Deploying Creative Cloud Applications with the Dell K1000 Appliance

This document outlines the procedures for building Adobe Creative Cloud packages for distribution with the K1000. The document assumes that you have knowledge of using the Creative Cloud Packager already. You will need the ability to create packages using the Creative Cloud Packager and be able to install them on a Mac.

A few notes:

Because the end goal of this process is creating a managed install the instructions below are designed for installers that only include one application from the Creative Cloud.

The K1000 relies on specific version numbers of products which don't always align with the human friendly names of the Creative Cloud apps. Because of this we will be using the number release names for installers and not always the year release names, i.e. Dreamweaver 16.0 instead of Dreamweaver CC 2015.

In this document I will be using the example of creating a package for Photoshop CC 2015 which has a version number of 16.0.0. I recommend creating a folder on the root of your drive to save packages. Avoid using spaces in the folder and package names to make things easier later. You will be using  command line tools to manipulate files so you will need to know the paths to the packages you are creating. The Creative Cloud Packager will create a folder using the package name you specify.

1.     Using the Creative Cloud Packager create a package for a Creative Cloud Application.

a.     Note that if you are using serial numbers for device based application Adobe recommends not including the Creative Cloud application (as of Summer 2016).

2.     Install the package on your Mac.

3.     In the K1000 force an inventory update of your computer.

4.     Expand the Installed Programs section and find the title that you just installed.

5.     Click on the title to edit it.

6.     Make a note of the version number displayed for the title.

7.     Select the operating systems that this title supports.
Information about the Creative Cloud requirements is available here: https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html

8.     Open Terminal.

9.     Create a disk image that contains the package. The disk image name should include the exact version number of the software title.

a.     The syntax for the command is:
hdiutil create –format UDZO –srcfolder /path/to/package.pkg -volname "Name of Volume" /path/to/output.dmg

b.     If you told Creative Cloud Packager to create a package named Photoshop in /Adobe then it will place the installer package at /Adobe/Photoshop/Build/Photoshop_Install.pkg

c.     The command to place that in a disk image would then be:
hdiutil create –format UDZO –srcfolder /Adobe/Photoshop/Build/Photoshop_Install.pkg -volname "Adobe Photoshop" /Adobe/Photoshop/Build/Photoshop16.0.0.dmg

d.     For more help on the hdiutil command view my document on creating disk images or the manual page: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/hdiutil.1.html

10.  Upload the disk image to the software title for this package.

11.  In the K1000 click Distribution.

12.  Click Choose Action, New

13.  Enter the name of the software title including the version number followed by (Mac) to indicate that this is the Mac installer.

14.  Select the title from the Software dropdown menu.

15.  Under execution select Anytime.

16.  Add a device to the devices list or a label to the Labels list.
Note: If you do not specify a device then the K1000 will want to deploy to all devices. If I do not have a specific target device planned, then I will add my own machine as a placeholder.

17.  Save the managed installation.