Intro to deploying packages in Apple Business Essentials
If you have applications that aren’t available in the Mac App Store, you can still deploy them to Mac computers using Apple Business Essentials with a feature called Packages.
Package files
Before you can use Apple Business Essentials to offer packages to your users, you must first create the package file. After the package file is created, it must be hosted on a web server or file sharing service where it can be accessed with a URL. Package files are:
A standard macOS technology used for the installation of applications that aren’t available in the Mac App Store.
Able to place files and folders into predetermined locations directly on the local volume of the destination Mac.
Capable of using preinstall and postinstall scripts to further automate and customize the install process.
Applications installed using packages aren’t considered Managed Apps. This means that:
If the application is removed from a Collection, the application remains installed on the user’s Mac
If the user unenrolls their device from device management in Apple Business Essentials, the application remains on the user’s Mac
Files saved using this application aren’t placed on a separate volume
Before you build a new package in Apple Business Essentials that contains the application you want to deploy, you must have installed and reviewed the information that follows below. After you have all the information, you can begin to create your package. See Create a package.
Note: If you have to change any of these settings below, you must either update an existing package or create a new one.
Actions | Description | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Automatic installation (user action) | As soon the package is added to a Collection, users with Mac computers associated with that Collection (and connected to the internet) are automatically queued to download the package. After the package is downloaded and the application is installed, that application is available to all users who can log in on the Mac. | ||||||||||
Application removal (user action) | After an application is installed, users can move it to another location (like their Home folder) and also remove it from their Mac. Apple Business Essentials administrators can see whether an app has been moved or removed by checking the Install Status for that package. See Review the installation status of packages. | ||||||||||
Name a package | You can give your package the same name as the application, or you can name your package something slightly different. | ||||||||||
Decide on a share method | There are two main methods to share the package with users. You can set up a web server for direct downloads or you can add the package to a file sharing service like Dropbox or Google Drive. If you’re going to use a file sharing service, follow the steps in the service’s documentation to get the URL you’ll share with your users. Note: Regardless of which method you choose, the package must begin to download when the link is used. The link can’t lead to a webpage with another link. | ||||||||||
Build a package URL for direct downloads from a website (not a file sharing service) | If users will directly download the package from a web server, there are a few best practices when setting up the URL. In addition to having no spaces, it should contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens (-). For example, a package name might be: companyname-applicationname After you name the package, you host the package on a web server that:
The URL must:
Important: If an application doesn’t include the ability to update itself and you want to update it with Apple Business Essentials, you must create a new package with a new URL. See Update a package. For example, the URL may look like: https://www.betterbag.com/required-applications/companyname-applicationname If you decide to use a developer-hosted link to a package, make sure that the package doesn’t get updated by the developer in-place. | ||||||||||
Help ensure the integrity of the package | Before users can download a package you create, you must generate a unique value for it. This value—known as a hash—helps ensure the package hasn’t been tampered with or replaced. Apple Business Essentials uses the SHA-256 hash for this purpose. See Get the required information. | ||||||||||
Know the application’s bundle identifier | To make sure the installation status is correctly reported, the bundle ID you enter must match the bundle ID of the application. The bundle ID string for an application can be found by opening the application’s Info.plist file (located inside the application itself) and locating the CFBundleIdentifier key. See Get the required information. Note: A bundle ID is a unique string used by macOS to identify applications. For example, a bundle ID might be com.companyname.applicationname. | ||||||||||
Optionally add a version number | You might want to add a version number for the application. | ||||||||||