Adobe Install Account - Jamf Helper curtain does not always appear

[ericbenfer]

Sometimes after Casper Imaging, the Adobe Install Account does not display the Jamf Helper curtain.
I've seen this in multiple customer environments.
Has anyone else run into this?

Eric

[hkabik]

I've seen it. I've actually written my own package to provide a custom jamf helper screen to fill in in it's stead if it fails to pop up.

[PhillyPhoto]

I've seen this as well. It also usually requires a manually reboot on my side when encountered. I don't know the cause of it. Usually in the log while I still have it logged in, it will say something like:

Mon Jan 01 10:00:00 MACHINENAME jamf[5000]: Failed to load launchAgent for user adobeinstall

[stevevalle]

Yes, this has been an issue for the last few years for us!

With DEP, we use a custom splash screen so I'm not too fussed.

For older Macs that are not part of DEP, we have a script at the start of the imaging process that kicks off the jamfHelper.

#!/bin/sh

/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "This computer is currently installing software" -icon /Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/Resources/CasperImaging.png -description "Please do not turn this computer off
It will restart once installation has completed" &

exit 0

[cdev]

Yes, we've seen this and wrote a script that we've included as part of "imaging" that checks to see if the screensaver is running, then runs jamfHelper if it's not. Rare that both of these fail.

[stevevalle]

@cdev Try removing the check at the start of the script. I haven't included a check, runs every time!

My guess is that the jamfHelper process is running, but not displaying (if that makes sense!)

[cwaldrip]

@cdev what's your script look like?

[cdev]

We instituted this package after having issues during the imaging process and not having the imaging screen appear. Too many users were trying to start using their computer at this stage...

#!/bin/sh

jamfIcon="/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/Resources/CasperImaging.png"
HEADING="Please wait"
DESCRIPTION="The imaging process is finishing installing software"

/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper 
  -windowType fs -icon "${jamfIcon}" -heading "${HEADING}" -description "${DESCRIPTION}" -startlaunchd &

# Screen isn't appearing on all machines immediately. Check again after 30 seconds
sleep 30

if [ -z `pgrep jamfHelper` ]
then
    #This is the command that Jamf runs on first boot. run it if it's not running. Background it so the script continues to the next item
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper 
  -windowType fs -icon "${jamfIcon}" -heading "${HEADING}" -description "${DESCRIPTION}" -startlaunchd &
fi

[AHolmdahl]

For us the Jamf Helper curtain almost never kicks in.
Recently we've added PRAM reset in the imaging process with /usr/sbin/nvram -c to remove the Find My Mac token stored in NVRAM.
Now we get the Jamf Helper curtain every time.

Any thoughts?

Anders

[alexjdale]

We use a pkg too. I would use a script but they always run after the packages. The pkg simply contains a postflight script and is set to run at the highest priority, and this works all the time now:

#!/bin/bash

sleep 5

/usr/local/bin/jamf launchJAMFHelper -path '/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app'

[mconners]

Hello @cdev I am trying to replicate you did with the Jamf Helper window.

I borrowed your script above and put it run before in a policy. This policy is the "biggie" that caches all of our installers onto the hard drive. When finished, the policy will flip the custom trigger to install all of cached packages. However, in my testing the helper screen isn't appearing.

Are you still using this with Sierra? Just curious how you got this configured to run BEFORE a policy starts and occupy the login window so users aren't tempted to try and login to a Mac that isn't finished.

Thank you!

[mconners]

Hello @cdev I am trying to replicate you did with the Jamf Helper window.

I borrowed your script above and put it run before in a policy. This policy is the "biggie" that caches all of our installers onto the hard drive. When finished, the policy will flip the custom trigger to install all of cached packages. However, in my testing the helper screen isn't appearing. I wonder with my change in some of the stuff in your script I messed something up. I am attempting to run it precisely the same way next.

Are you still using this with Sierra? Just curious how you got this configured to run BEFORE a policy starts and occupy the login window so users aren't tempted to try and login to a Mac that isn't finished.

Thank you!