Command line options to MPD

Installation

mpd -install -regserver -interact -phrase x -getphrase -account x -password x -port x

- The options -install and -regserver are synonyms to install the service.
- The option -interact allows the service to start applications with access to the desktop window. Don't use this option unless you have to show windows while your application is running.
- The option -phrase x allows you to set the passphrase for mpd authentication. When a remote machine connects to the mpd, this phrase is used to encrypt a challenge response string to authenticate the remote user. The option -getphrase causes the mpd to prompt for the passphrase to be entered. This is useful if you don't want to pass the phrase on the command line. If -phrase x or -getphrase are not specified, the default passphrase is used.
- The -port option allows you to specify a port for the mpd to listen on. This must be the same on all the nodes. If you do not specify this option, the default is used, 8675.
- The options -account x and -password x allow the user to install the service in single user mode. In single user mode, all processes launched are placed in the security context of the specified user no matter who connects to the mpd. The advantage of this mode is that no passwords are needed again after install time. The disadvantage is that any user who knows the mpd passphrase can launch processes in the context of the installed user. If -account x is specified but -password is not, the user will be prompted to enter a password. Accounts should be specified in the form "Domain\User".

mpd -remove -unregister -uninstall

> The options -remove, -unregister and -uninstall are all synonyms to un-install the service.

mpd -d -startalone -port x -phrase x -getphrase

> The -d option allows a user to run an mpd from the command line. This is for debugging the mpd or for users who need to execute the mpd manually. The option -startalone tells the mpd to ignore the installed settings and not attempt to connect to a ring of mpd's. The options -port x and -phrase x or -getphrase allow the user to specify what port to listen on and what passphrase to use. The option -getphrase will cause the mpd to prompt for a passphrase. If these options are not specified, mpd will use the default port and passphrase. While the mpd is running it will spit out information as messages pass through and commands are issued. You can enter "stop" to stop the mpd or "quit" to forcibly exit the process.

mpd -update -mpd x -host x -hostfile x -account x -password x -singleuser -port x -phrase x -getphrase

> Before you upgrade a set of running mpds, make sure there are not any jobs running. The upgrade process will terminate any running processes managed by the mpds. The -update option is used to upgrade running mpds after a new version has been downloaded. Specify the location of the new mpd.exe with the -mpd x option where x is the full path to the newly downloaded mpd.exe including the executable name (mpd.exe). If you do not specify this option, the mpd will use itself as the upgrade module. So if you do not specify -mpd, make sure you execute the new mpd and not the old mpd. Specify the host to upgrade with the -host x option or a list of hosts to upgrade in a file with the -hostfile x option. You need to specify a user with enough privileges to be able to stop and start services on the specified hosts with the -account x and -password x options. If you do not provide a password on the command line, you will be prompted to enter one. The options -port x and -phrase x or -getphrase allow you to specify what port to connect to and what passphrase to use. If you specify the option -getphrase, you will be prompted to enter a passphrase. If these options are not specified, the default port and passphrase will be used. If you do not specify any options, you will be prompted to enter a host, account, and password. You cannot upgrade mpds running from a command prompt: mpd -d. If you installed the mpds in single user mode, the user must have administrator privileges in order to upgrade this way. Use the -singleuser option instead of an account and password in this case because single user mode does not require a user logon. You can always upgrade manually by doing the following on each node: 1) Execute "mpd -stop" to stop the running mpd. 2) Delete the old mpd.exe and place the new version in its place - the exact same place. The name and path of mpd.exe cannot change. 3) Execute "mpd -start" to start the new mpd. If you want to move mpd.exe to a new location you will have to uninstall (mpd -remove) and then re-install (mpd -install ...).

Session

Go here for the console session commands

mpd -console -port x -phrase x -getphrase

mpd -console host -port x -phrase x -getphrase

> The option -console creates a console session with an mpd on the local host or the host specified. If the mpd is listening on a port other than the default, the option -port x can be used to specify what port to connect to. If -phrase x or -getphrase are not specified the mpd searches for the passphrase specified at install time and then reverts to the default passphrase if mpd is not installed on the local host.

Management

mpd -start

> The option -start starts an installed mpd on the local host. Note: the mpd is started automatically at installation time.

mpd -stop

> The option -stop stops an installed mpd on the local host. Note: when the mpd stops, it will kill all running processes that it has launched.

mpd -restart

> The option -restart stops and restarts the mpd on the local host.

mpd -restart host

> The option -restart host connects to 'host' and restarts the mpd on that host.

mpd -clean

> The option -clean removes all the settings from the registry. The next time the mpd is started it will revert to the default values.

Information

mpd -v -version

> The options -v and -version will both print out version information.

mpd -h -? -help

> The options -h -? or -help will print out a list of the most common command line options.