DeepFreeze Cloud

[Randydid]

Has anyone been able to package and deploy DeepFreeze Cloud clients? The only DeepFreeze discussions and papers I see are pretty dated (2011).

I can successfully export a .pkg from the DF Cloud console, it is a zip file containing the .pkg and a plist. Nothing I normally do using either Composer (snapshot) or dragging and dropping into Admin works and will install correctly.

TIA,

/randy

[Randydid]

Anyone!??!

[tlagrange]

Hey Randy,

I haven't been able to successfully deploy it any way except for taking the pkg that's created from the Deep Freeze installer and manually installing it. I've tried making it a policy that will run on enrollment, tried installing it post imaging (as suggested in the dated white papers), and even tried running it as a remote policy with a custom trigger well after imaging and enrollment. Still nothing. Would love to hear about a successful deployment.

-Thomas

[Randydid]

@tlagrange

That has been my finding too, so far.

I am going to open a support request this week with them. If I find anything, I will let you know.

/randy

[jross]

@Randydid, any suggestions from Faronics support?

[Randydid]

I am still waiting on a support call from them. I just requested it today-things are busy here with the start of the new school year. I will let you know @jross and everyone know what they say.

/randy

[Randydid · Accepted solution]

I figured it out just before they got back to me. Here is what I did:

1. Created the DF policy in the Faronics Cloud Admin site to my liking.
2. Download the Install file-copy it to a USB thumb drive
3. On a test Mac, Install Casper Suite
4. Open .zip file on that test Mac
5. Start Composer Snapshot process
6. COPY the PLIST that is included in the .zip file to ~/Library/Preferences
7. Run the Cloud Agent .pkg
8. Finish the Composer Snapshot and QUICKLY build as a .dmg
9. Drop .dmg into Casper Admin
10. On your production machine scope and package as you like in JSS for deployment

Some time during steps 8 or 9, you will get a DeepFreeze will reboot in x minutes message and that is why it is important to finish the snapshot process quickly and drop into the Admin tool as your test Mac will start the Deepfreeze process and you will lose your work!

My mistake was not having the .plist file in place prior to running the CloudAgent.pkg AND not actually waiting for the install/freeze/reboot process to completely finish. I have tested it by making a policy and making available in Self Service and by adding it to my image config as priority 20. Both work perfectly.

I counted at lest 3 reboots before DF was configured and booted up frozen.

Hope this helps!

/randy

[MaristJAMF]

DeepFreeze on-prem deployment setup is on my to do list for this week. Any reason this workflow shouldn't work for me as well?

[dclary]

I wasn't able to get the above solution to work for me. I did find an alternative though incase anyone else, like me, was still having trouble. Big thank you to @Randydid because I wouldn't have thought about moving the .plist either. This will result in a .pkg instead of a .dmg, which was fine for my needs though it may not be for yours.

1. Download your policy via the CloudAgent from DeepFreeze.com.
2. This should auto-unzip on your mac but unzip it if it doesn't.
3. Take the first snapshot in Composer.
4. Drop the .plist into /Library/Preferences
5. Drop the CloudAgent.pkg into /private/tmp
6. Take second snapshot.
7. Add a post-install script to run the CloudAgent:

installer -pkg /private/tmp/CloudAgent.pkg -target /

• Save your script and Build as PKG.

Packaging this up seemed to work well for my needs. After about sixty seconds, I receive the prompt from DF Cloud that my machine will reboot in two minutes. If anyone sees any glaring flaws, please let me know! Thanks

[rickhamilton620]

Just coming in to say that this method still works flawlessly in 2022. Thank you so much!