The mailing list for users of the eduroam Configuration Assistant Tool (CAT)

[Stefan Winter <address@concealed>]

Hello,

very recently we have learned that Apple changed the way mobileconfig
installers can be installed on end user devices.

Unfortunately, not to the better, IMHO.

The new workflow is that, after clicking on a mobileconfig file, Safari
will inform the user that the file has been downloaded, and that if they
really want to /install/ it they have to open the Settings app
themselves, go to General, Profiles, find the new profile, and then
click Install.

The user has to complete those steps within 8 minutes after downloading
the file; after that, the installer self-destructs and the download
needs to be done a second time.

This has been covered in several online sources, such as

https://mobilepros.org/2019/02/ios-12-2-changes-the-way-emm-enrolments-are-performed/

https://www.mobileiron.com/en/blog/iOS-12-2-is-changing-the-way-some-iOS-devices-enroll-into-UEM

Unfortunately, the Release Notes are silent on this new "feature" (
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/ios_release_notes/ios_12_2_release_notes
).

The CAT development team have all verified this now that 12.2 is out, on
both iPad and iPhone devices.

While the quoted reasoning "Apple is making this change in iOS 12.2 “in
order to improve the platform security by reducing misleading profile
installations.”" is in principle a laudable justification, it is making
our lives as eduroam administrators more difficult. :-(

We are now evaluating our options. It may be that we need to
significantly beef up the installation information. The current
text-only advice hiding behind the "i" button besides the installer is
unlikely to be enough to describe this complicated procedure. I could
imagine a series of subtitled screenshots besides the download button to
explain in images rather than words. This would however mean new
translations for text (not a big deal) and screenshots (much bigger deal).

If you have ideas on how to convey the "please jump through this series
of hoops" message to end users, please do reply to this message.

Greetings,

Stefan Winter

-- 
Stefan WINTER
Ingenieur de Recherche
Fondation RESTENA - Réseau Téléinformatique de l'Education Nationale et
de la Recherche
2, avenue de l'Université
L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette

Tel: +352 424409 1
Fax: +352 422473

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