New Munki Setup: Sequential Setup Steps

[mar...@gmail.com]

Hello Greg/All:

I really love the possibilities that Munki offers, brilliant job Greg!

I've been referencing Github with all of the resources for Munki, and lots of things are pretty straight forward.  I've played around with the various pkgs (i.e., MunkiAdmin, Munki Tools, etc.) but it's a little confusing on the sequential setup of Munki.  I want to simply reimage my test machine with a fresh installation of El Capitan, and start from the top.  What is the best practice for setting up Munki?

Secondly, some documentation indicates that Munki can be utilized as the server without using Apple's Server App, correct?

Lastly, what the sequential method for making the web server portion work correctly?  I'm building this for an environment that locked down internally due to high security compliance rules, so this is what has led me to work with Munki in order to build a Console for Managing Macs, deploying software/software updates and so forth.  I'm also having trouble with the php setup so that I can test reaching the managed software center as a client.

Compiled the beginnings of a sequential order that I believe would work.  I don't mind sharing this in hopes of obtaining a better roadmap (begin a first time Munki user, but long time Casper Admin).

I hope this makes sense, and any assistance that you can offer would be awesome.

Below is what I've complied as a roadmap:

Setting Up Munki

Step 1: (install munkiadmin application)

LATEST MUNKI RELEASE:

HTTPS://GITHUB.COM/HJUUTILAINEN/MUNKIADMIN/RELEASES/TAG/V1.4.1

Step 2: (install autopkgr application)

AUTOPKGR 1.4

HTTPS://GITHUB.COM/LINDEGROUP/AUTOPKGR/RELEASES/TAG/V1.4

Step 3: (Prepare the server to be a Munki Software Repository)

• Open Terminal

• Create subdirectories in the “Shared” folder under “Users” with the following scripts:

mkdir -p munki_repo/catalogs

mkdir munki_repo/manifests

mkdir munki_repo/pkgs

mkdir munki_repo/pkgsinfo

mkdir munki_repo/icons

chmod -R a+rX munki_repo

sudo ln -s /Users/Shared/munki_repo /Library/WebServer/Documents/

sudo apachectl start

Step 4: (configure munkiimport)

• Open Terminal

munkiimport - -configure   

• Path to munki repo: /Users/Shared/munki_repo
• Repo fileshare URL: (leave this blank)
• pkginfo extension: .plist
• pkginfo editor: TextWrangler.app
• Default catalog to use: testing

Step 5:

• Launch MunkiAdmin
• When the “Select a Munki Repository” window pops up, navigate to: /Users/Shared/munki_repo
• Click “open”
• Select “preferences” un MunkiAdmin (so that MunkiAdmin remembers your repository)
• Close the preferences window

Step 6: (Create Your Catalog)

In MunkiAdmin:

• Select File/New Catalog… name your catalog: production (this will create a text production document)
• Select File/New Catalog… name your next catalog: testing (this will create a text testing document)

Note: AutoPKG recipes, will default to the “testing catalog”

Have a set of testing clients install updates of new packages in your testing catalog, before moving them into production

Step 7: (Create Your Manifest)

In MunkiAdmin:

• Select File/New Manifest… name your manifest: macbooks 
• Select File/New Manifest… name your manifest: imacs 

Note: This picks out of the catalogs that are larger and select software available for specific users

Step 8: (Manage Groups of Macs)

• Download and install Munki-Enroll-Master
• Place the Munki-Enroll-Master folder within the munki_repo folder (this is the root of the repository)

Importing/Packaging into the Munki Repository (for .dmg conversion)

• Download your preferred Applications

In Munki Admin:

• Go to: “File / Import Items…”
• Find the .dmg application that you want to import, select it and “open”
• Save the .dmg and you’ll begin seeing MunkiAdmin

=================

Thanks in advance!

Mark

[Gregory Neagle]

On Apr 2, 2016, at 12:10 AM, mar...@gmail.com wrote:

Hello Greg/All:

I really love the possibilities that Munki offers, brilliant job Greg!

I've been referencing Github with all of the resources for Munki, and lots of things are pretty straight forward.  I've played around with the various pkgs (i.e., MunkiAdmin, Munki Tools, etc.) but it's a little confusing on the sequential setup of Munki.  I want to simply reimage my test machine with a fresh installation of El Capitan, and start from the top.  What is the best practice for setting up Munki?

Have you seen this? https://github.com/munki/munki/wiki/Demonstration-Setup

Secondly, some documentation indicates that Munki can be utilized as the server without using Apple's Server App, correct?

Sure. You can use virtually any web server on any platform.

Lastly, what the sequential method for making the web server portion work correctly?

Since you can use virtually any web server on any platform, documenting this is really outside the scope of Munki. All Munki needs is for the web server to serve the files it needs. It’s not complex in general terms, but documenting the specifics for every combination of Apache, Nginx, IIS, and versions of OS X, Linux and Windows is just not something I think we want to do here. There’s an assumption that a Munki admin will learn at least some of the basics of managing a web server. That’s the nature of open source software: you often need to combine several different tools to build a complete solution, and you need to become familiar with at least the basics of each of those component tools. In the case of Munki, the minimum combination is the Munki tools and a web server. You can extend your solution with even more open source tools, but you’ll need to understand the Munki toolset and your webserver of choice at a minimum.

 I'm building this for an environment that locked down internally due to high security compliance rules, so this is what has led me to work with Munki in order to build a Console for Managing Macs, deploying software/software updates and so forth.  I'm also having trouble with the php setup so that I can test reaching the managed software center as a client.

Munki requires no PHP setup. Perhaps you are thinking of MunkiReport, which is yet another open source add-on for Munki. Its setup would be documented at its own website.

Compiled the beginnings of a sequential order that I believe would work.  I don't mind sharing this in hopes of obtaining a better roadmap (begin a first time Munki user, but long time Casper Admin).

I hope this makes sense, and any assistance that you can offer would be awesome.

Below is what I've complied as a roadmap:

Setting Up Munki

Step 1: (install munkiadmin application)

LATEST MUNKI RELEASE:

HTTPS://GITHUB.COM/HJUUTILAINEN/MUNKIADMIN/RELEASES/TAG/V1.4.1

So we are off to a really bad start when the first step isn’t even the latest Munki release, but rather a third-party helper tool for managing your Munki repo.

Step 2: (install autopkgr application)

AUTOPKGR 1.4

HTTPS://GITHUB.COM/LINDEGROUP/AUTOPKGR/RELEASES/TAG/V1.4

Autopkg and Autopkgr are fantastic tools and very useful for Munki admins, but are not needed/necessary for setting up a Munki repo.

I’m going to stop here. It looks like you are documenting _your_ setup process for _your_ environment and _your_ desired combination of tools. That’s great, and might even be useful to others.

But it’s only one way to set things up. The “official” documentation will continue to document a very basic configuration. People can then add things as they desire to meet their specific needs.

I understand that you want more specifics, and it’s great that you are documenting your own choices — but realize these are specific for you.

Good luck. A good place for general discussion of this type is the munki-discuss list at https://groups.google.com/group/munki-discuss.