Problem with updating options in wp-admin/install.php

Not sure this is in the correct forum, but here goes:

I am creating a custom tarball for my WP installations. I have a couple of plugins that I am activating automatically and then also updating the options using:

update_option(‘option_name’,’variable_that_I_want_in_the_field’);

It works fine as far as updating the option in mysql. Once WP is installed, said plugin is installed, activated and the options are listed correctly, but I still have to click “Update” for the options to be committed and the plugin actually work.

What am I doing incorrectly or what should I add to the code to rectify this?

Thanks in advance.