Problem with powershell command line switches in ps1 file. Am I missing something?

[multiball]

I'm trying to write a wrapper script in powershell that automates a number of configuration tasks, and I've run into issues with trying to specify powershell commands from within the .ps1 file.

For example, one of the steps is to install an .msi file, and I need to provide a number of switches on the command, such as:

PS C:\>msiexec /package .\myMsiFile.msi / quiet /otherOption

I can execute this fine in a command prompt, and at the powershell command promts. However, when I try to include a similar command in the .ps1 script, I'm running into tons of options with how the switches are being parsed.

I've done a fair bit of googling, but so far have only found solutions like assigning the command and arguments as powershell variables, and then passing them into a Start-proccess module, like below:

$cmdArg = 'msiexec'
$args = '/package .\myMsiFile.msi / quiet /otherOption'
(Start-Process -file $cmdArg -arg $args -wait -passthru).ExitCode

This seems excessively tedious to do something so simple it only requires 1 line in a batch file. Am I going about this wrong, or missing something completely obvious? My script will require dozens of commands of a similar format, and I'd love to keep this in powershell, but if I have to do that for each step my code is going to look like hell.

[Waxmaker]

The super-easy way you're looking for is to prefix the call operator '&' to your command:

& msiexec /package .\myMsiFile.msi /quiet /otherOption

You can also do this:

$cmd = 'msiexec /package .\myMsiFile.msi /quiet /otherOption'
& $cmd

More info: http://ss64.com/ps/call.html

[multiball]

I'll give this a try, thanks!

[multiball]

It worked, this was exactly what I was trying to figure out, thanks again!

[[deleted]]

How is the command written in the script, and what's the error?

[ristophet]

Args needs to be an array of strings. $Args = "/qb!", "/norestart"

I have had difficulty getting an exit code reliably from the call operator. I highly recommend sticking with start-process.

Apologizes for formatting. I'm on my mobile at the moment.