El Capitan update without admin?

I run my in place upgrades as customized self service items using createOSXinstallpkg (https://github.com/munki/createOSXinstallPkg).

It's never failed me yet.

I cache the install to each machine based on smart groups to determine eligibility, then provide the install as a self service item to complete when the user is ready.

Same process for me. I haven't had a chance to try createOSXinstallPkg with 10.11 but hoping it will work!

Do you guys pre-package the GM and start caching or wait for the release that comes out when Apple officially releases?

I'm always eager to update to the latest version so I suspect some of the kids might be too. I need to verify with ACT Aspire that they will support 10.11 before doing it - but I hope to get them started installing as soon as the release day comes.

If I'm not mistaken with Yosemite didn't they update the GM release a couple of times before the public release date? I could be confusing it with another previous release. Either way, I think it's good to test since it's almost guaranteed nothing major will change with the GM release, but definitely worth waiting until the public release is pushed on the off chance the GM is updated (even if it's minor).

@bbelew I wouldn't package up pre-cache the GM. Things can and sometimes do change at the last minute. "GM" for Apple does not mean "set in stone". In fact, the reason why JAMF often waits until the actual public release of any of Apple's new OSes to release a compatible version of Casper is for this very reason. They've been burned in the past by assuming the GM a few days or weeks short of release was going to be the same as the final public version, and it wasn't, and broke something with their product.
Go ahead and play with the GM and get the general feel for how it might play out with test policies, but I wouldn't rely on it as your final pushed version. Just my 2¢.

+1 for @mm2270's recommendation. I wouldn't any pre-release version in production. Better to wait for release day to ensure you don't create a big problem for yourself further down the line.

I'm probably going to be stuck waiting for ACT Aspire to update their software anyways. It seems to work without issue on 10.11 but the last thing I need is for testing to not go smooth.

On the GM I was just thinking about saving time by caching it way ahead of time so it's done when i'm ready to flip the switch on the policy to install. Figured the GM would be the bulk of the update, the 10.11.1 update would just come from software update then. I'll hold off until the full release though.

Thanks!

@ Balmes

Yep I want to say there were two or three GMs, I think there were two and the Apple shipped the release version different than the last GM.

Just to point out to everyone this is one is GM "candidate" not GM.....

C

Not only is it a GM "candidate" as was stated above, we are not allowed to distribute these builds.
There have most definitely been more than one GM(c) in the past, and our last build is not always the release.

It also makes good sense to UAT the apps your students/clients need before offering it up. I find it rare that a X.0 iteration of a new OS is good enough to let loose on the users...we have a handshake agreement with at least one client to not install an X.0 OS unless the new Macs require it - and even then, we have often been successful in having them hold off on new Macs until the new OS settles with a .1 or .2 release if at all possible.

Hate to be completely ignorant, but I am new to these forums and JAMF.

When you refer to GM what do you mean?

GM=Golden Master. That's commonly the tag given to the (hopefully) last build of software to be readied for distribution.

Thank you for the help. Much appreciated.

+1 for what @scottb mentions on waiting until the .1 or .2 release.

Looking back on your OP, its interesting that you start off saying that things are going remarkably well with your 1:1 environment. If you ask me, releasing a .0 OS X version on your users is an almost sure fire way to mess up that good streak. I get the desire to jump on something new, and I'm in no way saying we shouldn't all endeavor to support El Capitan and get it into production as soon as its reasonable to do, but "reasonable" is the operative word in my opinion.
I would take this as an opportunity to help foster some good old fashioned patience with the students and staff. Wait until all your supporting software has been updated or confirmed to work with it without issue. Make sure you can image machines with it, join them to a directory service properly, if that's something you do, etc. IOW, take the time to make sure there are no unforeseen issues, or, if there are problems, wait until they are addressed to your satisfaction, or you find a workaround.

For us personally, I doubt we will be getting 10.11.0 out to our users. I've yet to see one of the .0 releases in the last 5+ years that didn't come with a bunch of issues that had to be fixed with .1 or .2 or so before it was really ready to use. Maybe El Cap will prove that wrong this time around... but then again maybe not.

I think the reason we've had minimal issues is because we don't have a ton of software. We use google docs, word, chrome and the iWork/iLife suite and that's about it.

Previously our fleet has had a ton of issues with network homes which started once the servers moved from 10.5 to 10.6 ( and those weren't quick updates either ). We've also been giant guinea pigs a lot in the past, we normally push out software updates to client machines as soon as humanly possible with very few issues. Normally the only issues we have are with teacher software like the loss of support for Apple Works and older versions of smart board tools.

Glad to hear your 1:1 rollout is going well! However, I'm going to take a slightly different tack than some here. For us (Brewster Academy, private 9-PG boarding HS) we have a policy NOT to upgrade OSs mid year. Once we start a year off with one OS we stay there unless there is a super compelling reason. The last time we did that was for 10.5. In addition, we block the OS installer so that people don't move forward and risk incompatabilities during the school year as well.

However, when we do, we simply copy the MAS installer over to Casper Admin and send it out via Self-Service. It works brilliantly and you never need to worry about caching things!