Installers

About Installer Configurations

The Installers tab of the Advanced Management Console is divided into Enterprise and Non Enterprise sub tabs. Each of these sub tabs comprises the Windows tab and the macOS tabs that show the installer configurations that have been created on Windows and macOS respectively. Information about each installer is also shown, such as the date it was last modified and the number of properties that have been customized. Commercial customers have access to MSI (Windows installer) for the JRE. These files contain installer properties that you can set to customize the installation of the JRE. The Advanced Management Console enables you to create configuration files and custom installer files to use when deploying a JRE to desktops that run on these operating systems.

Additional configurations can be created as needed. For example, if the organizations in your enterprise have different requirements for installing the JRE, then you can create a custom configuration for each organization. A custom installer file can be generated for each configuration, or the configuration can be exported to a file, which is then passed to the installer when the installer is invoked.

Note:

Any kind of installer configuration is applicable to Enterprise installers only.

The initial configuration is created when the Java version is added to the Advanced Management Console . This configuration shows the default settings for the installer properties.

Adding a Java Version

If you have an installer file for a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version that is used in your enterprise, then add this Java version to the Advanced Management Console .

As new versions of Java are released, add the installer files for each version. A default configuration is created for each version based on the settings in the installer file. You can also add non-enterprise JREs (EXE/DMG) to Advanced Management Console , but customization is not supported.

To add a Java version:

In the Advanced Management Console , click the Installers tab.
The Enterprises sub tab is highlighted by default.

The Windows tab is displayed by default. Start the AMC UI as described in Starting the AMC User Interface, in case the user interface is not running.

If you want to add a Java version in a macOS environment, then click the macOS tab.
Click Add Java Version.
A Java Web Start application is downloaded to your system and started. If you are prompted to allow the application to run, then click Run.

Note:

On Windows, you need to have a 32-bit JRE to run the Java Web Start application.
On macOS, ensure that you open the jictool.jnlp from a terminal, using the following command:
```
javaws <path-to-the-downloaded-jnlp-file>
```
Example: Use the following command if you are executing from the same folder where the downloaded file is located:
```
javaws jictool.jnlp 
```
In the Select installer for Configuration window, select installer file for the JRE that you want to add, and click Open.

After the installer file is uploaded to the Advanced Management Console , refresh the browser page to see added Java version and installer file.

The installer file shown next to the Java version contains the default settings for the installer properties. This is the base version, which is never changed in the Advanced Management Console .

Note:

Click the Non Enterprise sub tab, and repeat the steps to add a Java version to non-enterprise JREs.

Adding an Installer Configuration

After you add a Java version to Advanced Management Console, you can add more configurations for that version as needed. Different configurations enable you to customize the installation for the different groups that you support.

Note:

The configuration-related topics are applicable only to Enterprise JREs only. Non-Enterprise JREs cannot be configured. They are used without configuration.

To add an installer configuration:

In the Advanced Management Console , click the Installers tab. The Enterprise sub tab is highlighted by default.

In the Windows tab, the list of Java versions and existing configurations is shown. See Adding a Java Version. If you want to add a configuration in a macOS environment, then click the macOS tab.
Add a configuration.
- To add a configuration using the default settings, click Add New Configuration in the table for the Java version of interest.
  
  Enter the name for the configuration when prompted. The page of properties is then shown.
- To add a configuration using the settings from an existing configuration, click Duplicate in the Actions column for that configuration.
  
  The page of properties is shown. The name of the configuration defaults to the name of the configuration that was duplicated followed by -copy. Edit the Configuration field to change the name.
Set the properties as needed.

If you change a property from its default setting, then the Reset option is shown in the Set Default column. To restore the default value for a property, click Reset. If you duplicate an existing configuration and change a property, then reset sets the property to the default value, not to the value in the configuration that was duplicated.
Click Save to save the configuration.

Editing an Installer Configuration

You can modify existing installer configurations in Advanced Management Console as needed.

To edit an installer configuration:

In the Advanced Management Console , click the Installers tab. The Enterprise sub tab is highlighted by default.

In the Windows tab, the list of Java versions and existing configurations is shown.

If you want to edit a configuration in a macOS environment, then click the macOS tab.
Click Edit in the Actions column for the configuration that you want to edit.

The page of properties is shown.
Change the settings as needed.

If you change a property from its default setting, then the Reset option is shown in the Set Default column. To restore the default value for a property, click Reset.
Click Save to save the configuration.

Any customized MSI files and exported configuration files that were created before the configuration was edited are not changed.

Deleting an Installer Configuration

When a configuration is no longer needed, you can delete this installer configuration from Advanced Management Console .

To delete an installer configuration:

In the Advanced Management Console , click the Installers tab. The Enterprise sub tab is highlighted by default.

In the Windows tab, the list of Java versions and existing configurations is shown. If you want to delete a configuration from a macOS environment, then click the macOS tab.
Click Delete in the Actions column for the configuration that you want to remove.
Confirm the deletion when prompted.

The page automatically refreshes and shows that the installer configuration has been deleted.
(Optional) Manually delete any customized MSI files and exported configuration files that you created from the deleted configuration.

Applying a Configuration to an Installer File

To create a custom installer file, apply an installer configuration in Advanced Management Console to the base installer file for a Java version. The custom installer file then contains the settings needed to install the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in your enterprise.

To apply a configuration to an installer file:

In the Advanced Management Console , click the Installers tab. The Enterprise sub tab is highlighted by default.

In the Windows tab, the list of Java versions and existing configurations is shown.

Note:
You cannot apply a configuration to an installer file in the macOS environment.
Click Apply to MSI in the Actions column for the configuration that you want to use to create the custom MSI file.

A Java Web Start application is downloaded to your system and started. If you are prompted to allow the application to run, then click Run.
In the Save Configured MSI File As window, go to the location where you want to save the custom MSI file and provide a name for the file.
Click Save to start downloading the base MSI and applying the configuration.

The message "File file-name patched successfully" is shown when the customized MSI file is successfully saved.

Use this installer (MSI) file with system management software to distribute the JRE and ensure that it is installed with the settings required by your enterprise. If needed, settings in the MSI file can be overridden by settings passed from the command line or a configuration file.

Exporting an Installer Configuration to a File

A configuration file for installer can be exported using the Export to File option. This configuration contains customized setting applicable to related Java version installer and can be used to run a customized installations.

To export an installer configuration to a file:

In the Advanced Management Console , click the Installers tab. The Enterprise sub tab is highlighted by default.

In the Windows tab, the list of Java versions and existing configurations is shown. If you want to export an installer configuration in a macOS environment, then click the macOS tab.
Click Export to File in the Actions column for the configuration that you want to export.
You are prompted to either open the file with a text editor or save the file.
- To save the file, select Save File.
  
  Navigate to the location where you want to save the file and enter a name of your choice. Click Save.
- To view the file in an editor, select Open With and choose the editor to use.
  
  Make any changes that you want and then save the file to the location of your choice.

When you install a JRE, pass the file that you created while installing an MSI file. This step is required to provide custom settings to the file that is created during MSI installation. Ensure that the version of the JRE you are installing matches the version of the JRE for which the configuration file was created. Make sure that the Settings in the configuration file override the settings in the MSI file. Settings from the command line override both the configuration file and the MSI file.

You can use this configuration file to test configurations without needing to create multiple MSI files. Also, if most settings are the same for all organizations, then you can create a custom MSI file for most settings and then pass in a configuration file for the few settings that are different.

Installer Configuration Attributes

The Installers tab of Advanced Management Console provides information about the available installer configurations and the attributes. Configurations for each Java version that was added to Advanced Management Console are grouped by Java version.

The following table describes the information shown for each configuration:

Attribute	Description
Configuration	Name of the configuration
Created On	Date and time that the configuration was created
Last Modified On	Date and time of the most recent modification
# Customized Properties	Number of properties that have a value different than the default value
Actions	Actions that are available for the configuration

Installer Configuration Properties

Property settings are used to manage the installation of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). These settings control such things as the location of the deployment rule set, where the JRE is installed, and if Java applications are allowed to run in the browser.

The properties that are available differ by the version of the JRE. See Installer Configuration File Options in MSI Enterprise JRE Installer Guide for Windows.