Technology Blog
MunkiReport 5.8 was released today and primarily includes compatibility with Python 3 and PHP 8.
Just like last year’s release of 5.7, this new version of MunkiReport requires admins to deploy a specific Python package to clients before updating.
It will also likely require a coordinated update on your web server to enable PHP 8.
Read on for the details…
CREDIT: flaticon.com
Troubleshooting with remote users can often be a challenge.
This is especially true when you need to see logs stored in hidden folders that users can’t easily find.
To make this process easier for both IT and our staff we added a Self-Service item to Managed Software Center to easily gather everything we need.
Read on for the details…
Troubleshooting VPN issues can be tricky for end users.
When we started to see recurring issues with AWS VPN, our Cloud team asked us to make it easier to gather logs and run diagnostics.
We already utilize Managed Software Center for Self-Service so a Munki NoPkg was the logical solution.
The result is a script that gathers all the requested information and makes it easy for users to share with just one click.
Read on for the details…
Apple changed the process for enrolling in macOS beta seeds beginning with 13.4 released in May 2023.
What could previously be automated via the seedutil command line tool now requires user interaction.
Thankfully we can still use Managed Software Center to make this process easier for users.
Read on for the details…
A very annoying bug in the latest release of Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub caused us to uninstall it from our macOS fleet using Munki.
Last week VMware released version 23.04.0 and the users in our testing group were immediately bombarded with a confusing error dialog. These errors would appear repeatedly throughout the day and worst of all, steal focus every time.
We halted the rollout and immediately engaged VMware support who confirmed the issue isn’t isolated to our tenant. Multiple customers are experiencing the bug including others in the #workspaceone channel on the MacAdmins Slack.
However despite pulling 24.04 from Munki and making sure automatic updates were disabled in our WS1 console, the install count continued to climb. With no resolution in sight from VMware we decided to remove 24.04 from our fleet completely.
So much for Read-Only Friday! Read on for the details…
A frequent request for the open source tool Nudge is local timezone support. Nudge was coded to use UTC for configuring and enforcing the installation deadline for macOS updates.
This means that global companies have had to pick a single deadline for their entire fleet. Alternatively they could deploy multiple configurations for different regions. Neither option is ideal.
Bob Gendler set out to code a local timezone feature only to find out, to everyone’s surprise, that it already exists!
Read on for the details…
Starting with the release of Office for Mac 2016 then continuing with 2019, 2021 and O365, Microsoft has always released updates for the core Office apps on a monthly basis.
That’s about to change, kind of…
In February, Microsoft announced (login required) that updates to Outlook for Mac would soon start releasing weekly. That change goes live tomorrow, March 21, 2023.
Read on for the details…
Only a month after my post An easier method to put a MacBook into DFU mode, Timothy Perfitt has one-uped himself.
Over the weekend Perfitt shared his latest app, DFU Blaster, on YouTube and Mastodon.
I’m happy to report that it is by far the easiest method yet to put an Apple Silicon Mac into DFU mode.
Read on for the details…
The signing certificate for the popular MacAdmins tool Nudge was changed tonight and action may be needed on your part.
Nudge version 1.1.11 was released but contains no code changes, only those related to the build process and the signing certificate.
This will require a configuration profile update if you are managing the login item for Nudge in the com.apple.servicemanagement payload.
Read on for the details.
A great new feature introduced with macOS 13 Ventura is the ability for users to perform a delta upgrade. As opposed to the traditional “Install macOS Ventura.app”, which is still available, the delta upgrade takes place entirely in System Preferences’ Software Update pane and is less than half the size.
This new delta method also means that for the first time standard (non-admin) users can perform a major macOS upgrade if they are running 12.3 or higher.
Nudge is an open source application from Erik Gomez that allows MacAdmins to encourage their users to install macOS updates. Because it is no longer possible to install macOS updates without user input, a tool like Nudge is needed. Old methods to script and automate softwareupdate no longer work.
However, Nudge was written before the introduction of these new delta upgrades, and traditional configurations need adjustment to account for them. Thankfully members of the MacAdmins community worked out the needed changes. Read on for the details.