How to install SQLA 16 EBF silently?

[MCMartin]

So far we used the following statement to install an EBF in silent mode:

SA16_Windows.1600_2043_EBF  /l:1033 /s "/v:/qn"


But the SQLA 16 EBF is not reacting to this and is still displaying dialogs.
Any advice?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

The file SA16_Windows.1600_2043_EBF.exe is actually a self-extracting EXE which requires its own silencing switch as well as a switch to pass arguments to the EXE it is going to launch.

So the correct command is as follows:

SA16_Windows.1600_2043_EBF.exe /s /a /s /l:1033 "/v: /qn"


where,

the first /s silences the self-extracting EXE,
the /a tells the self-extracting EXE that everything that follows is to be passed to the EXE it is going to run (setup.exe in this case),
the second /s silences setup.exe,
/l:language_code is the language to run the install in,
/v: tells setup.exe to pass the remainder of the command line to msiexec.exe
/qn silences msiexec.exe.

[former_SQLA_member1694873 · Accepted solution]

I didn't know about this - sounds great!

I have three questions:

1. Where is this documented?
2. How do you specify the license key?
3. Is there a corresponding mechanism for Linux?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[VolkerBarth · Accepted solution]

As to your questions:

1. Confine this page: Silent installs using the SQL Anywhere installer . - Note, it does not explicitly tell that the EBF setup does not directly support the usual flags but does need a separate /s option. The doc page does tell something possible similar:

   "The setup.exe in the command above is the one located in the same directory as the SQLANY32.msi and SQLANY64.msi files. The setup.exe in the parent directory of those files does NOT support silent installs."

2. Within the "/v: ...." option you can include a REGKEY=<yourkeyhere> property to specify license keys - cf. the cited page.

3. I don't know, however, the mentioned page does tell that this feature does only work on Windows.

[Breck_Carter · Accepted solution]

How all these features of SQL Anywhere, InstallShield and Msiexec.exe fit together is an exercise for the reader :)...

Silent installs using the SQL Anywhere installer

Setup.exe and Update.exe Command-Line Parameters

Advanced Installer User Guide

[former_SQLA_member1694873 · Accepted solution]

I'm in Ubuntu World at the moment, so manual installs it is for now :-(.

But thanks to both Volker and Breck for the references!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Terry:

1. Unfortunately, it isn't documented. The documentation team has been made aware of this.
2. You wouldn't need to supply a REGKEY for an EBF install. You would for a first-time install and as Volker pointed out that would go inside the quotes as in: "/v: /qn REGKEY=<your_key>". This is also where you would specify directories and feature selection etc. (That much is documented!)
3. Silent installs are support on Linux. After untaring, run setup with the -ss switch. This works for first-time and EBF installs. For example: ga1600/setup -ss -I_accept_the_license_agreement -d $HOME/sa16_test -k <your_key> -name <your_name>

[former_SQLA_member1694873 · Accepted solution]

Bill - thanks, I'll run a Linux test using your suggestions. BTW, in your Linux example above, did you mean -ss or -s?

[former_SQLA_member1694873 · Accepted solution]

UPDATE: I'm using the developer edition; unfortunately, it seems that it cannot be installed in silent mode. Oh well...