Adobe macOS PKG upload fails in Hexnode with “not signed” or “invalid pkg file”Solved

Hi @rob_mitch,

For macOS app deployment through MDM, enterprise .pkg files must be digitally signed with a trusted Developer ID Installer certificate. If a custom Adobe package is unsigned, Hexnode may reject it during upload because macOS is expected to block silent installation of that package through MDM.

For the “not signed” error, the package needs to be signed using a Developer ID Installer certificate from an Apple Developer account before uploading it to Hexnode.

The “invalid pkg file” error is usually different. With Adobe Admin Console downloads, the file you initially get may be a wrapper or packaged folder structure rather than the actual standalone installer package. Try extracting the Adobe download on a Mac and check whether there is a Build folder. If there is a standalone .pkg inside the Build folder, upload only that .pkg file to Hexnode. Adobe-signed packages from that location are usually accepted.

Best Regards,
Isabel Lora
Hexnode UEM

I checked the extracted Adobe package, but I don’t see another standalone .pkg inside the main package or a Build folder. It looks like there isn’t an embedded PKG file to upload separately.

We also don’t currently have an Apple Developer account, so signing the custom package ourselves may not be an option.

In that case, if the Adobe package available to you is only an unsigned .pkg, it cannot be uploaded as a standard macOS PKG for silent MDM deployment unless it is properly signed with a Developer ID Installer certificate.

As a workaround, you can package the installer as a .dmg and upload it to Hexnode as a DMG app deployment instead. Hexnode supports DMG-based macOS app deployment, and this can help avoid the PKG validation issue in cases where a properly signed standalone PKG is not available.

You can also check whether the required Adobe app is available in Hexnode’s built-in app repository and deploy it from there if available.

Best Regards,
Isabel Lora
Hexnode UEM

That explains the difference between the two errors. I’ll try the DMG route or use the built-in app listing if the Adobe app is available there.