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How to deploy custom configuration profiles to macOS devices?
Apple’s mobile device management functionalities depend on configuration profiles to push settings to remote devices. Administrators can create such profiles using various tools to customize enterprise settings for different device platforms like macOS, iOS and tvOS. Hexnode allows you to additionally push multiple settings across a fleet of devices using the Deploy Custom Configuration feature. This doc guides you on how to implement this feature on macOS devices from the Hexnode console.
Note:
- You can create custom configuration profiles using Apple Configurator, profile editor apps, or any other such tools.
- You can choose non-encrypted .mobileconfig, .xml, or .plist files to deploy signed/unsigned custom configuration profiles to the devices. However, the Hexnode UEM portal should be running its latest version for the deployment of a signed configuration profile.
- While defining a profile, ensure it contains all the mandatory payload keys, including PayloadUUID, PayloadType, PayloadVersion and PayloadIdentifier, etc.
- Binary .plist files cannot be used to deploy custom configuration profiles. You can convert the binary .plist files to normal .plist files using the terminal command: plutil -convert binary1 <name of the .plist file>.
- Generic .plist files alone can’t be used to deploy custom configuration profiles. It is recommended to choose an appropriate payload, add profile-specific payload keys to the configuration profile, and verify them before uploading it.
- If a custom configuration profile containing payloads for macOS is applied to a device belonging to a different platform, say iOS for instance, the status on the Action History tab would appear as Success. However, the policy application will take place only on the corresponding devices.
- Make sure that you do not deploy conflicting configurations across the devices.
- You can use wildcards while deploying custom configuration profiles.
Push configuration from the Hexnode console
Custom configuration profiles should be added to the Hexnode console to deploy them to the devices.
- Log in to the Hexnode console.
- Navigate to Policies > New Policy.
- Provide a policy name and description.
- Go to macOS > Configurations > Deploy Custom Configuration.
- Click on Configure. Then, select Choose File.
- You can choose a configuration profile from your device by clicking on Choose file followed by the Upload button. Or, you may select the files, which are already added to the portal from the displayed list.
- Click OK.
- Move to Policy Targets.
- You can associate devices/device groups/users/user groups/domains with the policy. Then click OK.
- Click Save.
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