Self Service within a Site

[tcandela]

The JSS main administrator has self service install upon enrollment of computers (imacs/mbpro/mbairs). I manage a Site, if I create a software policy to say 'install skype' and leave the scope tab not configured but make the policy available in self service, will this work and populate self service with 'skype' for users in my site to install on their computers?

the policies GENERAL tab is set at 'recurring check-in' 'once per computer'

right now when 'self service' is opened, there is nothing in it, no self service items available.

when does 'self service' items get added?
since I am only Site admin, will I be able to configure how self service looks? such as adding web links etc..?

[bvrooman]

You'll need to scope the policy to a computer in order for it to appear in Self Service. If you want it to be triggered by Self Service only, uncheck all of the triggers on the General tab.

[davidacland]

HI, you will need to scope it to your devices for it to appear.

If the policy is set to trigger on a recurring check-in that means the next time a device checks-in it will run and install Skype. As the policy is set once per computer, it would then no longer appear in Self Service.

You will be able to add things to self service but only for devices within your site. not sure about web links though. You add them using self service plugins in the computer management settings screen. I think if you only have access to one site you won't be able to add those (or make any global settings changes beyond inventory display.

[tcandela]

I want it to be displayed in self service on all enrolled computers, so if someone wants skype they can just click it and have it install.
so I unchecked 'recurring check-in' from the General tab (but execution frequency is at 'once per computer')

If someone istalls skpe from self service, will it remove the skype entry in self service from view of that user on that computer?

within the Self service tab I have 'Make the policy available in Self Service' CHECKED

if 'Make the policy available in Self Service' is CHECKED does that make the SCOPE tab irrelevant ?

[davidacland]

You still need to scope it to the devices for it to appear in self service.

[tcandela]

I just scoped it to all computers in my Site.

If someone istalls skpe from self service, will it remove the skype entry in self service from view of that user on that computer?

[davidacland]

It will. Thats the "once per computer" option in the general tab.

If its set to on-going it will stay, even after the user has run the policy (useful for maintenance scripts but not good for software installs).

[bvrooman · Accepted solution]

If the policy is set to run once per computer, yes, it will be removed from Self Service after the first execution.

You can think of the "Make policy available in Self Service" checkbox as just another trigger. It still obeys the scope of the policy, it still obeys the frequency, the schedule, the exceptions and limitations, etc. It just gives a user-interactive way of triggering the policy rather than the usual startup, login, check-in, etc.

[tcandela]

excellent, thanks bvrooman & davidacland - i just checked self service and skype is available.

[mm2270]

@tcandela, looks like everyone has you covered on how to set this up within Self Service.

On a separate note, if you're looking to customize Self Service for just the clients in your Site with custom URL plug-ins, take a look at my script here:
https://github.com/mm2270/CasperSuiteScripts/blob/master/create_SelfService_Plug-in.sh

This will let you create custom Self Service URL plug-ins that operate exactly like the ones created in the JSS, but they won't (or shouldn't) interfere with anything that is deployed from the JSS.
As has been mentioned, as a Site admin, you very likely won't have the ability to create your own SS URL plug-ins within the JSS. They way they function by default is that as soon as they are created in the UI, they start deploying to all Macs in the JSS, not just ones within a certain Site, meaning they aren't "scope-able" right now. So your full JSS Admin likely won't want to make them there since he/she would be sending them out to everyone's Mac.
OTOH, If you use my script, you can create custom ones that you can then package up and add into Casper with your JSS admins approval, then create a policy to deploy them only to the Macs you can manage.