e
whatevercommand
whatever_args_the_command_needs

The args have to be defined in the "args" parameter of the install Action, and each argument needs to be on its own line. For example, to launch vi to look at a file, the args parameter of the exec action would look like this:

-e
vi
README.txt

(each space on the command line is considered a new argument, so it has to be on its own line in the exec action beans argument parameter.)

NOT
-e vi README.txt
AND not
-e
vi README.txt

For more info, look at the knoledge base article

Q105635
HOWTO: Launching Interactive Shell Scripts on Unix
at     http://support.installshield.com/kb/