Composer prompts to install helper tool.

[howie_isaacks]

After working perfectly the week before, Composer is now prompting to install its helper tool over and over again. When I first launch Composer, it shows as not responding in Activity Monitor, then it prompts to install the helper tool. If I go to /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools I do not see the Composer helper called "com.jamfsoftware.Composer.helper". I do see it at this file path on my personal MacBook Pro, so I know that is the correct location for the helper to be installed. I did try manually copying the helper from its location at /Applications/Jamf Pro/Composer.app/Contents/Library/LaunchServices/com.jamfsoftware.Composer.helper to /Library/PriveledgedHelperTools, but when I do this and then launch Composer again, I see it get deleted, and then I see the prompt again. Here are the things I've tried:

1. Remove Composer completely, including its plist and reinstall it from a fresh download from Jamf.

2. Rebooted my Mac.

3. Manually copy the helper from the Composer app to /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools.

4. Removed and then granted full disk access again. When I toggle full disk access off, use Touch ID to authorize, it comes back on by itself!

I'm at a loss and I need to use Composer ASAP. I will need to use it on my personal MacBook Pro if I can't get it working. I am running macOS Sonoma on both Macs. I will assume that Composer 10.50 is compatible with Sonoma since it was working before. Can anyone help?

[sdagley]

@howie_isaacks Have you tried replacing the Composer app on your Mac with a fresh copy from the JamfProApps .dmg for 10.50?

[howie_isaacks]

Yes. That was step 1.

[sdagley]

@howie_isaacks It'd help if I could read :-)

This is not an uncommon problem. There are posts about this behavior on multiple sites, with multiple versions of Composer and on both macOS Ventura and Sonoma. Unfortunately I don't recall anyone ever finding a definitive answer as to what triggers it or a solution.

[howie_isaacks]

I think I have bigger issues. While working on this, I went into Privacy & Security to toggle full disk access off and on again for Composer. When I do this, I get prompted for my password, then the toggle goes to the off position. Right after that, it goes back to on. This same thing happens with every other app I try this with, even those that are not controlled by a configuration profile. The setting for Composer is not. My own MacBook Pro is excluded from a lot of the PPPC profiles that we have in our Jamf Pro server just to give me the easy ability to turn something off if I need to. I'm going to just wipe and reinstall this system completely. I noticed that it had some odd sluggish behavior too so hopefully all of my issues will be fixed by an erase and reinstall. All of my data is in cloud storage, so I don't have to spend a lot of time backing up. Thanks for your suggestions. You have always been helpful.

[PhillyPhoto]

I've gotten this prompt on every launch of Composer for as long as I have used it (going back to Jamf 9.*).

[AJPinto]

I get this same prompt, multiple reimages and replacements of my Mac and multiple versions of the Composer application and it persists. I have even contacted JAMF support who seems to have no way to prevent it from asking. Unfortunately, Composer is really an after thought at this point. Its really annoying.

[sdagley]

Anyone looking for an alternative to Composer should check out the Packages app by Stéphane Sudre: http://s.sudre.free.fr/Software/Packages/about.html

It isn't as simple to use as Composer, but it can create much more complex packages.

[howie_isaacks]

I don't mind if it's not as simple as Composer. This may be a great solution for some things. I will download it and try it out.

[howie_isaacks]

I erased and reinstalled my MacBook Pro. Composer works perfectly now with full disk access. I think the root of the issue was that something went wrong with macOS allowing full disk access for apps. After all of this, my MacBook Pro is faster. When I joined the company in June, I didn't go through the full ZTP process when I got this Mac, so I don't know what was done to it before I got my hands on it. It's running great now. 

[sdagley]

Standard answer #1: Have you tried rebooting your Mac?

Standard answer #2: Have you tried re-imaging your Mac?

<evilgrin/>

[scottmorabito]

Remove the Composer PrivilegedHelper & the LaunchDaemon. ^-^