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I'm in charge of about 200 macs at a middle school (iMacs, MacBook Airs, MacBooks) running 10.9-10.10. I use Apple Remote Desktop to manage them.
I can update the OS from ARD, but is there a method of updating all the Apps? They are all purchased from the same Apple ID so I thought there should be a method but so far I cannot find one.
Any ideas?
thanks
Munki would be worth a look, here. As for the updates, you can push out softwareupdate and related commands, if you want to go that route.
I checked your links and they seem more concerned with software updates and not updates of apps from the App Store. I can do the software updates. Perhaps I was not clear in my issue.
AFAIK, the scriptable command-line mechanism that you are seeking — short of messing around with the App Store and AppleScript via the GUI, and all over the place — does not exist. The options are to either set the App Store to automatically download, connect all over the place and one at a time and poke buttons, or be prepared to use Munki or related tools to push out updates.
The methods I've used - depending on the effort and quantities involved - are either using Munki (as suggested by Mr Hoffman), or DeployStudio or ARD. It does make it easier using ARD seeing as you're using the same Apple ID. You don't necessarily need a script as all you need do is update all the apps on a single mac which would ideally be the 'admin' one (the one with ARD installed) and then use ARD to copy (and overwrite previous apps) updated apps to the same relevant locations on all the rest. You can schedule the 'update/copy' at a time convenient to you.
Another way would be to, again, update all the apps on a single machine and copy them to DeployStudio's Files folder. Assuming you have OS X Server and DeployStudio installed and working? Create a workflow that includes those apps and copies them to a convenient location; then add a script that first removes the older apps and moves the newer ones to the Applications folder.
Obviously test this first. Not just the workflow but also whether the apps launch successfully or not thereafter and are usable.
Once the workflow is set up and tested all you need do thereafter is, again, update one mac with the updated apps and copy them over to DeployStudio's Files folder and then run the workflow when you're ready. The workflow can also be configured to run on all or part of your mac estate at a time that suits you. Again you can use ARD to define a time of your choosing.
If it was me I would look at using/utilising Munki as this brings both the above two approaches together in one simple 'deployment solution'.
One further thing to consider is do you really need to update apps? If there's no compelling reason to do so then wait until the summer recess, re-create your master image with all the necessary updates and re-deploy to your mac estate. This method keeps things clean and fresh as well as removing crud and cruft built up over the period between rebuilds.
Hope this helps?
Good points from both of you. There are apps, especially iMovie, that do need to be updated during the school year for various reasons, especially when new cameras are used. Many of the apps probably don't need to be constantly updated. But, yes. I do update all the Macs by creating a master then strip and install durning the Summer to clean up stuff and ensure the students start with a "clean" computer.
And no, I don't have Server. If I did, the app update situation would go away. Just have ARD. Trying to get the District to buy Server for me.
I can think of two ways to do this. They are both a bit tedious:
1. Use ARD to send a 'defaults' command to enable automatic updates for a temporary period:
2. Grab the installer packages from the App Store and then use ARD to push them out:
https://jonbrown.org/blog/10-9-deploying-appstore-packages/
I've always used #2 because I prefer to know exactly what's going onto my machines.
C.
How to update Apps via Apple Remote Desktop
