Smart Notebook Deployment

[Eigger]

Howdy Nation! Anybody deploying Smart Notebook 2016 using Smart Installer? How are you doing it? Delayed Activation? Or Activating via Script? With my testing, Delayed activation doesnt work if installed during imaging. So I used the Script. I ran Smart Installer and Generated the Notebook installer without the Product Key, installed on imaging phase, then put the script and run on reboot. It still doesnt work. So I tried "Install on boot drive after imaging" priority 1 before Sophos, then the script. That one works...but I dont like it! Because its just adding more time on the installation waiting time, before, Sophos itself already takes time to finish installing, and now, I need to add Smart Notebook which is a bigger file. Anybody doing it differently and successful? Here is the script I'm using. /Library/Application Support/SMART Technologies/activationwizard.app/Contents/MacOS/activationwizard --puid=education_bundle --m=4 --v=3 --a --pk=NC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXX .

Note: Before we are using monolithic imaging where Notebook is already installed than I activate it using Login Policy. We are now "attempting" to start using Modular Imaging, whoa! its hard and testing process is grueling! Any help is appreciated, Ill send you some muktuk!

[obi-k · Accepted solution]

+1 @ebeale on the SMART Install Manager.

Ran into similar issues with the Delayed Activation. I placed the install into Self Service. Those who needed it would grab it and use a license.

[CasperSally]

I haven't tested with El Cap yet, but with 10.10 we were installing the trial version downloaded straight from the website and setting up a smart group for "has Smart software" and that group gets a script ran once to activate. Seemed to work 99.5% of the time. For those it didn't, I had to cancel some failed command as to why the script failed to run for some reason.

[Nix4Life]

@Eigger

here

The solution we are using is the last entry. Not Casper but could be a starting point for you.

@CasperSally Have you dealt with the re-imaging deactivation ( a la Sketchpad) via a script or policy

Larry

[CasperSally]

@LSinNY No but we have a site license, so maybe it's a non issue.

[zetaomegagon]

The SMART Install Manager may help.

Documentation

[obi-k · Accepted solution]

+1 @ebeale on the SMART Install Manager.

Ran into similar issues with the Delayed Activation. I placed the install into Self Service. Those who needed it would grab it and use a license.

[TomDay]

Another +1 Smart Install Manager

[CasperSally]

Looks like Smart Install manager improved upon the gallery being installed as part of the pkg? Finally!

[TomDay]

They did add the gallery option @CasperSally but we choose not to install. It bloats the install pkg not and more importantly that gallery can get outdated quickly. We deploy without the gallery and just tell people to download when the start using Notebook.

[Eigger]

Hi, Sorry for the late reply, got sick! Anyways, sorry, on my post I used "Smart Installer", what I meant is "Smart Install Manager". I created a pkg, first with product key with delayed activation. No matter if I put it during Imaging or after reboot, it gives me an error (I will replicate this issue later and post the unknown error) The only thing that's working for me is packaging it without a product key then activate it using script, all after reboot. I want to avoid installing Notebook on boot drive because sometimes it get stuck in the adobe temp account (We already have Sophos, QuickAdd, and other stuff installing on this stage). I can use Self Service I guess if there's no other solution. Its just our bandwidth here in Barrow AK sucks!

[Nix4Life]

@Eigger

I am in a similar environment. Unfortunately, I cannot force users to use self service. Not sure if you have a munki set up, But the only way I was able to get it installed after using the SIM (the same way as you )was to take that package, wrap it in a .dmg, upload it to munki, That was October. It has been deploying no problem during the check for 3rd party software run . Just another way to eat an oreo

Larry

[Eigger]

Here is the error I am getting.

This is when I put the Smart Notebook during imaging.

It works when installed on boot drive after reboot.

I also tried to put just the Activation Script on Self Service, the same error.

Checked my network and everything works, I verified that I can reach the activation server by clicking "click here to test connectivity" still no go.

[obi-k · Accepted solution]

Can you make another package without delayed activation, then drop that into Self Service?

[Eigger]

@mvu This pkg is without delayed activation, no product key as well. I will try using the Self Service, and will add the script in the policy (after) and see how it goes.

[Eigger]

Self Service worked flawlessly! So I guess Self Service it is! .
.
.Damn it!

[Michael_Meyers]

I also used the SMART Install Manager and created a Self Service install. It has worked great for me.

[CasperSally]

Is anyone using install manager and trying to bundle gallery content?

In my test, when I create an installer with gallery content, it doesn't add the content to the installer, the installer still tries to go out and download it (which takes way too long). Installer builds very quickly and is 822MB.

I'd much rather host 600MB of content internally than have machines going out and downloading it.

[zetaomegagon]

@CasperSally

If I have time, I will give it a try and let you know. AFAIK the package I created bundled the gallery content. However, my focus is spread pretty thin.

[zetaomegagon]

@Eigger

How are you creating the package? Smart Install Manger or Composer?

Either way, from what I can tell, you can only add the activation license via Smart Install Manger (for mass deployment). The single user installer creates (or uses) a unique ID per computer. The Smart Install Manger uses a different mechanism whereby you can package the license and various customizations for massive deployment.

EDIT:

@Eigger

Didn't see your other post. What I said still applies.

[obi-k]

It made sense for us to do what CasperSalley did. I gave it a test, and the final package was 1.86GB. Are you using SMART Install Manager 1.6 with "esi2016april.dmg" which is SMART 2016?

Maybe the SMART Install Manager version must match the SMART Notebook version.

[Eigger]

@zetaomegagon You can also install and activate product keys using command line. I used SIM to bypass eula, disable autorun, and bundle the gallery. At first I entered the product key in SIM, then selected delayed activation, put it on imaging with install on boot drive selected. It should have worked, because its installed after reboot, it should have UID, but when I ran the Notebook, and activate, I receive the error I posted above. Weird!, So next, I generated another pkg from SIM but w/o PK, Installed during imaging, then ran the activation script after reboot, same error. When I put both PKG and Script after reboot, it works, but I dont like it, because it takes forever to finish imaging. So I followed advice from other users to just put it on Self Service, I dont like this approach, too, because of our bandwidth issue. But this is better than the latter.

[CasperSally]

I ended up using dreaded snapshot method so I could install the trial installer during imaging - our 'install at reboot' list is getting awfully long and I didn't want another 1+GB file installed at reboot. Self service isn't an option for our classroom machines. Activating via script that runs once per compute for computers with Notebook16 installed. So far, so good.

[zetaomegagon]

@CasperSally

'install at reboot list' -- I hear that. I use NoSleep to keep our student laptops awake while on AC. It comes with a cli tool to set sleep values for AC and battery separately. I have our laptops reboot @ 3AM, which helps with the large installs at reboot.

[Eigger]

I wonder if you can do "Install Cached" in Casper Imaging? Then trigger the install using policy on a specified scope. No need to download, the pkg will be waiting in the /Library/Application Support/JAMF/Waiting Room, ready to be installed and activated using post install script. In Casper Admin, Package info "Options" there are check boxes as "Requires Restart" and "Install on boot drive after imaging". Maybe Add "Install Cached"? Then Policy to Install Cached Packages then delete the package in the waiting room if the Install is successful. Is this a good Feature Request or its already a feature? I dont see it on Casper Imaging nor Casper Admin. I see it on JSS, on the Action dropdown box, but whats the point, its the same as Self Service.