.. meta::
   :description: Learn how to automate the installation of ThinLinc
                 servers for large-scale deployments.

.. _install_automatic:

Automated installation
----------------------

ThinLinc's server installation can be automated to simplify large-scale
deployments.

ThinLinc also allows for non-interactive installation, useful for
scripting and integration with other configuration management tools.

Start by installing the server package suitable for your system, using
your distribution's package manager. The packages are found in the
:file:`packages` subdirectory of the ThinLinc server ZIP.

To configure ThinLinc, you need to run ThinLinc setup. You can automate
this process by providing it with an answer file. Begin by generating an
answer template by running the following command:

.. code:: console

   $ /opt/thinlinc/sbin/tl-setup -g ANSWER-FILE

A list of questions which the interactive ThinLinc setup would ask is
written to :file:`ANSWER-FILE`. Edit this file with answers suitable
for your system. The file uses the same Hiveconf syntax also used for
the ThinLinc configuration files, described in :ref:`hiveconf`.

You can then use the :option:`-a` option for ThinLinc setup to make it
read answers specified in the previously generated file:

.. code:: console

   $ sudo /opt/thinlinc/sbin/tl-setup -a ANSWER-FILE
