Issue Deploying Mac Application
I'm looking to create a managed installation to deploy a Mac application. The installer is packed as a zip file, so as per previous managed installations for Mac, I override the default installation with a command to unzip the installer archive and then run the installer that was in the archive. e.g.unzip -o "MYAPP.ZIP" && installer -pkg "MYAPP.pkg -target /
The issue is that the pkg installer is two levels down in a subfolder of the extracted files, and not the root. I've verified that the package does indeed extract successfully in the Kace data downloads folder, but the package/installer will not run after the fact. I've tried pointing to the installer like this: unzip -o "MYAPP.ZIP" && installer -pkg "/subfolder1/subfolder2/MYAPP.pkg -target / (though I omit the full path to the Kace downloads folder) but it doesn't seem to find the path intuitively. Any help is appreciated.
Answers (1)
Top Answer
I have found that the SMA performs managed installs for macOS much better if you upload a DMG instead of a ZIP.
- Create a dmg containing the pkg file and nothing else
Open Terminal and run this command:
hdiutil create -srcfolder path/to/package.pkg package.dmg - Upload package.dmg to the software title
- Create your managed install and use the default installation
The client will download the dmg, mount it and then run whatever package is inside.
Comments:
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Thanks. I ended up putting the installation files into a dmg as you suggested. I then overwrote the default installation parameters with a command to mount the dmg, install the package, and finally unmount the dmg. It's working well. - seanboy 5 years ago
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Hi Seanboy,
Would you be able to post the command you used in the overwrite section? I have a similar issue to yours trying to deploy a 5GB Adobe Creative Cloud package. Due to it's size, I have it as a zip file on our clientdrop but the .pkg is 2 levels deep and the other files around it are needed for the install to work successfully. Thanks in advance. - Fieds 5 years ago-
You should not need any of the other files except for the package in the build folder of Adobe CC apps. What does the package include? - chucksteel 5 years ago
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Hi Fieds, This is the command I used:
hdiutil mount Nameofdmg.dmg; sudo installer -pkg /Volumes/Nameofdmg/subfolder1/pkgname.pkg -target "/"; hdiutil unmount /Volumes/Nameofdmg
Just swap 'Nameofdmg' for your dmg name, and obviously 'subfolder1' for your subfolder. This works for me - mounts the image, runs the installer and unmounts when done. Hope it helps you out. - seanboy 5 years ago
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Hi Chuck,
I believe the .ccp file in the root of the package is needed as well. The package is Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Bridge, and Acrobat. When trying to upload the 5GB file as a zip on the client drop, it does distribute it but fails to extract it. The zip has a red line going through it. Any suggestions or is it likely I'll have to break up each app into it's own distribution to help keep it under the 2GB max? - Fieds 5 years ago-
It is considered best practice to create separate packages, actually.
The .ccp file isn't needed. We always create a DMG of the PKG file from the build folder and upload that to the appliance. - chucksteel 5 years ago
