Workbrew streamlines secure, automated Homebrew package deployment for macOS, integrating seamlessly with SimpleMDM to give IT teams centralized device management. Homebrew is the de-factor package manager on macOS, installed on tens of millions of devices and offering more than 15,000 packages. With zero-touch deployment, policy enforcement, and real-time monitoring, Workbrew lets you leverage the power of Homebrew, whilst ensuring compliance and eliminating security risks.
By the end of this deployment guide you will:
Before you begin following this guide, you should:
Are you an experienced SimpleMDM administrator? These steps will get you up and going quickly. Read on for more detailed explanations.
Important: The installation script must run and complete successfully before the next step. SimpleMDM has no builtin way of enforcing the order in which jobs run and apps are installed, we recommend you add the installation script and ensure all devices have successfully run it before continuing setup. Alternatively you can use Munki which allows you to run the installation script as a command during pre-installation.
Workbrew is installed using a signed .pkg file, which installs several components:
Before installing the Workbrew .pkg on each device, you must run a (bash) script which connects the Workbrew agent to your Workbrew Console. The script also installs Command Line Tools for Xcode if your devices do not already have it. The Workbrew Console connection wizard will guide you through customization to your install script.
You can deploy the installation script as a script and configure a Job to run it. SimpleMDM has no builtin way of enforcing the order in which commands run and apps are installed. We recommend you add the installation script and ensure all devices have successfully run it before continuing with installing the Workbrew .pkg.
You can deploy the Workbrew .pkg as a Custom App. You can use an Assignment Group to deploy the Workbrew .pkg to your devices.
In brief, you will perform these steps to ready Workbrew for deployment:
To populate your Workbrew Console with information about your devices and users, Workbrew requires API access to your SimpleMDM instance. In this section, you will create an API key with sufficient permissions and retain the credentials for input into Workbrew. The API key should have “read” permissions for Devices and Device Groups, all other permissions can be set to “none”.
To complete this step, retrieve your API key by signing into your SimpleMDM account, visiting "Settings" and then selecting the "API" tab. See the SimpleMDM Documentation for more information.
The API Token created in the previous step will allow Workbrew to read from your SimpleMDM instance using the API. In this section, you will register SimpleMDM as your MDM of choice within Workbrew.
Open Workbrew Workspace API key and installation script, copy the script, and store it for later. This script will run as a Job independent from the Custom App.
The Workbrew Workspace API key and installation script saved in the previous step prepares the device for a Workbrew installation, setting environment variables for workspace directories and the Workbrew Workspace API key. It also installs a Homebrew dependency, Command Line Tools for Xcode, using MacOS’s `softwareupdate` utility. In this section, you will add the script to SimpleMDM and run it with a Job.
Important: The installation script must run and complete successfully before the next step. SimpleMDM has no builtin way of enforcing the order in which jobs run and apps are installed, we recommend you add the installation script and ensure all devices have successfully run it before continuing setup. Alternatively you can use Munki which allows you to run the installation script as a command during pre-installation.
To add the script to SimpleMDM, follow the instructions in Creating a script until you reach the following numbered steps:
The script can be run with a Job. Follow the instructions in Creating a Job until you reach the following numbered steps:
The Workbrew .pkg installs Workbrew, including the agent, CLI, and Homebrew. In this section, you will add the package to SimpleMDM so that it can be distributed as part of an Assignment Group.
Download the package, and then follow the instructions under Adding macOS Packages until you reach the following numbered step:
The Custom App will be deployed through an Assignment Group. In this step, you will create an Assignment Group and add the Workbrew Custom App to it.
Follow the steps in Creating and Using Assignment Groups until you reach the following numbered steps:
You can now assign device groups or devices to the group. Once Workbrew has been deployed to a device, it will appear on the Workbrew Console
Workbrew simplifies large-scale device management through integrations with MDM provders SimpleMDM, Jamf, Kandji, and Fleet.
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