Gretl Silent Install (How-To Guide)

Gretl is an open-source statistical package, mainly for econometrics. The name is an acronym for Gnu Regression, Econometrics and Time-series Library. It has both a graphical user interface and a command-line interface. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of Gretl from the command line using the EXE installer.

How to Install Gretl Silently

Gretl Silent Install (EXE)

  1. Navigate to: https://sourceforge.net/projects/gretl/
  2. Download the gretl-xxxx-64.exe to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
  3. Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
  4. Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
  5. Enter the following command: gretl-xxxx-64.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
  6. Press Enter

After a few moments you should see the Gretl Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.

Software Title:Gretl
Vendor:The Gretl Team
Architecture:x64
Installer Type:EXE
Silent Install Switch:gretl-xxxx-64.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
Silent Uninstall Switch:"%ProgramFiles%\gretl\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
Download Link:https://sourceforge.net/projects/gretl/
PowerShell Script:https://silentinstallhq.com/gretl-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 a Gretl Installation Log File

The Gretl 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.

Gretl Silent Install (EXE) with Logging

gretl-xxxx-64.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /LOG="%WINDIR%\Temp\Gretl-Install.log"

Change the Gretl Default Installation Directory

You can also change the default installation directory by using the following command line parameters. In this example, I’m installing Gretl to “C:\Gretl”

gretl-xxxx-64.exe /DIR="C:\Gretl" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART

Add Gretl Directory to Path During Install

gretl-xxxx-64.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /MERGETASKS=modifypath

How to Uninstall Gretl Silently

Check out the Gretl 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 the following command:

Gretl Silent Uninstall (EXE)

"%ProgramFiles%\gretl\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART

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.