VPP Mac OS X Apps and Icon Docks

[gskibum]

I'm hitting stride with distributing Mac OS X apps via VPP.

However I'm not finding a build in way of adding an icon to the user dock with this distribution method. I'm already using dockutil.

I'm open to ideas on how to add VPP-distributed app icons to the user docks. I suppose I could wait until an inventory runs and run a dockutil script based on a smart group with the app name criteria. But I'm wanting more instant gratification than waiting for the next inventory to run.

I was thinking a script with an if statement based on the presence of the app name, then run dockutil. But my attempts are not working. Here is my last version of the script:

#!/bin/bash

if [ -f "/Applications/1Password 6.app" ]; then

/usr/local/bin/dockutil --add '/Applications/1Password 6.app'
/bin/sleep 3
killall -KILL Dock

fi

exit 0

[gskibum]

Got it working with the correct if argument. I changed -f to -d and now it works.

#!/bin/bash

if [ -d "/Applications/1Password 6.app" ]; then

/usr/local/bin/dockutil --add '/Applications/1Password 6.app'
/bin/sleep 3
killall -KILL Dock

fi

exit 0

[psliequ]

It's a good idea for a project, though you're right there's no built in way to accomplish this.

A couple of ideas. The simplest (technically, at least) one is to get your users used to the idea of using LaunchPad since that automatically updates as apps are distributed, either through VPP or through traditional routes.

And actually, now that I'm writing this, it occurred to me that you can set up a series of once per user per computer policies that search for the given app by name (under files and processes) to run as often as your check-in is occurring. If the app name is found, you can do an 'execute command' within the same policy that calls dockutil to add the app. It might run a large JAMF installation into the red a little bit so I'd evaluate the need closely.

For what it's worth, I find introducing the idea of Launchpad to users much, much easier than you would think since so many people now were iOS users before they were Mac users.

[GabeShack]

@gskibum Can I ask how you are using OS X apps over VPP? I've had very minimal success deploying them, with random machines never getting the apps, and larger apps (like xCode) don't seem to like to push to laptops on wifi. I've seemingly had to unscope, rescope, then trigger a recon (which is annoying since you can't do this from the management tab like you can for iOS devices). Most of the time, I'm finding OS X Apps just stay pending.

What is your workflow?

Gabe Shackney
Princeton Public Schools