Installation Command-Line Parameters

The installer supports specification of the following command line parameters. When run in graphical user interface mode (the default) these parameters may typically be used to override the default settings. When running the installer in silent mode, using the /S switch, these parameters are used to specify both the required and optional values as detailed further in Silent Installation of Mail Express Server.

Parameter Definitions

Switch

Description

/S

  • Description: Initiates a silent installation. See Silent Installation below for more information.

  • Default: The installer defaults to graphical user interface mode.

  • Example: /S

/debug

  • Description: Enables logging to the Windows system debug log. This log may be viewed in real time using tools such as DebugView that is part of the SysInternals Suite from Microsoft.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /debug

/logfile="<file>"

  • Description: Log installation messages to the specified file (this is in addition to the internal log that is always created by the installer). Quotes should be used for paths containing spaces.

  • Default: None

  • Example: /logfile="C:\Temp\MEInstall.log"

/InstallerOperation="<operation>"

  • Description: Specifies the main operation that the installer should perform.

  • Valid values:

    • INSTALL – Perform a new installation of the Mail Express Server. Only applicable when the Mail Express Server is not already installed.

    • UPGRADE – Upgrade an existing installation of the Mail Express Server. Only applicable when an older version of the Mail Express Server is currently installed.

    • REINSTALL – Reinstall the Mail Express Server software. Only applicable when the Mail Express Server is already installed and its version is the same as the installer.

    • DATABASE – Modifies the database settings used by the Mail Express Server. Only applicable when the Mail Express Server is already installed and its version is the same as the installer.

    • UNINSTALL – Uninstalls the Mail Express Server. Only applicable when the Mail Express Server is already installed.

/InstallDirectory="<path>"

  • Description: The installation directory. Quotes should be used for paths containing spaces.

  • Default: C:\Program Files\Globalscape\Mail Express

  • Example: /InstallDirectory="D:\Applications\Mail Express"

/AttachmentDirectory="<path>"

  • Description: The email attachment directory. Quotes should be used for paths containing spaces. Supports both local physical drives and UNC-style paths. Mapped drives should be avoided because they only exist for the logon session of the current user. As such they typically will not be available to the Mail Express Server when running as a Windows Service.

  • Default: <Install Directory>\MailExpressAttachments

  • Example: /AttachmentDirectory="\\jupiter\FileStore\MailExpress"

/StartMenuGroup="<Group Name>"

  • Description: The Start Menu folder in which to place the Mail Express Server shortcuts.

  • Default: Globalscape

  • Example: /StartMenuGroup="MEAdmin"

/AdminUsername="<username>"

  • Description: The username to use for the initial Mail Express Administration account.

  • Default: None

  • Example: /AdminUsername="meadmin"

/AdminPassword="<password>"

  • Description: The password to use for the initial Mail Express Administration account.

  • Default: None

  • Example: /AdminPassword=" wkBG2YxgzBpR"

/AdminEmail="<email>"

  • Description: The email address to use for the initial Mail Express Administration account.

  • Default: None

  • Example: /AdminEmail=meadmin@example.com

/DatabaseType="<type>"

  • Description: Specifies if the installer will install an internal database or use an external database.

  • Valid values:

    • INTERNAL – specifies that the installer should install and use the internal SQL Server 2008 R2 Express database instance.

    • EXTERNAL _SQLSERVER – specifies that the installer should use an external, pre-existing SQL Server database.

    • EXTERNAL_ORACLE – specifies that the installer should use an external, pre-existing Oracle database.

  • Default: EXTERNAL _SQLServer

  • Example: /DatabaseType="INTERNAL"

/ExternalDatabaseMode="<mode>"

  • Description: When DatabaseType=EXTERNAL, specifies if the installer should create a new external database and user or use an existing database and user.

  • Valid values:

    • CREATE – specifies that the installer should create a new database and user.

    • EXISTING – specifies that the installer should use an existing database and user.

  • Default: CREATE

  • Example: /DatabaseMode="EXISTING"

/DatabaseServerName="<server>"

  • Description: The database server host or IP address.

  • Default: The local computer name.

  • Example: /DatabaseServerName="jupiter"

/DatabasePort="<port>"

  • Description: The listener port for the database on the database server host.

  • Default: 1433

  • Example: /DatabaseServerPort="55000"

/DatabaseInstanceName="<instance name>"

  • Description: The database server instance name.

  • Default: MSSQLSERVER

  • Example: /DatabaseInstanceName="SQLSRV_3"

/DatabaseName="<database name>"

This feature is not applicable to an Oracle database server.

  • Description: The name of the database.

  • Default: MAILEXPRESS

  • Example: /DatabaseName="MEDB1"

/AuthenticationType="<type>"

This feature is not applicable to an Oracle database server; Windows authentication is not supported.

  • Description: The type of authentication to use when connecting to the database in the installer. The installer can use SQL Server authentication or Windows authentication. When using Windows authentication the installer will attempt to connect to the database as the user account currently running the installer.

  • Valid values:

    • SQLSERVER – The installer should use SQL Server authentication.

    • WINDOWS – The installer should use Windows authentication.

  • Default: SQLSERVER

  • Example: /AuthenticationType="WINDOWS"

/LoginName="<username>"

  • Description: The login name to use when connecting to the database when /AuthenticationType=SQLSERVER.

  • Default: sa

  • Example: /LoginName="sa"

/LoginPassword="<password>"

  • Description: The password to use when connecting to the database when /AuthenticationType=SQLSERVER.

  • Default: None

  • Example: /LoginPassword="3qym9NCebHDJ"

/DBOAuthenticationType="<type>"

This feature is not applicable to an Oracle database server; Windows authentication is not supported.

  • Description: The type of authentication that the Mail Express Server should use when connecting to the database.

  • Valid values:

    • SQLSERVER – The installer should use SQL Server authentication.

    • WINDOWS – The installer should use Windows authentication.

  • Default: SQLSERVER

  • Example: /DBOAuthenticationType="WINDOWS"

/DBOLoginName="<username>"

  • Description: The login name that the Mail Express server should use when connecting to the database when /DBOAuthenticationType=SQLSERVER. Additionally, this is the account created when /ExternalDatabaseMode="CREATE".

  • Default: None

  • Example: /DBOLoginName="medatabase"

/DBOLoginPassword="<password>"

  • Description: The password to use when connecting to the database when /AuthenticationType=SQLSERVER.

  • Default: None

  • Example: /DBOLoginPassword=" fkV6ZsX669p3"

/SkipPrereqCheck

  • Description: Skips checking the common and installation prerequisites that occurs when the installer is initially launched. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipPrereqCheck

/SkipDBUtilFirewallUpdate

  • Description: The installer uses an embedded Java-based utility for interacting with the database. If Windows Firewall is enabled a dialog may be displayed when running the installer asking the user to configure the firewall rules for the embedded Java Runtime Environment. To prevent this dialog from displaying the installer temporarily modifies the Windows Firewall settings. This command line option instructs the installer to bypass modifying the Windows Firewall. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipDBUtilFirewallUpdate

/SkipDesktopShortcut

  • Description: Skips creation of the Windows Desktop shortcut to the Mail Express administration portal that typically occurs at the end of installation, reinstallation, and upgrade.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipDesktopShortcut

/SkipStartService

  • Description: Skips launching of the Mail Express Server Windows service that typically occurs at the end of installation, reinstallation, upgrade, or database settings modification.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipStartService

/SkipSQLServerPrereqCheck

  • Description: Skips checking the prerequisites for installing the internal SQL Server 2008 R2 Express database software. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipSQLServerPrereqCheck

/SkipSQLServerInstall

  • Description: When the installer has been configured to use the internal SQL Server 2008 R2 Express database instance enabling this setting will instruct the installer to skip the actual installation of the SQL Server software. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipSQLServerInstall

/SkipSQLServerSettings

  • Description: When the installer has been configured to use the internal SQL Server 2008 R2 Express database instance enabling this setting will instruct the installer to updating the settings related to SQL Server that typically occur after installing the SQL Server software. This setting only takes effect if the SQL Server install has not been skipped. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipSQLServerSettings

/SkipSQLServerCreateDB

  • Description: For installation paths where the installer would normally create the database, this setting will instruct the installer to skip the database creation. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipSQLServerCreateDB

/SkipSQLServerCreateDBUser

  • Description: For installation paths where the installer would normally create the database user, this setting will instruct the installer to skip the database user creation. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipSQLServerCreateDBUser

/SkipSQLServerCreateSchema

  • Description: For installation paths where the installer would normally initialize the database schema, this setting will instruct the installer to skip initialization of the database schema. This setting is mainly used for debugging purposes.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipSQLServerCreateSchema

/SkipSQLServerUninstall

  • Description: By default the uninstaller will remove the internal evaluation SQL Server 2008 R2 Express database server instance if it is present. This option provides a way to instruct the uninstaller to leave the database server instance on the computer.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipSQLServerUninstall

/SkipValidateSQLServerPassword

  • Description: By default the installer will validate the Mail Express Admin password against the SQL Server Express password requirements (e.g. the Windows account password policy plus some additional illegal keywords). This option provides a way to instruct the installer to skip this validation check.

  • Default: Disabled by default

  • Example: /SkipValidateSQLServerPassword