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KACE v5.4 Managed Install for Macs

I am running KACE v5.4 and trying to get managed installs to work on my Macs. We use the alternate download location option for our managed installs. I packaged Adobe Design and Web Premium CS6 using AAMEE on my test Mac and then zipped the .pkg that it made. KACE says that you can use .dmg, .zip, .tgz, or .tar.gz for your software packages and it will recognize the extension and run the appropriate commands. I have tried the following methods:

1. using the below setup it downloads the .pkg.zip file and then quits w/o unzipping or installing. I receive [InstallFullCommandLine] pclose() fails "", (ret = 100, errno = 9 ... Bad file descriptor) in the kdeploy.log just before it quits.

  • Install Command - Configure Manually
  • Run parameters - installer -pkg Adobe_Design_Web_CS6.pkg -target /
  • delete downloaded files - checked
  • use alt. download location - checked (enter locatin to file, checksum, and network creds.)

2. using the below setup it downloads the .pkg.zip and then unzips but does not install. In the kdeploy.log file it shows it unzipping and then says: [Install_zip:OUT] [OUT] [install_zip] Statement Parsed Correctly, returned SUCCESSS [RunInstallers] Completed job ...

  • Install Command - Use Default
  • Run parameters - (left blank)
  • delete downloaded files - checked
  • use alt. download location - checked (enter locatin to file, checksum, and network creds.)
3. same as #2 except i changed the following. It unzips and does not install. The log output is the same as well.
  • Install Command - Use Default
  • Run parameters - installer -pkg Adobe_Design_Web_CS6.pkg -target /
4. the below setup actually worked. I added the .pkg to a .dmg.
  • Install Command - Use Default
  • Run parameteres - (left blank)
  • delete downloaded files - checked
  • use alt. download location - checked (enter locatin to file, checksum, and network creds.)
Even though I checked the box to delete downloaded files it does not delete them. Any ideas on any of this or should I just open a support ticket?
 
Thanks!

0 Comments   [ + ] Show comments

Answers (6)

Posted by: AbhayR 11 years ago
Red Belt
2

Mac agent doesn't support zip packages. There is a bug in documentation where it says it supports zip. If you use zip package with "Use Default" then the package will only be unzipped.

 

 

So, if you are using a zip package, you need to use "Configure manually" option and specify command to unzip and install in "Full Command Line" field.

 

sudo unzip ./<zipfile.zip> && <install command>

Posted by: AbhayR 11 years ago
Red Belt
1

What MAC OS are you trying on? 10.8?


Comments:
  • 10.7 but will also need to work on 10.8 - sburkey2 11 years ago
Posted by: bens401 9 years ago
Purple Belt
0
Hello chucksteel, sburkey2, and others,
I'm starting to create MIs for Mac programs and am wondering if anything is different, easier, the same in Kace 6.3 than it was back in 5.4 when this thread was written?

I have a couple .dmg Mac MIs with commands like this example for the Bomgar Mac agent:
hdiutil attach -nobrowse -noverify *.dmg -mountpoint ./mnt; ./mnt/*.app/Contents/MacOS/sdcust

And a .tar file for the Freshservice agent:
tar -xvf FS-Agent-1-0-2.tar.gz; installer -pkg ./FS-Agent/FS-Agent.pkg -target /

Questions:
1. Do MPKGs work?
2. Can I associate a software inventory with a .pkg and just run the installer command or does it need to be tarred or zipped? What other options in the MI are required to make it work?
3. Is my above Bomgar .dmg command the preferred method for deploying .dmgs with Kace?
4. In general what is the preferred method for Kace admins, and the easiest (and most silent) way to deploy Mac MIs?

Thanks all,
Ben

Comments:
  • I haven't made any MIs on 6.3 yet, but for 6.2 I was using this method:
    Compress installation files into an archive
    Upload archive to software title
    Use a custom command line
    unzip -o archive.zip && installer -pkg package.pkg -target /

    I use this method because it works for all installer types. For applications which require a custom install script I can include the script in the archive and execute it after the unzip command. - chucksteel 9 years ago
    • OK thanks I'll give that a shot.
      For .app programs I found a Kace KB article which says to just mv the app from the unzipped package to the /Applications folder.

      https://support.software.dell.com/k1000-systems-management-appliance/kb/136841 - bens401 9 years ago
Posted by: jdornan 11 years ago
Red Belt
0

The first error returned is simply this. It cant find your file or doesnt have rights to it.

A screenshot of your setup might help to diagnose, there are several things that can "break" an mi especially an alt location one. 

Space is the path not escaped. A special charachter in the password.


Comments:
  • it has access to the network location, no special characters in the password, and it does download the file to the local machine it just does install the pkg after it unzips it. - sburkey2 11 years ago
  • Then chances are you will need to open a ticket. Make sure to include the debug logs for the mac with your ticket to expedite the issue. Chances are Ill be talking to you soon. - jdornan 11 years ago
  • OP's first error is a bug in the 5.4.10622 agent for Mac OS X.

    Managed Installs that use a "Configure Manually" install command will always fail on Macs running this agent. I just opened a ticket on this after several hours of troubleshooting. Among other issues, your custom install command gets pointed at /Library/Application Support/Dell/KACE/data/downloads/12345 instead of /Volumes/appwhoseK1000IDis12345 as it should if the associated file is a .dmg. It also fails for .zip files because they are not being expanded.

    Managed Installs using "Use Default" install command still work just fine, and will properly mount .dmg and expand .zip files as expected.

    I realize this is an old thread, but the 5.4.10622 agent is still the current version; posting this to help others who may find their way here. - Machead 11 years ago
Posted by: chucksteel 11 years ago
Red Belt
0

You shouldn't have to compress the PKG, unless you have space concerns. That might help eliminate one issue. I always upload the PKG file straight to KACE and use the default Installation Command.


Comments:
  • In our organization, we have to use the alt. download location for company licensed software to help control compliance and software distribution. This may be a dumb question, but how would I go about creating the MD5 checksum for a .pkg? When I try, the checksum software won't recognize .pkg's because it sees them as a folder and not a file. - sburkey2 11 years ago
    • Hmm. That's a good point. I had forgotten that a PKG is actually a folder that MacOS makes look like a file. - chucksteel 11 years ago
      • PKG is normally fine to upload directly to the K1000 excluding things like Adobe software. It's normally MPKG that you have to worry about.

        Here's an example of an alt. location install for a Mac: http://www.kace.com/support/resources/kb/article/example-of-a-managed-installation-using-alternate - jknox 11 years ago
Posted by: chucksteel 11 years ago
Red Belt
0

It just occured to me that if you are uploading a zip file that you probably need to configure the install command manually. It looks like all of your setups are set to use the default command, and the command might only get set if you upload a PKG. 

If the configuration in #4 works but it just doesn't delete the downloaded files, I would submit a support ticket. I seem to remember that being an issue with some versions of the client, but I'm not positive.


Comments:
  • I tried the configure manually in step 1 and it didn't unzip or install. Yeah, I am going to open a support ticket about this. Thanks! - sburkey2 11 years ago
 
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