Columbus Endpoint Management User Group

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  • 1.  How to deploy software to Macs via CMS 7.0?

    Posted Nov 17, 2010 12:08 PM

    This really shouldn't be this difficult, but I'm having a bear of a time figuring this out.  I have Office 2011 14.0.0 installed on a Mac in my environment and I want to be able to deploy the 14.0.1 update Microsoft recently released.  I figured this seemed to be the best trial since it appears to be a pretty basic update package, a .dmg file with a single .mpkg file inside of it.

    I can't seem to find any useful documentation as to how I can take this .dmg file and work it into CMS 7 so I can deploy it to a machine, though.

    Has anyone done this yet with CMS 7 and can offer any sort of guide or advice?



  • 2.  RE: How to deploy software to Macs via CMS 7.0?

    Posted Nov 17, 2010 07:15 PM

    I'm also interested in this since we'll need to deploy SAV to them and our brief test was full of teh FAIL.



  • 3.  RE: How to deploy software to Macs via CMS 7.0?

    Posted Nov 23, 2010 05:13 AM

    Create a "Software Release" just like you do for a Windows application.

    Click "Add  package" in the "Software Release" window and add "Office2011-1401UpdateEN.dmg ", make sure you select the Office2011-1401UpdateEN.dmg file and click "Set Installation File"

    Click "Add command", select "Installation file type:" = "DMG Software Installation File", select "Command type:" = "Install", click the "Edit" button, select "Installation File:" = "Office2011-1401UpdateEN.dmg", click "Generate Command Line", click "OK"

    You should now have a Command line:

    pkg-rollout -f 'Office2011-1401UpdateEN.dmg'



  • 4.  RE: How to deploy software to Macs via CMS 7.0?

    Posted Nov 29, 2010 10:41 AM

    I'l have to try this!

     

    Thanks!!!



  • 5.  RE: How to deploy software to Macs via CMS 7.0?

    Posted Nov 30, 2010 04:46 PM

    I haven't had a chance to circle back around and try this yet, but I would assume that this does a silent installation?  Is there any documentation or best practices on how to deploy various packages to the Mac?  I'm thinking along the lines of appdeploy.com or common MSI switches in the PC world..



  • 6.  RE: How to deploy software to Macs via CMS 7.0?

    Posted Feb 01, 2011 04:18 PM

    Any luck on this? I'm trying to install software to Macs with this method and get an error 2. And, there is really nothing in the log file on the Mac to help me out with this. 



  • 7.  RE: How to deploy software to Macs via CMS 7.0?

    Posted Feb 02, 2011 12:27 PM

    Deploying software to the Mac is quite different than deploying to Windows.  For the most part, Mac software doesn't have any command line switches.  You are 100% at the mercy of the packager as to whether or not your software can install silently.  For example, Office 2008 for Mac and all subsequent updates, install silently - no problem.  Adobe Reader and Flash Player, just the opposite.  They REQUIRE a UI and there is no way around it (unless you re-package it yourself).  The installer checks for a user session to render UI and if there isn't one then it automatically fails.  IT Admins either find themselves including Reader and Flash in their Mac image or they must install it manually.

    Check out a document that I posted recently - it has some step-by-step instructions as to how to deploy software to the Mac using Altiris:
     

    Deploy Adobe CS4 to the Mac with Altiris Client Management Suite 7