macOS Install Delivery Method
Overview
There are many different ways in which an application can be delivered to an end user and which one you choose to use could depend on a number of factors such as the type of device they are using, who owns the device or where they are physically located, as a few examples. The macOS Install delivery method (also referred to as DMG/PKG deployment) is meant as a very quick and simple way for you to deliver natively-installed applications to your MAC users. All you need to do is point AppsAnywhere to a downloadable DMG or PKG file and it will manage the delivery to the user, the installation of that application and launch it, ready for them to use.
Before you start
All delivery methods share some basic, common settings that you will need to understand before continuing. Make sure you have read the Common Delivery Method Settings article before continuing.
Once you understand the common settings and how they work, you can go to the application you want to manage:
From the AppsAnywhere admin portal, search for Applications, or go to Applications > Applications in the navigation menu
Click Edit next to the application you wish to manage
Creating the delivery method
Adding a new delivery method:
On the application management page, select the Delivery Methods tab
Under the list of current delivery methods, you will see the Add New Delivery Method section
Select macOS Install from the Delivery Method dropdown
Click Add Delivery Method
The form for adding a new macOS Install delivery method will then load up on the right-hand side
Complete the required details (described below)
Set the Operating System Compatibilities and the Restrictions for your delivery method
Click Save
If the save was successful, you will see the a success message appear above the form and your new delivery method will be added to the bottom of the list on the left-hand side.
If there were any errors with the data you entered, you will be prompted to correct these before you can continue.
Delivery Method Fields
The following table describes each field and setting available for this delivery method, it's intended value and an example for each
Field Name | Description | Intended Value | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
DMG/PKG Download URL | The URL from which the target application can be downloaded in the DMG or PKG format | A fully qualified, publicly accessible URL from which the DMG/PKG file can be downloaded from. If you are only using AppsAnywhere on-site then this could be located on an intranet site | http://get.videolan.org/vlc/2.2.4/macosx/vlc-2.2.4.dmg |
Download Type | The type of package that will be downloaded from the URL above | If the file referenced is a DMG file, then select DMG. For PKG files, select PKG | DMG |
Executable Name | The name of the application that will be installed by the package | This should be the name of the application that the AppsAnywhere client will launch once the deployment is complete | vlc |
Prioritizing
Now that your delivery method is in the list of those available, it is important that you prioritize it accordingly to determine exactly when it will be used.
To understand this process completely, take a look at the Prioritizing delivery methods article.
Required Permissions
It is important to understand the issue of what permissions will be required by the end user in order to use this type of delivery method and this depends on the type of package you are deploying.
DMG files
DMG files can be deployed to the target device with only standard user permissions and in most cases, if you are deploying an application as a DMG file, you do not need to be concerned about user permissions
PKG Files
All PKG files require the end user to have root privileges in order for them to execute. If you are deploying this type of file then the AppsAnywhere client will check, prior to deployment that the user has the ability to elevate their privileges to root. If they are then the PKG file will be deployed and as it is run they will be asked by their device to enter their root-level credentials.
If the AppsAnywhere client determines that the user does not have the ability to elevate their privileges then the deployment will fail and the user will be presented with an error explaining the reason for failure.
Common Uses
The macOS Install delivery method is a great easy way to push the native versions of applications to macOS users without them having to go through all the hassle of downloading the right file, installing the application and launching it, they just click Launch in AppsAnywhere, all the hard work is done for them and it's quickly running on their device.