macOS Upgrades and Updates Using a Mass Action Command

[MStasiak]

I've been having some trouble updating the iMac's to the most recent macOS patch 13.6.2 with JAMF. I usually restart the computers just before I send the remote command and I do see the series of commands queueing and completing in the computers history but then the update never goes through. I did this for around 16 of our computers that we have and its the same problem for all of them and they just never get updated. Any solution?

[Nicholaus · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, mass action updates seem to be spotty at best. I'm currently using a script called Erase-Install from grahampugh/erase-install: A script that automates downloading macOS installers, and optionally erasi...

The name is a bit misleading because you don't have to erase anything. If you read the wiki on that GitHub page, it shows all the available commands. Command arguments like "erase-install.sh --update --reinstall" will cause the script to grab the latest installer and update the computer without erasing anything. I used this to go from Monterey to Ventura on a couple hundred Macs without issue.

[MStasiak]

I work in a big lab environment. Do you know of any way to use erase-install without having to be logged in to a user account so this can be done remotely?

[Nicholaus]

You can accomplish this with the --very-insecure-mode & --credentials flags.

Instructions at the bottom of this page: 4. Upgrading or reinstalling macOS without wiping the system · grahampugh/erase-install Wiki · GitHu...

[Ismere]

As Nicholaus wrote Erase-Install from Graham works perfectly.
But if you want to have some sort of Userinteraction and Communication another Option to Update is Nudge....
Nudge is not directly Updating the Macs but it is more the way of leading the User to the Update and bring him to do it himself in a timely manner... up to the point were you are able to block a user from doing anything else if it is part a certain date.