Questions about installing HCL Informix®

This topic provides short answers to some frequently asked questions about installing Informix®.

What are the system requirements and prerequisites for my operating system?

For details about the requirements for different operating systems, see:

the HCL Informix® Machine Notes® for your specific operating system contain information about system requirements and prerequisites.

Can I create a server instance after installation is complete?

You can create a server instance by manually creating or editing the required configuration files. However, it is faster and much easier to create and configure an instance during installation. See Installing Informix and client products quickly with defaults (UNIX and Linux) or Installing with the GUI typical setup (Windows™).

Can I install client tools in a different directory from the one in which I installed Informix®?

Yes, if you set the INFORMIXDIR environment variable to point to the directory in which you installed Informix® Client Software Development Kit, , or the other client tools. To access the Informix® database, the INFORMIXDIR, INFORMIXSERVER, INFORMIXSQLHOSTS, and PATH environment variables must be set on the client application. Depending on your application, you might need to set more variables. For information about the environment variables that you might need to set client applications, see information about Informix® environment variables in the Installation Guide.

Must I install different versions of client tools in different directories?

If your applications are built with different versions of Informix® Client Software Development Kit, you should install the separate versions in separate directories.

Which .Net provider should I install?

Starting with HCL Informix® Version 11.70.xC5, use the DB2® .NET Provider with your Informix® installation. The DB2® .NET Provider is part of the Data Server Driver.

What are non-root installations and where can I find information about them?

A non-root installation on UNIX™ or Linux™ does not require system administration privileges or user and group informix accounts. This can simplify the installation and deployment of Informix® as an embedded solution, but the absence of root privileges limits the availability of product features.