I am facing some issues on merge modules, I have one suite installer which has several merge modules. The installation is going fine in normal (UI) mode. But facing some issues while installing in silent mode.
Below are some details
1. When we try to install suit installer using property file, merge modules are not able to pic values from the property file and they are not installing.
2. We are creating a response file for silent installation (via the "install.exe -r install.properties"), We only get the variables written to this response file that are set in the "master installer" but not the variables used in the merge modules.
3. We added variable manually in property file which are related to merge modules still the silent installation is not working.
I faced the same issue some time ago, and it kept a Flexera support technician busy for for a while !
The trick is that all the output variables of the merge module that have to be used in silent mode MUST be advertized also as input variables, and set by what should be the output in each parent installer. So when the silent mode runs, the values from the response file are used to set the merge module variables, which then set the output to the parent installer.
What happens now is that values from the response file hit a wall when the merge module starts. The merge module runs with empty values, and no input from the user, so at the end, it transfers empty values to the parent installer.
If the output output variables of the merge module are also advertized as input variables, then, the value from the response file will enter the merge module, go unchanged through the module, and come back out at the end into the parent installer.
Crazy... (I mean..."logical" for InstallAnywhere 😉 )
Store value of MM Advertise Variables into Parent Variables as different names during Merge Module Import(Regular or Dynamic) in Parent Installer. And during install copy Parent Variable value back to MM Advertise Variable. This step will make sure to populate MM Advertise Variables in Response File.
