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JAMF Nation User Conference 2014 - Auto-Update Magic! Keep Mac Apps Current with the Casper Suite and AutoPkgr

Auto-Update Magic! Keep Mac Apps Current with the Casper Suite and AutoPkgr

Elliot Jordan explained how to set up AutoPkgr, integrate it with the JSS, and deploy updates with ease.

Keeping apps up to date on your company's fleet of Macs can be a time-consuming, tedious process. Luckily, Elliot Jordan of the Linde Group, explained to everyone today how to easily streamline and automate that process in the Casper Suite by using AutoPkgr. Elliot demonstrated how to set up AutoPkgr, integrate it with your JSS, and deploy updates to your organization with ease.

AutoPkgr is a free automation framework for OS X software packaging and distribution that was developed by Elliot and his team at the Linde Group. Elliot explained how the current process of manually creating packages, associated smart groups, and polices to install that package can be very tedious. Instead, AutoPkrg will automatically check for new versions of software, find computers that are eligible, and update it for you via the JSS or as Elliot says, “it takes dreams as input and outputs packages!”

A new version of AutoPkgr was just released today that adds an easy to use graphical user interface and tighter integration into the Casper Suite. You can now have AutoPkgr quickly and easily connect to your JSS. Elliot demoed to the crowd how to use this tool to automatically update Firefox. He suggested three different ways to accomplish this: distribute updated apps to Self Service, distribute to a test group, and—with caution—to all computers. Finally, Elliot added, “this is very bleeding edge stuff and this is open-source software so make sure you test before distributing.”

Watch the full video of this session now.

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