Note: Version 2 of the Mac Agent is currently in beta. There are known issues noted below. Only upgrade to this if you are comfortable with those.
Feature Matrix against the Windows Agent
| Windows | Mac Agent v2 | |
| Native Checks - Blue Screen | X | |
| Native Checks - Antivirus Installed | X | X |
| Native Checks - Application Crashes | X | |
| Native Checks - SMART Failure | X | X |
| Native Checks - Low Disk Space | X | X |
| Native Checks - Firewall Enabled | X | X |
| Native Checks - HDD Fragmentation | X | X |
| Native Checks - Device Manager Issues | X | |
| Event Log Monitoring | X | |
| Resource Monitoring (CPU/Memory) | X | X |
| Agent Status (Online/Offline) | X | X |
| Patch Management (Operating System) | X | |
| Application Management (Third Party) | X | |
| Service & Process Monitors | X | |
| Managed AV - Bitdefender | X | †, ‡ |
| Managed AV - Webroot | X | ‡ |
| Managed AV - Emsisoft | X | |
| Syncro Live - Remote Control (native) | X | |
| Syncro Live - Task Manager | X | |
| Syncro Live - Terminal (command prompt) | X | |
| Agent Icon with Menu - Customizable icon/menu | X | X |
| Agent Contact Form | X | X |
| Chat | X | X |
| Syncro Backups | X | * |
| Scripting Engine - Powershell | X | |
| Scripting Engine - vbscripts | X | |
| Scripting Engine - batch files | X | |
| Scripting Engine - Bash (mac) | X | |
| Scheduled Scripts (on Policy or manual schedule) | X | X |
| System Checks - External Monitoring (ping/http) | X | X |
| Remote Control - "bring your own" TeamViewer | X | X |
| Remote Control - "bring your own" ScreenConnect | X | § |
| Remote Control - "bring your own" Splashtop | X | |
| Agent Silent Install | X | X |
| Agent Auto Updating | X | X |
* Planned
† Requires macOS Full Disk Access Permission at Install
‡ Does not support silent uninstallation
§ Installer is deployed but silent installation is not supported
Q: What macOS versions does the Mac Agent v2 support?
A: Just like Apple, we'll ensure that the Mac Agent v2 supports the current version and the prior three versions. Currently, our agent supports Big Sur (11), Catalina (10.15), Mojave (10.14) and High Sierra (10.13). The Mac Agent v2 also supports the Apple M1 processor.
Q: What macOS security permissions are required to install the Mac Agent v2?
A: During the Mac Agent install, you'll be prompted to enable the 'Screen Recording' permission for the Syncro Agent in the macOS 'Security & Privacy' settings. This permission is necessary for customers to use the 'Include an image of my screen' feature in the Agent Contact Form and for our system to enable the Asset Screenshot Thumbnail on the Asset Detail page.
Note: This security permission cannot be enabled via MDM for remote installs.
Q: Does the Mac Agent v2 support silent installation?
A: To install the agent silently and bypass the 'Screen Recording' permission, you may use the Terminal command:
touch /tmp/syncro-noui && sudo installer -target / -pkg /path/to/installer.pkg
Or, you can add the suffix .noui. to the PKG file name before running the installer (Example: SyncroDesktop-[[...]].noui.pkg).
Should the customer attempt include an image of their screen from the Agent Contact Form with the 'Screen Recording' permission disabled, they'll be prompted to enable it in the 'Security & Privacy' settings prior to submitting the form. The Asset Screenshot Thumbnail will not be displayed on the Asset Detail page for any agent with the 'Screen Recording' permission disabled.
Q: What managed antivirus integrations does the Mac Agent v2 support?
A: The Mac Agent v2 supports remote installation of our Bitdefender and Webroot integrations if enabled. The agent does not currently support remote uninstallation of either antivirus, but we're currently investigating support for this for both the Bitdefender and Webroot integrations. For now, the managed antivirus will need to be manually uninstalled from the endpoint.
Note: In order for Bitdefender to function correctly on a macOS system, you will need to grant Bitdefender 'Full Disk Access' in the macOS 'Security & Privacy' settings after install. More information on configuring Bitdefender for macOS here:
https://www.bitdefender.com/support/how-to-allow-full-disk-access-to-bitdefender-endpoint-security-for-mac-in-macos-mojave-(10-14)-and-later-2273.html
Q: Is Syncro Live supported?
A: Syncro Live and its suite of tools will not be supported in our Mac Agent v2. Currently, our TeamViewer and ScreenConnect integrations are supported and we have planned improvements to our remote access functionality which will may be included as part of the Mac Agent v2 sometime in the future.
Q: Is Syncro Backups supported?
A: Syncro Backups is not currently available for the Mac Agent v2 but this is planned.
Q: How do I uninstall the Mac Agent v2?
A: Just like the Windows Agent, deleting the Mac asset from your Syncro account will trigger a remote uninstall of the agent.
We also offer a Bash script for uninstalling the agent available for download here. To run the bash uninstall script:
- Unzip the 'syncro-macv2-uninstall.sh.zip' file.
- Open up macOS Terminal.
- In Terminal, run the command:
chmod 777 /path/to/syncro-macv2-uninstall.sh - Next, run the command:
sudo /path/to/syncro-macv2-uninstall.sh - You'll be prompted for the User password. Once entered, the uninstallation process will begin.
Q: When does the Mac Agent v2 launch—at startup or when the user logs in?
A: The Mac Agent v2 will launch at startup regardless if a user logs in or not.
Q: Does the Mac Agent v2 have Native 3rd Party Patch Management?
A: This is not currently planned for the Mac Agent. For users looking to perform Managed software installation for OS X, Munki is a popular option. More information on getting started with Munki: https://www.munki.org/munki/
Q: What is happening to the v1 Beta Agent?
A: The v1 agent will remain available for anyone currently using it. When the v2 agent is moved from beta status to full release, v1 will be deprecated and all v1 agents will be automatically updated to the v2 release agent.
Note that during this open beta phase no v1 agents will be automatically updated to v2.
Q: Can I update my existing v1 agents to the v2 agent?
A: Yes, if you manually install a v2 agent on an asset where v1 is currently installed, it will automatically overwrite the v1 agent.
Alternatively, you can upgrade a v1 agent to v2 in the command line.
In macOS Terminal, enter the following command to upgrade with UI prompts:
curl -L -o /tmp/syncro-setup.pkg https://production.kabutoservices.com/desktop/macos/setup && sudo installer -target / -pkg /tmp/syncro-setup.pkg
To upgrade the v1 agent to v2 silently, without any UI prompts, run the command:
curl -L -o /tmp/syncro-setup.noui.pkg https://production.kabutoservices.com/desktop/macos/setup && sudo installer -target / -pkg /tmp/syncro-setup.noui.pkg