Armin posted a bit about deploying the macOS installer for Big Sur on his blog a while back and the challenges involved with it: https://scriptingosx.com/2020/11/deploying-the-big-sur-installer-application/
Personally, I use his app Download Full Installer to create the installer pkg for me that I upload to Jamf Pro:
https://github.com/scriptingosx/DownloadFullInstaller
Another option though, would be using erase-install by Graham Pugh. (Just the name, you can use it to upgrade and not erase). This script does not require packaging the installer and has the clients download it during the update process:
https://github.com/grahampugh/erase-install
Armin posted a bit about deploying the macOS installer for Big Sur on his blog a while back and the challenges involved with it: https://scriptingosx.com/2020/11/deploying-the-big-sur-installer-application/
Personally, I use his app Download Full Installer to create the installer pkg for me that I upload to Jamf Pro:
https://github.com/scriptingosx/DownloadFullInstaller
Another option though, would be using erase-install by Graham Pugh. (Just the name, you can use it to upgrade and not erase). This script does not require packaging the installer and has the clients download it during the update process:
https://github.com/grahampugh/erase-install
Yeah I read that article in your first point. Your Download Full Installer is an interesting concept. I haven't heard of that.
For the last option, would I just edit the script to pull the correct Update and push it via Policy? Would it require an admin to be running the install?
Yeah I read that article in your first point. Your Download Full Installer is an interesting concept. I haven't heard of that.
For the last option, would I just edit the script to pull the correct Update and push it via Policy? Would it require an admin to be running the install?
By default, it tries to download the most current version compatible with the hardware that is running the update, so if Monterey compatible, currently it would attempt to download 12.1.
You can set it to try to do a specific version instead of defaulting to newest. That process is further described in the wiki page here:
https://github.com/grahampugh/erase-install/wiki/6.-Upgrading-or-reinstalling-macOS
and here are the Jamf Pro Instructions:
https://github.com/grahampugh/erase-install/wiki/8.-Use-in-Jamf-Pro
I have seen it most typically used as a self service button where users can initiate the upgrade. The user does not need to be an admin, but may be prompted for a password. If the machine upgrading is an Intel Mac, it can update without authentication since Jamf runs as root. However, if on apple silicon, it still can run as a non-admin since jamf is running as root, but the update requires a volume owner to authenticate - this can be a standard user as long as they are a volume owner (typically if they have a secure token). I think the wiki also documents with screenshots regarding the prompts you may see in Apple Silicon on the first link I put in this comment.
By default, it tries to download the most current version compatible with the hardware that is running the update, so if Monterey compatible, currently it would attempt to download 12.1.
You can set it to try to do a specific version instead of defaulting to newest. That process is further described in the wiki page here:
https://github.com/grahampugh/erase-install/wiki/6.-Upgrading-or-reinstalling-macOS
and here are the Jamf Pro Instructions:
https://github.com/grahampugh/erase-install/wiki/8.-Use-in-Jamf-Pro
I have seen it most typically used as a self service button where users can initiate the upgrade. The user does not need to be an admin, but may be prompted for a password. If the machine upgrading is an Intel Mac, it can update without authentication since Jamf runs as root. However, if on apple silicon, it still can run as a non-admin since jamf is running as root, but the update requires a volume owner to authenticate - this can be a standard user as long as they are a volume owner (typically if they have a secure token). I think the wiki also documents with screenshots regarding the prompts you may see in Apple Silicon on the first link I put in this comment.
Thank you for breaking it down like that. I have poured over that script and was so unsure based on what I saw others saying.
