Running script as current user

[jarednichols]

Hi-

Is there a way to run a script as the currently logged in user instead of root? What I want to do is have the software update background check run, do the auto download and then prompt the user that updates are ready for install. I can do this with a script that runs:

cd /System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app/Contents/Resources/
./SoftwareUpdateCheck

But, only if you run it as the logged in user. If you run it as root with the agent (or just a sudo on the command line) it's no different than just popping up Software Update and watching it scan for updates. I know it's a minor difference, but I like attention to detail :)

I thought about using sed to pull the current user name from the output of

ls -l /dev/console

And then assigning that to a variable and using sudo -u but I'm not a sed wiz.

Is this the right approach or is there a better way?
---
Jared F. Nichols
Desktop Engineer, Infrastructure and Operations
Information Services Department
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
244 Wood Street
Lexington, Massachusetts 02420
781.981.5436

[ernstcs]

I would check the displayMessage verb for the jamf binary.

In your script you do a command:

/usr/sbin/jamf displayMessage -message 'There are Apple updates available for you to install'. This will bring up a dialog window with an OK button to clear for the currently logged on user.

For future reference if you have a script that you will run using the jamf binary with Casper Remote, a policy, etc. if you use $3 I believe that gives you the username of the currently logged on user.

Wonder if that helps out your issue?

Craig Ernst
Systems Management and Configuration
+-------------------+
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Learning and Technology Services
105 Garfield Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone: (715) 836-3639
Fax: (715) 836-6001
+-------------------+
ernstcs at uwec.edu

[jarednichols]

Hi-
Just figured it out.

Using cut instead of sed was the key. Here's the script. Feel free to recycle (attached too)

#!/bin/sh

################################################################################################
##### Filename: backgroundswupd.sh #####
##### Author: Jared F. Nichols #####
##### Purpose: Trigger the background process to check for and download software updates #####
##### as the currently logged in user #####
################################################################################################

## Set a variable that takes the output of the current console owner and cut the result down

user=ls -l /dev/console | cut -d " " -f 4

## Run the background software check as the user.
cd /System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app/Contents/Resources/
sudo -u $user ./SoftwareUpdateCheck

exit 0