Community Server Installer MSI - msiexec parameters

Reply

skatematic Posted: Tue, Jul 1 2008 12:59 PM

rated by 0 users

I was wondering if the Community Server MSI installer can be used with msiexec and what parameters can be passed in to overwrite the default values associated with an unattended installation?

Reply

ryhoward replied on Thu, Jul 17 2008 11:18 AM

rated by 0 users

Skatematic,

Although I haven't gotten to use Msiexec recently, I don't see why not. Have you tried it and had any errors?

Thanks,
Ryan

Reply

skatematic replied on Thu, Jul 17 2008 1:57 PM

rated by 0 users

No I haven't tried it because I do not know the parameters to pass in. Basically we are trying to setup an automated installation of Community Server. You can do this using msiexec but to do it properly we need to know that list of parameters that we can specify and pass into msiexec so that no UI is shown and the installation just happens. Is your msi created in such a way that this is supported? If it is, what are the parameters ti automate the install?

Reply

ryhoward replied on Mon, Jul 21 2008 1:23 PM

rated by 0 users

Hi skatematic,

Take a look at this article on how to go about using MSiexec, it should give you a general idea on how to run the MSI using that app.

-Ryan

Reply

skatematic replied on Mon, Jul 21 2008 3:16 PM

rated by 0 users

I guess we are having a missunderstanding here. I know how to use msiexec in general. My question is more related to how I use it with your MSI and have your MSI accept parameters such as:

• the sql server for the database
• the name of the website to install in iis
• the install path
• the authentication options

Our goal is to know the options we want to pick in the MSI, but we don't want to have a person pick the options, we want it to be scriptable. We want to call your msi something like this:

msiexec /i CommunityServer2008.msi INSTALL_PATH=”..” SQL_SERVER=".." IIS_WEBSITE=".." ...

Does that make sense? So just to clarify again, we want to call your MSI using msiexec and make the installation process 100% autmated with a list a parameters which your MSI accepts so that we can set all the options in your setup UI.

Reply

ryhoward replied on Tue, Jul 22 2008 4:50 PM

rated by 0 users

Skatamatic,

I don't believe passing variables for sql parameters and text fields for msiexec is possible.

-Ryan

Reply

skatematic replied on Tue, Jul 22 2008 5:14 PM

rated by 0 users

It is possible. We do it all the time, you just need to write your MSI to support it. I would suggest that you guys look at the WIX toolset for creating MSI's. This toolest makes it quite easy to create parameterized MSI's like I mentioned.

http://wix.sourceforge.net/

more specifically:

http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix2/wix_xsd_property.htm

The property element allows you to pass in values and set defaults for when no value is passed in. I am not sure if this tooleset will allow you to do all the things you currently do, but it should.

Tutorial:

http://www.tramontana.co.hu/wix/