DDM OS Reminder (5.0.0)

Review the following before rolling out version 5.0.0; no preference keys, defaults, or precedence rules changed.

• Self-extracting wrapper now forwards MDM script parameters: Wrappers generated by Resources/createSelfExtracting.zsh (2.4.0) pass Parameters 4–6 to the deployer. Values previously ignored on wrapper-based policies (reset mode, Uninstall, DDM Emergency Fallback) now take effect, so audit those policy parameters before rollout.
• swiftDialog path: The runtime and deployer invoke /Library/Application Support/Dialog/Dialog.app/Contents/MacOS/dialogcli; the runtime, deployer, dor-starter.zsh, and LaunchDaemon no longer include /usr/local or /usr/local/bin in PATH.
• Aggressive-mode kill switch survives redeployment: All and Script keep /Library/Management/<rdnn>/dor-aggressive-kill; only Uninstall removes it.
• Support assistance text (from 4.2.1): InfoButtonText=hide no longer hides {supportAssistanceMessage}; set HideSupportAssistanceMessage=true if you relied on the old behavior. Version 5.0.0 is the first stable release with this change.

Version 3.0.0 (and later) of assemble.zsh can import supported settings from a previously generated DDM OS Reminder .plist, infer the RDNN and deployment lane (dev, test, prod), and generate a matched assembled script, organizational .plist, and unsigned .mobileconfig in a single pass.

zsh assemble.zsh drag-and-drop-prior.plist

root@XDT8675309 DDM-OS-Reminder-main # zsh assemble.zsh /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-2.2.0/Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-01-06-073608.plist

===============================================================
🧩 Assemble DDM OS Reminder (5.0.0)
===============================================================

📍 Full Paths:

        Reminder Dialog: /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-main/reminderDialog.zsh
LaunchDaemon Management: /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-main/launchDaemonManagement.zsh
      Working Directory: /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-main
    Resources Directory: /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-main/Resources

🔍 Checking Reverse Domain Name Notation …

    Reminder Dialog (reminderDialog.zsh):
        reverseDomainNameNotation = org.churchofjesuschrist
        organizationScriptName    = dorm

    LaunchDaemon Management (launchDaemonManagement.zsh):
        reverseDomainNameNotation = org.churchofjesuschrist
        organizationScriptName    = dor


📥 Prior plist provided via command-line argument: '/Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-2.2.0/Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-01-06-073608.plist'

ℹ️  Importing supported values from: /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-2.2.0/Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-01-06-073608.plist
🔎 Inferred RDNN from prior plist: 'org.churchofjesuschrist'

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🏷️  Using 'org.churchofjesuschrist' as the Reverse Domain Name Notation
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ℹ️  Prior plist supplied; skipping IT support, branding and restart policy prompts.


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🛠️  Interactive Configuration
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🌐 Localization Artifact Mode
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Localization Output (Full / [M]inimal / [S]elected languages) [Full] (or ‘X’ to exit): m

ℹ️  Localization mode set to: minimal localization surface (base keys + English localized keys)

🌐 Artifact Localization: minimal localization surface (base keys + English localized keys)


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🚦 Select Deployment Mode:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

  1) 🧪 Development - Keep placeholder text for local testing
  2) 🔬 Testing     - Replace placeholder text with 'TEST' for staging
  3) 🚀 Production  - Remove placeholder text for clean deployment

  [Press ‘X’ to exit ❎]

Enter mode [1/2/3]: 3

📦 Deployment Mode: prod

🔧 Inserting reminderDialog.zsh into launchDaemonManagement.zsh  …

✅ Assembly complete [2026-10-07-051723]
   → Artifacts/ddm-os-reminder-assembled-2026-10-07-051723.zsh

🔁 Updating reverseDomainNameNotation to 'org.churchofjesuschrist' in assembled script …

🔍 Performing syntax check on 'Artifacts/ddm-os-reminder-assembled-2026-10-07-051723.zsh' …
    ✅ Syntax check passed.

🗂  Generating LaunchDaemon plist …
    🗂  Creating org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm plist from /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-main/Resources/sample.plist …

    🔧 Updating internal plist content …
    🔓 Production mode: removing placeholder text for clean deployment
    🔧 Importing supported values from prior plist …
    ℹ️  Preserving imported ScriptLog: /var/log/org.churchofjesuschrist.log
    🌐 Removed 249 localized key(s) from generated plist
   → Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-10-07-051723-prod.plist

🧩 Generating Configuration Profile (.mobileconfig) …
   → Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-10-07-051723-prod-unsigned.mobileconfig

🔍 Performing syntax check on 'Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-10-07-051723-prod-unsigned.mobileconfig' …
    ✅ Profile syntax check passed.

🔁 Renaming assembled script …

🔁 Updating scriptLog path based on RDNN …

🏁 Done.

📦 Deployment Artifacts:
        Assembled Script: Artifacts/ddm-os-reminder-org.churchofjesuschrist-2026-10-07-051723-prod.zsh
    Organizational Plist: Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-10-07-051723-prod.plist
   Configuration Profile: Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-10-07-051723-prod-unsigned.mobileconfig
  Deployed Runtime Assets: /Library/Management/<RDNN>/dor-starter.zsh, dor-state.plist, dor.pid

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⚠️  Important Next Steps:
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  Production Artifacts Generated:
    - All placeholder text removed (clean output)
    - Localization artifact mode: minimal localization surface (base keys + English localized keys)
    - Supported configuration values imported from prior plist
    - Prior plist: /Users/dan/Downloads/DDM-OS-Reminder-2.2.0/Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-01-06-073608.plist
    - ScriptLog resolved to '/var/log/org.churchofjesuschrist.log'

  Recommended review items:
    - Support team name, phone, email, website
    - DailyReminderTimes baseline schedule
    - AggressiveModePastDeadlineHours and AggressiveModeFrequencyMinutes
    - Localization key set matches intended artifact mode
    - Imported ScriptLog path and any carried-forward KB/help visibility
    - Organization overlay icon URLs
    - Button labels and dialog messages

  Files to review:
    - Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-10-07-051723-prod.plist
    - Artifacts/org.churchofjesuschrist.dorm-2026-10-07-051723-prod-unsigned.mobileconfig

===============================================================

As always, carefully review each deployment artifact and distribute the appropriate files to a single test Mac via your MDM. (See Steps 2.2 through 2.4.)

Author’s Highly Opinionated Thought: There are enough changes since version 2.1.0 (and earlier) that it’s best to just start-from-scratch — first uninstalling earlier versions — rather than attempting to upgrade to the latest version.

AI-generated documentation is available in the GitHub repository

Diagrams: Comprehensive, AI-generated visual diagrams to augment this documentation

1. Executive Overview: High-level lifecycle view for Mac Admins who need the big picture first
2. System Architecture: Complete ecosystem overview from development through runtime execution
3. Runtime Decision Tree: Complete decision logic executed each time the LaunchDaemon triggers
4. Deadline Timeline: Visual representation of how user experience changes as deadline approaches
5. Deployment Workflow: Step-by-step guide for administrators deploying DDM OS Reminder
6. Configuration Hierarchy: 3-tier preference system showing precedence rules
7. Configuration Reference: Complete reference for all configurable preferences

A number of Mac Admin quality-of-life scripts are available in the GitHub repository

Scripts

1. The assemble.zsh script creates combined, deployable artifacts of your customized scripts
2. Create Self-extracting encodes the most recently assembled script for easier deployment with some MDMs; version 2.4.0 extracts into a private mktemp -d directory and forwards MDM Script Parameters 4–6 (real-world testing and feedback welcome)
3. Create .plist creates .plist and .mobileconfig, based on your customizations to reminderDialog.zsh (real-world testing and feedback welcome)
4. Extension Attributes were created for and tested on Jamf Pro and can most likely be adapted for other MDMs
5. Jamf-getDDMstatusFromCSV.zsh (version 1.4.0 keeps API credentials and bearer tokens out of process arguments); See: DDM Status from .CSV (1.3.0)

Special thanks to Max Sundell for his write-up

Create and deploy a macOS configuration profile (.mobileconfig)

The following have proved helpful during development and testing

XTRACE

Execute the client-side reminder dialog script — under xtrace with a custom prompt — using the following as an example, substituting your organization’s Reverse Domain Name Notation:

• Note: Once the reminder dialog appears, the last several output blocks tend to be the most informative

zsh -c 'PS4=" → "; zsh -x "$1"' -- /Library/Management/org.churchofjesuschrist/dor.zsh

Force-display

The following commands can be used to manually execute the deployed reminder runtime and force-display the reminder dialog on Macs with a pending update and valid DDM enforcement state.

###
# Force-display Reminder Dialog
#
# Note: Works only on Macs with pending updates
# AND a valid DDM enforcement state
###

rdnn="org.churchofjesuschrist"

rm -v "/var/log/${rdnn}.log"

zsh "/Library/Management/${rdnn}/dor.zsh" demo

Note: The above bypasses the so-called “heartbeat” scheduler; use monitorRemoteSession.zsh when validating dor-starter.zsh, dor-state.plist, NextScheduledReminder, or LaunchDaemon behavior.

rdnn="org.churchofjesuschrist"

zsh Resources/monitorRemoteSession.zsh --rdnn "${rdnn}" --watch 5

launchctl kickstart -kp system/"${rdnn}".dor

Conduct the following troubleshooting steps in an elevated Terminal session, on a test Mac in-scope of a pending Declarative Device Management-enforced macOS update from your MDM server.

System Settings > General > Device Management > MDM Profile > Device Declarations

1. Core Functionality

1. Define a rdnn variable to aid in completing the following steps:

rdnn="org.churchofjesuschrist"

2. Start monitorRemoteSession.zsh for one live view of the heartbeat LaunchDaemon, runtime files, scheduler state, PID, matching processes, aggressive-mode kill switch, and recent logs:

zsh Resources/monitorRemoteSession.zsh --rdnn "${rdnn}" --watch 5

3. Review the client-side LaunchDaemon for any obvious issues:

plutil -p /Library/LaunchDaemons/"${rdnn}.dor.plist"

launchctl print system/"${rdnn}.dor" 2>/dev/null | grep -E 'state =|last exit code =|program =|path ='

4. Confirm the deployed runtime assets exist and review scheduler state (for example, NextScheduledReminder and, when Update Tonight suppression is active, UpdateTonightSuppressionUntil):

ls -l /Library/Management/"${rdnn}"/dor.zsh
ls -l /Library/Management/"${rdnn}"/dor-starter.zsh
ls -l /Library/Management/"${rdnn}"/dor-state.plist
ls -l /Library/Management/"${rdnn}"/dor.pid

plutil -p /Library/Management/"${rdnn}"/dor-state.plist

5. Review the client-side managed preferences .plist for any obvious issues:

plutil -lint /Library/Managed\ Preferences/"${rdnn}".dorm.plist

plutil -p /Library/Managed\ Preferences/"${rdnn}".dorm.plist

6. Review the script’s log for warnings and errors:

scriptLog=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'Print :ScriptLog' "/Library/Managed Preferences/${rdnn}.dorm.plist" 2>/dev/null || /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'Print :ScriptLog' "/Library/Preferences/${rdnn}.dorm.plist" 2>/dev/null || echo "/var/log/${rdnn}.log")

grep -nE '^(dor|dorm) \([^)]*\): .* \[(WARNING|ERROR|FATAL ERROR)\]' "${scriptLog}"

7. Review the /var/log/install.log for relevant DDM and Software Update entries:
   • Space : next page
   • Arrow keys : scroll horizontally or vertically
   • q : quit

tail -n 1000 /var/log/install.log | grep -nE 'declarationFromKeys\]: Falling back to default applicable declaration|Found DDM enforced install \(|EnforcedInstallDate:|requestedPMV=|MADownloadNoMatchFound|pallasNoPMVMatchFound=true|No available updates found\. Please try again later\.|setPastDuePaddedEnforcementDate|Removed [0-9]+ invalid declarations|No updates found for DDM to enforce|Found product with requested PMV|Armed DDM activity scheduler|SUOSUInstallTonightManager|SUOSUScheduler' | less -S

8. Beginning with version 5.0.0, confirm the active softwareupdated DDM declarations used to corroborate install.log candidates, then check the script’s log for corroboration warnings:

plutil -p /var/db/softwareupdate/SoftwareUpdateDDMStatePersistence.plist | grep -E 'TargetOSVersion|TargetLocalDateTime'

grep -nE 'softwareupdate DDM state|absent from softwareupdate DDM state' "${scriptLog}"

9. To more easily validate the DDM declaration parsing logic, run the following Jamf Pro Extension Attribute scripts locally and confirm the reported date and version match the pending DDM-enforced macOS update from your MDM server (both apply the same softwareupdated corroboration as the runtime):
   • Resources/JamfEA-Pending_OS_Update_Date.zsh
   • Resources/JamfEA-Pending_OS_Update_Version.zsh

root@XDT8675309 DDM-OS-Reminder-main # zsh Resources/JamfEA-Pending_OS_Update_Date.zsh
<result>2026-07-14 18:00:00</result>

root@XDT8675309 DDM-OS-Reminder-main # zsh Resources/JamfEA-Pending_OS_Update_Version.zsh
<result>26.5.2</result>

---

When troubleshooting user-interface issues, leverage swiftDialog’s dialogcli binary and your client-side managed preferences .plist values.

2. User-interface Issues

1. Confirm dialogcli is installed and working as expected (beginning with version 5.0.0, DDM OS Reminder invokes swiftDialog from its app bundle, not /usr/local/bin/dialog):

"/Library/Application Support/Dialog/Dialog.app/Contents/MacOS/dialogcli" --title "Dialog Test" --message "swiftDialog is installed and can render a basic dialog." --icon /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app --infotext

2. Define a rdnn variable to aid in completing the following steps:

rdnn="org.churchofjesuschrist"

3. Use Resources/reminderDialogPreferenceTest.zsh when you want to validate deployed preferences:

zsh Resources/reminderDialogPreferenceTest.zsh --rdnn "${rdnn}"