Configuring Nudge for macOS delta upgrades

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Nudge iconA 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.

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An easier method to put a MacBook into DFU mode

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Apple Configurator iconUsing DFU mode and Apple Configurator is the fastest way to erase and perform a clean installation of macOS on an Apple Silicon Mac.

Unfortunately Apple’s official documentation to Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using Apple Configurator has always given users trouble.

Thankfully there is an easier method I’ve been using with near 100% success for the past year and a half. This method isn’t new but I frequently come across users who struggle to initiate a DFU so I want to help spread the word further.

Read on for the details…
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Deploying Docker Desktop 4.15+ with Munki

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Docker Desktop iconDocker made significant changes to the unattended installation process of Docker Desktop on macOS in the minor update between versions 4.14.1 and 4.15 this month, causing automated installation of the new version to fail.

Daz Wallace was the first MacAdmin to notice the change and begin digging in. I’m not going to rehash all his discovery here so make sure to read his blog post for the details.

Read on for the new scripts I am using with my Docker Desktop deployments via Munki going forward.

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Change even more Finder options using defaults

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Last month Charles Edge shared a blog post titled, “Change Default Finder Views Using defaults” where he outlined how to switch to List view in Finder from the command line. I’m a big fan of that change and the command shared was just one of a dozen options I configured for new users at my old job.

My list is by no means comprehensive, but read on for same additional commands.

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This Mac is Locked. Try again in 24,284,826 minutes

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My team recently had an unusual MDM lock ticket escalated to us. The user had already been provided with the PIN from our MDM, however the lock screen said they needed to wait 24,284,826 minutes (over 46 years!) before they could enter the PIN.

This was a new one for me so I immediately jumped on the MacAdmins Slack to see if anyone had dealt with this problem before. The fix turned out to be relatively simple, read on for the details.

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Deadline timer preference added to Microsoft AutoUpdate

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Microsoft quietly added a new preference for AutoUpdate last month that allows MacAdmins to override the length of the default 60 minute deadline timer. The preference works starting with version 4.48 of MAU.

More details about update deadlines and this timer are available in my article Forcing Microsoft Office update deadlines with MAU from July 2019.

The new preference key is “UpdateDeadline.FinalCountDown” and is under the “com.microsoft.autoupdate2” preference domain. The data type is an integer that represents minutes.

I have already added the new preference to the ProfileManifests project that powers ProfileCreator, iMazing Profile Editor and Jamf JSON Schemas.

If you have any questions please join us in the #microsoft-autoupdate channel of the MacAdmins Slack.

Thanks to Darrin Pertschi for making me aware of this new preference.

Adventures in Fast User Switching on macOS Monterey

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For many years I have managed Fast User Switching (FUS) on macOS in the maner documented by Apple; with the MultipleSessionEnabled key in the .GlobalPreferences payload. Unfortunately as of Big Sur the documentation is no longer complete.

I didn’t notice until last week but Nathaniel Strauss reported this problem over a year ago in his article “Managing Fast User Switching Broken in Big Sur.” He also recently confirmed that he has had no luck in getting Apple to restore the functionality via that key.

However thanks to a push in the right direction from colleagues on the MacAdmins Slack, I now have control of FUS reliably working via configuration profile or defaults commands. Read on for the details…

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Managing AirDrop Discoverability Options

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AirDrop debuted on the Mac with the release of OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011. A short time later Jared Nichols discovered a way to disable the feature that was then widely shared by Rich Trouton.

For over a decade MacAdmins have been successfully using this preference in scripts and later in configuration profiles to disable AirDrop. However the payload is not officially documented by Apple.

Another preference that Apple has not documented is the ability to configure the discoverability settings of AirDrop: Everyone, Contacts Only or No One.

The method to set this preference has been revealed over the years, but a recent discussion in the MacAdmins Slack made me realize it has not been widely shared. Read on for the details.

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MunkiReport and Python 2

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Apple announced the deprecation of Python 2 with the release of macOS 10.15 Catalina in 2019, however MacAdmins have never known when it would actually be removed. The general expectation was with macOS 13 due out later this year, but Apple surprised us when it published the macOS Monterey 12.3 Beta Release Notes last week.

Open source projects have been planning for this eventuality, with many having already completed the transition to Python 3 by shipping their own version or using clever code to locate an appropriate version already installed.

MunkiReport is no exception, development of version 6 is well underway, but is not ready yet. Thanks to the quick work by a number of talented contributors to the project, an update to version 5 has been released to bridge the gap until MR6 with Python 3 is ready.

However there is a major change admins will need to account for, so read on for the details.

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Optimization preference added to Microsoft AutoUpdate

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Paul Bowden shared a new preference for Microsoft AutoUpdate last month that configures the method MAU uses to apply updates. The preference was created to work around security agents that can cause problems when updating Office on macOS.

The option is just now being highlighted despite being added to MAU 4.40 back in October 2021. Read on for the details.

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