Uninstalling VPP software

[bazcurtis]

Hi,

I have managed to push out applications from the Mac App Store, but I'm having trouble pulling them back. I assumed that taking the computer out of the scope would pull it back, but the application is still installed.

How do I get the application uninstalled?

Best wishes

Michael

[davidacland]

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that's not an option with Casper. I don't think it's something offered elsewhere either. iOS is different, but OS X is one-way.

[bazcurtis]

OK, but I really hope that is not right. Why would the app store allow you to by an MDM license for a Mac app if you could never get it back?

If that was the gave you might as well just gift the user a VPP code. The app I need to push out is £8. Hardly expensive, but I need to install 21. The company won't be happy if I have to tell them we just gave it away and next week I may have to buy some more so the new freelancer coming in?

Best wishes

Michael

[Taylor_Armstron]

Very curious about this as well. We're not using VPP yet, but just set out account up this week and was expecting to start experimenting with it. If I can't pull something like Final Cut back to install on a new machine, it will be a non-starter. How would you handle replacement machines needing the software loaded on otherwise?

[UESCDurandal]

I've encountered the same behavior, however I noticed that once I took a Mac out of scope then the "In Use" count for the app did go back down even though the app still remains on the Mac.

Therefore, it seems like I'm able to deploy a single (1) managed distribution device-bound VPP app license to multiple Macs if done one at a time... Should it really work that way?

[mpermann]

I've not tried device based assignment with Mac OS 10.11 yet as we aren't running JSS 9.82 so I don't have direct knowledge. I'm curious though, if you remove the computer from the scope and then try and launch the app does it launch and run properly? I would prefer the app be removed, but if the app won't launch or run properly then I'm not sure it's a deal breaker to not have the app removed.

[UESCDurandal]

In my case the apps continue to launch and run properly after being removed from scope.

Also, not a very big gripe at all, but when a user installs a VPP app via Self Service then the progress bar in Self Service will complete very quickly while the true download/install progress is only viewable from a small progress bar under the Launchpad dock item. I can foresee our users becoming confused, especially when installing bigger apps. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there's nothing JAMF can do about this.

I'd love to have some kind of prompt appear to indicate to the user that the install is still underway and can be monitored from Launchpad. Since VPP is separate from traditional policies, I don't think there's any way for me to attach any post-install prompt myself. I did notice a feature request recently asking for VPP installs to be made into a policy module, which would be nice.

[bazcurtis]

In my case the app runs as well if remove the machine from the scope, I'm running El Capitan.

Because I didn't want to mess up apps we had paid for I decided to use free apps. I was really trying to test pulling them back and then when I tried paid apps the licensing was be a given.

This might not be the best test so I have bought 2 copies of a 0.79p app to test, but in the console it shows 0 available. I assume it should show two. See screenshot.

We have very few machines with El Capitan so I'm assuming I can only allocate the software to a users, but still use MDM installation?

I will feed back my findings as I do more testing tomorrow.

[UESCDurandal]

The zeros you see in the screenshot refer to VPP Codes, not Managed Distribution licenses. Since this feature was just activated in JSS 9.82, I'd assume JAMF will change this view to reflect both VPP Codes and Managed Distribution in a future release.

[bazcurtis]

So how do you know that an app/license has been pulled back apart from looking on the machine?

How can you tell how many you have left?

[UESCDurandal]

You need to look within the Mac App Store Apps section.

[bazcurtis]

Thanks. I can see that. I haven't had a chance to work on it much today.

Next week I will push out my cheap apps to users and then try and pull them back.

Thanks for all the answers so far.

Best wishes

Michael

[bazcurtis]

Sorry for letting this sleep for a while, but here is what I have found out. I had to ask support for some help, but we got there in the end. Saying that please see this post -https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=18467

The workflow is as below

Under the User section

Send out invitations to the users
The user should go to Self Service and accept the invite and login with their iTunes account
Assign the software to the USER

Under the Computer section

Assign the software to the computer - either allocated to self service or to install
Note - I mistakenly put it in self service, changing to install, didn't install

To get the license back

Descope the user and computer. The application will NOT uninstall, but in 30 days won't open. I haven't test the 30 days yet, but support tell me that is what will happen. I did descope as above the license was immediately available to reuse.

This was done with Yosemite so I'm not sure what compute assignment under El Capitan will do.

Hope this helps.

[guidotti]

Does anyone know how the new El Capitan method works (no invites, assign to devices)?
It seems to be the same in terms of leaving the application on the machine after it is descoped.

[james_ridsdale]

Hey @guidotti device assignments do work under El Capitan, however removal does not work currently, I tend to use a policy to deal with that. VPP licenses are available after you de-scope the app though so you can freely re-assign.

[BCPeteo]

So are you just manually deleting the app? Can you use sudo rm -r "/Application/AppName" ?

[CasperSally]

I heard back from jamf on this, that that's how it works with macOS. VPP distribution cannot remove apps for macOS. They may or may not become unusable after 30 days of the licenses being revoked depending on the developer. Using a script to remove the app is the only option for getting rid of it.

It is disappointing this isn't documented somewhere in the jamf user guide for macOS VPP deployment considering it is surprising for users who are used to it just working on iOS side.