brain-dump/sysadmin/macos/filemaker-mdm-deployment.md

Filemaker MDM Deployment

Mass deployment of the Filemaker MacOS app via MDM still prompts for manual upload of a license, even when supplying the LicenseCert.fmcert with the deployment.

The cause of this appears to be the official instructions for deployment are missing some info: the companion shell script that builds a .pkg -- copying of the integral license file are not pulled into the .pkg before rebuild.

Directly modifying the shell script supplied by Filemaker fixes this issue.

Initial Setup

1. Obtain a .dmg for the version we'll be using (accessible from your license link) - this ensure the process uses "clean" files and not something that may have been modified by other users.

2. Follow the Setting up silent assisted installations using Apple Remote Desktop (macOS)

   • When you arrive at step 2 (fmp_osx_deployment.zip); download their shell script and add the following lines:

   • Find:

     cp "${root}/Assisted Install.txt" "${AppleRemoteDesktopRoot}/Assisted Install.txt"
     

   • Add the following, beneath:

     cp "${root}/LicenseCert.fmcert" "${AppleRemoteDesktopRoot}/LicenseCert.fmcert" && echo "Copied LicenseCert.fmcert"
     cp -a "${root}/License Agreements" "${AppleRemoteDesktopRoot}/License Agreements" && echo "Copied License Agreements"
     

3. Put the above shell script in your custom Filemaker directory (ex. Filemaker18) -- this is stuff I extracted from a .dmg into a folder named Filemaker18 on the desktop:

4. Make sure Assisted Install.txt has been modified, like so (along with any other options you want to enable/disable):

   AI_LICENSEKEY=LicenseCert.fmcert
   

5. Run the script, like so (via terminal):

   cd /Users/yourusername/Desktop/Filemaker18
   ./AppleRemoteDesktopDeployment.sh /Users/yourusername/Desktop/Filemaker18
   

6. Example output:

   ~/Desktop/Filemaker18 ~/Desktop/Filemaker18
   ~/Desktop/Filemaker18
   Copied LicenseCert.fmcert
   Copied License Agreements
   pkgbuild: Inferring bundle components from contents of /Users/yourusername/Desktop/Filemaker18/AppleRemoteDesktopPackage
   pkgbuild: Adding top-level postinstall script
   pkgbuild: Wrote package to /Users/yourusername/Desktop/Filemaker18/FileMaker Pro 18 Advanced ARD.pkg
   

7. In your working directory (/Users/yourusername/Desktop/Filemaker18/), a new pkg will be created: FileMaker Pro 18 Advanced ARD.pkg - this is the only file you need to give to your MDM (JAMF, Filewave, etc). The rest of the files in your working directory can now be discarded.

:warning: The reference of Registration.app is obsolete as of at least Filemaker v18+

:information_source: These two issues were submitted to Claris support via email in November of 2021; hopefully these notes soon become obsolete and their script gets updated! :)