How do you install ClearCase 7.1 on a Unix-based server with no GUI and no internet?

Question

The challenges set by the ClearCase 7.1 installation process are multiple:

• The installation for Unix has been changed (no more './install_server' script): a unified GUI-based Java tool is used, both for Windows and Unix: the Installation Manager (IM), based on a XML configuration file: the "response file".
• If anything goes wrong, IM will erase all the installation, leaving (almost) nothing
• no Gui means silent install, but it also means you cannot record easily a response file.
• no Internet means, IM will not be able to detect updates and load them for you.

The documentation does not cover completely this scenario.
My answer below will be there (as a Community Wiki) to record what I have experienced so far regarding this process.

Answer 1

Silent Installation of CC7.1 on Unix

(Community Wiki answer: feel free to edit and improve)

Prerequisite

• on Unix or Linux, the installation requires root privileges.
• you must have a way to copy the proper installation files on the server (like a sftp access)
• your VOBs must be accessible either locally or through a UFS path

Getting the right files

To install the latest CC7.1 (7.1.0.2), you must first install 7.1, then upgrade.
That means you will need:

• a compatible system.
• a full CC7.1 installation file (through your Passport Advantage account: click on "Customer sign in", then log in, click on "Software download & media access", "I agree", "Download finder", select "IBM Rational ClearCase", then the right platform and language).
  It is recommended to load the setup files with Download Director, which supports resume interrupted downloads and perform downloads through firewalls (see here for usage and FAQ).
  You will need for:
  • Linux x86: IBM Rational ClearCase Linux x86 V7.1 Multilingual(C1SQ8ML.zip, 1.8Go)
  • Solaris (Sun): IBM Rational ClearCase Sun5 V7.1 Multilingual(C1SQ9ML.zip, 1.5Go)
  • Solaris (x86): IBM Rational ClearCase Solaris-x86 V7.1 Multilingual(CZ0R6ML.zip, 1.1Go)
    Note: if you have Solaris10 on a Sun server, take the Sun5 distro, not the "Solaris-x86" one!
• a response file adapted to your platform: you can find a list here.
  Choose clearcase_response_sun5.xml or clearcase_response_linux_x86.xml to see an example, but one is actually already included in your Cxxx.zip file.
• the latest IM you can get: see this ftp server
• the last CC Fix Pack you can get: those are cumulative patches, so you only need the latest one. See this "Available iFixes and Fix Packs for ClearCase Family 7.x" article.
  For now, this is the 7.1.0.2 fix pack.
• the latest IFix you can get: those are incremental patches, so you need to get all of them since the last Fix pack (see same article).
  For now, this is the 7.1.0.2-IFix01.

Copy those 3 or 4 files (Cxxx.zip, latest IM, latest FixPack, [latest IFix]) in any release area you want. Note that you will need around 7Go for the installation files and the complete installation.
For Solaris10 system, 2 installation will be required: - one on the global zone, the release area must be accessible from the ngz (non-global zone) - one in a ngz, with access to the gz release area (read-only access)

Install the main ClearCase Release

• unzip all zip files directly in your release area, except for IM: create a sub-directory first (like "IM1.3.1") before unzipping it there.
• the main setup zip file Cxxxx.zip will have created a disk1 directory
• copy the response file in disk1 to the release area (the parent directory of disk1)
• edit your response file and modify the following lines:

If you agree to the license agreement, change the value for the acceptLicense key to true.

<agent-input acceptLicense='true'>

3 repository locations (for CC7.0, latestCC - 7.1.0.2 for instance - and latest IM --1.3 for instance)

<repository location='/my/release/area/disk1/InstallerImage_xxx' />
<repository location='/my/release/area/disk1/IM...' /> <!-- ignored: IM1.2 bundle with CC7.0 -->
<repository location='/my/release/area/im13...' /> <!-- latest IM -->
<repository location='/my/release/area/7.1.0.2...' /> <!-- latest CC -->

example:

<repository location='/usr/scm/ccase_rls/disk1/diskTag.inf' />
<repository location='/usr/scm/ccase_rls/disk1/InstallerImage_solaris' />
<repository location='/usr/scm/ccase_rls/7.1.0.2-RATL-RCC.sun5/repository.config' />
<repository location='/usr/scm/ccase_rls/im13' />

hostname, region and smtp

<data key="user.CC_RegSvrHostName,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="mycomputername"/>
<data key="user.CC_RegUNIXRegionName,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="unix_region"/>
<data key="user.CC_RegSMTPHostName,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="mymailserver.mydomain.com"/>

Atria or Flexm settings

<data key="user.CC_LICENSE_MANAGER,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="ATRIA"/>
<data key="user.ATRIA_HOST_IS_REMOTE,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="true"/>
<data key="user.ATRIA_REMOTE_HOSTNAME,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="atria_hostname"/>
<data key="user.ATRIA_LOCAL_KEY,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value=""/>
<data key="user.RCL_PortAtHost" value="27000@ss1"/>

For Linux only, I would recommend installing prebuilt MVFS modules, hence the value "0" to the user.CC_MVFSModuleRebuild key. Just make sure you have the source of the kernel at hand with some commands like (all return values can change depending on your context):

$ rpm -q -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/Makefile 
  kernel-devel-2.6.18-92.el5
$ rpm -q -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/Module.symvers 
  kernel-devel-2.6.18-92.el5

or, simpler:

$echo /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build
/lib/modules/2.6.18-128.el5/build

To install the sources of the kernel:

$ cd /usr/src
$ sudo yum install kernel-devel
$ sudo ln -s kernels/2.6.18-128.el5-x86_64 linux

You will see:

$l /lib/modules/2.6.18-128.el5
 lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root     46 Aug 21 17:01 build -> ../../../usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-128.el5-x86_64/

then (still for Linux only):

<data key="user.CC_MVFSModuleRebuild,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="0"/>
<data key="user.CC_MVFSModuleKernelPath,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="your_kernel_source_directory"/>

A typical default value for the kernel source directory, for Linux, if you have made the slink mentioned above:

<data key="user.CC_MVFSModuleKernelPath,com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86" value="/usr/src/linux"/>

Select the features you want to install for Rational SDLC, and install also the com.ibm.cic.agent offering feature:

<install>
        <offering id='com.ibm.rational.clearcase....'
        <offering id='com.ibm.cici.agent' 

Set the latest versions of CC and IM. You will find their id in:

• 7.1.0.2-RATL-RCC.linux_x86/repository.config: UPDATES_com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86~7.1.2.0000-7-1-0-02-00-2009BD090617= com.ibm.rational.clearcase.linux_x86~7.1.0.00-7-1-081110~7.1

• im13/configuration/config.ini: im.internal.version=1.3.1000.20090618_1714

• To run the installation, from your release area

Command:

 sudo ./im13/install --launcher.ini ./im13/silent-install.ini -silent -ShowVerboseProgress -input ./clearcase_response.xml > & install_7.1.0.0.log

Principles:

• if no CC is installed, it will install 7.0, then upgrade 7.1.0.2 in one step.
• do not use the IM bundled with CC (disk1/InstallerImage_xxx): it is a 1.2 one, too low to install latest CC. Use directly the latest IM.
• always redirect stdout and stderr in a custom ad-hoc log file
• if any error message (even a problem during one 'mount vob'), there would be a complete rollback. If so, your ad-hoc log file is useful, but you can also find the IM log files at

IM log files:

/var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs/native

Un-installation

In case of problem or uncompleted installation, you can always un-install the product but:

• it removes everything
• save /var/adm/atria first (your registry settings)
• just replace the element by an <uninstall modify='false'> element
• the command remains the same
• If you un-install an offerring version 7.1.0.2, it un-installs all ClearCase, not just the patch put on 7.1.0.0

Answer 2

TroubleShooting: Gdk-CRITICAL error

The process stops immediately with several errors beginning with Gdk-CRITICAL error

Symptom

If the process fails with the following set of error messages:

(install:22364): Gdk-CRITICAL **: file gdkwindow-x11.c: line 1279: assertion `GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed
(install:22364): Gtk-WARNING **: Screen for GtkWindow not set; you must always set
a screen for a GtkWindow before using the window
(install:22364): Gdk-CRITICAL **: file gdkwindow-x11.c: line 1299: assertion `window != NULL' failed
(install:22364): Gdk-CRITICAL **: file gdkwindow-x11.c: line 1299: assertion `window != NULL' failed
(install:22364): Gtk-CRITICAL **: file gtkstyle.c: line 910: assertion `GTK_IS_STYLE (style)' failed
(install:22364): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: file gobject.c: line 1579: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
...

Cause

This is "normal" as it validates the need for a silent install, and not a GUI-based one: you do not have the graphical environment needed to launch that GUI.
However the cause is simple: one of the parameter is incorect.

For example, using:

--launcher.ini ./disk1/InstallerImage_solaris/silent_install.ini

instead of:

--launcher.ini ./disk1/InstallerImage_solaris/silent-install.ini

(note the '_' instead of '-' in the silent-install.ini filename)

Workaround/resolution

Fix the parameter.

Answer 3

TroubleShooting: Containing directory could not be set for directory shortcut"IBM Installation Manager"

The process stops and cleanup the install because of a "directory shortcut" not set

Symptom

Cleaning up saved files.  (100% of < 1 MB at 71 KB/sec; 0 seconds remain)
Cleaning up saved files.
Error during "install" phase:
  Containing directory could not be set for directory shortcut"IBM Installation Manager".
Install:
JVM terminated. Exit code=1
...

Cause

This IBM article details the cause:

/usr/share/desktop-directories is not writable.

That happens especially on a Solaris installation in a NGZ (Non-Global-Zone), where /usr/share is common with the Global Zone, but is not writable from a NGZ.

Workaround/resolution

For ksh session

sudo export XDG_DATA_HOME=/var/IBM/desktop-directories

For tcsh session

sudo setenv XDG_DATA_HOME /var/IBM/desktop-directories

That plus the usual sudo ./install --launcher ... will make the installation process create the desktop-directories and its shortcuts in a writable directory.

Note: you can make /var/IBM/desktop-directories link to any non-standard path as well (like /export/IBM/desktop-directories).

Answer 4

I think you will find the information you are looking for in the following technotes.

Since I can only post one URL here, I've listed the other technote numbers below. http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=984&uid=swg21390817

If you replace the last 7 digits of the above URL with any of the following technote numbers, you can view the other five:

1393769 1393735 1393304 1390818 1393738

I hope this helps;-)