Command Line Software Update Preferences, Part 2

Question

Command Line Software Update Preferences, Part 2

After the tips provided to me in my first topic here, I have pushed out a new /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist file to all of my Macs. Now, no matter what the individual user's preferences are set to, the GUI software update does check our local Xserve running the Software Update service.

Telling the workstations to run the software update from Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 (administrator) does get quite a few of them to update correctly. Unfortunately, more than half of the computer still won't connect to the correct server from the softwareupdate command. In the past, we had never needed to change the /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist file, the updates were found because of the user's preferences in their home folder. We did used to have an internal Software Update service running on a different Xserve (this one is owned by a particular department and shouldn't have an enterprise available service like that being hit, so it was moved to an IT-owed Xserve). This new, IT-owned Xserve is the current "new" server I'm trying to get everyone to connect to. The service has been turned off on the old Xserve.

If I (remotely) run the:

defaults read com.apple.softwareupdate | grep URL

command, this is what is returned by ALL of the workstations:

{CatalogURL = "http://CorrectNewXserveEditedOut:8088/"; }

However, when given the command:

softwareupdate --install --all

This is the error returned by half of the workstations:

2007-01-15 13:31:17.780 softwareupdate[227] Loading CatalogURL http://IncorrectOldXserveEditedOut:8088/index.sucatalog
2007-01-15 13:31:21.923 softwareupdate[227] loader:didFailWithError:NSError "Error NSURLErrorDomain -1100" Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1100 UserInfo={
NSErrorFailingURLStringKey = "http://IncorrectOldXserveEditedOut:8088/index.sucatalog";
}
Error: Error NSURLErrorDomain -1100
Software Update Tool
Copyright 2002-2005 Apple

The workstations have no one logged in and have been restarted. Where is this preference being cached?

-Doug

2GHz Intel iMac 1GB RAM, 500GB HD Super Drive / 2GHz BlackBook 2GB RAM, 120GB HD, Mac OS X (10.4.8), 1.42GHz Mac mini 1GB RAM, 80GB HD / EyeTV Hybrid / 40GB iPod photo 2GB iPod nano

Posted on Jan 15, 2007 1:35 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 15, 2007 2:13 PM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

Okay, thanks to Gary and Roberto in the other topic, I found the other location that preference is saved:

/private/var/root/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate

I changed that file too and was then able to successfully initiate the computers to download and install the ARD 3.1 Client update from our Xserve to all 194 computers that were online today. (I know you could do this from ARD anyway, I picked this software update because it was small, doesn't require a restart and is clearly visible from inside an ARD list!)

-Doug

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Answer 2

Jan 15, 2007 2:17 PM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

Bizarre...

I don't have that preference file (or the key you added) cached on any mac here at home, but would try to use locate to see if that file is cached either by the system or the user...

locate softwareupdate (if locate DB is missing, sudo periodic weekly will trawl the file system and create the database that locate uses)

(a followup - sheesh - I would have to have guessed SoftwareUpdate as well as the locate command - glad you sussed it out...)

Message was edited by: MichaelBradshaw

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Answer 3

Jan 15, 2007 2:18 PM in response to MichaelBradshaw

Unless you have your own Xserve running its own Software Update service, there would be no addition to your .plist file including a URL like that. If it's missing, then the Software Update looks for Apple's updates. But there should be a com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist in all three Preference folder locations (user's Library, root Library and the private directory). But, thankfully, it doesn't appear to be "cached" somewhere so I would have to flush it out.

-Doug

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