My recent blog post discussed deploying the Citrix Workspace app on Windows devices using Intune. In this blog post, we will explore different ways to Install the Citrix Workspace app on macOS devices using Intune.
The Citrix Workspace application (formerly Citrix receiver) is required for users to connect to Citrix-based applications and VDI desktops.
There are two ways to deploy the Citrix Workspace app using Intune:
- Using a Shell script from Github shell-intune-samples.
- Using a .DMG file for the Citrix Workspace app.
Table of Contents
Method 1 – Deploy Citrix Workspace App using a Shell script
We must go through a few steps to deploying the Citrix Workspace app on macOS using a shell script. Let’s check the steps:
1. Download the Shell script from GitHub
We will use a Microsoft-provided shell script to deploy the Citrix workspace app. You can download the script from the CitrixWorkspace shell script link. This link contains a file called installICitrixWorkspace.sh. Download this file on your computer.
2. Add installICitrixWorkspace.sh script In Intune
Please follow the below steps to add installICitrixWorkspace.sh script file on the Intune admin center:
- Sign in to the Intune admin center.
- Go to Devices > MacOS > Shell Scripts.
- Select the +Add button to add installCitrixWorkspace.sh script.
Basics tab
Provide a unique Name and Description for this script deployment.
- Name: Citrix Workspace App deployment shell script
- Description: This deployment script will Install the Citrix Workspace app on macOS devices
Script settings
- Upload script: Browse to installCitrixWorkspace.sh script by clicking on the folder Icon.
- Run script as signed-in user: No
- Hide script notifications on devices: Not configured
- Script frequency: Not configured
- Number of times to retry if script fails: 3
Assignments
Click on Add groups to select an Entra security group containing Mac devices to deploy Citrix workspace app.
Review + add
Review the configuration summary and click the Add button to add the script and start the deployment process.
End-User Experience
Surprisingly, it was the quickest deployment of an app on macOS after I rebooted it once. I could find Citrix notifications appear on the right-hand side. However, If you have any trouble, then you can refer to the two guides below:
To confirm if the application has been installed successfully and if you can launch the app, please follow the below steps:
- Go to Finder > Go > Applications.
- Under Applications, you will find the Citrix Workspace app Icon, which confirms that the application is installed successfully.
- I have confirmed that the Citrix Workspace app version installed on my device is the latest version of the app available currently. This shell script was Installed in Citrix version 23.09.0.4 (2309), and when checked on the Citrix website, the latest version available to download is also 23.09.0.4 (2309).
Method 2 – Deploy the Citrix Workspace App using .DMG file
Citrix Workspace app for macOS now natively supports Macs with Apple silicon (M1 and M2 Series) through a universal architecture.
With the universal architecture, the Citrix Workspace app runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers without Rosetta emulation. For more information, you can refer to the link here.
I have written a step-by-step guide on How to deploy DMG apps on macOS devices using Intune. You can also follow the below steps for this deployment:
1. Download the Citrix Workspace app .DMG file
First, download the Citrix app from your computer. I will use the Apple Silicon Universal Architecture type, which I will do by clicking on the Download file button.
2. Create deployment for Citrix Workspace app on Intune
- Sign in to the Intune admin center.
- Select Apps > macOS > + Add.
- Select App type as macOS app (DMG).
App Information tab
Click Select app package file and browse the downloaded Citrix workspace app .DMG file. Click on OK to proceed.
- Name: Provide the app’s display name. For example, Citrix Workspace app
- Description: Provide a useful description of the app for end users.
- Publisher: Citrix.
It is also recommended that you fill in the rest of the optional information, which can be used as application documentation.
Requirements
On the Requirements tab, you can select minimum operating system requirements as a condition for deployment. I will choose the lowest one to cover all macOS device OS types.
Detection rules
For detection rules, Keep the Ignore app version to Yes and Provide the App bundle ID (CFBundleIdentifier) and App version Information (CFBundleShortVersionString) for the Citrix Workspace app.
To find out CFBundleIdentifier and CFBundleShortVersionString Information for Citrix Workspace app, I have provided the commands below.
You can find much more details and also multiple ways about how to find CFBundleIdentifier and CFBundleShortVersionString information in the blog post: Deploy DMG apps using Intune
CFBundleIdentifier and CFBundleShortVersionString
Install the same Citrix Workspace App you are going to deploy via Intune on a test Mac device and run the below commands to find CFBundleIdentifier and CFBundleShortVersionString Info.
defaults read /Applications/Citrix\ Workspace.app/Contents/Info CFBundleIdentifier
defaults read /Applications/Citrix\ Workspace.app/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString
Assignments
Click on Add group and select an Entra security group containing macOS devices to deploy Citrix Workspace app.
Review + create
Review the deployment summary and click on Create to start Citrix Workspace app deployment process.
Monitoring Citrix Workspace app deployment
You can monitor the app deployment from the Intune admin center. Go to Apps > macOS > click on the application > Overview page will show the status of Installation.
In case of any issues or deployment failures, you can click on Device install status or User install status to know more details about the error description and error code.
End-user Experience
After completing the deployment, Go to Finder > Go > Applications and find the Citrix Workspace app Icon. If you do not see an Icon, you may have to wait a bit longer, as the device check-in process may not have been completed.
macOS Intune app deployment troubleshooting
If you encounter any issues with application deployment, you can refer to the IntuneMDMDaemon*.log and IntuneMDMAgent*.log files. For more information about how to locate these files on a macOS device, see my other blog post, How To Collect Intune Logs From MacOS Device.
