The ReliaSoft installer accepts command-line options that allow you to install the software without providing routine user inputs during installation. This is known as a silent installation. Silent installations are helpful when you have to install multiple ReliaSoft products on multiple client computers and the options you select while installing on each computer are always the same.
The ReliaSoft installer is created by the InstallShield application packaging system and will recognize the /r, /s, /SMS, /f1, and /f2 switches. The following instructions use the ReliaSoft2022.exe installer in all examples; the same approach can be used with the ReliaSoft installers from versions 2018 through 2021 and the Synthesis installers from versions 9 through 11. You can also use this approach with the licinst.exe file to install the HBM Prenscia Licensing Administration Utility, if desired.
1. Create an Answer File
To perform a silent installation, you’ll need an answer file (*.iss) that will provide the inputs that would normally be provided by the user in an interactive installation session. The easiest way to create an answer file is to run an ordinary installation and record the selections you make during the installation. You can use the following command to run and record the installation:
ReliaSoft2022.exe /r /f1"C:\silent install\Setup.iss"
where:
/r (required) records the user inputs during the ordinary installation and saves them to an answer file.
/f1"C:\silent install\Setup.iss" (optional) specifies an alternate location and name for the answer file. Use an absolute path. If omitted, a Setup.iss file will be created in the "c:\Windows" directory.
2. Run a Silent Installation
Once an answer file is available, use the following command to perform a silent installation on a client computer:
ReliaSoft2022.exe /s /SMS /f1"C:\silent install\Setup.iss" /f2"C:\silent install\Result.log"
where:
/s (required) runs the installer using the "silent" option.
/SMS (optional) prevents a network connection and the installer from closing before the installation is complete. This is useful if you are running the installation as part of a larger script (e.g., one script that triggers multiple events in a sequence). If omitted, the system will attempt to run the next command in the sequence, regardless of whether the installation is complete.
/f1"C:\silent install\Setup.iss" (required) specifies the location and name of the answer file.
/f2"C:\silent install\Result.log" (optional) creates a log of the installation in the specified location with the specified filename.
Checking for Errors
If you created a log of the installation, the log file will contain a ResultCode key that returns one of the following values:
| ResultCode | Definition |
| 0 | Success |
| -1 | General error |
| -2 | Invalid mode |
| -3 | The required data not found in the Setup.iss file |
| -4 | Not enough memory available |
| -5 | File does not exist |
| -6 | Cannot write to the response file |
| -7 | Unable to write to the log file |
| -8 | Invalid path to the InstallShield Silent response file |
| -9 | Not a valid list type (string or number) |
| -10 | Data type is invalid |
| -11 | Unknown error during setup |
| -12 | Dialogs are out of order |
| -51 | Cannot create the specified folder |
| -52 | Cannot access the specified file or folder |
| -53 | Invalid option selected |
3. Additional Steps for Locally Hosted Licensing
These additional steps apply only if you’re using locally hosted licensing (see Locally Hosted Licensing).
Define the Path to the License Server
You will need to connect each client computer to the appropriate license server. To do this silently, you can simply add the following command to your install script:
setx HBMUK_LICENSE_PATH PORT@HOST
where PORT@HOST should be 6220@servername (servername can be the resolved name or IP address).
Import the License Settings File
NOTE: Beginning with Version 2020, a license settings file (*.prnrsl) will not be provided and this step will not apply. Instead, a new type of license settings file will automatically be created when a user launches their software while pointed to a license server configured for locally hosted licensing. In situations where a mix of locally hosted and ReliaSoft-hosted licenses will be used or where a suite of products has been merged with other products, the license settings file will need to be edited via the License Settings tool.
For versions prior to Version 2020: If a license settings file (*.prnrsl) was provided to you, you’ll need to import it to the client computer after the silent installation. This can be done manually or silently.
To import the file manually, open the Import/Export License Settings utility on the client computer by choosing ReliaSoft [Version] > ReliaSoft [Version] License Settings Import-Export (Windows 10) or ReliaSoft [Version] > Additional Tools > ReliaSoft [Version] License Settings Import-Export (Windows 7) in the Windows Start menu. Follow the on-screen instructions to import the *.prnrsl file.
To import the file silently, run the following command in the directory of the ReliaSoft installation on the client computer. The default installation path is "C:\Program Files (x86)\ReliaSoft\ReliaSoft [Version]." You can run the command separately from the silent installation, or you can create a batch file with both commands in it and run the batch file.
LMXLicSettingsImportExport.exe /i"C:\path\filename.prnrsl"
Where:
/i"C:\path\filename.prnrsl" causes the Import/Export License Settings utility to import the license settings file from the specified path. If no path is specified, the utility will open a browse window for you to specify the path (i.e., this step will not be silent).
You can also use this command with different arguments:
/e"C:\path\filename.prnrsl" causes the Import/Export License Settings utility to export a copy of the license settings file to the specified location and filename.
/d deletes the license settings file from the location where the software uses it.
