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Dew

Deploy the desktop app to Macs with Microsoft Intune

This guide deploys the Dew desktop app to your Macs and sets it up with Microsoft Intune. When you’re done, Dew is in the Applications folder of every assigned Mac, already connected to your server.

You need:

  • The Dew installer package for Mac, Dew_<version>_macos_universal.pkg, from the download page.
  • Permission to add apps and create device configuration profiles in the Intune admin center.
  • A group containing the Macs or people that use Dew.
  • Your Dew server address, for example https://files.example.com.

1. Deploy Dew

Section titled “1. Deploy Dew”
  1. In the Intune admin center, go to Apps → macOS and select Add.
  2. Choose the app type macOS app (PKG) and upload the Dew .pkg file.
  3. Fill in the app information, for example Name Dew and Publisher Trinode.
  4. Under Requirements, set the minimum operating system to macOS 12 or later.
  5. Under Assignments, add your group as Required, then select Create.

The package installs Dew in the Applications folder. If someone is signed in to the Mac at the time, Dew starts in their menu bar right away.

2. Choose Dew’s settings

Section titled “2. Choose Dew’s settings”
  1. Go to Devices → macOS → Configuration and select Create → New policy.
  2. Choose the Templates profile type, then Preference file, and name the profile Dew settings.
  3. Set Preference domain name to dk.trinode.dew.
  4. Save the text below as dew.xml, change the server address to your own, and upload it as the Property list file.
<key>ServerURL</key>
<string>https://files.example.com</string>
<key>VerifySSL</key>
<true/>
<key>AutoStartOnBoot</key>
<true/>

Intune expects only these lines, without the <plist> or <dict> lines around them.

Each <key> line and the line below it is one setting:

  • ServerURL is the server address, the Server URL on Dew’s sign-in screen.
  • VerifySSL is certificate checks, Verify SSL certificates in Dew. Keep it <true/>.
  • AutoStartOnBoot opens Dew at sign-in, Auto-start on login in Dew. Use <false/> to stop it opening then.

To leave a setting up to each person, delete both of its lines.

  1. Assign the profile to the same group you deployed Dew to, then select Create.

3. Check it worked

Section titled “3. Check it worked”

On an assigned Mac, Dew starts in the menu bar once Intune has installed it. If its icon isn’t there, open Dew from the Applications folder. Click the Dew icon in the menu bar: the Server URL on the sign-in screen shows your server address, locked. After signing in, select Settings (the gear icon) in the Dew window: Auto-start on login and Verify SSL certificates are locked if you set them, and show Managed by your organization when you hover over them.

If something doesn’t work

Section titled “If something doesn’t work”
What you see What to do
Dew isn’t in the Applications folder Check the app’s install status for that Mac in Intune under Apps → macOS → Dew → Device install status.
The sign-in screen doesn’t show your server address Check that the settings profile is installed on the Mac, then close the Dew window and open it again.
The settings aren’t locked Click the Dew icon in the menu bar, quit Dew, and open it again. Dew reads its settings when it starts.
Still not locked after reopening Dew Check the profile’s status for that Mac in Intune, and that it’s installed in System Settings → General → Device Management (on macOS 13, System Settings → Privacy & Security → Profiles; on macOS 12, System Preferences → Profiles).
One setting is ignored and the others work Check that it’s written as <true/> or <false/>, not <string>true</string>. A setting with the wrong kind of value is ignored.

For more detail, see the settings reference.