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Question

Running script as current user

  • February 28, 2009
  • 2 replies
  • 19 views
J
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Hi-

Is there a way to run a script as the currently logged in user instead of root? What I want to do is have the software update background check run, do the auto download and then prompt the user that updates are ready for install. I can do this with a script that runs:

cd /System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app/Contents/Resources/
./SoftwareUpdateCheck

But, only if you run it as the logged in user. If you run it as root with the agent (or just a sudo on the command line) it's no different than just popping up Software Update and watching it scan for updates. I know it's a minor difference, but I like attention to detail :)

I thought about using sed to pull the current user name from the output of

ls -l /dev/console

And then assigning that to a variable and using sudo -u but I'm not a sed wiz.

Is this the right approach or is there a better way?
---
Jared F. Nichols
Desktop Engineer, Infrastructure and Operations
Information Services Department
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
244 Wood Street
Lexington, Massachusetts 02420
781.981.5436

    2 replies

    E
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    • ernstcs
    • Contributor
    • 1028 replies
    • February 28, 2009

    I would check the displayMessage verb for the jamf binary.

    In your script you do a command:

    /usr/sbin/jamf displayMessage -message 'There are Apple updates available for you to install'. This will bring up a dialog window with an OK button to clear for the currently logged on user.

    For future reference if you have a script that you will run using the jamf binary with Casper Remote, a policy, etc. if you use $3 I believe that gives you the username of the currently logged on user.

    Wonder if that helps out your issue?

    Craig Ernst
    Systems Management and Configuration
    +-------------------+
    University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
    Learning and Technology Services
    105 Garfield Ave
    Eau Claire, WI 54701
    Phone: (715) 836-3639
    Fax: (715) 836-6001
    +-------------------+
    ernstcs at uwec.edu

    J
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    • jarednichols
    • Author
    • Valued Contributor
    • 1892 replies
    • February 28, 2009

    Hi-
    Just figured it out.

    Using cut instead of sed was the key. Here's the script. Feel free to recycle (attached too)

    #!/bin/sh

    ################################################################################################
    ##### Filename: backgroundswupd.sh #####
    ##### Author: Jared F. Nichols #####
    ##### Purpose: Trigger the background process to check for and download software updates #####
    ##### as the currently logged in user #####
    ################################################################################################

    ## Set a variable that takes the output of the current console owner and cut the result down

    user=ls -l /dev/console | cut -d " " -f 4

    ## Run the background software check as the user.
    cd /System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app/Contents/Resources/
    sudo -u $user ./SoftwareUpdateCheck

    exit 0


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