macOS 15 / Sequoia Installation Fails with "The installer could not install the software because there was no software found to install"

[cvoisey]

Describe the bug
When trying to install the agent on my Sequoia macs, I am getting the following error:

This is an Intel mac and I have tried both installers (x86 & Universal). Installs on other, older macOS from this server works fine.

• OS: Ubuntu
• Virtualization: N/A
• Network: AWS EC2
• Version: [e.g. 1.0.43]
• Node: [e.g. 18.4.0]

[si458]

you need to install the latest version and download the new installers for osx
1.1.30 is the latest version

[cvoisey]

I am already running on the latest:

[si458]

oh right ok, well ur bug report says 1.0.48,
is it ARM or intel you are using?
did you download the universal from the web ui OR the actual version for your device?

[cvoisey]

Oh, sorry, I started filling that all out and submitted it without finishing. My bad.

I am on an Intel Mac, and I tried the Universal and the x86 versions. Neither have worked.

[si458]

hmmm im guessing apple have change something!
as it works on sonoma intel macbook pro here!
might need to do some more testing :(

[si458]

just updating my mac mini arm from ventura to sonoma,
once thats done, i can upgrade xcode to 16,
then i can get UTM to run sequoia!
and if the arm doesnt work, then intel wont work

i dont want to upgrade my macbook pro sonoma to sequoia as its my daily driver and i dont want things to break!

[si458]

ok this might be a pain
Contents/Packages/internal.pkg not supported by PK
Unable to use PK session due to incompatible packages. Terminating.
full logs attached from my arm 15 vm but its the exact same issue 👎
Installer_Log_20-Sep-2024.txt

[cvoisey]

I wish I could give you a more detailed answer on this, but it sounds similar to something one of my developers recently encountered. I'll talk to them on Monday, but I don't think they resolved it yet. They were checking the stricter notarizations that are required with macOS Sequoia.

[si458]

@cvoisey notarizations isnt required (just really really really recommended!)

i have been able to use an app called Packages which generates PKGs (both flat and bundle)
and get it to copy over the meshagent and enable startup etc with no problems!

its something with the way the .pkg is generated/built that im guessing Sequoia just doesnt like anymore

sadly the app Packages makes the PKGs in a different way for me so i cant just extract it, then build a zip
for windows/linux machines to then rebuild!

[cvoisey]

Are you doing the current release in bundle format? What about trying to do it in flat? That should work better with newer macOS

[si458]

@cvoisey ive tried both, flat and bundle, both types from the packages app work a treat!
i just cant explore/extract the pkg and thats the issue

its because its saving it asXAR archive format

simon@simonlappy build % file MeshAgent.pkg 
MeshAgent.pkg: xar archive compressed TOC: 867, SHA-1 checksum, contains  zlib compressed data

but the old .pkg we have create returns it as a directory?

simon@simonlappy ~ % file /Users/simon/Downloads/myremoteagent\ 2.mpkg/Contents/Packages/internal.pkg
/Users/simon/Downloads/myremoteagent 2.mpkg/Contents/Packages/internal.pkg: directory

so unless im doing something wrong, this could be why Sequoia no longer works as they need it in xar format

[cvoisey]

I've been trying to figure out something as well and have been coming to similar conclusions. I have to put it down for now, but I have a few more ideas I'll try to get to tomorrow. I'd love it if I could contribute. You've done a great job with this project.

[si458]

@cvoisey thats great! if you have any look do reply/let us know!

[si458]

mad idea 💡
why dont we create a DMG, include the meshagent as binary format,
BUT we hide it, and just display a script file
and the background is like

DOUBLE CLICK THIS SCRIPT FILE BELOW TO INSTALL
PLEASE NOTE, YOU WILL BE ASKED FOR YOUR PASSWORD IN A BLACK POP UP WINDOW

EDIT:
we could also include the Uninstall.command as well!
so then the end user can also uninstall the meshagent if they wanted!

it would basically be be the same as how the binary version gets installed using meshagent -install

[cvoisey]

From a short term perspective, to get it installed on newer OSs, I could see that. From a longer term though, I'm thinking about the UX.

Personally, I want to still dive into the whole build experience in my hosting and make sure I sign everything and ensure it is trusted, as that will look better to my customers.

[si458]

@cvoisey fully agree
im having problems now creating the dmgs on linux and most importantly windows!
why apple has to make everything difficult i will never understand

[carlosndiaye]

Hello. Thank you very much for your work. I have the same problem. I managed to install it with the binary on the terminal but I get a black screen when I try to connect in Remote Desktop. I can't access certain directories via the shell either.

[si458]

@carlosndiaye, before u connect, u need to go into the settings app, then privacy and security, then screen recording and allow the application

Also, go into accessibility and allow ur app there, too

As for files, u need to allow ur app inside the full disk access

All options are inside the privacy & security

https://ylianst.github.io/MeshCentral/meshcentral/faq/#mac-clients

[carlosndiaye]

Thanks. Apparently, when I allow the settings as mentioned, the desktop is displayed and you can interact with it. However, when I reconnect, the black screen comes back even though the permissions are still active. What could be the cause of this?

[si458]

@carlosndiaye I'm not sure? That seems weird?
Can u open a separate issue please for that?
Follow the bug report too plz 🙏 🙂

[appatterson]

Running into this same issue. How are you using Packages to reformat the .pkg?

[si458]

@appatterson it was very difficult

I had to basically add all the files in and msh and then tell it to run the script from inside the mpkg to place them where they need to be

Ill show screenshots 2moz of it :)

[appatterson]

@si458 that would be much appreciated, thanks!

[si458]

@appatterson hope these screenshots help!
basically create the folder where stuff goes in payload,
then add all the files from inside the pkg thats inside the mpkg from meshcentral
then set the payload file to the payload.sh file but you need to modify the file slightly!

[DaanSelen]

@appatterson hope these screenshots help! basically create the folder where stuff goes in payload, then add all the files from inside the pkg thats inside the mpkg from meshcentral then set the payload file to the payload.sh file but you need to modify the file slightly!

This is a fix?

[si458]

@DaanSelen sadly the agent doesnt work with Sequoia when running in background mode
so even if we fixed the mpkg, it wont work properly for background use

without a developer who specialises in mac applications and knows C++ and can look through our code and work out whats wrong, it wont work correctly

HOWEVER i have noticed that the app works all the time if you use the binary app in forground mode!
meshagent -connect

but oversally this means the app would have to be running 24/7 on the desktop in terminal 👎

[johnnyq]

@si458 Maybe the new MacOS 15.1 Update coming out later this month will fix the issue, fingers crossed.
I have held my Mac clients back from updating to 15.0

[esgheorghe]

Hello,

any news about MacOS Agent in Sequoia ?

[si458]

@esgheorghe nope :(

I've had no luck no matter what I try, but i don't understand the c++ code fully so the isn't much i can do without help from someone who does

[ramphex]

Doesn't work here on Sequoia 15.1, same error as the OP's

[jakobzudrell]

@si458 could you link me to the place where this ominous C++ code resides? :P

Sadly I am by no means an expert on C++, but I'd be really interested in taking a look at it, playing around a little and maybe even be able to contribute back a little at some point...

[si458]

@jakobzudrell check the meshagent repo!
All the codes in there https://github.com/Ylianst/MeshAgent

[ramphex]

Any update on this? Current I'm seeing issues trying to install on MacOS and also issues trying to install on Windows. Seems like the client is falling behind with two major OS's updates.

[si458]

@ramphex sadly, without a Mac developer who can identify why we can't get remote control to work, it won't be possible

As for Windows 11 24h2, it's already been fixed, new agents have been tested and work, just need new release being done,
or
In the meantime, u simply install the wmic add-on and then install meshagent, and it carries on like nothing happened

So we arent really falling behind at all...

We are an open-source application and open source developers without any physical funding so things take time

[ramphex]

@ramphex sadly, without a Mac developer who can identify why we can't get remote control to work, it won't be possible

As for Windows 11 24h2, it's already been fixed, new agents have been tested and work, just need new release being done, or In the meantime, u simply install the wmic add-on and then install meshagent, and it carries on like nothing happened

So we arent really falling behind at all...

We are an open-source application and open source developers without any physical funding so things take time

I get it. I appreciate the software and the time you guys put into it.

[DaanSelen]

Linux was not interrupted?

[johnnyq]

@DaanSelen Yes it is if you use a Wayland Distro (Latest versions of Ubuntu, Cosmic and Fedora)
Mint is unaffected but will soon be once they switch fully to wayland
but this is totally unrelated to this thread and very different issue

[eried]

No way yet to install on latest MacOS right? 🤓 could I install the Linux version on a mac?

[si458]

@eried it works for macos 14 or below, just not 15 or above!
We are still looking for a developer to help replace the old deprecated functions with screencapturekit!
And no sadly as they are compiled differently so it won't work

[eried]

oh, yeah we had a machine that got updated and now it does not work. I though it was just permissions, but I see is not. I have never used macos, so I cant really help :( (this machine is only for compiling stuff for the appstore, but nobody uses it eitherway)

[elpibedeoro]

Hi,

Have the same problem in graphical mode but I was able to install it in command line mode.
Depending on your CPU architecture, get the meshagent binary through the wget command (brew install wget).

Chmod the binary and install it (./meshagent -install).

After have set the security settings, everything works but at the next boot the connection is lost... this can be fixed by renaming the daemon, as as we have already seen in the past.

1. sudo sed -i '' '/Label</key>/,/</string>/s/meshagent/meshdaemon/' /Library/LaunchDaemons/meshagent.plist
2. sudo mv /Library/LaunchDaemons/meshagent.plist /Library/LaunchDaemons/meshdaemon.plist

The connection is ok this time but the Desktop view show me a black screen... any idea ?

PS: Hope this won't be off topic but if it can help someone...

[si458]

@elpibedeoro the black screen bug is unfortunately a HUGE bug when using macos 15 or above,
it hasnt been fixed yet due to apple removing the required KVM module we use for the screen recording :(
the patch/fix is to replace the KVM module with screencapturekit but thats a big job! and we are still looking for a developer to look into it for us
the is a whole issue about the bug here #6402