Microsoft Intune

This article provides step-by-step instructions to implement the App Catalog using Microsoft Intune.

Requirements

• At least an Intune Administrator role

Configuration Profile

• A Configuration Profile is needed to activate and configure the App Catalog. There are two options:

  • Basic: Go to the App Catalog Customer Portal to get a Configuration Profile to get you started right away with basic settings. This profile includes the required Supporting Configuration Profiles containing a Notifications payload, a Managed Login Item payload and PPPC

  • Custom: Read the documentation to create a custom configuration profile to meet your requirements: Configuration Profile

Basic

When you downloaded the Basic profile, continue with the following steps:

• Login at intune.microsoft.com and go to Devices -> macOS -> Configuration profiles

• Click Create -> New Policy

• Choose Templates as Profile type

• Select Custom and click Create

• Choose a name such as App Catalog Configuration

• Choose a Custom configuration profile name such as App Catalog Configuration or choose something different to present to users in System Settings.

• Select the .mobileconfig file containing your Configuration Profile

• Click Next, assign the users or devices and click Add

• Continue to Installing Apps

This profile includes the required Notifications payload, Managed Login Item payload and PPPC payload

Custom

When you would like to customize the App Catalog experience and create your custom Configuration Profile, continue with the following steps:

• Create your configuration using Configuration Profile and format this as a property list without any XML headers and just the key/values, for example:

<key>authorization</key>
<string>REDACTED</string>
<key>UpdateInterval</key>
<integer>1</integer>
<key>EnabledApps</key>
<array>
  <dict>
    <key>BundleID</key>
    <string>nl.root3.support</string>
    <key>Category</key>
    <string>Utilities</string>
  </dict>
  <dict>
    <key>BundleID</key>
    <string>corp.sap.privileges</string>
    <key>Category</key>
    <string>Security</string>
  </dict>
  <dict>
    <key>BundleID</key>
    <string>com.google.Chrome</string>
    <key>Category</key>
    <string>Browsers</string>
  </dict>
  <dict>
    <key>BundleID</key>
    <string>com.microsoft.edgemac</string>
    <key>Category</key>
    <string>Browsers</string>
  </dict>
</array>

• Login at intune.microsoft.com and go to Devices -> macOS -> Configuration profiles

• Click Create -> New Policy

• Choose Templates as Profile type

• Select Preference file and click Create

• Choose a name such as App Catalog Configuration

• Set the Preference domain name to: nl.root3.catalog

• Select the .plist file containing your configuration

• Click Next, assign the users or devices and click Add

Supporting Configuration Profiles

To fully enable the App Catalog, some additional profiles are needed such as a Notifications payload, a Managed Login Item payload and PPPC.

Below is a JSON policy for the Intune Settings Catalog, containing the Notifications payload, Managed Login Item payload and PPPC payload which you can import directly into Intune:

12KB

macOS - App Catalog_Supporting_Profiles.json

• Go to Devices -> macOS -> Configuration profiles

• Click Create -> New Policy

• Choose Import Policy

• Select the downloaded JSON file

• Choose a name such as App Catalog Supporting Profiles

• Click Save

• Click View Policy to review or edit the settings, for example if you want to change the Notification behavior (temporary or persistent)

• Click Edit next to Assignments

• Assign users or devices and click Review + save

Installing Apps

To install apps, the App Catalog needs to be installed and called with the Bundle Identifier as described in Installing Apps and needs to be done in a small script or package with postinstall script. Microsoft Intune does not support the use of variables in Shell Scripts and therefore a separate script for every app you want to install is needed. Follow these steps to create and add an app installation script or package:

Automatically with Deployment Tools

Catalog App on macOS in Admin Mode contains Deployment Tools which let the administrator download these scripts or packages automatically.

Company Portal

Need to add an app to the Company Portal app? Use the Package option. This is a PKG installer that executes the Catalog Agent in a post-install script to install the application. This option is required for Microsoft Intune as scripts cannot be put in the Company Portal app.

Manually

• Copy the app Bundle Identifier from https://portal.appcatalog.cloud/catalog

• Create a small script as shown below, replace BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER with the app Bundle Identifier and save it as a .zsh file. This script will also take care of the installation of the App Catalog if not already installed:

#!/bin/zsh --no-rcs

# Install App Catalog when not installed yet
if [[ ! -f "/usr/local/bin/catalog" ]]; then
  curl -sSL https://cdn.appcatalog.cloud/install_app_catalog.zsh | zsh
fi

# Install app
/usr/local/bin/catalog --install "BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER"

• Below is an example script for installing Google Chrome:

262B

install_google_chrome.zsh

• Go to Devices -> macOS -> Shell scripts

• Click Add

• Choose a name such as Install Google Chrome

• Upload the script and make sure Run script as signed-in user is set to No

• Click Next, assign the users or devices and click Add

• The app will now be installed on the next check-in. To verify, logs can be checked by selecting the script -> Device status as shown below:

Updating Apps (macOS 12 only)

Updating apps is similar to installing apps, the Catalog Agent needs to be called with the --update argument as described in Updating Apps using a small script. This script will also take care of the installation of the App Catalog if not already installed. This script is only required for macOS 12 because macOS 13 and later automatically handles updates autonomously when the UpdateInterval key is configured.

Follow these steps to add such this script:

• Below is an example script:

#!/bin/zsh --no-rcs

# Install App Catalog when not installed yet
if [[ ! -f "/usr/local/bin/catalog" ]]; then
  curl -sSL https://cdn.appcatalog.cloud/install_app_catalog.zsh | zsh
fi

# Update apps
/usr/local/bin/catalog --update

• Download the example script below containing a check if the App Catalog is present:

230B

update_apps.zsh

• Go to Devices -> macOS -> Shell scripts

• Click Add

• Choose a name such as Update Apps

• Upload the script and make sure Run script as signed-in user is set to No

• Configure the Script frequency as you want, such as Every 1 day

• Click Next, assign the users or devices and click Add

• All managed and unmanaged apps with updates will now be updated on the next check-in every day

🎉 That's it, you have succesfully configured the App Catalog for Microsoft Intune!