cocoaDialog or JamfHelper

[MadPossum]

Just a quick question. Are folks still using cocoaDialog in their environments or has jamfHelper replaced that functionality?

[perrycj]

Cocoadialog is great but starting with 10.12, the progress bars seem to no longer display properly. Up to 10.11.6, it worked fine though.

jamfHelper is still limited in what it can do (as of 9.96) and still has limitations in terms of number of buttons, displaying progress bars, etc.

[MadPossum]

thanks @perrycj I appreciate the insight!

[DanJ_LRSFC]

I'd really like a utility that's like jamfHelper's fullscreen mode but allows you to change the message while it runs in the background, for example using named pipes or something. The only way I can approximate that currently is to stack up a bunch of jamfHelper processes with the messages I want in reverse order, then kill them off as I go:

/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Login complete, you may now start using the Mac." &
PID_LOGINCOMPLETE=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Loading PaperCut client..." &
PID_PAPERCUT=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Resetting wallpaper..." &
PID_WALLPAPER=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Restarting Dock..." &
PID_DOCK_RESTART=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Configuring Dock icons..." &
PID_DOCK_CONFIG=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Mounting user's home directory at /Users/$loggedInUser/Documents..." &
PID_MOUNT=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Looking up user's home directory..." &
PID_LOOKUP=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "This Mac is not bound to Active Directory." &
PID_NOAD=$!
/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -heading "Long Road Mac Login" -description "Checking if Mac is bound to Active Directory..." &
PID_CHECKAD=$!

[rhooper]

Hey all, I Am trying to use jamfHelper to send out a message to seniors at our school, it is a Heading plus 6 lines and a close button.
I have tried all lines and it always cuts off the last 2 lines, but the button is there to close it. Then I saw this post with @DanJ_LRSFC script with full screen (fs) option enabled. I like it, but then there is no close button. Is there a method to add this close button to the jamfHelper in fs or maybe a method to increase the size of the utilitywindow?
Here is the script I am using, and I by no means am a scripter:
*#!/bin/bash
SeniorHeading=`/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -windowType fs -title "RSU2 IT Department" -heading "Congratulations 2018 graduating Seniors!" -description "Hall-Dale Senior dates to remember: Laptop Pre-Inspection is April 23rd and 24th. Laptop Collections are May 30th and 31st. Marching Practice is June 2-6. Graduation finally arrives June 16th. Congratulations on all your accomplishments!" -button1 "Outta Here" -startlaunchd`;
echo "SeniorHeading returned $SeniorHeading";

exit 0*

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

[mm2270]

@rhooper jamfHelper fullscreen has no buttons. They can't be added to that display type. You can try switching to hud or utility view, which can have a close button. But neither of those will be full screen messages.

[rhooper]

@mm2270 thanks. I changed it up to hud and that allows for more lines of text to be included in the box.
I can see where the fs would be great with a lockdown issue. I have a question about that though; if the machine is in lockdown with no way to close it (which is good for lockdown) cant the user just force a shutdown and have the lockdown fs window close?

Right now if we lockdown a computer with the lockdown available through jamf, the machine can no longer ping its location, which defeats some of the purposes of locking it down to track its whereabouts. But if this fs lockdown still pings and we can track it that would be awesome!!!!!
Can you tell I Am Chicken to try it out on a working device????? I suppose I could set the -lockfs feature timer for a long period to see if it still pings... Thoughts?

[mm2270]

jamfHelper full screen is simply a full screen display. The Mac is still fully functional under the message, so yeah, it will still ping and all that good stuff. But, jamfHelper also responds to a Command+Q keyboard shortcut, so it can be quit by the user pretty easily unfortunately. And yes, the Mac can be powered off from the power button to bypass it, though that's more extreme than just closing the fs window.

There are some methods of making it so the jamfHelper fs message can't be quit, but involves invoking Apple's ARD LockScreen tool first, then jamfHelper, one right after the other, which locks any keyboard input. The Mac can still be force powered off in this state as far as I know, but it does prevent Command + Q quitting the fullscreen message.

[easyedc]

Check the MAN on jamfhelper

/Library/Application Support/JAMF/bin/jamfHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/jamfHelper -help

The way I read it, buttons aren't applied in FS mode (mentioned as the "restricts all user input"):

fs: creates a full screen window the restricts all user input
        WARNING: Remote access must be used to unlock machines in this mode

I took your script and ran it as a HUD, which I do over FS mode, and it looks like all your text was there.

edit: this tab had been up for a bit for me to comment on, looks like Mike @mm2270 beat me to it!