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How to Install Huntress on macOS using the Swif App Template

The Huntress macOS application template in Swif allows for a streamlined, one-click deployment of the Huntress agent to your managed Mac devices. This template automates the installation of the required system extension profile and the execution of the deployment script.


Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following information from your Huntress portal:

  • Huntress Account Key: A unique 32-character hex key for your account.

  • Organization Key: The key for the specific organization you are deploying to (e.g., your-org-name).


Step-by-Step Setup

  1. Navigate to Applications
    Go to Device Management > Applications and select the macOS tab.

  2. Select the Huntress Template
    Click View All Templates (or scroll through the template carousel) and locate the Huntress Template. Click the Configure ▼ dropdown and select for macOS.

  3. Configure the Application
    The template creation flow will open with pre-filled metadata and scripts.

  4. Update the Deployment Script
    Scroll to the Post-Install Command Script section. You will see two yellow warning banners alerting you to replace the placeholders in the script:

    • Locate defaultAccountKey="__ACCOUNT_KEY__" and replace __ACCOUNT_KEY__ with your actual Huntress Account Key.

    • Locate defaultOrgKey="__ORGANIZATION_KEY__" and replace __ORGANIZATION_KEY__ with your actual Organization Key.

    Note: The warning banners will disappear once valid values are entered.

  5. Review and Create
    The template automatically includes the necessary mobileconfig profile for the Huntress System Extension. Review the remaining settings and click Create to add Huntress to your application list.

  6. Assign to Devices
    Once created, the Huntress app will appear in your macOS Applications list. You can now assign it to individual devices or groups.


How it Works

  • Profile Installation: Swif first installs the Huntress System Extension profile to ensure the agent has the necessary permissions.

  • Silent Installation: The post-install script downloads and installs the Huntress agent silently in the background.

  • Idempotency: The deployment script is designed to be "idempotent." If Huntress is already installed and running healthily on a device, the script will return a success code instead of attempting a redundant reinstallation.


Verification

To verify that the installation was successful, Swif uses an Install-check script that confirms the existence of the Huntress application at:
/Applications/Huntress.app/Contents/MacOS/Huntress

If the agent is present and executable, the device will report a successful installation status in the Swif dashboard.

You can run this command to check statsu:

sudo /Applications/Huntress.app/Contents/MacOS/Huntress status

Huntress Agent Version: 0.14.182
Full Disk Access for Agent: true
Extension Status: installed
System Extension version: 0.14.182
Full Disk Access for Extension: true
EDR status: enabled
Preauthorization Status: notGranted
Host Isolation Status: notActivated

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