How to force Software update to look at Apple instead of local?

Question

Level 1

118 points

How to force Software update to look at Apple instead of local?

Our company has a SL server with Software Update service running. We have all SL Mac's except for one brand new iMac with Lion.

Of course, the new iMac cannot get software updates from our server unless I make some changes on the server to accept Lion updates.

I'd rather not do that, as with only one Lion-equipped Mac, I don't want to take up the extra space for all the Lion-related updates.

So, the question is, how can I reconfigure this one iMac to look to Apple's servers instead of our local server? I've looked and looked in the workgroup manager for where that assignment is, but this computer is not part of any group (user or computer) that might be inheriting the setting.

Is there a manual way to reconfigure the iMac to look to Apple's servers?

Thanks.

Posted on Apr 23, 2012 11:03 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Apr 23, 2012 11:22 AM in response to Darryl Mylrea

Hi!

Search by Google for SoftwareUpdateEnabler 2.0 or use this link:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/18059/software-update-enabler

This is a tool that helps to configure clients to use your own intern SoftwareUpdateServer. Works great with SL!

There are other ways to configure your clients via the terminal. Here are some posts about this...

Peter.

Reply

Answer 2

Darryl Mylrea Author

Level 1

118 points

Apr 23, 2012 11:44 AM in response to Peter Borbonus

Peter Borbonus wrote:

Hi!

Search by Google for SoftwareUpdateEnabler 2.0 or use this link:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/18059/software-update-enabler

This is a tool that helps to configure clients to use your own intern SoftwareUpdateServer. Works great with SL!

There are other ways to configure your clients via the terminal. Here are some posts about this...

Peter.

I'll try the Software Update Enabler, but you mentioned some posts? Were you going to link?

Thanks for the info, btw!

Reply

Answer 3

Apr 23, 2012 11:49 AM in response to Darryl Mylrea

Here is one link to a diskussion here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1992165?answerId=9403965022#9403965022

You have to edit a plist. This is what SoftwareUpdateEnabler 2.0 is doing for you.

Have fun!

Peter.

Reply

Answer 4

Apr 24, 2012 8:07 AM in response to Darryl Mylrea

The default is to look at Apple's servers, unless it's updated.

That can be changed with a defaults write command; to force the client to look at the specified local Software

Update Server or Reposado server.

To revert the setting, reset the defaults setting within the Terminal.app environment. Here's how to show the current setting of the software update catalog:

sudo defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL

And the command to revert to the Apple servers (if the above command shows an entry):

sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL

There's no need to edit a plist.

If the setting hasn't been updated, then I'd look for something that's blocking TCP port 8088 access into Apple's servers, or entirely blocking access to Apple servers.

Reply

Answer 5

Apr 25, 2012 8:57 AM in response to MrHoffman

OK, plist was not correct... But you have to edit/create prefs... :-)

Peter.

Reply