Smart group for finding each OS X versions

[tcandela]

I want to create 4 separate Smart groups, each based on the OS X.? version (lion, mountain lion, mavericks, yosemite) that could be installed on the mac. Each OS version will get a certain driver installed.

I came up with the following simple one line CRITERIA -- Operating System LIKE 10.7. Operating System LIKE 10.7
view of this group populated correctly, tested both ways of having the trailing DOT or not

Just want some opinions, is this CRITERIA a good one, and just use it, or should I use maybe the 'OS Build' in the 'value' of the criteria, or do a multi line criteria -- Operating System is 10.7.2 or 10.7.4 or 10.7.5 ?

[pat_best · Accepted solution]

We use "like 10.7" and have been getting the results we want. I think the only time you would see a difference is if you are using "like 10.7." you would not see the computers with the initial release of the OS. Hope that helps!

[mm2270]

I'm not 100% clear what you're looking to do. You want to create Smart Groups for Macs of each type of general OS X version, like all Macs running some version of 10.7, all running some version of 10.8. etc?
If so, then yes, the way you described it will work.

If you wanted something else, can you clarify?

[benducklow]

Like @pat.best, I use Operating System LIKE 10.9 (no trailing dot)

[tcandela]

yes, smart groups displaying all Macs running some version of 10.7, all running some version of 10.8. 10.9 etc...

so I'm going to keep each Smart Group at Operating System LIKE 10.# (without the trailing dot)

I have certain manufacturer make/model printer driver to install on each of these OS versions, so I'll use smart groups to get them installed on the correct system

[jconte]

We also use criteria such as Operating System not like Server to exclude them, we also use model like "book" or not like "book" to separate laptops from desktops for checking things like FileVault or updating remote access software.

[cwaldrip]

We use Operating System LIKE 10.10. (note the trailing dot) and that gets us 10.10.0 through to 10.10.whatever.

[tcandela]

cwaldrip - I am unclear on the difference between 10.10. (trailing dot) vs 10.10 (NO trailing dot) ? what could be left out between using one over the other ?

to me it seems the same, but not 100% sure

[jeremyh]

to tcandela and anyone else..

Just to flag this... I recently updated a computer to 10.10.5 Yosemite. No policies were pushing, and the culprit was a smart computer group that we had set up earlier we called "OS-Below 10.9" This Group had criteria with the following syntax:

OS is like 10.5 ; OS is like 10.6 ; OS is like 10.7 ; OS is like 10.8 ; with or connectors. (note the lack of "." after the final number)

This actually has resulted in grouping computers running 10.10.5 into this Smart Computer Group and thereby not running any policy with this SCG Exclusion....it seems Casper doesn't care about that second "10" in the Yosemite OS number.

Adding the extra/final dot "10.5." instead of "10.5" got rid of the Yosemite OS computers from that group, and policies began pushing immediately.

Hope this helps someone in the future, because it took me awhile to realize what was happening...