Aspera Connect - thank you IBM for this lovely "package"

Has anyone taken a look at Aspera Connect 3.5.2.x? Owned by IBM, and until today not listed under Third-Party Products, it is distributed as an .app installer, with the requisite PKG icon, probably a hint that IBM thinks we won't notice. It has a 501 line .script (AppleScript) intrusive script embedded in it. It has an embedded flat *.mpkg installer, that has embedded scripts with such lovely syntax as:

Apparently the person writing the preflight script doesn't believe in close quotes...

if [ $is_admin = "yes" ] ; then

  echo removing system wide apps

  rm -rf /Applications/Aspera Connect.app

  rm -rf /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app

  echo removing system wide plugin 

  rm -rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin

  rm -rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin

  # this is for versioned plugin dirs

  rm -rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web*

fi



echo removing local user plugin 

rm -rf ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin

rm -rf ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin

rm -rf ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web*



echo exiting preflight

The postflight littered with copy/pasted blocks of unquoted commands like...

    rmdir "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" || echo $target_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins not empty

    rmdir "$source_dir/Library" || echo $target_dir/Library not empty

(believe it, the snippet is unedited...the required quotes did not disappear into the ether)

I'm writing this a second time, since IBM's Aspera Connect developers felt it was OK to force my browsers to close.

Page 2 / 2

Arranged for a remote session with Aspera's dev team to discuss their PKG, and the hidden cost of Mac admins having to re-engineer their software to deploy. Will post more info after the call.

Different kind of products, but it's a race between Aspera and [BlueJeans](shttps://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=17624#responseChild123654)...who can redesign their PKG to align with Apple guidelines first... :)

OMG took a close look at the pre/post scripts in their new version 3.6.6.119698 PKG and...well...

preinstall

loving the tildes...really...they're cute...if not stupid.

#!/bin/sh -x

#

# preflight

# 

# runs immediately after user clicks "Install" but before the actual installer

#

# ============================================================================= #



# comment out to debug

set -v off



# check for admin priveleges



echo starting preflight 



# try to handle exceptions and exit cleanly

trap "echo caught exception!; exit 0" SIGINT SIGTERM 



# grep returns 0 if it finds a match.  1 if no match

/usr/sbin/dseditgroup -o checkmember admin | grep yes > /dev/null

if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then

  is_admin="no"

  echo user is not an admin 

else

  is_admin="yes"

  echo user is an admin 

fi



connect_support_dir="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect"

path_file="$connect_support_dir/etc/asperaconnect.path"

# remove local user install bits (even if they are running) to prevent

# the web installer from relaunching an outdated connect 

if [ -f "$path_file" ]; then

    echo found path file

    connect_path=`cat "$path_file"`



    # this causes the installer to fail...?

    #echo killing crypt 

    #echo looking for connect and crypt processes

    #ps -Ax | grep -i asperacrypt   | sed /grep/d | awk '{ print $1 }' | xargs kill -9

    #echo killing connect 

    #ps -Ax | grep -i asperaconnect | sed /grep/d | awk '{ print $1 }' | xargs kill -9



    if [ -d "$connect_path/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

        echo removing "$connect_path/Aspera Connect.app"

        rm -rf "$connect_path/Aspera Connect.app"

    fi

    if [ -d "$connect_path/Aspera Crypt.app" ]; then

        echo removing "$connect_path/Aspera Crypt.app"

        rm -rf "$connect_path/Aspera Crypt.app"

    fi

    echo removing $connect_support_dir

    rm -rf "$connect_support_dir"

fi



if [ $is_admin = "yes" ] ; then

  echo removing system wide apps

  rm -rf /Applications/Aspera Connect.app

  rm -rf /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app

  echo removing system wide plugin 

  rm -rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin

  rm -rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin

  # this is for versioned plugin dirs

  rm -rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web*

fi



echo removing local user plugin 

rm -rf ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin

rm -rf ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin

rm -rf ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web*



echo exiting preflight

postinstall

I guess they didn't get the notice re lack of postflight in flag PKGs. Loving how they decided to circe back AFTER the install to remove OLD versions of their stuff. #facepalm

#!/bin/sh -x



echo IN POSTFLIGHT



env | sort



user=`whoami`

echo "User : $user"



echo postflight.non_legacy



target_dir="$2"

source_dir="$target_dir"



os_ver=`sw_vers -productVersion | grep 10.7`

current_user=`whoami`

# If the installer has elevated to root, then set user back to the user who launched the installer 

if [ -e "/tmp/au9jlassscJLHCkhsf2398fsfHBHUD" -a "$current_user" = "root" ]; then

    set_user=`cat /tmp/au9jlassscJLHCkhsf2398fsfHBHUD`

    rm -rf /tmp/au9jlassscJLHCkhsf2398fsfHBHUD

else

    set_user="$current_user"

fi

primary_group='staff'

admin_user='root'

admin_group='admin'



webplugin_path="/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

webplugin_homefolder_path="$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"



# Check if the user is an admin

# If is_admin is "" = admin

# If is_admin is "no <user> is NOT a member of admin" = not admin

is_admin=`dseditgroup -o checkmember admin | grep NOT | grep no`



# Define location of current installation

app_install_location="/Applications"

plugin_install_location="/Library/Internet Plug-Ins"

home_app_install_location=`cat "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect/etc/asperaconnect.path"`

home_plugin_install_location="$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins"



# Exit if user is not root or Scp is installed

if [ `whoami` != "root" -o 

    -e "/Applications/Aspera Scp.app" -o 

    -e "/Applications/Aspera Enterprise Server.app" -o 

    -e "/Applications/Aspera Client.app" -o 

    -e "/Applications/Aspera Point to Point.app" ]; then

    echo "Skipping uninstall - User is not root, or shared files exist."

else

    echo "Uninstalling previous installation of Connect."



    rm -rf /Library/Aspera

    rm -rf "/Library/Application Support/Aspera"

    rm -rf /Library/StartupItems/FaspBuffers

    if [ -f /usr/bin/scp.aspera ]; then

        rm -f /usr/bin/scp.aspera

    fi

    if [ -f /usr/bin/ssh.aspera ]; then

        rm -f /usr/bin/ssh.aspera

    fi

fi





# Exit if not installing to the default location

if [ "$target_dir" = "/" ]; then

    echo "installing to /"

    # we only deliver QT packages with Connect to reduce dmg size.  Copy them to Crypt

    cp -R /Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/Frameworks /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/Frameworks

    chmod -R ug+rw /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/Frameworks



    cp -R /Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/PlugIns /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/PlugIns

    chmod -R ug+rw /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/PlugIns



    cp -R /Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/Resources/qt.conf /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/Resources/qt.conf

    chmod -R ug+rw /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/Resources/qt.conf

    # Put the uninstaller the someplace usable

    mkdir -p /Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect

    chmod -R ug+rw /Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect

    mv /Applications/Aspera Connect.app/uninstall_connect.sh /Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect



    chown -R root:admin /Applications/Aspera Connect.app

    chown -R root:admin /Applications/Aspera Crypt.app

    chown -R root:admin /Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect

    chown -R root:admin "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web 3.2.0.71890-x-30.plugin"



    # This occurs if running on Lion or privileges has been escalated to root

    if [ "$os_ver" != "" -o "$current_user" = "root" ]; then 



    # Clean up plugins in the user's home folder when doing an installation into /Library and /Applications

    if [ -d "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web*.plugin" ]; then

            find "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" -name "Aspera Web*.plugin" -type d -exec bash -c 'chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$0"' {} ;

            find "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" -name "Aspera Web*.plugin" -type d -exec bash -c 'rm -rf "$0"' {} ;

        fi



    if [ -d "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin" ]; then

            chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

        rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

        fi



    fi



    # Remove files from ~/Library and ~/Applications for upgrade

    if [ -e "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin" ]; then

        rm -rf  "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin"

    fi

    if [ -e "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin" ]; then

        rm -rf  "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

    fi

    if [ -e "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

        rm  -rf "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Connect.app"  

    fi

    if [ -e "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app" ]; then

        rm -rf "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app"

    fi

    # only remove ~/Applications if it's empty

    if [ -e "$HOME/Applications" ]; then

        if [ ! "$(ls -A $HOME/Applications)" ]; then

            rm -rf "$HOME/Applications"

        fi

    fi

    if [ -e "$HOME/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

        rm -rf "$HOME/Aspera Connect.app"

    fi

    if [ -e "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

        rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera Connect.app"

    fi

    if [ -e "$home_app_install_location/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

        rm -rf "$home_app_install_location/Aspera Connect.app"

    fi

    if [ -e "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect" ]; then

        rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect"

    fi

    # remove the parent Aspera directory only if it's empty

    if [ -e "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera" ]; then

      if [ "$(ls -A $HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera)" ]; then

        echo "Leaving $HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera since it's not empty"

      else

        rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera"

      fi

    fi 



    # Delete web plugin since it's not used in the non-legacy installation

    if [ "$is_admin" = "" ]; then

    # If admin, then delete the following files

        if [ -e "$webplugin_path" ]; then

            rm -rf "$webplugin_path"

        fi

    else

    # If not admin, then delete the following files

        if [ -e "$webplugin_homefolder_path" ]; then

            rm -rf "$webplugin_homefolder_path"

        fi

    fi



    # register protocol handler

    echo "registering protocol handler for system install"

    /Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/MacOS/asperaconnect --register-protocol-system



    # launch connect

    open /Applications/Aspera Connect.app



    # initially we run connect as root but HOME is set to user who ran installer

    if [ ! -d "$HOME/Library/Logs/Aspera" ]; then

      mkdir -p "$HOME/Library/Logs/Aspera"

    fi

    chmod ug+w "$HOME/Library/Logs/Aspera"

    chown -R "$USER":$primary_group "$HOME/Library/Logs/Aspera"



    exit 0

fi



# If we got here, we have a custom location



# The packager installs the plugins under the custom location

# in directories called Library and Applications.

# We don't want that so we are moving the plug-ins and the

# application to their final locations.



# Silent installs set target dir to $HOME



# This is a special case for non-admin installations where the user selects their

# home directory as the installation location.

if [ "$target_dir" = "$HOME/Library/Application Support" ]; then

    target_dir="$HOME"



    rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin"

    rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

    mkdir -p -v "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin"

    mv "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin" "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins"

    mv "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin" "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins"

    rmdir "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" || echo $target_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins not empty

    rmdir "$source_dir/Library" || echo $target_dir/Library not empty



fi

echo "INFO: target_dir=$target_dir"

echo "INFO: source_dir=$source_dir"





# Install plugins

if [ "$target_dir" != "$HOME" ]; then

    echo "installing to $target_dir"



    # On Lion only

    if [ "$os_ver" != "" -a "$current_user" = "root" ]; then



        echo "$set_user":$primary_group "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin"

        if [ -e "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin" ]; then

            chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

        fi

        find "$source_dir" -name "Aspera Web*.plugin" -type d -exec bash -c 'chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$0"' {} ;

        chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$source_dir/Applications/Aspera Connect.app"

        chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$source_dir/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app"

    fi



    rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin"

    rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

    mv "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin" "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins"

    mv "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin" "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins"

    rmdir "$source_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" || echo $target_dir/Library/Internet Plug-Ins not empty

    rmdir "$source_dir/Library" || echo $target_dir/Library not empty

fi



# Delete Aspera Web.webplugin from the user's home folder during installation/upgrade

# This code is only specific to postflight.non_legacy

if [ "$target_dir" = "$HOME" ]; then

    echo "installing to $HOME"



    # Remove old plugin if it exists

    if [ -e /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN ]; then

      echo "/tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN exists"

      find "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" -name "Aspera Web*" -exec /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN -rf {} 2>/dev/null ;

    fi



    # Remove the old webkit plugin if it exists

    if [ -e "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin" ]; then

        rm -rf  "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

    fi



    # Remove app and plugin files from /Applications and /Library if user is an admin

    if [ "$is_admin" = "" ]; then

        # Remove files from /Library and /Applications for upgrade

        if [ -e "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin" ]; then

            if [ -e "/tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN" ]; then

                /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN -rf  "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin"

            else

                rm -rf  "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.plugin"

            fi

        fi

        if [ -e "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin" ]; then

            if [ -e "/tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN" ]; then

                /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN -rf  "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

            else

                rm -rf  "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Aspera Web.webplugin"

            fi

        fi

        if [ -e "/Applications/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

            if [ -e "/tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN" ]; then

                /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN -rf  "/Applications/Aspera Connect.app"

            else

                rm -rf "/Applications/Aspera Connect.app"

            fi

        fi

        if [ -e "/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect" ]; then

            if [ -e "/tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN" ]; then

                /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN -rf "/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect" 

            else

                rm -rf "/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect" 

            fi

        fi

        # Remove Application Support/Aspera if it is empty

        if [ ! "$(ls -A /Library/Application Support/Aspera)" ]; then

            if [ -e "/tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN" ]; then

                /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN -rf "/Library/Application Support/Aspera"

            else

                rm -rf "/Library/Application Support/Aspera"

            fi

        fi



    fi



    # Clean up the app in order to install the latest version

    if [ -e "$HOME/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

        rm -rf "$HOME/Aspera Connect.app"

    fi

    if [ -e "$home_app_install_location/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then

        rm -rf "$home_app_install_location/Aspera Connect.app"

    fi

    if [ -e "/tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN" ]; then

    /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN -rf /tmp/aoficnsoff8oaonfaefvnff83a7UIHN

    fi

fi



# Install the Connect and Crypt applications

if [ -d "$target_dir/Aspera Connect.app" ]; then 

    rm -rf "$target_dir/Aspera Connect.app"

fi



if [ -d "$target_dir/Aspera Crypt.app" ]; then

    rm -rf "$target_dir/Aspera Crypt.app"

fi



mv "$source_dir/Applications/Aspera Connect.app" "$target_dir/Applications"

mv "$source_dir/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app" "$target_dir/Applications"

# We only deploy QT with Connect. Copy Connect's QT to Crypt

cp -R "$target_dir/Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/Frameworks" "$target_dir/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/Frameworks"

cp -R "$target_dir/Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/PlugIns" "$target_dir/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/PlugIns"

cp -R "$target_dir/Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/Resources/qt.conf" "$target_dir/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app/Contents/Resources"

rmdir "$source_dir/Applications" || echo $target_dir/Applications not empty



# Create pointer to Aspera Connect.app bundle so plugins can start it

mkdir -p "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect/etc"

echo "$target_dir/Applications" > "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect/etc/asperaconnect.path"

# Put the uninstaller somewhere usable

mv "$source_dir/Applications/Aspera Connect.app/uninstall_connect.sh" "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera/Aspera Connect/"



# Root only FIXME don't think you need root for this

#if [ "$current_user" = "root" ]; then

    chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Aspera"

    chmod 775 "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Connect.app"

    chmod 775 "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app"

    chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Connect.app"

    chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$HOME/Applications/Aspera Crypt.app"

    find "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" -name "Aspera Web*.plugin" -type d -exec bash -c 'chmod -R 775 "$0"' {} ;

    find "$HOME/Library/Internet Plug-Ins" -name "Aspera Web*.plugin" -type d -exec bash -c 'chown -R "$set_user":$primary_group "$0"' {} ;

#fi



# Delete web plugin since it's not used in the non-legacy installation

if [ "$is_admin" = "" ]; then

# If admin, then delete the following files

    if [ -e "$webplugin_path" ]; then

        rm -rf "$webplugin_path"

    fi

else

# If not admin, then delete the following files

    if [ -e "$webplugin_homefolder_path" ]; then

        rm -rf "$webplugin_homefolder_path"

    fi

fi



# register protocol handler

echo "registering protocol handler for user install"

"$target_dir/Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/MacOS/asperaconnect" --register-protocol-user



exit 0

sigh

Two years later and nothing's changed...Pacifist shows...

yeah, they suck at packaging

¯_(ツ)_/¯

I just got an email from Aspera Support, two months after I emailed them to report these endless issues, and they ask:

"Are you having issues with Aspera?" <-- seriously? Wow.

So I sent them a link to this thread. I don't expect them to fix this.

They're squeezing whatever money they can out of this, and not spending money on competent dev staff.

Apparently version 3.8.2 was released. This developer is asking us to confirm it resolves the issue.

Confirmed this morning, though I was cringing along the way, expecting the worst, but pleasantly surprised.

Updated product page.

@donmontalvo miracles do happen....but i'm sure next version will add an new issue :D

Thanks for the product update @H3144-IT looks like IBM finally sent their folks to training...

$ defaults read /Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleVersion

3.9.1.171801

$ defaults read /Applications/Aspera Connect.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleShortVersionString

3.9.1

It is always appreciated to get a positive mention @donmontalvo - seeing that keeping this Section of JamfNation up-to-date makes a Difference!

So, where are people getting the system-wide installer these days? This page stops at 3.9.9 and the links don't work anyways.

@cwaldrip
You can either look into JAMF Nation Third Party Products Link,

where fellow Users try to keep Software Update Links timely up-to-date !

You can Search for Aspera Connect

Alternatively have a look at the IBM File Search

Best regards from London

@H3144-IT , the 3rd party product link only links to the normal installer which is crap isn't the system-side version. Their page for system-wide version hasn't been updated and all the links are broken (https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-install-ibm-aspera-connect-system-wide-mac).
The answer to the question though was the IBM File Search! Yay!
So after creating an account (because I just love more spam) and going through a few screens about how they will 'use' my data, I got to the page where I could download a system-wide version of the app. Clear as mud, IBM. :-|

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