How do I perform an unattended installation?

zinstall is the interactive script used to install the software version of Zeus Traffic Manager. In some situations an administrator may want to automate the installation of Zeus Traffic Manager (e.g. for rebuilding machines).

zinstall can record its installation options to a replay file, and then replay the options when installing on a different machine.

To create a replay file, use the --record-to option to zinstall:

 # ./zinstall --record-to=zeus_install.txt

NOTE: When asked to perform initial configuration, you must answer 'No', otherwise no replay file will be created. The install and configure steps have to be recorded and replayed separately.

To replay this installation, use the --replay-from option:

 # ./zinstall --replay-from=zeus_install.txt

This runs the zinstall script using the answers provided in the replay file. If a question is encountered that isn't answered, the normal prompt will appear, waiting for the answer. You can specify the --noninteractive option on the command line to cause zinstall to abort instead.

The Zeus Traffic Manager configure script can also be run automatically using the same method, however be aware that passwords will appear in plaintext inside the replay file, but they will not printed in the output of the configure program. If you record the configuration, and then delete the line in the replay file with the password you will be prompted for it unless the --noninteractive option was passed.

Crispin Flowerday [Zeus Dev Team] 23 October 2006