Deploying and Managing Mac App Store Apps

[MattT]

Hi all,

As titled, I am looking for a solution for deploying and managing Mac App Store Apps during initial roll out and beyond.
iWork and iLife is sorted through Base Image, more for software such as Evernote etc. Looking for a solution for both paid and free.
Running Casper 9.32 with VPP set up.

Things I have tried:

1) Packaging as PKG without MAS_Receipt file - Was working, but some Apps error out as damaged, the rest need to be redownloaded before the user can take ownership.

2) Packaging as PKG with a PostInstall Script to create a blank MAS_Receipt - Same as above, except not visible in App Store and require updates to be deployed the same way (not a huge deal).

3) The method listed here (http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2013/10/19/downloading-microsofts-remote-desktop-installer-package-from-the-app-store/) to copy the App Store installer itself. Successfully created Evernote, but the App installed as Damaged and didn't function. Installed both manually and via Remote.

Has anybody come up with a working solution to this? I have trolled through the forums but can only find repeated posts about the aforementioned methods.

Any assistance on this would be extremely appreciated.

[calumhunter · Accepted solution]

I've done this with a number of Mac App Store apps (Option 3). But there are a couple that don't work like Splashtop Remote and as you've found Evernote. In these case's I try to see if it is possible to download the application directly from the vendor, you might have to email them to get them to give you a link You can get Evernote from here

http://evernote.com/download/get.php?file=EvernoteMac

Also there is an AutoPKG recipe for Evernote. If your not using AutoPKG, you should be :)

[calumhunter · Accepted solution]

I've done this with a number of Mac App Store apps (Option 3). But there are a couple that don't work like Splashtop Remote and as you've found Evernote. In these case's I try to see if it is possible to download the application directly from the vendor, you might have to email them to get them to give you a link You can get Evernote from here

http://evernote.com/download/get.php?file=EvernoteMac

Also there is an AutoPKG recipe for Evernote. If your not using AutoPKG, you should be :)

[jarednichols · Accepted solution]

Looking for a solution for both paid and free.

There's you're solution:

Running Casper 9.32 with VPP set up.

Re-packaging App Store apps has never been supported (and likely breaks the EULA) and as you see, can break in the future. VPP is your way forward.