Troubleshooting
Problem
This article suggests references for the graphical (X11) filesets which should be installed on Linux operating systems in order to use the WebSphere® Application Server V7.0 and V6.1 graphical install wizard.
Symptom
WebSphere Application Server V7.0 and V6.1 can be installed using a graphical interface called the installation wizard. In order to use this graphical mode, the Linux system needs to be capable of displaying graphics using X windows. The Linux system administrator can configure graphics to display on a local terminal or on a remotely connected X windows client.
In order for the product installer to be able to take advantage of X windows, certain packages should be installed on the Linux system. If a necessary package is missing, the installer might not start up. In such cases, the installation program will display a message on the terminal:
The installer is unable to run in graphical mode. Try running the installer with the -console or -silent flag.
Note that under some circumstances, the V6.1 installer might not display this error message. In that case, attempt to start the installer using this command, to see if it produces the message listed above:
./install -is:javaconsole
The installation log might also show this error message:
com.installshield.wizard.StandardWizardListener, err, could not initialize interface swing
In addition, the log or console might also show this exception:
Process, com.installshield.wizard.StandardWizardListener, dbg, java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: awt (An exception was pending after running JNI_OnLoad)
java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: awt (An exception was pending after running JNI_OnLoad)
java.lang.ClassLoader.loadLibraryWithPath(ClassLoader.java:993)
java.lang.ClassLoader.loadLibraryWithClassLoader(ClassLoader.java:962)
java.lang.System.loadLibrary(System.java:465)
[...truncated for brevity...]
Note:
- The error message mentions the "-console" flag as an alternative solution. Avoid using "-console". Use the "-silent" flag instead. See the alternative solutions section below for more details.
- This error message can occur for the WebSphere Application Server installer for other versions of the product, and on other operating systems as well. Consult with the operating system's administrator if the WebSphere Application Server installer encounters issues with X11 libraries or X windows on other operating systems to ensure that the graphical capabilities / X windows are working properly.
Resolving The Problem
When the WebSphere Application Server V7.0 or V6.1 installer is unable to start up in graphical mode on Linux, it is possible that the Linux system is missing certain graphical filesets. When troubleshooting this kind of issue, check that the appropriate graphical filesets are installed first.
Each different distribution of Linux supported by WebSphere Application Server has slightly different library requirements. These library requirements are documented in the product Information Center. The articles which discuss this have titles similar to, "Preparing <Operating System> for installation".
In order to find those articles, follow these links for the appropriate product version:
The articles linked above are helpful, but you must read the follow-up article for your particular edition of Linux. At the bottom of the article linked above, there is a "Subtopics" section. Look for your distribution of Linux listed there, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11. Those topics may list system libraries which are required for the product installation.
Important: In many cases, the product requires Linux-based operating systems to have the libXp, libXmu, and libXtst libraries installed. On 64-bit systems, IBM strongly recommends installing both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of those libraries. Pay close attention to the article which discusses the libraries required for your particular operating system. The article might name specific libraries which have both 32-bit and 64-bit editions.
Tips for examining libX libraries for Red Hat Linux
As mentioned above, it is important to examine that both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of certain libraries are installed. On Red Hat Linux, it is possible to do this using the RPM command.
On Red Hat Linux systems, you can run this sequence of commands to help determine whether the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of particular libraries are installed:
rpm -ql libXmu | grep so
rpm -ql libXp | grep so
rpm -ql libXtst | grep so
rpm -ql libXft | grep so
If the output of a command lists a library file in the /lib directory, then the file represents a 32-bit edition of that package. If the output of the command lists a file in the /lib64 directory, then the file represents a 64-bit edition of that package. Both the 32-bit and 64-bit files should be listed for each of those example packages.
This tip represents just a small set of libraries which need to be installed. Make sure to review the "Preparing Linux systems" article linked above for complete details.
Alternate solution
If the graphical install wizard does not work, then you can install the product in silent mode instead. The silent installer follows the same steps to install the product, but instead of selecting your install options using the wizard, you set up the options in a "response file" prior to running the install. The resulting installation using the silent install is the same as the installation produced by the graphical wizard.
When the graphical install wizard fails to start up, it displays a standard installation error message, suggesting the use of the "-silent" or "-console" options. The "-silent" option is supported, but the "-console" option is not.
For more information regarding silent product installation, refer to the Information Center article for installing the product silently.
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Document Information
Modified date:
23 June 2018
UID
swg21407743