macOS: Deployment using MDM needs signed .pkg

Features
1

We use Ivanti EPMM at our company as an MDM solution. To deploy Joplin to the user it needs a signed .pkg instead of .dmg or .app.
It would be great if this could be automatically built with every release.
Also passing settings like the URL for our Joplin Business server would be a welcome addition.

2

I'm not sure if that will work but I've added support for pkg release now. We will know for sure if it works on the next release build.

Also passing settings like the URL for our Joplin Business server would be a welcome addition.

I think you could already do this by providing a custom profile like so:

  • Using the Joplin desktop app
  • First delete your local profile (in ~/.config/joplin-desktop) or rename it if you want to keep it
  • Start the app
  • Configure the application the way you want - create default notes if necessary, install the required plugins, etc.
  • At this point, the profile will contain all the required settings and data.
  • Save that profile, and use this when deploying the application.
3

The latest pre-release includes a .pkg file:

Please give it a try and let me know if that solves the issue!

4

I've successfully uploaded it to our MDM solution and it's recognised instantaneously. Thanks a lot!

1 Like
5

Sadly it can't verify the signature and fails at the last stage.

2026-01-19 15:28:24.556708+0100 0x135c0b   Default     0x504e46             74097  7    mdmclient: [com.apple.ManagedClient:ManagedApps] [0:MDMDaemon:ManagedApps:<0x135c0b>] Install '66948C4C-9899-4D2B-B228-5BB0FD8A45EE' finished.  Sucess: no  Error: {
    code = 100;
    domain = PKInstallErrorDomain;
    userInfo =     {
        IsInternalError = 1;
        NSLocalizedDescription = "Package signature cannot be verified";
    };
}
6

Hmm, strange. We have a notarisation process, but maybe it's not processing the pkg. I will check

7

Unfortunately I haven't had much luck fixing this. It seems I just can't get signature to work on CI