Using Command-Line Arguments with Installers and Uninstallers

InstallAnywhere 2020

InstallAnywhere-generated installers and uninstallers can be run with command-line arguments that can dictate, alter, or override the function of the installer.

Setting the Interface Mode

To set the interface mode from the command line, perform the following steps:

To set the interface mode from the command line:

At the command line, enter <installer_name> -i <mode>

For example, to use console mode with an installer that includes support for console mode:

install.exe -i console

Setting the Installer Locale

To set the installer locale from the command line, perform the following steps:

To set the installer locale from the command line:

At the command line, enter <installer_name> -l <language_code>[_OPTIONAL_COUNTRY_CODE]

For example, to run the installer with the Simplified Chinese locale:

install.exe -l zh_CN

Generating a Response File

To generate a response file from the command line, perform the following steps:

To generate a response file from the command line:

At the command line, enter <installer_name> -r "path_and_file_name"

For example, to create a response file, you could enter the following at the command line:

install.exe -r "C:\Users\James\myresponse.properties"

Note • If you do not enter a path and file name for the response file, the file will be named installer.properties or [installername].properties and it will be created in the same directory as the installer.

Tip • Be aware that non-standard properties file names require a more complicated call to be used later. This is because any properties file or response file that uses either the default name (installer.properties) or the installer name ([installer_name].properties) can be automatically used by an installer when the installer and the properties file are in the same directory. When you use a non-standard name, you must reference the properties file (using a -f argument), specifically, when you run the installer.

Using a Response File or installer.properties File

To use a response file or installer.properties file from the command line, perform the following steps:

To use a response file or installer.properties file from the command line:

At the command line, enter <installer_name> -f "path_and_file_name"

For example, to use property settings from a file named installer.properties stored in John’s Desktop directory, enter the following:

install.exe -f "C:\Users\John\Desktop\installer.properties"

Setting Custom Variables

To set custom variables from the command line, perform the following steps:

To set custom variables from the command line:

At the command line, enter <installer_name> -D<myvar=myvalue>

For example, to set a new value for the install directory ($USER_INSTALL_DIR$), use a command such as one of the following ones:

Setting JVM Heap Size

To set JVM heap size from the command line, perform the following steps:

To set JVM heap size from the command line:

<installer_name> -jvmxms <size>

<installer_name> -jvmxmx <size>

The default size for these values is measured in bytes. Append the letter k or K to the value to indicate kilobytes, m or M to indicate megabytes, and g or G to indicate gigabytes. For example, to set the maximum JVM heap size to 25 megabytes, enter the following:

install.exe -jvmxmx 25m

Showing Installer Help

To show installer help from the command line, perform the following steps:

To show installer help from the command line:

At the command line, enter <installer_name> -?

See Also

Command-Line Reference

Open topic with navigation