Searching for the missing link in Software Update

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Level 1

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Searching for the missing link in Software Update

I am attempting to setup Software Update for the first time using Server Admin in Leopard Server. I have it turned on and the updates list has been populated by all the Apple updates. I am the only user on this test Server and there is only one group. I belong to the group and have used Preferences to setup the Software Update to the URL: http://server.net:8088/index.sucatalog as it describes in the window.

I go back to my client Mac and do a Software Update from System Preferences and ..... I don't think it's working. How does the client see the Server? Does this client have to be bound to the server with Open Directory for this to work? How do you know if it's updating from the server or from the Web? Thanks for any suggestions!

G5

Posted on Apr 1, 2009 12:20 PM

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Answer 1

Camelot

Level 9

54,333 points

Apr 1, 2009 1:34 PM in response to MacDaddi

If you're using Managed Preferences to control which software update server to use, then normally yes, the client system has to to bound to the directory, and you have to be logged in using an Open Directory account (that's the only way the managed preferences get pushed out to the client).

The alternative is to override the Software Update preferences on the client machine manually, via:

<bockquote class=command>sudo defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL http://server.net:8088/index.sucatalog

This manually overrides the software update server setting on the client.

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Answer 2

MacDaddi Author

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Apr 1, 2009 2:00 PM in response to Camelot

Is there anything that can't be done with Terminal? I turned off Managed Preferences for the group and deleted it. I typed in the command, was asked for a password and was put back at my machine and user name prompt. Is there a command to put this back to the default and how do you know if it's working?

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Answer 3

Camelot

Level 9

54,333 points

Apr 1, 2009 2:08 PM in response to MacDaddi

Is there anything that can't be done with Terminal?

Not a lot 🙂

I typed in the command, was asked for a password and was put back at my machine and user name prompt.

That's correct. The password prompt was from sudo - checking that you have authorization to make this kind of change.

Is there a command to put this back to the default and how do you know if it's working?

You'll know if it's working when you run softwareupdate -l from the command line. If you're using a custom Software Update Server, you'll get a line like:

2009-04-01 14:06:53.718 softwareupdate[9102] Loading CatalogURL http://server.net:8088/index.sucatalog

If you're using the standard Apple service the above line won't be printed.
From memory, if you using Software Update in the GUI, the window title is set to the name of the custom server, but it's been a while since I've done it that way.

As for undoing this and reverting to the standard Apple server, just:

sudo defaults delete com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL

and you're set.

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Answer 4

MacDaddi Author

Level 1

1 points

Apr 1, 2009 2:29 PM in response to Camelot

This is what I got when I did the list command:

Software Update Tool
Copyright 2002-2007 Apple

Software Update found the following new or updated software:
* KeyboardFirmwareUpdate10-1.0
Aluminum Keyboard Firmware Update (1.0), 601K [recommended]

I don't see anywhere in the GUI where it shows the path to whatever server you are using, maybe that only works if you change it.

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Answer 5

MacDaddi Author

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Apr 2, 2009 8:09 AM in response to MacDaddi

Thanks for all the help Camelot but the command does not seem to be working. It looks to me like it is still going out to Apple's web update after doing the list command. Do you have any other suggestions?

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Answer 6

Camelot

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54,333 points

Apr 2, 2009 9:04 AM in response to MacDaddi

The setting as to which server to use can be user-specific.

The command I gave used 'sudo' which sets the preference for the root user. If you're running as any other user then you won't have the same preference setting,

Therefore you might need to re-run the command without sudo, so that it sets your account to do the same thing.

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Answer 7

MacDaddi Author

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1 points

Apr 2, 2009 9:26 AM in response to Camelot

Good to see you back! This is the command I've been using:

sudo defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL http://10.89.40.9:8088/index.sucatalog

The IP Address is that of the server and I tried it with and without sudo, here is what I get:

Copyright 2002-2007 Apple

Software Update found the following new or updated software:
* KeyboardFirmwareUpdate10-1.0
Aluminum Keyboard Firmware Update (1.0), 601K [recommended]

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Answer 8

Camelot

Level 9

54,333 points

Apr 2, 2009 11:13 AM in response to MacDaddi

Good to see you back! This is the command I've been using:
sudo defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL http://10.89.40.9:8088/index.sucatalog

Right, but as I said above, this sets the CatalogURL for the root user. If you're not root when you run softwareupdate then the setting won't be used.

To apply the same change to your own account (rather than root), re-run the command without sudo:

defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL http://10.89.40.9:8088/index.sucatalog

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Answer 9

Apr 2, 2009 11:22 AM in response to Camelot

this little guy has always worked like a charm for me when not using MCX to push out to bound clients...

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/24285

great for resetting to default swscan.apple.com too, which uses port 80 btw, not 8088

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Answer 10

MacDaddi Author

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1 points

Apr 2, 2009 11:28 AM in response to Camelot

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I did try it without sudo and got the same results. Should the IP address be from the client or server Mac?

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Answer 11

MacDaddi Author

Level 1

1 points

Apr 2, 2009 12:11 PM in response to perspektive

I always love a good GUI but this one did not work. I am running OS 10.5.6 and got this message when I launched the application: Could not write to Set Software Update Server Prefs. I repaired permissions and ran it as the root user and got the same thing. I filled in the IP and Port of the server anyway but it did not work either.

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Answer 12

MacDaddi Author

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1 points

Apr 2, 2009 12:37 PM in response to perspektive

I tried this on a Mac running Tiger and it worked perfectly but it looks like it doesn't work with Leopard... we were soooo close.

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Answer 13

MacDaddi Author

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1 points

Apr 2, 2009 1:07 PM in response to MacDaddi

Hold the phone, even with the error message I do see the IP address of the server in the Software Update window on two Macs running Leopard. It does seem to be looking but it only gets about 1/3 of the way through the progress bar and hangs... forever. I think we are very close, any more ideas on what would make it hang?

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