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symlink for visual code in /usr/local/bin

  • December 11, 2024
  • 5 replies
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Jacek_ADC
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Hello

We have started to enroll our macbooks for our employees without adminrights. Yes we have the privilege access configured in jamf connect, but don't want use it for everyone :) 
So i started to configure what is necessary for our employees that they can work without adminrights.

So far so good. Now i am actually helpless with this one problem about creating a symlink via jamf pro policy after installation of Visual Studio code.

What i need is:

A symlink in the directory /usr/local/bin/code which points to /Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code

 

So i am able to create it, but it isnt working. Checking it on a testmachine the symlink shows me in the "get info" as "Original" the path /usr/local/bin/code 

instead of

/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code

 

So its not the first symlink i create but its the first in this location /usr/local/bin/code so maybe i am doing something wrong.

I am using this short script

#!/bin/bash set -x # Get the current user's home directory loggedInUser=$(stat -f "%Su" /dev/console) USER_HOME="/Users/$loggedInUser" open -a /Applications/Visual\\ Studio\\ Code.app # Set symlink ln -snf "$USER_HOME/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code exit 0

 

Running the command locally on a machine: 

ln -snf "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code is working fine, but i am not able to do this via jamf policy and script

 

Somehow an idea what i am doing wrong here?

I appreciate for every tipp, suggestion and help

THX in Advance

J

 

Best answer by Jacek_ADC

I got it, it was how i remembered from my jamf course. 
So the applications visible in the user Finder are not installed under user directory. They are all installed in /Applications

    5 replies

    Jacek_ADC
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    • Jacek_ADC
    • Author
    • Valued Contributor
    • December 11, 2024

    So it looks that i was able to create it, but can someone help me understand why the first script isnt working and the second is working?

    #!/bin/bash # Get the current user's home directory loggedInUser=$(stat -f "%Su" /dev/console) USER_HOME="/Users/$loggedInUser" echo $USER_HOME echo $loggedInUser # Path to Visual Studio Code binary VSCODE_BIN="/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" # Target symlink location TARGET_SYMLINK="/usr/local/bin/code" # Create the symlink ln -snf "$VSCODE_BIN" "$TARGET_SYMLINK" echo "Symlink created: $TARGET_SYMLINK -> $VSCODE_BIN" exit 0

    thank you in advance

    sdagley
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    • sdagley
    • Jamf Heroes
    • December 11, 2024

    So it looks that i was able to create it, but can someone help me understand why the first script isnt working and the second is working?

    #!/bin/bash # Get the current user's home directory loggedInUser=$(stat -f "%Su" /dev/console) USER_HOME="/Users/$loggedInUser" echo $USER_HOME echo $loggedInUser # Path to Visual Studio Code binary VSCODE_BIN="/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" # Target symlink location TARGET_SYMLINK="/usr/local/bin/code" # Create the symlink ln -snf "$VSCODE_BIN" "$TARGET_SYMLINK" echo "Symlink created: $TARGET_SYMLINK -> $VSCODE_BIN" exit 0

    thank you in advance


    Your first script is trying to create a symlink to an app in /Users/{UserID}/Applications/... which isn't where the app was installed if the 2nd script works which links to an app in /Applications/...

    Jacek_ADC
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    • Jacek_ADC
    • Author
    • Valued Contributor
    • December 12, 2024

    @sdagley I also tested a few other paths with the first script. 
    So for example i commented out the loggedin user part and tested only with the 

    ln -snf "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code

    sudo ln -snf "Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code

    ln -s"~/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code

    I tested it with script and also only with the "files and processes" in a policy. 
    So i dont know a lot about symlinks, but they seem not the be really complicated to create and if i follow the guide:

     

     

     

    ┌── ln(1) link, ln -- make links │ ┌── Create a symbolic link. │ │ ┌── the optional path to the intended symlink │ │ │ if omitted, symlink is in . named as destination │ │ │ can use . or ~ or other relative paths │ │ ┌─────┴────────┐ ln -s /path/to/original /path/to/symlink └───────┬───────┘ └── the path to the original file/folder can use . or ~ or other relative paths

     

     

    the command: 

    ln -s "Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" /usr/local/bin/code via a policy should work. 

    From my understanding (but i am not very good in scripting) i am not do anything else with the second script as combine the absolut path with two variables. 

    Please correct me if am wrong

    BR

    Jacek_ADC
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    • Jacek_ADC
    • Author
    • Valued Contributor
    • Answer
    • December 12, 2024

    I got it, it was how i remembered from my jamf course. 
    So the applications visible in the user Finder are not installed under user directory. They are all installed in /Applications

    sdagley
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    • sdagley
    • Jamf Heroes
    • December 12, 2024

    I got it, it was how i remembered from my jamf course. 
    So the applications visible in the user Finder are not installed under user directory. They are all installed in /Applications


    Which is what I said in my previous post...

    Jacek_ADC
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