How to change the temporary directory used by WebSphere Application Server UpdateInstaller V6.1 and V7.0 on UNIX or Linux

Resolving The Problem

Use UpdateInstaller V6.1.0.13 or later
This solution is applicable to UpdateInstaller V6.1.0.13 and later. Update the UpdateInstaller to the latest available V6.1 or V7.0 level before continuing with this process. (Note that the V7.0 UpdateInstaller is fully backward-compatible with V6.1 maintenance packs.) The latest UpdateInstaller V6.1 can be found here, and the latest UpdateInstaller V7.0 can be found here.



Changing the temporary directory used while applying a maintenance package
This section describes how to change the temporary directory used when applying a maintenance package using the UpdateInstaller. This does not work for installing the UpdateInstaller -- please see the section below in this technote for details regarding installing the UpdateInstaller.

Instructions for AIX®, HP-UX, Linux®, and Solaris systems
When starting the UpdateInstaller, use these parameters in addition to any other parameters being used to invoke the UpdateInstaller:

-Djava.io.tmpdir="/newtmp" -Dtemp.dir="/newtmp"

Replace "/newtemp" in both places with the full path to the new temporary directory you would like to use. Be sure to specify the same directory in both parameters.

The example below shows how to invoke the UpdateInstaller wizard while changing the temporary directory to "/mytemp":

./update.sh -Djava.io.tmpdir="/mytemp" -Dtemp.dir="/mytemp"

Note: These parameters do not work for Windows®-based systems. Please see the instructions below for information on how to specify these parameters for Windows-based systems.




Changing the temporary directory used while installing the UpdateInstaller
This section describes how to change the temporary directory used when installing the UpdateInstaller. (Note that IBM Support representatives may refer you to these instructions when updating other WebSphere 6.1 or 7.0 installers, because these instructions will work for other circumstances as well.) This applies to UNIX- and Linux-based systems only.

Locate the install executable and determine the install type
Some UpdateInstaller "install" executable files are binary programs, and other "install" executables are shell scripts. (This varies by operating system and system architecture.) These instructions require you to edit a shell script of the "install" executable. If the installer for your operating system is based on a binary program, then you will need to create a shell script. The following steps explain how to identify whether you have a binary program or a shell script, and explain how to create the shell script if you need to.

1. Locate the executable file which starts the installer program. First, extract all of the files from the UpdateInstaller downloaded from IBM. Then, look inside the set of extracted files. On AIX, HP-UX, Linux-based, and Solaris systems, the installer executable is named "install" and it is located in the "UpdateInstaller" directory.
   
   
2. Examine the size of the "install" file.
• If the size of the install file is "small" -- approximately 4 kilobytes or less -- then the "install" file is a shell script. Follow the steps in Installer Solution 1 to edit that script. (Skip Installer Solution 2 entirely.)
  
  
• If the size of the install file is "large" -- approximately 300 kilobytes or more -- then the "install" file is a binary program. Follow the steps in Installer Solution 2 to create a shell script which will allow you to change the temporary directory. (Skip Installer Solution 1 entirely.)
  
  

1. Open the "install" script in a text editor. Search for every instance of the string:
   "$currentDir"/setup.jar
   
   
2. After the "setup.jar" parameter and before the next parameter, insert the following text:
   
   -Djava.io.tmpdir="/newtmp" -Dtemp.dir="/newtmp"
   
   Replace "/newtemp" in both places with the full path to the new temporary directory you would like to use. Be sure to specify the same directory in both parameters.
   
   For example, if a line of text in the installer looks like this:
   
   "$JAVAHOME"/bin/java -cp "$currentDir"/setup.jar -Xms256m
   
   Modify the line to look like this:
   
   "$JAVAHOME"/bin/java -cp "$currentDir"/setup.jar -Djava.io.tmpdir="/newtmp" -Dtemp.dir="/newtmp" -Xms256m
   
   
3. Invoke the UpdateInstaller installer by running the modified "install" script. The installer will use the alternative temporary directory.
   
   Note: You do not need to use "Installer Solution 2" once you have completed these steps.

1. Using your preferred text editor, create a new blank file. If this blank file is created on a Windows-based system, be sure that the editor uses UNIX-style line terminators. (If you are unsure how to do this, then avoid using Windows to create the file, and instead use a text editor on a UNIX-based system.)
   
   
2. Copy and paste this content into the text file:
   
#!/bin/sh

currentDir=`dirname $0`
JAVAHOME=$currentDir/../JDK/jre.pak/repository/package.java.jre/java/jre
mkdir "/tmp" > /dev/null 2>&1

"$JAVAHOME"/bin/java -cp "$currentDir"/setup.jar -Djava.io.tmpdir="/tmp" -Dtemp.dir="/tmp" -Xms256m -Xmx512m run $* > /dev/null 2>&1

   
   
3. The text which was just pasted into the file has three occurrences of "/tmp" in it. Replace that text with the directory which you want to use as the new temporary directory. Be sure that the directory is enclosed in double-quotes, similar to the text "/tmp".
   
   Note that one of the commands will create the intended temporary directory if it does not already exist. This procedure does not work if the directory does not exist, so that command ensures that the directory is created.
   
   
4. Save the file you were editing, and name it "install.newtemp.sh".
   
   
5. Move the "install.newtemp.sh" file to the same directory which contains the UpdateInstaller's "install" executable file. Typically, this is in a directory named "UpdateInstaller".
   
   
6. Grant execute permission to the file. To do so, use this command:
   
   chmod +x install.newtemp.sh
   
   
7. Execute the install script in order to run the UpdateInstaller installer. Use this script in the same manner that you would use the "install" program. For example:
   
   ./install.newtemp.sh
   
   Note: If you normally pass parameters such as "-silent" or "-options" to the install program, then pass those parameters in the same manner.