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App Auto-Patch v3.6.0

Introduction

App Auto-Patch integrates local application discovery, Installomator, and user-friendly swiftDialog prompts to automate application patch management for Mac computers. With version 3.0, we have elevated automation by introducing several new features, including an automated background agent, settings via configuration profiles, and enhanced deferral options.

Main Features

• AAP 3.0 is designed to be MDM agnostic. While it still works great with Jamf Pro, setup and configuration have moved away from using Jamf Pro parameters.
• AAP 3.0 uses a background agent (LaunchDaemon) which allows AAP to work independently of a mobile device management (MDM) service. (In other words, you can take advantage of AAP with or without an MDM service.)
• AAP 3.0 performs an automatic installation of all required items and dependencies.
• AAP 3.0 is configurable using interactive command line or managed configuration profiles.
• AAP uses Installomator to inventory installed applications and patch them
• Customized options to ignore installomator labels, require them whether or not the app is installed, or force update only if installed

New in 3.6.0

• Background Patch Closed Apps - Silently install updates for closed apps immediately after discovery, before any dialog is shown
• Update Staging - Pre-download pending updates so installs are nearly instantaneous once approved
• Discovery Frequency - Skip re-scanning installed apps within a configurable time window, with a --force-discovery CLI trigger to bypass it
• Ignore DND Apps - Exclude specific apps from Focus/Do-Not-Disturb display-sleep-assertion detection
• Banner Image Support - Show a custom banner image, URL, colour, or gradient at the top of dialogs in place of the plain text title
• "Install Now" Confirmation - A confirmation prompt (with its own countdown) before the deferral dialog's "Install Now" button triggers the install workflow
• Version Details in Patch Dialogs - See each app's current and new version underneath its name in the deferral/hard-deadline dialogs
• Update Queue Reporting - A new xyz.techitout.appAutoPatchReport.plist report tracks currently-queued apps in a Munki-style ItemsToInstall array for third-party reporting/inventory tools, including a Root3 Support App extension example
• Verbose Log Retention - The verbose log is now archived instead of cleared every run, matching the main log's rotation behavior
• PKG Deployment - A signed & notarized .pkg installer is now attached to every release, as an alternative to deploying the raw script

See the CHANGELOG for the full list of 3.6.0 changes and fixes.

Requirements

Although App Auto-Patch can be run completely silently, it is recommended that swiftDialog be installed on computers for end-user dialog. Below is a list of requirements that App Auto-Patch will confirm while starting the script:

• Script must be run as root
• Finder and Dock processes are running (as of Version 3.6.0, AAP waits up to 2 minutes for the Dock to become active before proceeding, ensuring a full user session is established) - skipped as of 3.6.1 for fully-silent runs (InteractiveMode 0, or the --workflow-install-now-silent trigger), which are expected to run unattended with no user session ever active (e.g. lab/kiosk Macs)
• The computer is not logged into a system account
• Computer is running macOS 12 Monterey or later
• Dialog is installed, and the minimum required version is met if an interactive level is desired

Getting Started

Getting Started Wiki Page

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who has helped contribute to App Auto-Patch, including but not limited to:

• Robert Schroeder (@robjschroeder)
• Andrew Spokes (@TechTrekkie)
• Dan Snelson (@dan-snelson)
• Andrew Clarke (@drtaru)
• Andrew Barnett (@andrewmbarnett)
• Trevor Sysock (@bigmacadmin)
• Bart Reardon (@bartreardon)
• Charles Mangin (@option8)
• Gil Burns (@gilburns)