feat: add --install-args to forward arguments to cmake --install

src/holoscan_cli/commands/install.py

@@ -102,6 +102,14 @@ def register_install_parser(
         help="Additional configuration arguments for cmake "
         "example: --configure-args='-DCUSTOM_OPTION=ON' --configure-args='-Dtest=ON'",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--install-args",
+        action="append",
+        help="Additional arguments for `cmake --install`, applied at install time so the "
+        "build tree's CMake cache is left untouched "
+        "example: --install-args='--prefix /opt/holohub' --install-args=--strip. "
+        "When installation runs in a container, paths are resolved inside the container.",
+    )
     parser.set_defaults(func=lambda args: handle_install(cli, args))
     return parser
 
@@ -174,7 +182,10 @@ def handle_install(cli, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
             )
 
         # Install the project
-        run_command(["cmake", "--install", str(build_dir)], dry_run=args.dryrun, env=install_env)
+        cmake_install_cmd = ["cmake", "--install", str(build_dir)]
+        for install_arg in getattr(args, "install_args", None) or []:
+            cmake_install_cmd += shlex.split(os.path.expandvars(install_arg))
+        run_command(cmake_install_cmd, dry_run=args.dryrun, env=install_env)
         if not args.dryrun:
             print(f"{Color.green('Successfully installed')} {args.project}")
     else:
@@ -213,6 +224,8 @@ def handle_install(cli, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
         if getattr(args, "configure_args", None):
             for configure_arg in args.configure_args:
                 install_cmd += f" --configure-args={shlex.quote(configure_arg)}"
+        for install_arg in getattr(args, "install_args", None) or []:
+            install_cmd += f" --install-args={shlex.quote(install_arg)}"
 
         img = getattr(args, "img", None) or container.image_name
         docker_opts = build_args.get("docker_opts", "")

tests/unit/test_lifecycle_commands.py

@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ def _project_args(**overrides):
             "uninstall": False,
             "build_dir": None,
             "site_dir": None,
+            "install_args": None,
         }
     )
     defaults.update(overrides)
@@ -504,6 +505,33 @@ def test_handle_install_local_installs_built_project(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert calls == [["cmake", "--install", str(build_dir)]]
 
 
+def test_handle_install_local_forwards_install_args_at_install_time(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """`--install-args` reaches `cmake --install` without touching the configure step."""
+    cli = RecordingCLI(tmp_path)
+    build_dir = tmp_path / "build" / "smoke_app"
+    calls = []
+    build_kwargs = {}
+
+    def record_build(*args, **kwargs):
+        build_kwargs.update(kwargs)
+        return build_dir, cli.project_data
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(install_cmd, "build_project_locally", record_build)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(install_cmd, "run_command", lambda cmd, **kwargs: calls.append(cmd))
+
+    install_cmd.handle_install(
+        cli,
+        _project_args(
+            local=True,
+            install_args=["--prefix /opt/holohub", "--strip"],
+        ),
+    )
+
+    # Each value is split into cmake tokens; nothing leaks into the configure step.
+    assert calls == [["cmake", "--install", str(build_dir), "--prefix", "/opt/holohub", "--strip"]]
+    assert build_kwargs["configure_args"] is None
+
+
 def test_handle_install_container_branch_passes_recursive_local_command(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     cli = RecordingCLI(tmp_path)
     captured = {}
@@ -522,6 +550,7 @@ def capture_entrypoint(img, cmd, opts, dry_run=False):
             with_operators="op_a",
             parallel="4",
             configure_args=["-DDEV=ON"],
+            install_args=["--prefix /opt/smoke app", "--component dev"],
             docker_opts="--ipc=host",
             verbose=True,
         ),
@@ -537,6 +566,8 @@ def capture_entrypoint(img, cmd, opts, dry_run=False):
     assert '--build-with "op_a"' in command
     assert "--parallel 4" in command
     assert "--configure-args=-DDEV=ON" in command
+    assert "--install-args='--prefix /opt/smoke app'" in command
+    assert "--install-args='--component dev'" in command
     assert cli.container.run_calls[0]["extra_args"] == ["-c", command]