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jamfHelper policy error: failed to create global data

  • October 19, 2015
  • 20 replies
  • 59 views

karthikeyan_mac
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Hi All,

I am getting the below error in only with OS X 10.11 while executing the policy with jamfhelper.

Script result: 2015-10-08 15:06:30.032 jamfHelper[2217:13198] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data 2015-10-08 15:06:30.032 jamfHelper[2217:13198] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data 2015-10-08 15:06:30.033 jamfHelper[2217:13198] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data 2015-10-08 15:06:30.033 jamfHelper[2217:13198] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data 2015-10-08 15:06:30.333 jamfHelper[2217:13198] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data 2015-10-08 15:06:30.333 jamfHelper[2217:13198] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data

OS X 10.11 with Casper Suite 9.81.

Even the policy works well with this error but the policy log shows this as failure.

Is this a known issue or do we have any solution to solve this error?

Thank You

20 replies

mm2270
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  • Legendary Contributor
  • October 19, 2015

I've seen this error also in testing on El Capitan, but with Management Action.app, not jamfHelper. It seems JAMF needs to circle back on these 2 applications and see about making them a little more compatible with 10.11. They seem to be throwing some errors when being used in the new OS.

For more info on the Management Action app issue, see this thread:
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=17245

I submitted my findings to my JAMF TAM. They were going to do more testing, but I haven't heard anything on it yet. Probably time to check in on this to see what their finding is.


DBrowning
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  • Esteemed Contributor
  • November 11, 2015

+1 as i'm seeing the same running a script with jamfhelper


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  • New Contributor
  • December 3, 2015

+1 - having the same on El Capitan clients...


mm2270
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  • Legendary Contributor
  • December 3, 2015

FWIW, JAMF support had contacted me on the issue with Management Action.app throwing those errors as outlined on the thread linked above. They were able to reproduce it and have it filed as Defect D-009802, just in case anyone contacts their JAMF rep on it, might want to reference that ID. I hope to see this fixed in the next release.


karthikeyan_mac
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  • Author
  • Honored Contributor
  • December 8, 2015

Hi,

We can use "sudo -u $(ls -l /dev/console | awk '{print $3}')" in front of any GUI Dialog (jamfhelper or applescript)" to solve the issue in OS X 10.11.

sudo -u $(ls -l /dev/console | awk '{print $3}') jamfhelper command

Thanks & Regards,
Karthikeyan


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  • Contributor
  • March 2, 2016

So even after adding in sudo -u $(ls -l /dev/console | awk '{print $3}') we are still seeing this issue... Has anyone had any workaround that get rid of this error?


dstranathan
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  • Valued Contributor
  • March 2, 2016

Related issue...

I'm seeing similar issues too (via osascript not JamfHelper) with a login triggered-policy that has a bash script payload that uses oascript (AppleScript) to mount network volumes.

I have only seen this issue on 10.11 El Capitan Macs (thus far).

However, it only occurs on certain 10.11.3 (15D21) Macs as far as I can tell. Other OS X 10.11 Macs are running the policy and related scripts just fine.

Example of the JSS log:

Server server.domain is responding. Mounting network volumes...
2016-03-02 14:32:27.761 osascript[8757:1326166] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
2016-03-02 14:32:27.762 osascript[8757:1326166] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
2016-03-02 14:32:27.762 osascript[8757:1326166] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
2016-03-02 14:32:27.764 osascript[8757:1326166] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
28:36: execution error: Finder got an error: Application isn’t running. (-600)

Looking through JSS Policy history logs I can see that a specific Mac (A shared Mac with multiple users) had the error described above intermittingly. Example: Certain users on the Mac got the error yesterday, yet other users did not have the error today.

1 suspicion - Adobe Adobe Unit Types.osax (version 2.0.0) happened to be installed on this particular Mac until it was removed earlier today. Wondering if that Adobe OASX plug-in is related. Just a hunch.

/Library/ScriptingAdditions Adobe Adobe Unit Types.osax


Mhomar
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  • Contributor
  • March 8, 2016

Hi Jamf Nation, I too have this "failed to create global data" problem as I have a requirement to allow my users to kick off the software updates by pressing the OK button with in the notification dialog box. I have been living with this reporting failure to the v9.81JSS but it is making the reporting aspect of being a JSS admin a NIGHTMARE! I see in the release notes of v9.82 this:

Deprecations and Removals
The following functionality has been removed:
Policy status determined by checking script output for “error” and “fail”—The JSS no longer determines the status of a policy by checking script output for the words “error” and “fail”. As of v9. 82, the JSS now only uses error codes to determine the status of a policy.
If you have written scripts that utilize this functionality, it is recommended that you consider implementing an alternative solution using error codes as soon as possible. If you need assistance or have questions, contact your Technical Account Manager.

I asked my TAM if this would solve my issue and he said he was not sure and to upgrade and see if it does and that the defect is its open.

I was wondering if anybody on v9.82 has seen this error and if it does, in fact, no longer report to the JSS as failed?


donmontalvo
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  • Hall of Fame
  • March 17, 2016

@karthikeyan.mac Good to see this fixed, planning to move from 9.81 to 9.82 soon.

Spurious errors be damned...haha...


DBrowning
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  • Esteemed Contributor
  • March 17, 2016

@Mhomar

The change does report as successful unless something else fails in your script.


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  • Contributor
  • March 17, 2016
Posted: 12/8/15 at 4:03 AM by karthikeyan.mac Hi, We can use "sudo -u $(ls -l /dev/console | awk '{print $3}')" in front of any GUI Dialog (jamfhelper or applescript)" to solve the issue in OS X 10.11. sudo -u $(ls -l /dev/console | awk '{print $3}') jamfhelper command Thanks & Regards, Karthikeyan

Thanks for the tip! worked for me.


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  • New Contributor
  • March 24, 2016

I am still seeing the error on 9.82 and 10.11.4 whenever I try to create a new local account.


donmontalvo
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  • Hall of Fame
  • May 19, 2016

We are seeing it when using osascript to toss up a dialog box on Network State Change.


farverk
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  • Contributor
  • August 25, 2016

I'm currently seeing the same issue as @dstranathan . I have a Policy that is triggered on logout that runs a curl command via bash. Similar to @dstranathan the policy will 'fail' but the curl command will complete, it will show as failed in the Policy log. It seems to only be on certain Mac's at certain times but I haven't had enough time to pin-point it. This occurs on 10.9.5 as well as 10.11.6. I plan on upgrading everything to 10.11.6. I'm running Casper Suite 9.81 which will be upgraded soon as well.

Edit: I am also seeing that the machines the policy is 'failing' on have the /Library/ScriptingAdditions Adobe Adobe Unit Types.osax


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  • Valued Contributor
  • September 7, 2017

hmmm... I just started seeing "CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate" errors in one of my jamfHelper scripts. I'm on JSS 9.100.0.

Was defect D-009802 ever resolved?


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  • New Contributor
  • January 5, 2018

Hi @lica.finta We are also seeing these errors with Jamf v10.0 and 10.11.6 managed Macs. Is this product issue fixed?
D-009802


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  • Contributor
  • March 8, 2018

Same thing here, issue still unresolved using 10.2.1-t1518903662 with 10.11.x clients.


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  • Valued Contributor
  • July 13, 2018

Getting that today with Jamf 10.5 and OS X 10.11.6


mm2270
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  • Legendary Contributor
  • July 13, 2018

I still see this with nearly 100% consistency on our remaining El Capitan clients. I've got policies working to get people off that OS and upgraded, and in the policy logs, I see tons of these "failed to create global data" references. I don't seem to see it nearly as much on Sierra or High Sierra, so it seems like an issue with 10.11.x clients specifically.


BCPeteo
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  • Contributor
  • November 15, 2018

Seeing this error using Apple script in a shell script to set the volume to 0:

osascript -e "set volume output volume 0"

Script result: 2018-11-12 08:44:57.421 osascript[58234:730595] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data