Create OSX Install Pkg 10.11.2 Install Question

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Michael Mohr

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Dec 10, 2015, 11:55:04 AM12/10/15
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Good Morning, 

First off, Thank you for all this awesome software, Munki, AutoPkg, CreateOSXInstall etc..  Its been a huge help to us and has dramatically changed how much we need to touch client machines for updates and installs.

My question today lies in upgrading users from 10.10.5 to 10.11.2 using a pkg made from the CreateOSXInstallPkg App... I've had no issues upgrading machines with previous versions using CreateOSXInstall, but for some reason 10.11.2 when being installed seems to wipe out Managed Software Center's receipts of installed apps, because after I run the install on a machine to upgrade its OS to 10.11.2 from 10.10.x, When I launch Managed Software Center, it re downloads and reinstalls the entire manifest again, as if it was its first time ever being run... This didn't happen when users went from 10.10.5 to 10.11.0 or 10.11.1... 

Has anyone else seen this or know what I can do to try and help it to not happen?

My setup for the installer was very minimalistic, I had no modifications or added on pkgs, I just downloaded the new installer from the AppStore and ran this command sudo ./createOSXinstallPkg --source /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/ --output ~/Desktop/OSXElCapitan.pkg Its installing the software perfectly, the OS update goes quick and seamless, and user's settings and wallpapers and whatever stay the same but I just ran into this weird issue with managed software center for the first time and didn't know if I was just missing a step or what I should try and do.

Thank you so much for your help,

Mike 

Michael Mohr

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Dec 10, 2015, 12:12:10 PM12/10/15
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I realize I can just keep using the 10.11.1 update and have the user's upgrade to 10.11.2 through MSC to still works great, I was just trying to streamline the update process to inconvenience the end user less... 

Mike

Marnin Goldberg

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Dec 10, 2015, 1:22:23 PM12/10/15
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I have seen this issue. Looks like after the install of 10.11.2 all the receipts in /var/db/receipts/ get wiped out which is why munki want to reinstall many already installs apps. No real harm reinstalling them but I’m not sure why /var/db/receipts/ gets reset. 


Marnin




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Erik Gomez

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Dec 10, 2015, 1:31:10 PM12/10/15
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Wonderful!

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Franson, Chris

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Dec 10, 2015, 1:34:50 PM12/10/15
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On Dec 10, 2015, at 13:22, Marnin Goldberg <list...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have seen this issue. Looks like after the install of 10.11.2 all the receipts in /var/db/receipts/ get wiped out which is why munki want to reinstall many already installs apps. No real harm reinstalling them but I’m not sure why /var/db/receipts/ gets reset. 

I had the same behavior on a test system going from 10.10.5 to 10.11.2.
-Chris


Erik Gomez

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Dec 10, 2015, 3:08:25 PM12/10/15
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I spun up a 10.11.2 COSXIP upgrade and can also confirm this issue. 

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Mike Solin

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Dec 10, 2015, 7:03:37 PM12/10/15
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Another one here with 10.10.5 —> 10.11.2 and COSXIP.  The only thing we’re doing that’s custom is adding munki_kickstart.pkg.

Lucky, in our environment, I don’t think there’s any long-term issues with the receipts database being nuked - it just means a bunch of stuff gets reinstalled when Munki runs.

I wonder if this happens when upgrading a 10.10.5 system to 10.11.2 using the installer app.  That would narrow down if this is an Apple issue or a COSXIP issue.

A workaround might be copying the receipts database as a preinstall script, then copying it back after installation.  Not great, but it’s something.


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Gregory Neagle

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Dec 10, 2015, 7:05:10 PM12/10/15
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On Dec 10, 2015, at 4:03 PM, Mike Solin <mi...@mikesolin.com> wrote:

Another one here with 10.10.5 —> 10.11.2 and COSXIP.  The only thing we’re doing that’s custom is adding munki_kickstart.pkg.

Lucky, in our environment, I don’t think there’s any long-term issues with the receipts database being nuked - it just means a bunch of stuff gets reinstalled when Munki runs.

I wonder if this happens when upgrading a 10.10.5 system to 10.11.2 using the installer app.  That would narrow down if this is an Apple issue or a COSXIP issue.

Erik Gomez confirms that it does.


A workaround might be copying the receipts database as a preinstall script, then copying it back after installation.  Not great, but it’s something.

Yuck — you’d risk copying back old/out-of-date receipts.

Mike Solin

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Dec 10, 2015, 7:07:23 PM12/10/15
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Oh, true.  I guess OS X itself would have receipts that you’d be replacing.

It looked like Erik’s comment was directed at COSXIP, not running Apple’s installer in a GUI session.


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Erik Gomez

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Dec 10, 2015, 7:10:59 PM12/10/15
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I posted it in Slack after my initial response. 

The next question: Is this "working as intended"?

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Franson, Chris

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Dec 10, 2015, 8:48:00 PM12/10/15
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On Dec 10, 2015, at 19:05, Gregory Neagle <gregn...@mac.com> wrote:
Yuck — you’d risk copying back old/out-of-date receipts.

Logically, that would be the case. 
I ran the full 10.11.2 installer in the GUI (without COSXIP) over an existing 10.11.1 install as another test, and without having performed any installations after installing 10.11.2, there is now _no_ /var/db/receipts directory whatsoever.
-Chris

Mike Solin

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Dec 10, 2015, 10:55:40 PM12/10/15
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Chris: Nice find.

Erik: Thanks!  I just filed a bug, since it occurs in a GUI session:

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Tim Sutton

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Dec 11, 2015, 1:43:53 PM12/11/15
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I'll dupe this because it seems potentially problematic for El Cap upgrades, depending on how many apps are using using pkg receipts (or even if you'd just like pkg receipts available for removal).

I'd recommend amending your radar with an explanation of how exactly it's impacting your org's rollout - that you use management tools which makes use of the pkg receipts in order to manage software on the system, and that if those package receipts are not there, it could cause stability issues / support load from applications unexpectedly being reinstalled, inability to remove some software based on receipt information, etc.


Tim

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Tim Sutton

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Dec 11, 2015, 1:48:54 PM12/11/15
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Or perhaps leaving Munki out of this altogether, having an absent package database means that when installing newer versions of a package, the installer framework no longer has information about previous installations, which would include information about what files should be _removed_ as a result of upgrades to the package. If you install any packaged software on your clients they would be affected by such behaviour when upgrading packages.


Tim

Gregory Neagle

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Dec 11, 2015, 1:49:21 PM12/11/15
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I’d actually recommend _not_ bringing Munki into the discussion lest Apple say “There’s no bug because third-party tools should not use or rely on the package receipt database; it is an Apple-internal implementation detail”

Instead, focus on the fact that removing data about currently installed software may negatively impact upgrade installs. An example:

Foo-1.0 installs an application and a LaunchDaemon that collects analytics.
Due to customer outcry, Foo-2.0 no longer includes that LaunchDaemon.
If the pkg receipts database is intact, the installer will automagically remove the launchdaemon when Foo-2.0 is installed.
If the pkg receipts database is missing (or specifically is missing info for Foo-1.0), the launchdaemon will remain in place, abandoned (but quite possibly still running). This is not desirable.

-Greg

Gregory Neagle

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Dec 11, 2015, 2:17:57 PM12/11/15
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If you are reading this and have not yet filed a bug at bugreport.apple.com, stop and do so now.

-Greg


Mike Solin

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Dec 11, 2015, 2:34:32 PM12/11/15
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Thanks, guys. I left out Munki and COSXIP because I didn’t want them to close the bug as “not our problem, use Apple-supported tools only."


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Franson, Chris

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Dec 11, 2015, 4:16:03 PM12/11/15
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Some interesting behaviors I notice with 10.11.2:
Apple’s own packages don’t seem to generate receipts anymore, even on this Mac which was upgraded to 10.11.1 and 10.11.2 and didn’t have the folder wiped.
The new iTunes update just released didn’t update the receipt from the previous iTunes update. A printer driver installation also leaves no receipts behind.
On my test VM which had the receipts folder deleted, updating iTunes and installing the recovery update didn’t generate any receipts. Reinstalling VMWare tools did recreate the receipts folder and add a receipt.
The receipts for the iTunes update are written in a 10.10.5 system.
It seems that perhaps there’s a bigger bug here. (Or a new, intended behavior.)
-Chris


Gregory Neagle

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Dec 11, 2015, 4:21:44 PM12/11/15
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Apple appears to be moving its own receipts (or at least those that modify SIP-protected areas) to /System/Library/Receipts.

% ls -al /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.iTunes*
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel   81004 Dec 11 12:54 /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.iTunesAccess.bom
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel     445 Dec 11 12:54 /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.iTunesAccess.plist
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  111374 Dec 11 12:54 /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.iTunesXPatch.bom
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel     653 Dec 11 12:54 /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.iTunesXPatch.plist

pkgutil sees these, even in this (different) location:

% pkgutil --info com.apple.pkg.iTunesXPatch
package-id: com.apple.pkg.iTunesXPatch
version: 12.3.2.0.1.1188253749
volume: /
location: /
install-time: 1449867247
groups: com.apple.findsystemfiles 

% date -r 1449867247
Fri Dec 11 12:54:07 PST 2015

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Franson, Chris

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Dec 11, 2015, 4:40:43 PM12/11/15
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> On Dec 11, 2015, at 16:21, Gregory Neagle <gregn...@mac.com> wrote:
>
> Apple appears to be moving its own receipts (or at least those that modify SIP-protected areas) to /System/Library/Receipts.

Sure enough. There’s some mess with this now, as I have, for instance, iTunes receipts in both the old and new locations. The move to /System/Library/Receipts appears to be across the board for Apple packages, as even a printer driver receipt goes there.
-Chris




Michael Mohr 

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Jan 20, 2016, 2:35:44 PM1/20/16
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It looks like Apple has fixed this issue with the 10.11.3 update. I have tested it as well and works fine again upgrading from Yosemite to El Cap using CreateOSXInstalPkg. Below is taken from the Apple site about the 10.11.3 update:

Enterprise content:

  • Third-party .pkg file receipts stored in /var/db/receipts are now retained when upgrading from OS X Yosemite.


Michael Mohr, ACMT

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