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Hello Jamf Nation!

I'm needing help yet again. 

I have users that are requesting to have the ability to uninstall apps from their computers. What is happening is they are installing items from the Self Service portal and then deciding they don't want them. Most of these apps don't have an uninstaller that I can bundle to put in Self Service. 

Our users don't have admin rights because we don't want them to be able to just install whatever they want. 

Is there anyway that we can grant them access to just uninstall apps even just the ones installed from Self Service portal? Right now they are having to submit a helpdesk ticket and then we have to remote into the computer and remove the app with our admin login. this kinda defeats the purposes of having management software if we still have to do it manually.

I would probably limit this to software available to install via self service, but you could make uninstall policies that are just a script to remove that specific application. You could make a generic bash script that has a placeholder for whatever software you want to remove, like 'rm -rf /Applications/$4' where $4 is filled in by whatever you specify in the policy.

You'd probably want to add some validation to that so you don't accidentally send an rm -rf to the whole Applications folder

Using Chrome for example, I have Smart Group logic in-place where if Chrome is not installed then Self Service shows the Install Chrome Policy. If Chrome is already installed then the Uninstall Chrome Policy is shown with "Uninstall" button text, but this Policy runs a generic uninstaller script that puts "Google Chrome.app" (no quotes) in parameter $4 like mentioned by @wkelly1 . Then it runs an inventory update, and shows the install Policy with the Chrome installer package and respective button text in Self Service again.

Edit: Also, you can open apps in Composer and some of them will have a specific uninstaller.sh you can grab and package/customize into your own uninstall Policy. I use this method to uninstall Palo Alto's GlobalProtect VPN client app.

 

Just use JAMF SelfService and empower the users to service themselves.

 

You have two ways to tackle this with JAMF. 

  • Write a script to remove the app, and any of its dependent files. Put that script in a policy. Scope the uninstall policy to everyone with access to the installer. They can just use JAMF SS to isntall and uninstall to their hearts content.
    • This is what I normally do. Whenever I am validating something, I write a script to remove it while everything is fresh on my mind and toss it in to a JAMF policy.
  • Package the applications as a DMG. In JAMF Admin select to index the "package". Once indexed you will have the option when adding the "package" to a policy to select the uninstall action instead of just install, cache, or install cached. 
    • The uninstall action will go through and remove any files the DMG put on the device, basically an uninstaller.

 

You create uninstall policies and add them to self service of the application doesn't have an uninstaller.

https://community.jamf.com/t5/jamf-pro/app-uninstallation-s

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