Composer Newbie - help needed

[jspeirs]

At a recommendation from an Apple engineer I purchased Composer 10.0.0 (Stand alone) to create packages to push out to 25 new MacBooks via ARD. Purchasing Jampf Pro is out of the question. I need to do the following:
- Set wireless proxy settings
- Install Chrome
- Install 4 printers with a number of CUPS settings
- Install SmartBoard software
I've tried creating packages as follows:
Proxy settings using Pre-installed software > User Environment > Internet config
Chrome by dragging the package from Google to Packages and then clicking Convert to Source
Printers by taking a Normal Snapshot In each case Composer created a source which I pushed out and installed without incident on a MacBook then rebooted but nothing seemed to actually install. Any thoughts about what I'm doing wrong? Are these things within the capability of Composer?

[emmayche]

If the exact same package of settings and software is to be pushed to each of the MBPs, then try this:

First, start with an environment where none of this software is installed. It's a good idea to quit any programs which might modify the disk (such as Mail) while you're doing this.

Then, in Composer, start with "New & Modified Snapshot" and click "Next." Enter a package name for the eventual package that will be pushed out to your MBPs and click "Next".

Composer will now take a "before" snapshot. Once it's done - WITHOUT quitting Composer - install the printers, software, settings and anything else that you want to push out to your MBPs. Don't worry about other packages; anything that you install during this time will also wind up installed on the target MBPs.

Once you have everything installed and set up (take this opportunity to do things like answer Chrome installation questions, set up standard bookmarks, etc.), return to Composer and click "Create Package Source." Composer will now take an "after" snapshot, and will use the difference between the two snapshots to create a package which simply dumps the changed files onto the target computer, which turns out to be an efficient, effective way of doing this.

The last step is to examine the list of files that Composer thinks should appear in the package. Sometimes, despite best efforts, extraneous files get modified while the snapshot process is going on; this is your opportunity to remove them from the package. If you don't do it now, you'll have to go back and do it later. If in doubt, leave it in.

When you're satisfied with the files that will be placed on the target computers, click the "Build as PKG" button and save your new .pkg file to a location of your choosing. You can then deploy that package with ARD, and all should be good.

[jared_f]

I have been in the same boat as you are here is what I would do:

(1) For Chrome and the Smartboard software, take the packages and place them in /tmp. Then use the following in a post install script:

sudo installer -pkg /path/to/package.pkg -target /

(2) For printers I wrote what we do here, this is a script:

https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/22825/printer-pkg-still-not-working

[jspeirs]

@emmayche - Sorry for the delayed response. I'm only at this location a couple of days a week and there are always tons of things to do. I tried the simple all-in-one method by but when run on a test MB I get an error message in ARD "Validating packages..." It seems to have successfully installed Chrome but nothing else. What's the best way to troubleshoot the error?