App Store downloads linked to email address

catfeetstop
Contributor II

Like an idiot, I downloaded Evernote through the App Store with my personal AppleID. I then packaged Evernote with Composer and pushed it out through Self Service. Now, when a user runs the App Store updates it asks them to log in to my personal AppleID because that's the ID that was used to originally download the App. I have two questions:

  1. How can I remove my personal email from Evernote? I was thinking I could create a smart group to search for all computers that have Evernote installed. Then create a policy to remove the app and reinstall the app.

  2. If an app is only available through the Mac App Store, how can I push it out to users without having an email address linked to it?

5 REPLIES 5

mm2270
Legendary Contributor III

There's another thread discussing App Store app deployment strategies that may help here:

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=3939

catfeetstop
Contributor II

Oh sweet, thanks for that thread. I guess I just need to use something other than my personal AppleID.

donmontalvo
Esteemed Contributor III

Apps downloaded from App Store will always be linked to the Apple ID used when it was downloaded. As a side note, Adobe is taking this same route with CS6...but I digress...

http://blogs.adobe.com/oobe/2012/05/aamee-3-0-for-cs6-available-now-removes-puffer-fishes.html

The only way to not link to your Apple ID is to purchase redemption codes from Apple and distribute those to your users. Unfortunately that amounts to giving company software away to users. They walk, so does the software purchased under their Apple ID.

We create several Apple ID's for every one of the companies we support (really only need one but good to have extras). We use them for downloading App Store applications that we package/deploy. When updates are available, the updated app has to be handled the same way...download using that Apple ID, package/deploy.

I'm sure the deployment part can be automated so a person who has ABC.app version 1 can automatically get upgraded to ABC.app version 1.1.

Don

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https://donmontalvo.com

mm2270
Legendary Contributor III

Has anyone tested removing the _MASReceipt folder from within the app bundle? Does that contain the information about what ID it was purchased with?
Reason I ask is because I did a quick test earlier after I commented on this thread by packaging up something I bought from the MAS, removed that directory before building the package and deployed to a freshly imaged system. When I then run the software i don't get prompted to enter an Apple ID.
It could just be a fluke though, I haven't done anything more than a rudimentary test with this, so I don't know.

Edit: OK, never mind. The app I tested with before was free on the MAS. I just tested it again with a paid app I have and removing that directory breaks the application, so no go there. Guess there is no easy answer to this until Apple finally realizes that the current method is just not scalable in larger environments. The bigger question that remains is, will they ever get that this just isn't workable for organizations?

donmontalvo
Esteemed Contributor III
Guess there is no easy answer to this until Apple finally realizes that the current method is just not scalable in larger environments.

...not until Apple provides enterprise accounts that we can push and manage across all computers. ;)

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https://donmontalvo.com