1. DO have a “silent install” option. One panelist recounted automating the installation of a
software package on 2,000 desktop PCs, except for one point in the installation when a window
popped up and the user had to click OK. All other interactions could be programmatically
eliminated through a “defaults file.” Linux/Unix tools such as Puppet and Cfengine should be able
to automate not just installation, but also configuration. Deinstallation procedures should not delete
configuration data, but there should be a “leave no trace” option that removes everything except
user data.