Update notifications? (Wojda, John)

[jamesmilto]

Hi John,

If you are triggering the updates via Casper policy you can do what we did. Basically our Software updates install policy does the following:

1. Runs a script that notifies the users that software updates are about to be applied and suggests that they save their work - this is set by having this script set to run "Before"
2. Runs software updates - set by checking the box to install updates in the package section of the policy
3. Runs a script that notifies the users that software updates are complete and if no reboots are necessary they click "ok" and continue working. If there is a reboot necessary they can click postpone or ok to reboot in 5 minutes - this is set by having this script set to run "After"

Note - we have Smart groups to only runs these policies on machines that show they need software updates in inventory so users aren't receiving this message everyday. The policy will only run on machines that show they need updates. The drop out smart groups are important because if you have the policy set to run at next login they will receive the notification script every time they login even if they don't need software updates. Also we have set the Casper policy to not reboot the machine. We let our second script handle that.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Jimmy

Message: 7
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:30:15 -0400

[tlarkin]

I do it via self service. Then I can send out mass growl notifications, email, or display message via jamf command line, apple script, shell script, etc. Then if the users don't execute them with in say 2 weeks I will make casper do it automatically. They will get notifications to run it, and they have the option of doing it via self service. Then if they don't do it by the time we set for, casper will auto install updates.

I just mass edit the SUS to the client in Casper. You can use growl, iHook, jamf displayMessage, or Apple Script to notify your users, or all of the above with email.