Deployment

macOS Deployment

Installation and deployment guide for macOS

Network Weather for macOS is distributed as a signed and notarized PKG installer, making it compatible with all major MDM solutions and manual installation workflows.

System Requirements

Requirement Minimum
macOS Version macOS 14 Sonoma or later
Architecture Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel x64
Disk Space 50 MB
Privileges Standard user (no admin required for core features)

Download Links

Architecture-specific installers provide optimal performance and smaller download size.

Architecture Download
Apple Silicon NetworkWeather-1.1.7-AppleSilicon.pkg
Intel NetworkWeather-1.1.7-Intel.pkg

All packages are:

  • Apple Notarized — Passes Gatekeeper without warnings
  • EdDSA Signed — Cryptographically verified updates via Sparkle

Manual Installation

Standard Install

  1. Download the appropriate PKG for your Mac's architecture
  2. Double-click the PKG file to launch the installer
  3. Follow the installation prompts
  4. Network Weather launches automatically after installation

Command Line Install

# Download (Apple Silicon)
curl -O https://pkgs.networkweather.com/macOS/NetworkWeather-1.1.7.67-AppleSilicon.pkg

# Install
sudo installer -pkg NetworkWeather-1.1.7.67-AppleSilicon.pkg -target /

MDM Deployment

Pre-Configuration (Optional)

Deploy a configuration file before or alongside the installer to pre-configure the client:

Configuration file location:

~/.nwx/config.json

Example configuration for managed deployment:

{
  "suppressWelcomeFlow": true,
  "disableSparkle": true
}

Set suppressWelcomeFlow: true to skip the onboarding wizard on managed devices. Use MDM managed preferences with the neverAsksForAdmin key to prevent privilege escalation prompts. See Client Configuration for all available settings.

Jamf Pro

Upload the Package

  1. Navigate to Settings → Computer Management → Packages
  2. Click New and upload the PKG file
  3. Set Priority to 10 (default)

Create a Policy

  1. Go to Computers → Policies → New
  2. Configure the policy:
    • General: Name it "Deploy Network Weather"
    • Packages: Add the uploaded PKG
    • Maintenance: Check "Update Inventory"
  3. Set Scope to target computers or smart groups
  4. Set Trigger (e.g., Recurring Check-in, Enrollment)
  5. Save and enable the policy

Deploy Configuration (Optional)

Use a Configuration Profile or Files and Processes payload to deploy config.json:

  1. Create a script to deploy the config:
    #!/bin/bash
CONFIG_DIR="$HOME/.nwx"
mkdir -p "$CONFIG_DIR"
cat > "$CONFIG_DIR/config.json" << 'EOF'
{
  "suppressWelcomeFlow": true,
  "disableSparkle": true
}
EOF
  2. Add the script to run before the package installation

Kandji

Add Custom App

  1. Go to Library → Add New → Custom Apps
  2. Select PKG as the installer type
  3. Upload the Network Weather PKG
  4. Configure installation settings:
    • Install as managed: Recommended
    • Self Service: Optional

Blueprint Assignment

  1. Add the custom app to your target Blueprint
  2. Devices will receive the app on next check-in

Pre-Configuration Script

Add a pre-install script to deploy configuration:

#!/bin/bash
CURRENT_USER=$(stat -f "%Su" /dev/console)
CONFIG_DIR="/Users/$CURRENT_USER/.nwx"

mkdir -p "$CONFIG_DIR"
cat > "$CONFIG_DIR/config.json" << 'EOF'
{
  "suppressWelcomeFlow": true,
  "disableSparkle": true
}
EOF

chown -R "$CURRENT_USER" "$CONFIG_DIR"

Mosyle

  1. Navigate to Management → Install macOS Apps
  2. Click Add new app → Custom Package
  3. Upload the PKG file
  4. Configure:
    • Installation context: User or Device
    • Assignment: Select target devices or groups
  5. Save and deploy

Munki

Import the Package

munkiimport /path/to/NetworkWeather-1.1.7.67-AppleSilicon.pkg

When prompted:

  • Name: NetworkWeather
  • Display name: Network Weather
  • Description: Network diagnostics and troubleshooting tool
  • Category: Utilities

Create pkgsinfo

Example pkgsinfo file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>name</key>
    <string>NetworkWeather</string>
    <key>display_name</key>
    <string>Network Weather</string>
    <key>version</key>
    <string>1.1.7.67</string>
    <key>installer_item_location</key>
    <string>apps/NetworkWeather-1.1.7.67-AppleSilicon.pkg</string>
    <key>category</key>
    <string>Utilities</string>
    <key>developer</key>
    <string>Network Weather</string>
    <key>minimum_os_version</key>
    <string>14.0</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Add to Manifest

manifestutil add-pkg NetworkWeather --manifest site_default
makecatalogs

Automatic Updates

Network Weather includes the Sparkle update framework for automatic updates.

Update Behavior

  • Stable channel: Production-ready releases (default)
  • Beta channel: Early access to new features
  • Updates are signed with EdDSA and verified before installation
  • Updates download in the background and prompt the user to restart

Channel Configuration

Set the update channel in the c2 section of config.json:

{
  "c2": {
    "channel": "beta"
  }
}

Valid channels: "stable" (default), "beta" (early access).

Disabling Auto-Updates

For environments requiring controlled update rollout, disable Sparkle and manage versions through your MDM:

{
  "disableSparkle": true
}

Deploy new PKG versions through your MDM on your own schedule.

Launch at Login

Network Weather can be configured to launch automatically at user login.

User-Controlled

Users can enable this in the app:

  1. Click the Network Weather menu bar icon
  2. Select Preferences
  3. Enable Launch at Login

MDM-Controlled

Add Network Weather to login items via MDM Configuration Profile using the com.apple.loginitems.managed payload.

Uninstallation

Manual Uninstall

# Remove application
sudo rm -rf "/Applications/Network Weather.app"

# Remove user data (optional)
rm -rf ~/.nwx
rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/NetworkWeather
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.networkweather.nwx
rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.networkweather.nwx.plist

MDM Uninstall

Most MDM solutions can uninstall managed PKG applications. Configure the uninstall action in your MDM policy.

Troubleshooting

Installation Fails

Gatekeeper blocks installation:

  • Verify the PKG is the official download from pkgs.networkweather.com
  • Check that the PKG hasn't been modified (notarization will fail)

Installer hangs:

  • Close any running instances of Network Weather
  • Try installing from Terminal: sudo installer -pkg <path> -target /

App Doesn't Appear

  • Check /Applications/Network Weather.app exists
  • Look in Spotlight: press Cmd+Space and type "Network Weather"
  • Check the menu bar for the Network Weather icon

Configuration Not Applied

  • Verify the config file path: ~/.nwx/config.json
  • Validate JSON syntax: cat config.json | python3 -m json.tool
  • Restart Network Weather after config changes

Support

For deployment assistance, contact support@networkweather.com.