Jamf School application deployment for macOS

Jamf School is a powerful tool for managing iPhones, AppleTVs, iPads and macOS clients. Apple School Manager’s Books and Apps makes AppleTV, iPhone and iPad application deployment easy.

However, not all applications are available through Books and Apps. What's a Jamf School Admin to do for software deployment?

Let’s talk about two ways to deploy applications to managed macOS devices unavailable on the App Store.

App Installers

App Installers enables educators and Mac Admins to stay ahead of the game when deploying and updating third-party apps.

With over 170 titles available, App Installers is a great foundation in software deployment for the Jamf School Admin. Like the macOS App Store, App Installers can install applications on a managed macOS device and keep each app up-to-date as new versions are vetted and included in the Jamf App Installers Catalog.

What about user-installed apps?

Jamf’s App Installers will also keep user-installed apps up-to-date after a Jamf School Admin adds that app to the Mac from the catalog.

For example, if a user prefers to use Google Chrome, and they install it, a Jamf School Admin can add Google Chrome from the app catalog and Jamf School will keep that application up-to-date as new versions become available.

What software deployment for apps that aren’t in the App Store or App Installers?

Jamf School still provides a Mac admin the ability to upload the PKG file to the console and deploy them to macOS clients.

But building, testing and deploying PKG files can be time-consuming in an already jam-packed schedule. How can Jamf School admins deal with that?

Installomator

One of the best things about the MacAdmin country is that the community works together to solve problems.

And here again we see brilliant minds creating solutions for application deployment in the form of the Installomator tool.

Installomator is a script that is installed on each computer that can assist the Jamf School Admin to install over 800 different software titles. The admin can download the PKG version of Installomator and deploy it to their clients.

With the Installomator script installed in /usr/local/Installomator/ on each Mac in the admin’s fleet, the Jamf School scripting module takes over.

Jamf School provides the admin with a variety of methods for script execution such as single use or on a schedule. The Jamf School Admin can use simple two-line scripts to install the needed applications, rerunning them every so often to update applications as necessary.

Here is a sample script to install Adobe Connect:

#!/bin/bash

/usr/local/Installomator/Installomator.sh adobeconnect

Installomator is an Open Source project. Just like with any other Open Source resource, be sure to completely investigate them and ensure the resources meet your organization’s security requirements.

Find more information about Installomator.

Jamf has your back

Jamf can help you get nearly any educational app your school needs deployed to your fleet quick as a flash with Jamf School and App Installers. And Jamf Safe Internet can help keep them all secure.