Install as an administrator, nonadministrator, or group

We can install software with IBM Installation Manager as an administrator, nonadministrator, or group.

Read this topic to ensure that you understand what mode we want to use. Once we use a mode to install the product, your installation cannot be undone. For example, if we use the root installation, migrating the installation repository information from the root installation to a non-root installation is not supported. Also, if you change the content, files, or directories in the agent data location directory or subdirectories, you will corrupt our product installation, forcing you to uninstall and reinstall our products.

After we use one user's account to install the product in nonadministrator mode, that installation cannot be transferred to another user's account.


Save credentials in a key ring file when we share an instance of Installation Manager

The -keyring and -password options that are used to store credentials to a key ring file are deprecated. Use the -secureStorageFile and -masterPasswordFile options to store credentials to a credential file. For more information, see Migrate from key ring files to storage files. For versions 1.7 and later, if we do not want share your secure storage file with other users, we must create a secure storage file that only we can access. Multiple users can use the same instance of Installation Manager that is installed in either group mode or administrator mode. Some repositories might require credentials. If the default secure storage file location is used and we did not use the -masterPasswordFile option when we created the secure storage file, other users can use our credentials to access the repository. Create a secure storage file using the -secureStorageFile and -masterPasswordFile options with IBMIM, imcl, or imutilsc saveCredential.

If we do not save our credentials, we are prompted to enter our credentials each time you access the repository. For more information about how to create key ring files, see Store credentials.


Identifying the current mode

To identify the mode we are running Installation Manager in:

  1. Click File > View Log.

  2. Select a log file.

  3. Click the Log filters icon

  4. Select the Information check box to show information entries in the log.
  5. Locate this entry: Installation Manager mode: mode.
To identify the user that is running Installation Manager, locate the entry:

user.name: user, mode

For more information about finding and using log files, see View log files using wizard mode.



Installation notes for Windows platforms

Group mode is not available on Windows.

In some cases, installing IBM software products on Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7 requires the use of the Run as administrator option. For more information, see Run as administrator on Windows.



Installation notes for Linux, UNIX, IBM i, IBM z/OS, and OS X platforms

We must have execute permission on Installation Manager directories, package directories, and parent directories.

If we do not have execute permission, Installation Manager cannot access the child directories or files. Without this permission, unexpected behavior or failures can occur when we use Installation Manager.

On Linux, UNIX, and z/OS platforms, if the directory for the registry files is write-protected, the installation of Installation Manager in administrator or nonadministrator mode fails. For the location of registry files for administrators and nonadministrators, see Table 1. We cannot change the directory for the registry file. To work around this issue, we can install in group mode. In group mode, the registry file is written to the agent data directory. The agent data directory can be changed to a writeable directory. Before we install Installation Manager in group mode, check the documentation for the package to verify that group mode is supported by the package. Group mode is not supported on the IBM i platform.

For administrator and nonadministrator modes, if the umask value is 000, Installation Manager automatically modifies the umask value to 022. The umask value is set only for the current session of Installation Manager and does not persist after the user exits Installation Manager. The umask values are logged in the log file.

For group mode permissions, Installation Manager automatically sets the permissions.


Installation default settings

Description Administrator Nonadministrator Group
Windows: IM in Windows menu IBM Installation Manager My IBM Installation Manager Not available
Windows: Microsoft registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\IBM\Installation Manager HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IBM\Installation Manager Not available
Default installation directory Windows: C:\Program Files [(x86)]\IBM\Installation Manager
UNIX: /opt/IBM/InstallationManager
IBM i: /QIBM/ProdData/InstallationManager
z/OS: /InstallationManager/bin
OS X: /Applications/IBM/Installation Manager 		Windows: C:\Users\user\IBM\Installation Manager
UNIX: /home/IBM/InstallationManager
IBM i: /home/IBM/InstallationManager
z/OS: /home/InstallationManager/bin
OS X: /Users/home/IBM/Installation Manager 		UNIX: /home/IBM/IM_Group
z/OS: /InstallationManager/bin
OS X: /Users/home/IM_Group
eclipse\tools Windows: installation_directory\eclipse\tools
UNIX: installation_directory/eclipse/tools

Default registry file location UNIX: /etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat
IBM i: /QIBM/InstallationManager/.ibm/registry
z/OS: /etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManger.dat
OS X: /etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManger.dat 		UNIX: /home/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManger.dat
IBM i: /home/etc/.ibm/registry
z/OS: /home/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManger.dat
OS X: /Users/home/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManger.dat 		UNIX: /home/var/ibm/IM_Group/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat
z/OS: /InstallationManager/appdata/.etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat
OS X: /Users/home/InstallationManager/appdata/.etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat
Default agent data location.

Do not change the content, files, or directories in the Agent data location directory or subdirectories. Changes to these contents can prevent Installation Manager from working.

Windows 2012: C:\ProgramData\IBM\Installation Manager
UNIX: /var/ibm/InstallationManager
IBM i: /QIBM/UserData /InstallationManager
z/OS: /InstallationManager/appdata
OS X: /Applications/Installation Manager/appdata 		Windows Vista: C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\IBM\Installation Manager
UNIX: /home/var/ibm/InstallationManager
IBM i: /home/etc/.ibm/registry/InstallationManager.dat
z/OS: /home/InstallationManager/appdata
OS X: /Users/home/InstallationManager/appdata 		UNIX: /home/var/ibm/IM_Group
z/OS: /InstallationManager/appdata
OS X: /Users/home/Installation Manager/appdata
The Eclipse log is in a subdirectory of the agent data directory. Windows: agent_data_directory\pluginState\.metadata\.log
UNIX: /agent_data_directory/pluginState/.metadata/.log

The uninstall directory is a subdirectory of the agent data directory. Windows: agent_data_directory\uninstall
Linux, UNIX, IBM i, z/OS and the OS X: /agent_data_directory/uninstall

See also:

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