To install the client for Linux and UNIX on a specific platform, you must use the applicable client installation package for the computer where you install the client. Applicable client installation packages are included as part of each client download from the Microsoft Download Center. In addition to client installation packages, the client download includes the install script that manages the installation of the client on each computer.

• Prior to cumulative update 1, each operating system and platform requires the use of an operating system and platform specific client installation package. The operating system and platform are identified in the name of each client installation package.
  
  
• Beginning with cumulative update 1, the installation packages from the Universal Agent replace the separate client installation packages for several Linux operating systems. However, not all supported operating systems are supported by the Universal Agent. Versions of Linux that are not supported by the Universal Agent and all versions of UNIX continue to require the use of client installation packages that are specific to each operating system and platform.
  
  

When you install a client, you can use the same process and command line properties regardless of the client installation package you use.

For information about the operating systems, platforms, and client installation packages that are supported by each release of the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX, see the Client Requirements for Linux and UNIX Servers section in the Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager topic.

To install the client for Linux and UNIX, you run a script on each Linux or UNIX computer. The script is named install and supports command line properties that modify the installation behavior and reference the client installation package. The install script and client installation package must be located on the client. The client installation package contains the Configuration Manager client files for a specific Linux or UNIX operating system and platform.

Each client installation package contains all the necessary files to complete the client installation and unlike Windows-based computers, does not download additional files from a management point or other source location.

After you install the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX, you do not need to reboot the computer. As soon as the software installation is complete, the client is operational. If you reboot the computer, the Configuration Manager client restarts automatically.

The installed client runs with root credentials. Root credentials are required to collect hardware inventory and perform software deployments.

Following is the command format: ./install -mp <computer> -sitecode <sitecode> <property #1> <property #2> <client installation package>

You can insert additional command line properties before the command line property that specifies the client installation .tar file. The client installation .tar file must be specified last.

For a list of command line options, see Command Line Properties for Installing the Client on Linux and UNIX Servers.

Use the following procedure as an example of how to install the client for Linux and UNIX.

Note

The following example procedure installs the client from the cumulative update 1 release of the client for Linux and UNIX on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL5) x64 computer. To adjust this procedure for the operating systems that you use, replace the client installation file (ccm-Universal-x64.<build>.tar) with the applicable package for the computer where you are installing the client. Also plan to use additional command line properties to meet your requirements.

To install the Configuration Manager Client on Linux and UNIX servers

Command Line Properties for Installing the Client on Linux and UNIX Servers

When you install the client for Linux and UNIX on a Linux or UNIX computer, you run the install script with command-line properties that specify the following:

• The client’s assigned site.
  
  
• The management point with which the client initially communicates
  
  
• The client installation .tar file for the computer’s operating system
  
  
• Additional configurations you require
  
  

The properties described in the following table are available to modify the installation behavior.

Note
Use the property -h to display this list of supported properties.

Property	Required or optional	More information
-mp <server FQDN>	Required	Specifies by FQDN, the management point server that the client will use as an initial point of contact. Important This property does not specify the management point to which the client will become assigned after installation. Note When you use the -mp property to specify a management point that is configured to accept only HTTPS client connections, you must also use the -UsePKICert property. Specify the management point by FQDN.
-sitecode <sitecode>	Required	Specifies the Configuration Manager primary site to assign the Configuration Manager client to. Example: -sitecode S01
-fsp <server_FQDN>	Optional	Note Beginning with cumulative update 1, the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX supports the use of fallback status points. Specifies by FQDN, the fallback status point server that the client uses to submit state messages. For more information about the fallback status point, see the Determine Whether You Require a Fallback Status Point section in the Determine the Site System Roles for Client Deployment in Configuration Manager topic.
-dir <directory>	Optional	Specifies an alternate location to install the Configuration Manager client files. By default, the client installs to the following location: /opt/microsoft.
-nostart	Optional	Prevents the automatic start of the Configuration Manager client service, ccmexec.bin, after the client installation completes. After the client installs, you must start the client service manually. By default, the client service starts after the client installation completes, and each time the computer restarts.
-clean	Optional	Specifies the removal of all client files and data from a previously installed client for Linux and UNIX, before the new installation starts. This removes the client’s database and certificate store.
-keepdb	Optional	Specifies that the local client database is retained, and reused when you reinstall a client. By default, when you reinstall a client this database is deleted.
-UsePKICert <parameter>	Optional	Specifies the full path and file name to a X.509 PKI certificate in the Public Key Certificate Standard (PKCS#12) format. This certificate is used for client authentication. When you use -UsePKICert, you must also supply the password associated with the PKCS#12 file by use of the -certpw command line parameter. If the certificate is not valid, or cannot be found, the client falls back to use HTTP and a self-signed certificate. If you do not use this property to specify a PKI certificate, the client uses a self-signed certificate and all communications to site systems are over HTTP. Note You must specify this property when you install a client and use the -mp property to specify a management point that is configured to accept only HTTPS client connections. Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and filename> -certpw <password>
-certpw <parameter>	Optional	Specifies the password associated with the PKCS#12 file that you specified by use of the -UsePKICert property. Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and filename> -certpw <password>
-NoCRLCheck	Optional	Specifies that a client should not check the certificate revocation list (CRL) when it communicates over HTTPS by use of a PKI certificate. When this option is not specified, the client checks the CRL before establishing an HTTPS connection by use of PKI certificates. For more information about client CRL checking, see Planning for PKI Certificate Revocation. Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and filename> -certpw <password> -NoCRLCheck
-rootkeypath <file location>	Optional	Specifies the full path and file name to the Configuration Manager trusted root key. This property applies to clients that use HTTP and HTTPS client communication. For more information, see Planning for the Trusted Root Key. Example: -rootkeypath <Full path and filename>
-httpport	Optional	Specifies the port that is configured on management points that the client uses when communicating to management points over HTTP. If the port is not specified, the default value of 80 is used. Example: -httpport 80
-httpsport	Optional	Specifies the port that is configured on management points that the client uses when communicating to management points over HTTPS. If the port is not specified, the default value of 443 is used. Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and certificate name> -httpsport 443
-ignoreSHA256validation	Optional	Specifies that client installation skips SHA-256 validation. Use this option when installing the client on operating systems that did not release with a version of OpenSSL that supports SHA-256. For more information, see the About Linux and UNIX Operating Systems That do not Support SHA-256 section in the Planning for Client Deployment for Linux and UNIX Servers topic.
-signcertpath <file location>	Optional	Specifies the full path and .cer file name of the exported self-signed certificate on the site server. This certificate is stored in the SMS certificate store and has the Subject name Site Server and the friendly name Site Server Signing Certificate. This certificate is used by the client for all HTTP and HTTPS communications with management points and distribution points. Example: -signcertpath=<Full path and file name>
-rootcerts	Optional	If multiple root certificates exist in the Configuration Manager environment, you can specify additional root certificates that the client might need to validate site system servers. Example: -rootcerts=<Full path and file name>,<Full path and file name>

Upgrade the Client on Linux and UNIX Servers

Uninstalling the Client from Linux and UNIX Servers

Similar to Windows-based clients, the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX uses HTTP and HTTPS to communicate with Configuration Manager site systems. The ports that the Configuration Manager client uses to communicate are referred to as a request ports.

When you install the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX, you can change the clients default request ports by specifying the -httpport and -httpsport installation properties. When you do not specify the installation property and a custom value, the client uses the default values. The default values are 80 for HTTP traffic and 443 for HTTPS traffic.

After you install the client, you cannot change its request port configuration. Instead, to change the port configuration you must reinstall the client and specify the new port configuration. When you reinstall the client to change the request port numbers, run the install command similar to the new client install, but use the additional command line property of -keepdb. This switch instructs the installation to retain the client database and files including the clients GUID and certificate store.

For more information about client communication port numbers, see How to Configure Client Communication Port Numbers in Configuration Manager.

When you install the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX, you must specify a management point to use as an initial point of contact.

The Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX contacts this management point at the time the client installs. If the client fails to contact the management point, the client software continues to retry until successful.

For more information about how clients locate management points, see the section Locating Management Points section in the How to Assign Clients to a Site in Configuration Manager topic.