Non-root users performing installation and subsequent installation operations (SIOs) on the application server product can verify whether they have the correct permissions to ensure that the installation operation can be completed successfully, without failure due to file permission errors. In addition to the function which verifies file permissions, you can set the ownership and permissions (with limitations) on all installed files.
SIOs include operations such as feature installations, edition upgrades, maintenance installations (such as fix packs or refresh packs), feature pack installations, and slip installations of custom installation packages (CIPs) created with IBM® WebSphere® Installation Factory. You can change file ownership and permissions after installation using the chutils command.
When an application server installation is initially performed, the resulting installation is owned by a single user and group. Certain SIOs can be performed by another user whether the user is root or non-root.
Use the verify permissions utility to determine whether a subsequent installation operation would fail due to insufficient file permissions. You can run this check as an optional function in the standard application server installer, CIPs, and the Update Installer. If the check fails, the installation operation is prevented until the error has been resolved. The installation operation is prevented in order to avoid corruption of installations caused by an incomplete subsequent installation operation. Without a successful installation permissions check, an unexpected file permission error could occur. This would cause the installation to fail and leave the product in an indeterminate state.
The verify permissions utility is available in the installation wizard as a check box on the installation summary panel before you begin the actual installation process, or if you are installing silently, then you can run the utility by uncommenting the -OPT checkFilePermissions="true" option in the response file.
During the verify permissions check, the installer does not create or modify any product files. The permissions check only confirms whether the file operations would succeed based on file ownership and permissions. The target location is not modified as a result, and no configuration actions are run.
If the verify permissions check fails, then all file permission problems that occur during the simulation are written to a log in the user's home directory. Entries in the log files will indicate which files are not writable by the current user including file names, file operations, and specific permission issues. You can address file permission errors and rerun the verify permissions utility without exiting the installation wizard. The log file is located in the <user_home>/waslogs/log.txt directory.
You can use the chutils command to set the file ownership and permissions for an entire installation to an owner or group that differs from the user that performed the initial installation. The main benefit is the ability to have the initial install performed by one user and then have different users perform supported SIOs. The chutils command is located in the app_server_root/instutils directory.
Option | Description |
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-installlocation=<install_home> | Optional. The absolute path to the installation root directory. Defaults to the current install location, or app_server_root. |
-setowner=<username> | Sets the owner for each file and directory. |
-setgroup=<groupname> | Sets the group for each file and directory. |
-setmod=[reset]|[grp2owner] | Sets the permissions on the files and directories.
|
-help | Displays the permission utility's help. |
-debug | Displays additional runtime information. |