interactive shell script from InstallAnywhere in console mode

Question

I use InstallAnywhere in console mode in Linux for installation and want to run some interactive shell script after finishing the installation. By "interactive" I mean that the script should ask some questions and receive user input.

I tried to run it with "Execute target file" action, but the script prints nothing to the console (it surely executed because prints debug information to output file). I also tried to bring the script to foreground using "fg %1" (it was the last command in InstallAnywhere), but it did not work too.

Is there any way to execute interactive script by InstallAnywhere in console mode?

Answer 1

Rather than using a shell script for user interaction, leverage IA to collect the answers you need, stuff them into IA variables, then use those variables in one or more "Execute Script/Batch file" Actions to do the post-install work.

Say you want to collect a first name, last name and phone then write those to a file in your installation directory (contrived, I know, but hopefully demonstrative).

1. Add a Jump Label and name it something like "Get User Info"
2. Add the Console Action "Get User Input" to read the first name. Assign the result to $FIRST_NAME$ .
3. Add the Console Action "Get User Input" to read the last name. Assign the result to $LAST_NAME$ .
4. Add the Console Action "Get User Input" to read the phone number. Assign the result to $PHONE_NUMBER$ .
5. Add the "Jump To Target" Action with a NEXT Jump Action of "Get User Info" (#1, above). Add rules to validate these three variables such that a TRUE result will execute the jump to "Get User Info". In other words, a BAD first name or BAD last name or BAD phone number should evaluate to TRUE . This will send the user back to the "Get User Info" Target Label. Three valid values should evaluate to false, thereby NOT executing the jump. I know. It's weird.
6. Finally, add as many "Execute Script/Batch file" Actions as needed to for each target installation platform. For each of these actions, add a rule that limits execution of that Action to a specific platform. For the Unix/Linux actions, be sure to check the checkbox "Do not substitute unknown variables" or IA will substitute YOUR script variables with blanks. (word of caution: use the full variable name form ${MY_VARIABLE_NAME} to help IA distinguish your variables from its own variables).

A Unix/Linux version might look like this:

#!/bin/sh
echo <<EOF
Name: $FIRST_NAME$ $LAST_NAME$
Phone: $PHONE_NUMBER$
EOF > $USER_INSTALL_FOLDER$$/$userName.txt

The Windows version is similar:

echo "Name: $FIRST_NAME$ $LAST_NAME$" > $USER_INSTALL_FOLDER$$/$userName.txt
echo "Phone: $PHONE_NUMBER$" >> $USER_INSTALL_FOLDER$$/$userName.txt

Note the use of $/$ which IA converts to the appropriate path separator for the current platform.

After the "Execute Script/Batch file" Actions you can add steps to evaluate the success of the Script/Batch file. Add rules on "Jump To Target" Actions to evaluate the value of $EXECUTE_EXITCODE$ . $EXECUTE_EXITCODE$ is the default variable where the process' exit code is stored by "Execute Script/Batch file" Actions.

Real-life installation scripts could be more complex than this. You could collect any number of variables and use them in any number of post-installation script(s). These scripts then focus on doing the work, not on talking to the user. That should be IA's job.

Two parting thoughts:

First, this same technique could be used with a GUI installer, too. In fact, mixing GUI and console input actions in the same project extends your installer to both graphical and console target platforms. The Post-Install scripts remain the same regardless of how you collect the input.

Finally, you should ask your questions (if possible) during Pre-Install. That way the user can decide to bail on the installation if they can't or won't answer the questions. Asking the questions during post-installation could leave the installation hanging, or force the user to roll back, if they are unwilling or unable to provide the information you need.