Software Update policy changing software update settings

[stevehahn]

Most of my clients are supposed to be looking to Apple for software updates. A small subset are pointed to an internal Apple SUS.

I have a simple Software Update policy scoped to all clients in Self Service. It's set to "use computer's default software update server" so non-managed clients using the policy should reach out to Apple and managed clients should go to the internal SUS.

However, a seemingly random group of about 50 clients, some that are unmanaged and some that are supposed to be pointed to the SUS, are having their default update server changed to http://:/index.sucatalog when they run the policy. My own laptop is one of the affected, and I can completely clear off any software update settings and then run the policy and I get this in the policy log:

Setting Software Update Server to http://:/index.sucatalog for all accounts...

I can't figure out why. I have an issue open with support and haven't been able to resolve it yet, so I'm wondering if anyone here has any insight.

[analog_kid]

I'm also seeing this on exactly three clients out of 1500. I have a script that sets the CatalogURL to our internal SUS yet when my software update policy runs, it changes it to http://:/index.sucatalog just as you're seeing. I'm running the latest version of the JSS so I assume if it's caused by a bug, it's still latent.

[Chris_Hafner]

Being such a small percentage it's likely that the issues are with the units themselves. Have you tried nuking

/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist

?

[hodgesji]

I'm having this issue as well, and on a good amount of machines. I trashed the com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist and it came back with the same Catalog URL, which causes Software Update to not be able to contact a SUS.

We do have a script that removes the CatalogURL:

#!/bin/sh
defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL

This fixes the problem until I try to use Casper Remote to push Software Updates again. Maybe Casper requires there to be a field set for the CatalogURL - I'm gonna keep digging...

[jason_prairie]

Hi folks-
The OP had a support ticket created and we found that the Software Update Server had been deleted from the JSS. A new server was created, but the policy was still referencing the old software_update_server_id of the deleted SUS.

In the policy, try removing the software update information by clicking the minus button and saving. Then edit the policy and re-add the software update information.

In talking with some members of the Dev Team, it sounds like this will likely be addressed by notifying the JSS user that the SUS they are attempting to delete is being used in a policy and it will have to be removed from that policy before it can be deleted from the JSS.

Please look for Development ID # D-006549 in the Release Notes of any future release to see if the problem has been fixed.

Hope this helps!

-Jason