Macjutsu/super v5.0.0-beta3

on GitHub

[5.0.0-beta3]

2023-09-09

[5.x] Highlights

• Suport for macOS 15 Sequoia.
• New scheduled installation workflows allow administrators or the end user to specify a date and time for the installation of macOS updates/upgrades, Jamf Pro Policies, or enforced system restarts.
• New schedule workflow active option allows administrators to set exactly when the super workflow is active, thus allowing for "maintenance windows".
• MacAdmin's SOFA integration allows schedule and deadline options to align with macOS release dates (as opposed to when super discovers a macOS release).
• Completely rearchitected main super logic so all workflow options can be permanent (via managed preferences) or temporary until the requested workflow is completed.
• Completely rearchitected software update/upgrade discovery to significantly improve reliability, performance, and improve support for native macOS software update/upgrade deferral restrictions.
• Significantly improved behavior for alternate workflow targets (non-system updates, Jamf Pro Policies, and enforced system restarts) now support all deferral, schedule, deadline, and display options.
• Even more user interface customization options.
• Beta Wiki coming soon...

Compatibility Notes (5.x)

• super 5.x requires macOS 11 or newer.
• Several super 4.x command line options and managed preferences are not compatible with super 5.x
• Most super 3.0 command line options and managed preferences are not compatible with super 5.x
• Previously saved super 3.0 and 4.x Apple silicon authentication credentials are automatically migrated the first time super 5.x runs.
• Refer to this spreadsheet (tab separated values) for migrating super command line options to version 5.x.
• Refer to this spreadsheet (tab separated values) for migrating super managed preferences to version 5.x.
• Updated Jamf Pro Extension Attribute scripts now supports super versions 3.0, 4.x, and 5.x.
• Updated example MDM configuration profiles for super v5.x.
• Updated Jamf Pro External Application Custom Schema for super v5.0.0-beta3. (Huge thanks to @tonyyo11 for taking this on!)

Known Issues (5.0.0-beta3)

• A new behavior in softwareupdate on computers with macOS 14.5 or later can cause background downloads to fail if any local user password policies are enabled.
• Still experiencing reliability issues when calling the Jamf Pro API via the new managed software updates feature. In the mean time, the classic Jamf Pro API remains stable and local authentication is always the most reliable.

Specific Changes (5.0.0-beta3)

• New --schedule-workflow-active option allows you to define multiple weekday time frames that specify when the super workflow is allowed to be active (aka "maintenance windows"). Each schedule workflow active time frame must be specified using the following format DAY:hh:mm-hh:mm where weekdays are defined as MON|TUE|WED|THU|FRI|SAT|SUN and times are in 24-hour format. Multiple ranges are separated by a comma with no spaces. For example, if you want the super workflow to only run on the afternoons during the middle of the work week then you would specify --schedule-workflow-active=TUE:13:00-17:00,WED:13:00-17:00,THU:13:00-17:00.
• Significant rearchitecting to all deferral, scheduled installation, and deadline behaviors in order to coordinate with new --schedule-workflow-active option. In most cases, super automatically adjusts workflow timings to fit within the scheduled active time frames. These automatic adjustments always show as warnings in the super.log.
• Significantly improved --install-non-system-updates-without-restarting option now behaves similar to other workflow targets (like standard macOS updates) with full support for all deferral, schedule, deadline, and display options. However, available macOS updates/upgrades workflow targets still take priority even if this option is enabled.
• New --display-icon-light-file and --display-icon-dark-file options allow you to specify different icons for macOS light and dark modes. The existing --display-icon-file option remains as a default icon option and as a fail-over if the user's appearance mode cannot be resolved. (Thanks to @scriptingosx for a method to determine the user's appearance mode!)
• Significantly improved handling of display icon files to improve performance and reliability.
• New display accessory options are now aligned with workflow installation targets. These changes include:
  • The --display-accessory-update-file option has been renamed to --display-accessory-macos-minor-update-file.
  • The --display-accessory-upgrade-file option has been renamed to --display-accessory-macos-major-upgrade-file.
  • New --display-accessory-non-system-updates-file option shows a display accessory in dialogs when the --install-non-system-updates-without-restarting option is also enabled and the workflow target is only non-system updates.
  • New --display-accessory-jamf-policy-triggers-file option shows a display accessory in dialogs when the --install-jamf-policy-triggers option is also enabled and the workflow target is only Jamf Pro Policy Triggers.
  • New --display-accessory-restart-without-updates-file option shows a display accessory in dialogs when the --workflow-restart-without-updates option is also enabled and the workflow target is only a forced restart without any updates.
  • The --display-accessory-user-auth-file option has been removed as it does not align with workflow targets. Instead the user authentication dialog shows the display accessory that aligns with the workflow target.
  • The --display-accessory-default-file option remains unchanged as the default display accessory for all workflow targets if no other display accessory options are specified.
• Updated default date display string is now formated as "AbbreviatedWeekday AbbreviatedMonth Day". As always, this can be modifying by adjusting the DISPLAY_STRING_FORMAT_DATE parameter.
• Updated deferral button and deferral menu text for deferral times beyond the current day now read as "Tomorrow" or if further out, a date string.
• Updated day-based deadline dialogs now show the calculated deadline date (as opposed to the number of days specified as the deadline).
• New default date and time display string separator parameter DISPLAY_STRING_FORMAT_DATE_TIME_SEPARATOR now defaults to a single space (previously was statically set as a dash surrounded by spaces).
• Updated the default SOFA feed url. (Thanks to @headmin for the heads up!)
• Updated dialog title bar strings now clearly indicate if the target workflow is a "Required System Restart" versus a "Required Installation (No Restart)".
• Updated test mode to support validation of new scheduling options and workflow modes.
• Updated verbose logging now shows super script line numbers.
• Resolved an issue where setting the --scheduled-install-days or --scheduled-install-date options for the first time was showing a scheduled installation reminder dialog even if it was not needed.
• Resolved an issue where legacy super folder items were not being removed.
• Resolved an issue where the automatic zero date was inadvertently changing if there when there was a failover from the --schedule-zero-date-release option.
• Resolved an issue on Apple Silicon systems where --scheduled-install-* options were being allowed even if there was no saved authentication.
• Resolved an issue where non-standard installations of Java was causing the deferral menu to fail making a selection.
• Countless typo fixes and improvements to both regular and verbose log output.
• super 5.0.0-beta3 SHA-256: 119c3e891b2d116be21c32c6abb567f17aca4c5e00b4bd81a4aceca371cb931a