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I have a pkg file for garageband 10.0.3 using Rich's method, works perfectly if I run the pkg right on my laptop. However, that same file that is uploaded to the JSS will not work properly. I try via Casper remote and Casper imaging, log files say it installs properly but no installation to be found anywhere on the laptop. 10.0.2 pkg I have installs as designed in all scenarios. I've tried 3 clean downloads from the App store with the method mentioned above. Any thoughts?

Hey guys, in my testing route, I've noticed that for a fresh installation of GarageBand 10.1.2, it only needs the loops from 2016 to run without nagging users to download content. Additionally, it doesn't matter what order these loops are installed in, as long as they're installed.

It seems that there are a number of loops in the 2016 content that either updates, or replaces loops from the older 2013, and 2015 packages. I've not done any specific testing to see if this is the case, but given that all of the 2013-2016 GarageBand packs come in at ~19GB, and I've built a package with all this content that comes to 13GB in size, it seems this is the case. Take this with a pinch of salt.

It also appears that you can't wrap these packages into another package, with a simple postflight/postinstall script that runs a for loop over them to install them. I keep seeing a PackageKit error when I try this.

Jun  2 10:19:45 mithrandir installer[866]: PackageKit: Install Failed: (null) (null)

I've resorted to a pre/post content snapshot, and creating a package that drops the loops into the right folders, and applies the correct permissions. I've used logGen and pkgGen to do that.

Once the package is built and installed on a test machine, GarageBand works perfectly fine - it sees the audio content in the correct folder locations and automatically indexes the loops on first launch. This index process happens per user, and will happen anytime GarageBand see's new loop content.


@carl "It also appears that you can't wrap these packages into another package, with a simple postflight/postinstall script that runs a for loop over them to install them. I keep seeing a PackageKit error when I try this."

I ran into something similar and someone smarter than me in slack pointed out because of SIP on 10.11, you can't combine apple pkgs into a single pkg


@CasperSally That's an incredibly frustrating turn of events. Can be worked around, but often it's far easier to bundle these into one big bundle :| Guess I'll have to pass some feedback on to our Apple rep, etc.


I can confirm what @carl has said: only the 2016 loops seem to be necessary in order to prevent users from being prompted to download content on first launch of GB 10.1.2

Eric