BigFix client - Silent install help

chicojrman 2021-02-12 14:13:59 UTC #1

What would be the command to silently install your client on a remote machine silently? or if it existing on a share?
I’m trying to utilize vm customization specifications commands to run once and enter in cmd /c \wintel02\software\ILMT\Client Installs\BigFix-BES-Client-9.5.16.90.exe but it does nothing.

cmcannady 2021-02-12 14:47:46 UTC #2

I believe you’re looking for the following documentation: https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/10.0/platform/Platform/Installation/c_installing_the_client_with_msi_2.html

chicojrman 2021-02-12 15:27:27 UTC #3

Thanks for that information, however I’m not the BigFix admin just trying to deploy it using vmwares customization specifications\commands to run once. I’m not aware of any MSI just an executable. Would you happen to have anything for executable as it compares to MSI? or do you have directions on how to obtain the MSI? or commands to silently install an executable?

JasonWalker 2021-02-12 17:52:28 UTC #4

I’d have to double-check, but I believe the .EXE package is an InstallShield package and should use their silent parameters

BigFix-BES-Client-9.5.16.90.exe /S /v"/qn"

The "/S” makes the InstallShield wrapper silent, and everything in the “/v” parameter is sent to the embedded MSI package, where the “/qn” makes the embedded MSI silent.

You’ll need to have the masthead.afxm for your deployment present in the same directory as the installer executable.

JasonWalker 2021-02-12 17:52:59 UTC #5

Ah, yes, I found the reference on this, so here are a number of other options you could choose as well
https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/platform/Platform/Installation/c_using_login_scripts.html

chicojrman 2021-02-12 19:07:43 UTC #6

I’ve used cmd /c \wintel02\SoftWare\ILMT\Client Installs\BigFix-BES-Client-9.5.16.90.exe /S /v"/qn"
No luck, attached are screen shots of vm customization specifications command to run once, directory with bat file contents. Its weird nothing is happening even if I execute the bat file or exe. 2021-02-12_12-46-57

chicojrman 2021-02-12 19:08:18 UTC #7

2021-02-12_12-46-02

chicojrman 2021-02-12 19:08:53 UTC #8

2021-02-12_12-45-30

JasonWalker 2021-02-12 19:13:23 UTC #9

I’m not familiar with that deployment tool, but CMD.exe can be finicky about how it handles quotes in the command lines.

You might try different quoting options such as

CMD.exe /c ""path\to\installer.exe" /S /v"/qn""

Also, not sure what account that command is going to run under, but generally the LocalSystem account will not be allowed to access a UNC share.

chicojrman 2021-02-12 19:37:34 UTC #10

I’m a domain admin and when running that command again it doesn’t nothing.

JasonWalker 2021-02-12 19:48:13 UTC #11

So you’re testing this outside of the VMWare setup to get it working first, right?

I’d try to reduce the complexity first. From an elevated command prompt, map a drive to that share, CD into it, and figure out the silent install command first. I’m pretty sure we’re using the right parameters. Get that piece to work first.

Then remove the client, unmap the drive, and try running it via the UNC path. One thing I noticed on your BAT file is that you’re not giving the fully-qualified path to the EXE installer. The .BAT may be in the same folder as the installer, but that’s still not the current working directory if your shell is in C:\Windows (the default) when you execute the BAT file. You could specify a qualified path to the installer using some special CMD shell variables that are created when you run the BAT, if that turns out to be the problem:

echo on
"%~dp0BigFix-BES-Client-9.5.16.90.exe"
exit

The %~dp0 variable evaluates to “Drive Letter and Path to the running BATCH file”, so that would expand to your \\server\sharename\folder\ path. Get the batch file working and popping up the installer message first and once you have that working, add the /S /v"/qn" parameters to make it run silently.

chicojrman 2021-02-12 20:45:45 UTC #12

Actually I was able to load Bigfix on the template and clone vms from it.
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS8JFY_9.2.0/com.ibm.lmt.doc/Inventory/probdet/t_preserving_bundling_when_BigFix_Client_is_reinstalled.html

Thank you Jason and others for insight!

Agostino 2022-07-04 14:05:43 UTC #13

For future reference, here you can find the updated doc.

Installing the Client using the .exe setup
https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/10.0/platform/Platform/Installation/c_installing_client_setup_exe.html
https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/platform/Platform/Installation/c_installing_client_setup_exe.html

Installing the Client using the .msi setup
https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/10.0/platform/Platform/Installation/c_installing_client_setup_msi.html
https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/platform/Platform/Installation/c_installing_client_setup_msi.html

Both pages include instructions on how to install the BigFix agent silently on Windows via the command line.