Installing Flash Player updates via Casper

[jarednichols]

I've never had issues installing Flash updates prior to this (using the Adobe Flash Player.pkg located inside the Adobe download) but I'm getting errors on test machines like:

Installer: Install failed: The Installer encountered an error that caused the installation to fail. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.

I thought it was Gatekeeper at first so I shut that off and am met with the same result. I'm able to install via the GUI Installer just fine. Anyone else seeing this?

[Kumarasinghe · Accepted solution]

1.) Create a folder in /private/tmp called Flash

2.) Mount the DMG and copy Install Adobe Flash Player.app to /private/tmp/Flash folder

3.) Run this command ```
/usr/sbin/installer -pkg "/private/tmp/Flash/Install Adobe Flash Player.app/Contents/Resources/Adobe Flash Player.pkg" -target LocalSystem
```

[Cem]

@nessts gotcha! will try tomorrow....

[mm2270]

I found a simple way around the icon showing up in the Dock when deployed via policy, and quite frankly I'm surprised it actually works. I assumed some security measure preventing any tampering with the installer would have stopped me dead in my tracks, but I just tested it and it works like a charm. So much for Adobe and security. Its always been an oxymoron.

Go into the Install Adobe Flash Player.app/Contents/Info.plist file and add these lines in within the dict array-

<key>NSUIElement</key>
<string>1</string>

This is an age old OS X trick for preventing an app from showing up in the Dock and it still works! Tested under 10.8.2 just now and the install went perfectly silently. No Dock icon and everything is in place- the PrefPane, the Flash Player Install Manager (in Lib/App Support), the Macromedia/mms.cfg file and the plug-ins. :)

[nessts]

so then to make it not appear in my script. add a line right after syslog('notice', "Installing %s ", join " ", @APPS);
that looks like this
system("defaults write "$installpkg/Contents/Info" NSUIElement 1");

pretty sure that will work i will test and let you know

[gregneagle]

Most of these are still relevant:

http://managingosx.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/unattended-installs-of-flash-player-11-3/
http://managingosx.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/more-on-flash-player-11-3/
http://managingosx.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/yet-another-post-on-flash-player-11-3/
http://managingosx.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/new-topic-flash-player-11-4/
http://managingosx.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/im-renaming-this-blog-to-managingflash-wordpress-com/

[donmontalvo]

@mm2270 wrote:

Silent means the user sees nothing.

Silent also means it can be pushed to a logged off Mac.

[tkimpton]

@mm2270

That's what I do with apps I don't want showing in the dock ;)

[makander]

Well, bringing this thread back from the dead.

I'm putting the installer into /private/tmp with a policy and then I'm running the command to install. The question I have is; How do I make the installer window disappear and how do I disable the update prompt?

[makander]

Well, bringing this thread back from the dead.

I'm putting the installer into /private/tmp with a policy and then I'm running the command to install. The question I have is; How do I make the installer window disappear and how do I disable the update prompt?

[RobertHammen]

Don't mess with the Adobe installer, until they get their beta pkg installer issues sorted out, use the Composer manifest I created, downloadable from:

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/viewProductFile.html?id=41&fid=662

Cliff's: download and import this into Composer (or, go to File->Update Package Manifests from inside Composer).

Install Flash Player and configure the update settings the way you want them.

In Composer, select New, Pre-Installed Software, and select the "Adobe Flash Player 11.8.800" (don't use any other pre-built Flash Player manifests, whether created by me or by JAMF, as there's an issue with my 11.8.800.94 one that packages the whole /Library/Application Support/Adobe folder). Build as a pkg or a dmg. Use in your workflow (I do across multiple clients, through normal and thin imaging).

[makander]

Thank you Robert! Worked a lot better than using Adobes #%&! "silent" install.

[hunter99]

Robert, I just wanted a add as a new administrator, that kind of got thrown into this role, that was really helpful. Apparently the previous two administrators had been working on this for a while.