Deploying Adobe packages

Is this on all your Macs or some? Do you use the managed app installation in the Adobe console and simply upload the packages to Jamf Admin?

I've seen some weirdness with Adobe installations because of previous products or files. Namely Adobe Creative Cloud. Once I removed some of the folders and re-installed the Adobe apps, things were fine. 

• Turn off Mac App/Jamf App installers.

• Uninstall or remove one of the Adobe Products, like Adobe Photoshop. 

• Try running the script below (yes, I stink at scripting) on 1 problematic Mac and then re-install the Adobe software.

I’ve said in other threads, although you can upload the admin console .zips directly to JAMF, in my experience it’s super unreliable.

Take the extra time to extract the zip and upload the containing .pkg instead.

You don’t even need to deploy a script. Just install the .pkg installer and it’ll be fine.

Also note: this years Adobe isn’t compatible with Mojave.

Extra notes:

Yes, package apps individually because of the flaky servers (pkg’s bigger than 6GB).

Upload via the JAMFcloud browser, then sync to on-prem distribution points via JAMFadmin.

Thanks for the replies.

I am creating the packages in the Adobe packaging console site. I am creating individual packages for every single app that I require. Once I get the packages download in zip format, I am unzipping them and taking the *****_Install,pkg and uploading each one to JAMF. What seems to be a problem is that JAMF cloud distribution is zipping the packages back up during upload to JAMF. So when they are fully uploaded they are now labeled as *****_Install,pkg.zip in the package center. I am in contact with JAMF support but they say the zipping upon upload is normal behavior, and I just don't believe that as when I upload a pkg file for microsoft office JAMF does not zip it during upload. All my testing is being done with brand new Macs on Monterey. Any more thoughts based on this information?

Thanks agian.

I am creating the packages in the Adobe packaging console site. I am creating individual packages for every single app that I require. Once I get the packages download in zip format, I am unzipping them and taking the *****_Install,pkg and uploading each one to JAMF. What seems to be a problem is that JAMF cloud distribution is zipping the packages back up during upload to JAMF. So when they are fully uploaded they are now labeled as *****_Install,pkg.zip in the package center. I am in contact with JAMF support but they say the zipping upon upload is normal behavior, and I just don't believe that as when I upload a pkg file for microsoft office JAMF does not zip it during upload. All my testing is being done with brand new Macs on Monterey. Any more thoughts based on this information?

Yep, JAMFsupport are telling the truth. I observed that re-zipping behaviour too and it’s normal….

This re-zipping seems to be breaking the package policy deployments. Do you know of a way to keep JAMF from re-zipping the pkg files? I have been testing deployment of Adobe apps with JAMF app catalog but it seems very broken and I've already had a number of freshly enrolled Macs not properly install all the apps that way. It also seems extremely clunky and you don't seem to be able to fine tune the scope of deployment on individual Macs.

Regarding other idea’s:

Try uploading via the browser then sync distribution points. Go one at a time and only sync JAMFadmin when the (off the top of my head) ‘refresh package status’ button in the ‘packages->upload’ section has gone and completed.

Obviously open JAMFadmin fresh after the upload in the browser has fully completed.

Without checking JAMFcloud, also check that the ‘if main Distribution point isn’t available, try alternative DP’ check box is configured in JAMFclouds settings.

As a side note: probably not related but I’ve seen packages come of the cloud DP and install correctly, whilst exiting 1 because the PKG wasn’t available on the default DP for the device (on-prem).

I don’t use the JAMF app catalogue. I haven’t needed to but someone I ran into at a conference thought it was awesome but was disappoint it became limited to JAMFpro users a couple of versions ago (they were running solely on-prem).

Honestly pal, I know you’re suspicious of this zipping behaviour as the culprit, but outside of the JAMF catalogue, I’m sure it’s not the problem.
I have the whole suite as separate policies, with their install.pkgs uploaded, re-zipped automatically by JAMF and running just fine.

Just checking though: you’re using the universal installers (a new option in Adobe Admin Console) and if Apple silicon, Rosetta is installed?

Good luck, I’m on AL for the next two weeks. Perhaps someone else can help or the above suggestions get everything working for you.

You need to use Safari to upload the packages.

We use the exact same process you described. Our process is all in Safari:

1. Download the downloader file from Adobe Adminconsole . 

2. Download the package from Adobe using Adobe Package Downloader.

3. Unzip the package.

4. Rename the install.pkg file (in the Build folder) to include the version number (ex. Adobe Photoshop 23.5_Install.pkg)

5. Compress the install.pkg file using MacOS's compression process (right-click the file and choose Compress)

6. Upload the compressed pkg to your distribution point (We use JAMF Admin).

7. Setup/Update your policy and/or patch management to distribute and install the newly uploaded file.

I'm curious as to where your process is failing. Try caching the pkg and investigating the Waiting Room folder. If it is there, can you manually install the pkg it transferred? If not, it may be your network rather than your process.

Switched all of our Adobe packages over to the latest 2023 Universal versions. Tested on both Intel + M1 with no issues. Deploying to more computers, I'm starting to see the below:

I see that with other packages as well.

It will install to an M1 fine, then fail on a different M1 with the above.

It will install on an Intel just fine, then fail on a different Intel with the above.

I've downloaded them, unzipped, re-named the .pkg installer. Then compressed the .pkg installer and uploaded. This seems to be the only working way to do it, so I'm not sure how else it can be done.

Seeing someone saying they have to be uploaded in Safari? I guess I can give that a try.

Adobe packages are so #@$ flaky...

I was having the same issue and opened a ticket with Adobe.  This was there response:

Run the following on the install.pkg files before uploading them to Jamf.

1. Open Terminal
2. Run the following command: xattr /path/to/MyApp.app
3. If the **com.apple.quarantine** attribute is associated with the application, you should see the following output: com.apple.quarantine
4. To remove the quarantine attribute, you would then run the following command: sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/MyApp.app

I have tested this and found it worked on the packages that were failing.

HTH,

John

I appreciate this. I'll give it a try.