Performing a Silent Instant Messaging Configuration

To run a silent configuration, you first complete a false configuration to create a state file. During this false configuration session, your responses to the configure utility are captured in the state file, but no software is modified. In the state file, your responses are retained as a list of parameters, each representing a single prompt or field. Next, you will create a platform-appropriate state file ID and modify the state file to include this ID.

You can then run the configure utility on many hosts using the state file as input. This process allows you to quickly propagate one configuration across multiple hosts in your enterprise. See Configuring Instant Messaging After Installing or Upgrading for information on using the state file to configure a new instance of Instant Messaging.

To Generate a Configure State File and ID for Instant Messaging

1. Log in as superuser.

2. Change to the directory in which you installed Instant Messaging.

   By default, this directory is /opt/SUNWiim on Solaris, and /opt/sun/im on Linux.

3. Run the configure utility by typing the following at the command-line:

   configure -no [--nodisplay] -saveState statefile

   Where statefile is the name you want to use for the state file.

   To use the state file to configure a different installation of Instant Messaging, use the following command:

   configure --nodisplay --noconsole --silent -state statefile

   As you proceed through the configure utility, your answers are captured in the state file. When you complete the configuration, the state file is available in the location that you specified.

4. You may need to generate a new platform-appropriate state file ID if you meet either of the following criteria:

   • You already have a state file you generated for a previous version or patch of Instant Messaging.

   • You already have a state file generated for a previous version and have applied a patch that contains a new or modified version of config.class.

   In either case, the old state file ID will no longer be valid. Complete the following to generate a new ID and replace the old one as follows:

   1. Run the configure utility again, but this time with the --id option as follows:

      configure --id

      The command generates an encrypted identifier.

   2. Copy the identifier and paste the value into the state file as the value for the STATE_BEGIN and STATE_DONE parameters.

      For information on using the state file to configure a different installation of Instant Messaging, see Configuring Instant Messaging After Installing or Upgrading.