2 replies to this topic

[VBScab]

Forgive me if this is the wrong sub-forum: there doesn't seem to be an area for problems with RUNNING InstallShield projects!

I've built a silent install file for IBM iSeries Access which works just fine, except that the -SMS switch seems to be ignored: I launch Setup.EXE in a DOS box with appropriate parameters:

setup -SMS -s -f1C:\Install\IBM_Silent.iss

and it runs with the icon in the taskbar, but returns control to the DOS window almost immediately. This is a problem because eventually, the install will be wrapped in an MSI (WAY too much work to re-package it...) and then distributed via Group Policy.

Now, I *could* set up a script to launch Setup.EXE and have the script loop until Setup.EXE process terminates but surely the point of the -SMS switch is that Setup doesn't return control until it's finished its job.

Edited by VBScab, 30 August 2007 - 18:50.

[Glytzhkof]

Sometimes launching setup.exe extracts temporary files which then in turn launches another setup.exe that does the actual installation. In those cases you can try to run the extracted setup.exe directly with the Installshield parameters (generally does not work), or you can check if the first, main setup.exe accepts any parameters that are "passed to Installshield setup.exe" or similar.

Finally, as you state, you can use a simple script to search for and detect when setup.exe disappears from the task list. Not terribly reliable or elegant, but I have done this several times.

Also check whether this is an Installshield Universal setup (these generally use a setup.exe launcher that then launches another setup.exe as explained above (sometimes just java.exe) - I believe the reason for this is that the first setup.exe needs to install the Java runtime if it is not already installed).

http://helpnet.insta...s_launchers.htm

[VBScab]

It's OK...I now have it working, having edited the command line to remove the typo in the path to the ISS file. D'oh! I've also changed the screen font so I can more easily tell when I've typed 'j' instead of 'i' - x:\IBMiSeriesAccess\Express\Install\Image\sjlent.iss