The Fileset will block the supplied list of applications on your macOS machines by running a script every 5 seconds on your client machines. 

To block users running macOS installers, e.g Install macOS Catalina.app,  add the following Launch Argument as per the steps below:

  • osinstallersetupd

For greater control over the application installers of macOS, with user interaction, take a look at the alternate method (designed just for this task) in the following KB:

macOS - Block Apple Install macOS Application


Step-by-step guide

Download, edit and associate the below Fileset. 

  1. Download the "macOS - Block Applications.fileset.zip" below. 
  2. Import the "macOS - Block Applications.fileset" in to the Filesets tab of the Filewave Admin. 
  3. Edit the Fileset to include the appropriate list of applications to block.

    Select the install_block_application.sh file and then Get Info

    Edit the Executable > Launch Arguments to include the binary name of any app to be blocked, e.g Messages, FaceTime, and Keychain Access
  4. Associate the Fileset to a handful of test machines so you can see the behavior of the Fileset before mass deploying to all of your devices. 
  5. After that you are Done!


To find the name of the binary to block, take a look at the applications contents. Every App has the same directory structure > ApplicationName.app/Contents/MacOS/ApplicationName, where ApplicationName is the binary to block, e.g.

FaceTime

/Applications/FaceTime.app/Contents/MacOS/FaceTime

Terminal

/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/MacOS/Terminal



If you are wanting to block an Application with a space in the name like ,Keychain Access, you will need to have quotes(") around the name. So you would add, "Keychain Access", to Executable > Launch Arguments.


Blocking Install macOS Apps

Install macOS Apps may be blocked by supplying the following Launch Argument in the Fileset:

However, this will block all Install macOS Apps.  If you wish to block one installer, e.g Catalina, but have workflows that require earlier versions to instal, consider the following Fileset example.

Inside the install_block_applications.sh script you will find a 'case' block.  This section should be edited to meet your requirements.  Currently this example blocks Catalina only, but demonstrates how you could include other instal Apps or how you can capture all other installers.

	case \$process_details in

		*"Catalina"*)
			echo "Catalina"
			pkill -x "osinstallersetupd"
			;;
		*"Mojave"*)
			echo "Found: Mojave"
			echo "Nothning to do"
			;;
		*)
			echo "Found: \$process_details"
			echo "Allowed.  Nothing to do"
			;;
	esac


Use this Fileset instead of the earlier one and supply all desired Apps to block as per the guide.