Installing UEC Client Applications via the Command Line

Owned by Stonebranch (Deactivated)
Jan 31, 2024
7 min read

Introduction

This page describes how to install UEC Client Applications using the Windows Installer command line interface.

A command line installation is useful in situations where:

  • Several UEC Client Applications installations must be deployed across many different systems.
  • It is not practical or convenient to perform the graphical interface installation.
  • It is necessary to generate an installation log file.

Installing UEC Client Applications

Step 1

Download the UEC Client Applications for Windows product distribution file, sb-UEClient-6.3.0.<level>-windows-i386.exe, to your work station.

Step 2

Execute the distribution file from the command line, and include all appropriate command line switches and parameters.
 
The installation process determines whether a Windows Installer update is needed. The process then extracts and saves a Windows installer package file (.msi) to this location.
 
After all files (including the .msi) are extracted from the distribution file, the installation process verifies that your machine meets the minimum installation requirements. If the requirements are met, the installation begins.

Command Line Syntax

The following illustrates the command line syntax used to install UEC Client Applications:

sb-UEClient-6.3.0.<level>-windows-i386.exe [/v"command line parameters"] [/s] [/w] [/x]

In this syntax:

  • <level> is the numeric package level.

The command line switches (/v, /s, /w, and /x) are processed directly by the distribution file to control behavior of the Windows Setup application.

The command line parameters are passed to the Windows Installer (msiexec) to control the extracted Windows installer package file (.msi) behavior during the install process.

Command Line Switches

The following table identifies the command line switches available for a command line installation:
 

/v

Passes parameters to the Windows Installer (msiexec).
 
The list of parameters must be enclosed in double (") quotation marks. See Command Line Parameters for available parameters.

/s

Suppresses the initialization and extraction dialogs displayed before the product install Welcome dialog."
 
If you are using the /q command line parameter, use this switch additionally for a completely silent install.

/w

Instructs the Windows Setup application to wait until the installation completes.
 
Use this switch when launching the installation from a script file. Without it, the Setup application may return immediately after launching Windows Installer.

/x

Uninstalls UEC Client Applications.

Command Line Parameters

The following table describes the parameters that are available for a command line installation.

The parameters can be specified in any order, with the following exceptions:

  • If the Repair (/fom) or Remove (/x) parameter is used, it must be specified before all other parameters.
  • If the Silent install (/q) and/or Log file (/L) parameters are used, they can be specified in any order, but they must be specified after all other parameters.

These parameters are preceded by the /v command line switch and must be enclosed in double (") quotation marks.
 

Parameter

Description

Default

/fom

Repairs a UEC Client Applications installation.
 
om (after the /f) are options used by the repair. There are other options available, but for behavior that matches the repair done from the graphical install, the om options must be used.
 
/fom cannot be used with the /x (remove) parameter.

n/a

/x

Removes the UEC Client Applications.
 
/x cannot be used with the /fom (repair) parameter.

n/a

INSTALLTO=installdir

Sets the root installation directory to <installdir>. Each component will be installed under this directory.
 
INSTALLTO is required if you want to install the UEC Client Applications in a directory that is different from the default, which varies depending on the type of installation being done (see PERUSER parameter). If the directory contains spaces, you must use double ( " ) quotation marks around the path name.

per-machine installation:
Directory specified by the PROGRAMFILES environment variable (typically C:\Program Files\Universal).
 
per-user installation:
Location under the directory specified by the USERPROFILE environment variable. For example, if the USERPROFILE directory is set to C:\Documents and Settings\username, the default target directory will be C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Universal. If the UEC Client Applications already are installed, the installation directory will default to its existing location.

PERUSER={0|1}

Performs an installation for all users or a specific user account:

  • 0 specifies a per-machine installation; it performs an install for all users of a given machine. This means that any UEC Client Applications configuration options stored in the Windows registry, Start menu short cuts that launch the UEC Client Applications, and the applications files themselves will be visible to all accounts on the machine where the UEC Client Applications was installed.
  • 1 specifies a per-user installation; it performs an install that is specific to the user account doing the installation. This means that any UEC Client Applications configuration options stored in the Windows registry, Start menu short cuts that access the UEC Client Applications, and the application files themselves will be visible only to the user account with which the installation was performed. It will appear to all other users of a given machine as though the UEC Client Applications is not actually installed.

PERUSER is required only under the following situations:

  • For per-user installs, when the installation is being done with a Windows account that is a member of the Administrators group.
  • For uninstalls, where a Windows account that is a member of the Administrators group is removing a per-user installation.

0, if UEC Client Applications is installed using an Administrative account.
 
1, if a regular user account (that is, a non-Administrative user) is executing the installation.

UECADMIN={yes|no}

Specification for whether or not to install the I-Administrator component during new installs, upgrades, or maintenance.

  • If yes is specified, I-Administrator will be installed.
  • If no is specified, I-Administrator will not be installed. If I-Administrator already is present on the system (via a previous installation), it will be removed.

Since, by default, each component's install state is preserved during an upgrade or maintenance, UECADMIN is not required unless you want to change the current install state. UECADMIN is ignored during an uninstall.
 
Setting this parameter has the same effect as selecting whether or not to install I-Administrator on the Custom Setup dialog when installing UEC Client Applications via the graphical interface.

yes

UAMONITOR={yes|no}

Specification for whether or not to install the I-Activity Monitor component during new installs, upgrades, or maintenance.

  • If yes is specified, I-Activity Monitor will be installed.
  • If no is specified, I-Activity Monitor will not be installed. If I-Activity Monitor already is present on the system (via a previous installation), it will be removed.

Since, by default, each component's install state is preserved during an upgrade or maintenance, UAMONITOR is not required unless you want to change the current install state. UAMONITOR is ignored during an uninstall.
 
Setting this parameter has the same effect as selecting whether or not to install I-Activity Monitor on the Custom Setup dialog when installing UEC Client Applications via the graphical interface.

yes

UMGMTCON={yes|no}

Specification for whether or not to install the I-Management Console component during new installs, upgrades, or maintenance.

  • If yes is specified, I-Management Console will be installed.
  • If no is specified, I-Management Console will not be installed. If I-Management Console already is present on the system (via a previous installation), it will be removed.

Since, by default, each component's install state is preserved during an upgrade or maintenance, UMGMTCON is not required unless you want to change the current install state. UMGMTCON is ignored during an uninstall.
 
Setting this parameter has the same effect as selecting whether or not to install I-Management Console on the Custom Setup dialog when installing UEC Client Applications via the graphical interface.

yes

/q

Suppresses the product installation dialogs.
 
Use this parameter in addition to the /s command line switch for a completely silent install.
 
See Command Line Switches, Command Line Installation Examples, and Detecting the Completion of Silent Installs for additional information regarding silent installs.

n/a

/L*v

Instructs the installation process to create an installation log file named <logfilepath> (full path name). If <logfilepath> contains spaces, you must enclose it with double ( " ) quotation marks around the path name.
 
*v are flags used to specify the level of detail (verbose) contained in the log file. To reduce the amount of output generated, *v can be omitted. However, using these options is good practice; they can assist Stonebranch Customer Support with problem determination should any errors occur during installation.

n/a

Command Line Installation Examples

The following examples illustrate different ways that UEC Client Applications can be installed from the command line.

Graphical User Interface Install of All Components

To install all UEC Client Applications components via the graphical user interface, issue the following command:

sb-UEClient-6.3.0.x-windows-i386.exe


Graphical User Interface Install, All Components, with Log File

To install all UEC Client Applications components using the Windows Installer graphical user interface and write a log file to C:\temp\install.log during the installation, issue the following command:

sb-UEClient-6.3.0.x-windows-i386.exe /v"/l*v c:\temp\install.log"

Silent Install of All Components

To silently install all UEC Client Applications components, issue the following command:

sb-UEClient-6.3.0.x-windows-i386.exe /s /v"/qn"

Silent Install of All Components, Per-User Installation, Different Installation Directory

To silently install all UEC Client Applications components as a per-user installation (that is, one in which registry entries, Start menu shortcuts, and so on are visible only to the user performing the installation), and to override the default installation directory, issue the following command:

sb-UEClient-6.3.0.x-windows-i386.exe /s /v"/qn PERUSER=1 INSTALLTO=C:\UEClientApps\Universal"

Silent Install of All Components, with Log File

To silently install all UEC Client Applications components and write a log file to C:\Temp\install.log during the installation, issue the following command:

sb-UEClient-6.3.0.x-windows-i386.exe /s /v"/qn /l*v c:\temp\install.log"

Detecting the Completion of Silent Installs

If the /q switch is used to perform a silent install, no graphical interface or user interaction is required. One drawback to this is that no feedback is provided indicating when the Windows Installer process (install, uninstall, or repair) finishes.

One method that can be used to detect when the Installer process (msiexec.exe) ends is to execute it using the system's start command. Using available command line switches, the start command can be used to kick off the Installer process, and then wait for it to finish. When the start command returns control to its calling process (for example, the command prompt), the Installer process will have ended.

For example, from the command prompt, the following command can be issued to start the UEC Client Applications installation, and wait for it to finish.

start /b /wait sb-UEClient-6.3.0.x-windows-i386.exe /w /s /v"/qn"


  • The /b switch prevents the start command from opening a new window.
  • The /wait parameter causes the start command to start the application, sb-UEClient-6.3.0.x-windows-i386.exe, and then wait for it to finish.

The syntax above also can be used to execute the start command from within a script, such as a .bat file.

For more information on the start command, go to the Windows command prompt and enter: start /?.