Help Creating Dock Configuration Profiles

[nsdjoe]

Hi All,

Have any of you been successful in Casper 8.62 creating and using configuration profiles in the JSS to manage Docks Applications and Dock Items for OS X 10.8 computers?

I go to Management -> Configuration Profiles -> Add Profile -> Create a Configuration Profile -> Dock -> Configure. When I click on the "+" sign under Dock Applications, the drop-down menu is blank. How do you populate this list? I tried going into Casper Admin and adding Dock items there but that doesn't seem to populate this list. Checked various browsers too…tried Firefox, Safari, and Chrome....tried on other computers too (various Macs and a Windows station too).

Any ideas? Anyone else having this problem?
~Joe

[gmarnin]

I'm seeing this too with Casper 8.62. Have you found a solution or a work around?

Looks like: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10274536/Casper%20Dock%2C%20no%20Apps.png

Marnin

[tcam]

I used casper admin to add the dock items to the JSS. But they show up in add dock item, not in profiles.

[nsdjoe · Accepted solution]

Hi tcam. Yes, I did see that they show in Policies on the Dock tab, but I'm referring to the configuration profiles under Management -> Configuration Profiles. That's where the problem lies... Casper 8.62 doesn't seem to be able to create or read mobileconfig files properly. I even tried creating a mobileconfig file with Profile Manager and importing it into the JSS. Initially the apps show up under Payloads when I'm attempting to create the configuration profile. But after scoping and saving, they disappear. No dice...

Hey gmarnin,

A workaround, yes. But not a good "solution" to the problem. JAMF is aware of this issue. I'm really hoping that this gets fixed in Capser 9.0.

Here's a workaround that I've been playing around with… My goal here is to create a Dock configuration profile for shared student computers (labs, libraries, etc) so that when a student logs on he/she sees the same Dock each time they log in.

To create the Dock configuration profile, I used Apple's Profile Manager. Create the configuration profile in Profile Manager and download the .mobileconfig file. I called it studentdock.mobileconfig .

If you don't have Profile Manager, you can get an older version of Casper to create the configuration profile (v8.6 works) and set it up on a test server to create the configuration profile (you can't and shouldn't attempt to downgrade your production JSS, so instead just set up old v8.6 on a test server). If you don't have an older version, contact your JAMF rep to get you an old archived version. Once created in the test JSS you can download this mobileconfig file from https://jss.yourschool.edu:8443/exportOSXConfigurationProfile.html .

Once you've downloaded the studentdock.mobileconfig file, place it in a hidden location on the computer like /etc/payloads (or whatever directory you want, just so that its out of sight). Launch Composer and drag the studentdock.mobileconfig file out of /etc/payloads into the sidebar of Composer. Delete any unnecessary files if any show up and Build as DMG. Drag that DMG into Casper Admin like you would any other dmg or pkg. Save.

Then in the JSS, create a policy to install it (its not really "installing" the mobileconfig file... its just copying the mobileconfig file to /etc/payloads). Trigger to whatever you'd like (again its just copying the file right now, so every15 is fine). Execution Frequency can be whatever you want...I'm choosing once a day, just in case something gets messed up with it it'll "fix" itself the next day. Scope it to your student computers and save it.

Next, create a second policy to actually install the studentdock.mobileconfig file. Create Policy -> Create Policy Manually. Give it a name, trigger to Login, Execution Frequency ongoing. Make available offline. Click on the Advanced tab and next to Run Command enter:

/usr/bin/profiles -I -F /etc/payloads/studentdock.mobileconfig

This command will do the actual install of the configuration profile. Scope it to your student computers and save. Test a student computer by doing a sudo jamf recon. Log on to the computer. Log off. Log back in and you should see the Dock changes.

Not the prettiest workaround by any means, but it's a bandage until a permanent fix comes out. Unfortunately if you need to make any changes to the Dock, you'll need to create a new configuration profile and send it out to /etc/payloads on all your student computers. I guess you could use ARD to copy this file out, but in order to catch all computers (cause some might not be online) you'd probably be better off creating a new DMG with Composer and copy that to Casper Admin. Keep the name studentdock.mobileconfig the same will save some time because you won't have to change everything in the JSS.

Another thought is to create a package of a minimal "generic" Dock. Then in the Policy, install that minimal Dock pkg and use the Dock tab in Policies to add/remove apps as necessary. I haven't tested this but it could be another "bandage" until a fix comes out.

At any rate, hope this helps in whatever way it can. Lets just keep our fingers crossed that it gets fixed in the upcoming release!!!

~Joe

[gmarnin]

Joe,

Thanks for the detailed answer. I ended up created the profile by hand and imported into Munki.

Marnin