Skype for Business MAU

[itupshot]

Hi folks,

Has anyone yet installed this, and been able to block the included MAU from installing with it?

I have a "choices.xml" file that worked with Lync, but when I tried using it with the new Skype for Business installer, it didn't block MAU from installing.

Looking at the installation receipts I see two package identifiers that got installed:

<dict>
        <key>date</key>
        <date>2016-11-01T15:21:24Z</date>
        <key>displayName</key>
        <string>Skype for Business</string>
        <key>displayVersion</key>
        <string></string>
        <key>packageIdentifiers</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.microsoft.SkypeForBusiness</string>
            <string>com.microsoft.package.component</string>
        </array>
        <key>processName</key>
        <string>Installer</string>
</dict>

However, when I inspect the "info.plist" file for MAU, the bundle identifier is com.microsoft.autoupdate2. So, I'm not sure what to use in the choices.xml.

Any ideas?

[ooshnoo]

If you haven't already, you may to check out the MacAdmins slack channel for Office, as I think this may have already been mentioned.

https://macadmins.slack.com/messages/microsoft-office/team/

[mlavine]

Why do you want to block it from installing? It's possible that Skype for Business requires that version of AutoUpdate.

[Brad_G]

Yes the new SfB will use MAU tool to provide updates. During JNUC Paul Bowden gave a presentation during a mini event regarding the updates for Office 2016 and he also touched on SfB using the MAU tool. In a future version you will be able to trigger the update tool via command line. So I'm looking forward to using MAU to update Office 2016 and SfB without having to download packages and put them in the JSS. Simply let Casper (Jamf PRO) kick off a policy that tells the client to pull down the updates and install. I'm pretty excited about this new feature of MAU.

[itupshot]

@mlavine Because it's the same version that installs with Office 2016.
@Brad_G Yes, I'm looking forward to that day, too. However, we're not there yet.

In the meantime, I don't want my users to get bothered with a bouncing "Look at me! There's an Office/Skype update!" MAU icon. My users are not admins on their computers, so they can't proceed with the update manually anyway without asking the IT staff to type in the local admin name and password.

Right now, we're handling these updates in the background by having JSS deploy them based on smart groups/policies. The user only gets a notification that the update has been installed, so they just need to quit and relaunch the apps.

@ooshnoo I'll check the Slack. Thank you!

[itupshot · Accepted solution]

It turns out that the choice identifier is com.microsoft.autoupdate.

So, the "choices.xml" file to accompany this installer should read:

<array>
     <dict>
        <key>attributeSetting</key>
        <integer>0</integer>
        <key>choiceAttribute</key>
        <string>selected</string>
        <key>choiceIdentifier</key>
        <string>com.microsoft.autoupdate</string>
    </dict>
</array>

[jhbush]

The version MAU that comes with the Skype For Business 16.0.0.3638 is 3.6. Initial testing showed that the SfB installer didn't overwrite my existing 3.8 MAU standalone install.

[talkingmoose]

Instead of choosing not to install MAU, you might consider allowing it to install and using a configuration profile to set it to Manually Check. This would allow you to install MAU for the future when it does get the new features Paul Bowden mentioned. Also, a profile is easier to maintain than a new package with a choices file.