Self Service has encountered a problem

[tcandela]

I am planning to Install Self Service Using a Policy, so I am following the steps shown here for version 9.0 or later: https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/article.html?id=316

-- I download and decompress the self server.tar
-- take a snapshot with Composer
-- drag the 'self server.app' to the applications folder
-- I double click self service in the app folder to test it out (before creating package source) and get 'SELF SERVICE HAS ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM self service was unable to locate the necessary preferences'

Am I doing this correctly ?
-- I click create package source' and then delete the 'user' folder it created but keep the 'Applications' folder
-- I 'Build as .pkg' and save it to desktop as 'selfservice.pkg'

now I have the selfservice.pkg to use, have not deployed it to any computers because I am confused with the 'self service has encountered a problem' message

anybody have an explanation? thanks

[rderewianko]

Is the machine currently enrolled?
Does what OS are you deploying on?
Do you have LDAP turned on?

[bentoms]

@tcandela, why not have the JSS Install it for you post enrollment?

[mm2270]

Agreed with bentoms. Unless you're deploying a customized version of Self Service, there isn't much reason to create a policy to deploy it. Just check the box to have the JSS deploy it down when a Mac gets enrolled. JSS > Computer Management > Self Service > Installation tab > Install Automatically

But as for the error, as @rderewianko asked, is this Mac even enrolled in the JSS? It would need to be for Self Service to work or it won't know where to get its info from to display anything.

[tcandela]

I created the composer pkg for SelfService on a computer not enrolled, running X.9. The computer is used just for package building. Did I do it correctly by just dragging the app in the applications folder?

will deploy on X.9 and X.10

we only have SelfService install for certain computers, so we do not enroll them to all.

[tcandela]

MM2270 the iMac I am building the self service.pkg on is NOT enrolled, so based on your comment, by me running the app on the unenrolled iMac that is why I am receiving the error, this makes sense.

did I do the composer part correctly in order to make the selfservice.pkg? it's pretty straight forward and i don't see how I could of made a mistake. Drag the selfservic.app to /Applications folder

[rderewianko · Accepted solution]

@tcandela the machine will need to be enrolled for self service to work. It will not work on a machine that is not enrolled, during the enrolment process Casper puts a Certificate onto the machine, and establishes a Machine ID for that machine to talk back to casper.

As for your building of the package you've done that correctly.

[mm2270]

Yes. All that should need to happen is the Self Service.app gets deployed into /Applications/, or wherever you'd like it to go.
Any preferences associated with it will get created at the time its launched, so don't bother trying to capture any of that.

The Composer source should just look something like:

Applications
     Self Service.app

[mscottblake]

why not have the JSS Install it for you post enrollment?

He might want Self Service on some of his computers, but not all. This is the perfect solution to a scenario like that. Deploying through the JSS is all or nothing .

[tcandela]

ok thanks everyone who replied. It all makes sense now why SS left me that message.

my original Composer source had 2 folders (Applications & User) User folder that I was logged in as when created the selfservice.pkg, so I just deleted USER and left only the Applications folder, then finished building it as .pkg.

So computers that get the selfservice.pkg installed via policy the users of the computer(s) will see all the current available SS items created 'before' it was installed on the computer AND ANY new Self Service items created 'after' will be updated for them to see?

[rderewianko]

@tcandela if you have the policy set as once per a machine, then it won't show up again. If casper's installed it before, it won't show up again unless you've set it to Ongoing.

Typically what I do, is for the main ones that I foresee users re-installing, I put it as Ongoing, only via self service, and scope it to a policy that searches for machines without that App. That way they should see it re-appear after they've removed it.

[tcandela]

rderwianko - do you create both install and uninstall policies for applications you have users install via self service?

' That way they should see it re-appear after they've removed it.'

[rderewianko]

@tcandela No, our users only install via self service, and remove the apps manually. As almost always its application corruption or errror, not configuration errors.

[tcandela]

ok, thanks everyone, for the many comments that have helped me better understand the issue I was having plus answers to other questions I brought up.

I consider my self service issue answered at 11:36am by rderewianko. basically I came to the conclusion that running 'self service' app from un-enrolled imac/mbpro etc.. will not work.

[tcandela]

a few more questions; when configuring the policy to have Self Service install, I have created a static group to scope it to, but in the General section of the policy settings what is the best Trigger to set it at ?

[brandonusher]

You could do Enrollment Complete, Recurring Check-In (Provided you have your computers check-in on a schedule).

Or you could just do all of them. It's a small application, so it won't take much time to install. Users shouldn't see any change in their startup login or logout times when it installs. And you can set it to Once per Computer

[kirk_magill]

I have upon occasion run into machines that give the same error, when I try to install anything from Self Service. The only solution I have come up with has been to remove the jamf binary from the machine and re-enroll it.
On a few I have had to delete them from the inventory before I re-enrolled them.

[hodgesji]

I let Casper deploy Self Service for me on all my machines and I still run into the "Self Service Encountered a Problem" error when installing any package sometimes. Most of the time lately, just deleting it and reenrolling it doesn't work by itself. Usually, I have to run the RemoveFramework command, then restart and re-enroll. Luckily this is only a handful of machines.