INSTALLER(8) BSD System Manager's Manual INSTALLER(8)

NAME
     iinnssttaalllleerr - system software and package installer tool.

SYNOPSIS
     iinnssttaalllleerr [-ddoommiinnffoo] [-vvoolliinnffoo] [-ppkkggiinnffoo] [-sshhoowwCChhooiicceessXXMMLL]
               [-sshhoowwCChhooiicceessAAfftteerrAAppppllyyiinnggCChhaannggeessXXMMLL ]
               [-aappppllyyCChhooiicceeCChhaannggeessXXMMLL ] [-qquueerryy ]
               [-aallllooww] [-dduummpplloogg] [-hheellpp] [-vveerrbboossee | -vveerrbboosseeRR] [-vveerrss]
               [-ccoonnffiigg] [-pplliisstt] [-ffiillee ]
               [-llaanngg ] [-lliissttiissoo] -ppaacckkaaggee 
               -ttaarrggeett device

DESCRIPTION
     The iinnssttaalllleerr command is used to install Mac OS X installer packages to a
     specified domain or volume.  The iinnssttaalllleerr command installs a single
     package per invocation, which is specified with the -ppaacckkaaggee parameter (
     -ppkkgg is accepted as a synonym).  It may be either a single package or a
     metapackage.  In the case of the metapackage, the packages which are part
     of the default install will be installed unless disqualified by a pack-
     age's check tool(s).

     The target volume is specified with the -ttaarrggeett parameter ( -ttggtt is
     accepted as a synonym).  It must already be mounted when the iinnssttaalllleerr
     command is invoked.

     For system software installs, the target volume must be a different vol-
     ume than the one currently running the booted system.  See systemsetup
     (only available on Mac OS X Server) to set the boot volume.

     The iinnssttaalllleerr command requires at least "admin" privileges to run.  If a
     package requires authentication (set in a package's .info file) the
     iinnssttaalllleerr must be either run as root or with the sudo(8) command.

     The iinnssttaalllleerr is not responsible for rebooting the machine after
     installing.  Use reboot(8) or shutdown(8) -r now to reboot the system.

     The iinnssttaalllleerr displays two forms of output.  The default terse output is
     intended for parsing by scripting languages for automating (or scripting)
     installs and verbose output providing additional information and descrip-
     tive error messages.

     A list of flags and their descriptions:

     -ddoommiinnffoo
             Displays a list of domains into which the software package can be
             installed.  For example: LocalSystem or CurrentUserHomeDirectory.
             The domains listed are those which are available and enabled when
             the command is run.

     -vvoolliinnffoo
             Displays a list of volumes onto which the software package can be
             installed.  The volumes listed are the mounted volumes available
             when the command is run.

     -ppkkggiinnffoo
             Displays a list of packages that can be installed onto the target
             volume.  If a metapackage is given as the package source, all of
             its subpackages are listed.

     -qquueerryy flag
             Queries a package for information about the metadata.  See -help
             for supported flags.

     -aallllooww  Allows overriding (in packages which support it) installing older
             versions of packages over newer installed versions.

     -dduummpplloogg
             Detailed log information is always sent to syslog using the
             LOGINSTALL facility.  -dumplog additionally writes this log to
             standard error output.

     -hheellpp   Displays the help screen describing the list of parameters.

     -vveerrbboossee
             Displays more descriptive information than the default output.
             Use this parameter in conjunction with -pkginfo and -volinfo
             information requests to see more readable output.  The default
             output is formatted for scripting.

     -vveerrbboosseeRR
             Displays same information as -verbose except the output is for-
             matted for easy parsing.

     -vveerrss   Displays the version of this command.

     -ccoonnffiigg
             Formats the command line installation arguments for later use.
             The output is sent to stdout, but can be redirected to a file to
             create a configuration file.  This configuration file can be sup-
             plied as the argument to the -file parameter instead of typing a
             long series of installation arguments.  The config file can be
             used to perform multiple identical installs.

     -pplliisstt  Formats the iinnssttaalllleerr output into an XML file, which is sent by
             default to stdout.  Use this parameter for -dominfo, -volinfo,
             and -pkginfo

     -ffiillee pathToFile
             Specifies the path to the XML file containing parameter informa-
             tion in the key/value dictionary.  This file can be used instead
             of the command line parameters, and supersedes any parameters on
             the command line.  When you type this parameter, you type the
             path to the XML file.  For example:

             iinnssttaalllleerr -ffiillee /tmp/configfile.plist

     -llaanngg ISOLanguageCode
             Default language of installed system (ISO format).  This is only
             necessary when performing a system (OS) install, otherwise is it
             ignored.  There is no verification done to make sure that the
             language being set actually exists on the machine, however the
             ISO language code is verified to ensure that it is valid.

     -lliissttiissoo
             Display the list of valid ISO language codes the iinnssttaalllleerr recog-
             nizes.

     -sshhoowwCChhooiicceessXXMMLL
             Dumps XML of install choices to to stdout.  This XML can be used
             to construct an XML input file for use with
             -applyChoiceChangesXML and -showChoicesAfterApplyingChangesXML

     -aappppllyyCChhooiicceeCChhaannggeessXXMMLL 
             Applies the install choice changes specified in the XMLFile to
             the default choices state in the package before installation.
             This allows the command-line installer to customize choice selec-
             tion of what gets installed.  The XML input file format is
             described below.

             The XML file structure is an array of choiceIdentifier strings.
             Each item in the array is toggled (exactly equivalent to a user
             clicking on that choice's checkbox in the Installer.app's user
             interface).  To turn off a mixed-state item, you will need to put
             the choice identifier in the array twice, since the first "click"
             will turn it on.

     -sshhoowwCChhooiicceessAAfftteerrAAppppllyyiinnggCChhaannggeessXXMMLL 
             Applies the install choice changes specified in the XMLFile to
             the default choices state in the package, and then dumps XML of
             choices to stdout.  The XML dumped is in the same format as the
             XML produced by -showChoicesXML Since changing one choice in a
             distribution can implicitly change other choices, this method
             provides an avenue for a user to verify that, given a particular
             XML changes input file, the items to be installed match that
             user's expectations.

DDEEVVIICCEESS
     A device parameter for the target is any one of the following:

     1) Any of the values returned by -dominfo
     2) The device node entry.  Any entry of the form of /dev/disk*.  ex:
     /dev/disk2
     3) The disk identifier.  Any entry of the form of disk*.  ex: disk1s9
     4) The volume mount point.  Any entry of the form of /Volumes/Mountpoint.
     ex: /Volumes/Untitled
     5) The volume UUID.  ex: 376C4046-083E-334F-AF08-62FAFBC4E352

EEXXAAMMPPLLEESS
     iinnssttaalllleerr -dominfo -pkg InstallMe.pkg

     iinnssttaalllleerr -volinfo -pkg InstallMe.pkg

     iinnssttaalllleerr -pkginfo -pkg DeveloperTools.mpkg

     iinnssttaalllleerr -pkg OSInstall.mpkg -target LocalSystem

     iinnssttaalllleerr -pkg OSInstall.mpkg -target / -lang en

     iinnssttaalllleerr -pkg DeveloperTools.mpkg -target /

     iinnssttaalllleerr -pkg InstallMe.pkg -target "/Volumes/Macintosh HD2"

     iinnssttaalllleerr -pkg InstallMe.pkg -file /tmp/InstallConfigFile

     iinnssttaalllleerr -pkg InstallMe.pkg -target /dev/disk0s5

ENVIRONMENT     COMMANDLINEINSTALL  Set when performing an installation using the
                           iinnssttaalllleerr command.

FILES
     /usr/sbin/installer  Software package installer tool

SEE ALSO
     syslog.conf(5) reboot(8) shutdown(8) softwareupdate(8) sudo(8)
     systemsetup(8)

HISTORY     The command line iinnssttaalllleerr tool first appeared in the 10.2 release of Mac
     OS X.

Mac OS X                        October 2, 2006                       Mac OS X