Installing help content locally from the public site

If you have an Internet connection, you can use the Local Help Updater to install help content on your computer from a remote IBM information center.

Before you begin

Typically, this task is done on a computer where the product is installed. If you are installing the help on an intranet server where the product is not installed, you must first deploy the help system infrastructure on that server. Then, you can install the local help.

Tip: Some products automatically install the help content when you start the product for the first time. If your product installs the help automatically, you do not have to complete this task. If you do not have an internet connection when the help is attempted to be installed, a window opens for you to choose whether to:
  • Work offline: No help is installed and you can continue working with the product without taking any action regarding the help system.
  • Open Local Help Updater: You can download an archive file on a computer that does have internet access and use the Installing help content locally from an archive file task to install the content by using the Local Help Updater.

About this task

This task can be used to install help content on your computer or on a server. You use the Local Help Updater to install local help content on your computer from a remote information center, as shown in this graphic.
The image shows how you can install local help content on your computer from a remote information center.

Procedure

  1. With your product open, click Help > Local Help Updater.
    Note: You can also access the Local Help Updater by opening the following Help Administration page URL in a browser: http://server:port/help/updater/admin.jsp. Then, select the Update Help Content tab.
  2. In the site list, expand the product that you would like to install the content for.
  3. Select the help content features to install from the list that is provided, and click Install.
  4. When the installation finishes, open the help in the product by clicking Help > Help Contents.

Results

The help that you selected is installed and is available from your product.

If you downloaded content from a remote site, that site was added to the Favorites Sites list. You can filter the Available Content site to show only the Favorites Sites.

What to do next

If you downloaded the help to either a server or your computer:
  • You can choose to enable automatic updates. By default, the Automatic Updates option is not selected in the Local Help Updater. If you select the Automatic Updates option, you receive updated content from the help update site (ibm.com) and the sites in the Favorites Sites list when the help archive file is restarted and an internet connection exists. If you choose to leave the Automatic Updates check box cleared, you can manually update content.
If you downloaded the help to a server:
  • Provide users with the server, the port, and the path to the help system to enter in the Help System Configuration page in IBM Installation Manager. Ensure that the server you provide is not localhost.
    Example: http://server.ibm.com:8080/help/index.jsp
    • Server: server.ibm.com
    • Port: 8080
    • Path: /help

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