Unattended macOS Updates

[SteveWalker]

Hi,

I work in an education space (with Mac labs and the like) - we have 800+ Macs.

Our current process for keeping macOS up-to-date is to copy an entire mac installer to each mac, then use a policy to trigger this installer. I find this a little exessive for applying minor updates.

I'm wondering how else people keep their Mac fleets up-to-date. 

I've looked at Jamf Managed Software Updates but it seems quite manual, and also hit-and-miss.

[SteveWalker]

I should have mentioned, looking to apply updates automatically, at a given time - so products such as 'Nudge' wouldn't be suitable.

[BGhilardi]

Personally we use SUPER (superman) which allows several installation options, Hard Soft with a presice date or with possible repport, etc...
It also eliminates the need for user authentication by using the bootstraptoken previously escrowed in Jamf.
https://github.com/Macjutsu/super/blob/main/README.md

[shannon_pasto]

Hey. Higher-ed engineer here.

Last semester refresh I started using Software Updates in Jamf. It was very hit and miss. I ended up writing a script that uses Apple’s sucatalog URL and softwareupdate command to determine the latest minor (or major) update, curl down the pkg installer, install it then do a startosinstall. It really was the only way to get 99% compliance.

Happy to share a (sanitised) version of the script if you like. Dealing with secure tokens on Silicon Macs was also a nightmare.

Shannon

[bern]

I would love to see the script you're using!  Sounds great!  Ty!

[shannon_pasto]

I've added it to my GitHub repo. Let me know how you go

https://github.com/shannonpasto/UpdateUpgrademacOS

[PaulHazelden]

I am in Education too. I use the old Jamf method of software updates for the most part. I have them all turn on on a Saturday, and I will then open the smart groups and use the Action and tell them to install and reboot to whichever update I choose. I get over 90% updating with this, and there will be a few left to manually sort.
If I aim to wipe them, then I will send the Installer to the Macs, and I have a script to use startosinstall.
I tried the new Jamf system, but found I was getting maybe 50% updating. And I was also getting some then updating on Monday when users were sigining in, which totally disrupts teaching and isnt acceptable to us.

[JevermannNG]

I can confirm this experience. The macOS Clients do most times not act like expected. 

We are curentley looking at the following solution, which looks promissing to us:

https://github.com/avogel-mac/Update_macOS_DDM

[BGhilardi]

Je trouve que SUPER permet vraiment une bonne personnalisation, notamment en ce qui concerne la possibilité de report pour l’utilisateur final. Bien entendu, il est également possible de forcer l’installation à une date précise ou dans un délai précis. Après cela, il reste un choix personnel d’appropriation de l’outil choisi.

[SteveWalker]

Thanks very much for the feedback, all. I'll take a look into your suggestions and see what fits our envrionment.

Happy Jamfing, everyone!