Note we don’t usually run single installs. Previous work with clustered installs didn’t present this issue that I know.

First run of Blackboard CE/Vista 8 Service Pack 3 Hoftfix 1 installer on a single install gave me:

Installation error. Cannot install Java as target directory already exists – /path/to/node/jdk150_13

The installer hung because it went to do a mkdir and the directory was there. It should have abandoned installing Java and moved on to the next task. Instead, it gave me an incomplete install.

No biggie. I moved the existing Java directory out of the way and moved the backup copy of the installation directory back in place. Ran the installer again. This time it failed on a new error:

Installation error. java.util. zip.ZipException: No such file or directory

Turns out the files it needed to do this JDK install were not provided in the package. Luckily everything was in the SP3 installer (why it had been there in the first place). Copied those files into where the installer had sought them. Did the same backout again. Ran the installer again.

Installation completed successfully.

Amy thinks other clients reported this same issue only affected single installs when this hotfix was released and people started using it. We didn’t pay much attention because we don’t normally do single installs.

BTW: There’s not enough difference between  COMPLETE and INCOMPLETE to catch the attention of a person while the installer output is throwing 20 lines a second to the screen. FAILED would be better.