- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
A brief history
As a technician I routinely have to setup and re setup aging devices, this includes iPads.
After Apples latest update to iOS 11, the task fell to update the iPad Airs to iOS 11. The update was painless enough and the enrollment into our MDM went successfully. The issues start at app installation.
All our apps are downloaded as ipa files to prevent any issues with network connectivity cutting out when installing a full set. Using Apple Configurator 2, I transferred applications as I would normally via a precreated set of blueprints which also include springboard layout, profiles, backgrounds etc.
I have a set for prep, a set for Google apps, a set for all other apps and a finishing off set for finalising profiles and backgrounds.
So initially I installed as per previous setup, no updated apps and using profiles which work. This was all great so far.
Next, I noticed a couple of apps which required update, being grayed out which usually indicates it wont work on this version of iOS. One of which, the creator no longer supports so thats a scrap app (32 bit support unplugged).
Ok so I can cope with the 32/64 bit app problem. This happens in all areas of IT.
NOW I start running into problems.
So I press update on Apple Configurator to update apps. It comes up saying 40 something apps need updating (which is 3/4 of all the apps, half expected). So I press ok and let it run.
I come back a little bit later to find that not only has it failed, its done less than half of the updates.
At this point I am going to note that I am performing updates on a 16GB Air. I can also tell you that there are 7 GB of apps in the blueprints and iOS uses around 4.5GB. So this is a summary
- 7GB of Apps
- 4.5GB of iOS
- 16GB Air
- 11.5GB total usage
- 4.5GB free (supposedly)
The reason it failed this install was that all 4.5GB of free space had been filled by the downloaded updates, presumably as installers. The installers then install at this point, finally deleting themselves from the iOS cache.
The reason I know this is because if you run the updates from Apple Configurator with Settings > General > Storage open on the iPad, you can see the system size increase from 4.5GB until it maxes out the device. I performed 8 updates in a row to complete the update process. 3 Apps vanished, including Garageband. I reinstalled them all from the ipa's from the cache in Apple Configurators application folders.
Now we are at the next iOS issue.
Garageband...
"Unable to install "Garageband" you must purchase this app to install it."
Hold on though...
So to fix this problem, I didn't actually bother with the above. I used a second test iPad to test out the issue. This time iMovie and another app said about purchasing. So before installing the restrictions profile, I went to the app store (which worked) and just downloaded the apps which apparently I didn't have on the account...
Thats not the end. I then went back to the original test iPad and reinstalled individually from the ipa files. First app, great, it worked... and the second app (Garageband), well, I am installing it as I type... And, theres not enough space even though theres 3GB free, Garageband is a hog taking up a massive 1.77GB plus the 1.5GB installer, well. Doesn't take a maths expert to see 3.2GB there does it.
Round 2: Remove Numbers app first
Round 3: Remove Keynote app too
Success. Garageband is installed. (and it works)
It looks like the device not having enough space to install the big apps is the major flaw here. I don't really know why iOS needs to use all that space but hey, its working... sort of. Now I just have a few trolleys of these things to install...
Why is it so difficult to install apps?
Comments