Chef InSpec Silent Install (How-To Guide)

Chef InSpec is an infrastructure security and compliance testing framework with a human and machine-readable language for comparing actual versus desired system state. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of Chef Workstation from the command line using the MSI installer.

How to Install Chef InSpec Silently

Chef InSpec Silent Install (MSI)

  1. Navigate to: https://downloads.chef.io/products/inspec
  2. Select the version of your choice
  3. Download the MSI to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
  4. Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
  5. Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
  6. Enter the following command:  MsiExec.exe /i inspec-x.y.z-x64.msi /qn
  7. Press Enter

After a few moments you will find Chef InSpec entries in the Installation Directory and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.

Software Title:Chef InSpec
Vendor:Chef Software, Inc.
Architecture:x64
Installer Type:MSI
Silent Install Switch:MsiExec.exe /i inspec-x.y.z-x64.msi /qn
Silent Uninstall Switch:MsiExec.exe /x inspec-x.y.z-x64.msi /qn
Repair Command:MsiExec.exe /fa inspec-x.y.z-x64.msi /qn
Download Link:https://downloads.chef.io/products/inspec
PowerShell Script:https://silentinstallhq.com/chef-inspec-install-and-uninstall-powershell/

The information above provides a quick overview of the software title, vendor, silent install, and silent uninstall switches. The download links provided take you directly to the vendors website. Continue reading if you are interested in additional details and configurations.


Additional Configurations

Create an Installation Log File

The Chef InSpec installer offers the option to generate a log file during installation to assist with troubleshooting should any problems arise. You can use the following command to create a verbose log file with details about the installation.

Chef InSpec Silent Install (MSI) with Logging

MsiExec.exe /i inspec-x.y.z-x64.msi /qn /L*v "%WINDIR%\Temp\ChefInSpec-Install.log"

Chef InSpec Install Using PowerShell

  • Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  • Enter the following command:
. { iwr -useb https://omnitruck.chef.io/install.ps1 } | iex; install -channel stable -project inspec

How to Uninstall Chef InSpec Silently

Check out the Chef InSpec Install and Uninstall (PowerShell) post for a scripted solution.

  1. Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
  2. Enter one of the following commands:
VersionChef InSpec Silent Uninstall String
4.24.28MsiExec.exe /x {954F68F8-39FD-4355-B522-FF9E2829901F} /qn
4.24.26MsiExec.exe /x {44DBE339-1EB5-4B8F-B39D-39AE27AC2FC4} /qn
4.24.8MsiExec.exe /x {43029D49-C25C-4D47-9213-028946ADB911} /qn
4.23.15MsiExec.exe /x {E2BBB91F-E974-4451-894B-E78B3C7FD3B9} /qn
4.23.11MsiExec.exe /x {252226A1-F830-410D-B7E2-90BAF8AD4E2B} /qn
4.23.10MsiExec.exe /x {55B65051-79B1-4189-8F15-67DFCA38DB6E} /qn
4.23.4MsiExec.exe /x {2DEA9DA0-740D-4C5A-A554-E94DDE128767} /qn
4.22.22MsiExec.exe /x {DC72F31F-61C9-4733-96C3-346508D13D6D} /qn
4.22.8MsiExec.exe /x {1477A50D-CA6E-4830-A830-B8DB5072E368} /qn
4.22.1MsiExec.exe /x {0587F001-31C4-475F-BD07-5C064DDEE04A} /qn
4.22.0MsiExec.exe /x {2645CFE9-EDC2-4D42-9180-D9AC6D0F2D25} /qn
4.21.3MsiExec.exe /x {A153D459-8AC2-4196-8913-FB35203ADE30} /qn
4.21.1MsiExec.exe /x {F16D4858-EF91-4A8E-A0F1-C28D09321AE3} /qn
4.20.10MsiExec.exe /x {7BA6A315-EF68-4340-BB95-92FAF8083A19} /qn
4.20.6MsiExec.exe /x {ACC35373-80DE-4D69-A1F4-E56269A32046} /qn
4.20.2MsiExec.exe /x {3614B130-0999-4201-B31B-4360391AD32C} /qn
4.19.2MsiExec.exe /x {FF27732B-FCD1-4747-9F80-F9CC06A73521} /qn
4.19.0MsiExec.exe /x {86B17AA2-EADC-434E-8E76-AB21A7E75770} /qn

Always make sure to test everything in a development environment prior to implementing anything into production. The information in this article is provided “As Is” without warranty of any kind.

Jason Bergner

I am an accomplished Software Engineer at Patch My PC, leveraging more than 18 years of hands-on experience in Configuration Manager administration and application packaging. I am driven by a genuine passion for solving complex problems and consistently strive to discover innovative and effective solutions. Sharing my extensive knowledge of application deployments is a true joy for me, and I am honored to contribute to the community here at Silent Install HQ.

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