Skip to main content
This Library Item is available for Mac computers

​
What is Liftoff?

Liftoff is Iru Endpoint’s first-run setup experience for Mac. After enrollment, it appears on the Mac and shows the user progress while Library Items from the Blueprint install, before they start using the Mac.

​
How Liftoff Works

The Install screen is a list of Library Items from the Blueprint. As the Mac’s first agent check-in runs, each item goes from pending to completed. Liftoff does not change how the check-in works. These Library Item types appear in the list:
  • Custom Scripts
  • Custom Printers
  • Custom Apps
  • Auto Apps
If you use Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) and want specific Library Items to install during Setup Assistant before Liftoff, configure Install Library Items during Setup Assistant in the Automated Device Enrollment Library Item.

​
Liftoff Settings for Library Items

For Custom Apps, Custom Scripts, and Custom Printers, Liftoff Settings on the Library Item includes:
  • Hide in Liftoff: If selected, the Library Item still processes during Liftoff but is not shown to the end user. While it processes, Liftoff shows Processing additional required configurations before proceeding… at the bottom of the screen. This setting does not affect ordering.
  • Friendly name (optional): If specified, Liftoff shows this name to the end user instead of the Library Item Name. The Iru Agent still orders those Library Items by Name during check-in.
Set Liftoff Settings on: Auto Apps do not include Liftoff Settings.

​
Create a Liftoff Library Item

Custom Apps or Custom Scripts that wait on user input can potentially be blocked from view and cause Liftoff to hang until the agent check-in times out.
To add this Library Item to your Iru Endpoint Library, follow the steps outlined in the Library Overview article. Like Automated Device Enrollment, you can only have a single Liftoff Library Item per Blueprint.
1

Configure Liftoff Name

Give your Liftoff configuration a Name.
2

Assign to Blueprint

Assign the Liftoff configuration to your desired Blueprint.
3

Select Enrollment Trigger

Select your Enrollment trigger. The available options include:
  • All enrollments: Liftoff will be presented regardless of enrollment type
  • Automated Device Enrollment only: Liftoff will only be presented to devices enrolled via Automated Device Enrollment
  • Manual enrollment only: Liftoff will only be presented to devices enrolled via Manual device enrollment
4

Upload Logo

Upload a Logo, a graphic that will appear in the upper-left corner of Liftoff. This is optional. The default image is for light mode.
  • If you also wish to include an icon for dark mode, select Add Dark mode logo after uploading your light mode logo. This icon will be used instead of the main logo when the user enables Dark Mode.
5

Select Display Mode

Select a Display mode. We recommend using Window mode for initial testing for easy troubleshooting. Your display mode options are:
  • Full screen: Liftoff will be presented in Full screen mode and will prevent the use of the Mac until the initial agent check-in is completed. You can use the exit password to exit Liftoff early
  • Window: Liftoff will be presented in windowed mode. This will not prevent the use of the Mac, but Liftoff will be locked to the forefront. You can use the exit password to exit Liftoff early
6

Configure Exit Password

An Exit password is automatically generated. Click the eye icon to the right of the field to reveal the current password. Learn how to use the exit password in Exit Password. Users can exit Liftoff by pressing Command-Shift-K-J-D.
7

Generate new password

To replace the existing exit password, click Generate new password and then click Save. A replaced exit password is not logged.
8

Customize Install Screen

Customize the Install screen header and subheader; see the Customize the Install Screen section below.
9

Switch to Light Mode or Dark Mode preview (Install screen)

Switch between Light Mode and Dark Mode previews to see how the Install screen will appear.
10

Customize Help Screen

Customize the Help screen header and body; see the Customize the Help Screen section below.
11

Switch to Light Mode or Dark Mode preview (Help screen)

Switch between Light Mode and Dark Mode previews to see how the Help screen will appear.
12

Configure Complete Screen

You can optionally turn off the Complete screen. If the Complete screen is not enabled, Liftoff will exit after completion.
13

Customize the Complete screen header, subheader, and cards

See the Customize the Complete Screen section below.
14

Switch to Light Mode or Dark Mode preview (Complete screen)

Switch between Light Mode and Dark Mode previews to see how the Complete screen will appear.
15

Save Configuration

Click Save when you are satisfied with your Liftoff configuration.

​
Customizing Liftoff

​
Customize the Install Screen

The Install screen’s header and subheader can be customized. As you update the text on the right side of the window, the preview on the left is automatically updated to provide a preview of how it will be displayed for your users.
1

Specify Install screen header

Specify a Header for the Install screen.
2

Specify Install screen subheader

Specify a Subheader for the Install screen.
3

Restore defaults (optional)

You can restore the default text provided by clicking Restore defaults.
4

Save customizations

Click Done when you are finished with your customizations. The preview in the web app will update, reflecting your changes.

​
Customize the Help Screen

The Help screen’s header and subheader can be customized. Note that as you update the text on the right side of the window, the preview on the left is automatically updated to provide a preview of how it will be displayed for your users.
1

Specify Help screen header

Specify a Header for the Help screen.
2

Specify Help screen body

Specify a Body for the Help screen.
3

Restore defaults (optional)

You can restore the default text provided by clicking Restore defaults.
4

Save customizations

Click Done when you are finished with your customizations. The preview in the web app will update, reflecting your changes.

​
Customize the Complete Screen

The Complete screen’s header and subheader can be customized. Note that as you update the text on the right side of the window, the preview on the left is automatically updated to provide a preview of how it will be displayed for your users.
1

Specify Complete screen header

Specify a Header for the Complete screen.
2

Specify Complete screen subheader

Specify a Subheader for the Complete screen.
3

Reorganize or delete links

Click and drag the drag-and-drop icon to reorganize the links. Click the trash icon to delete a link.
4

Add additional links

Click Add link to add an additional link; you can have a maximum of four.
5

Upload custom icon

Upload a custom icon for your link.
6

Specify link title

Specify a Title for the link (required).
7

Specify link subtitle

Specify a Subtitle for the link (required).
8

Specify button text

Specify the Button text for the link (required).
9

Specify button URL

Specify a Button URL for the link, which will be launched when the user clicks the button (required). Button URLs support the following URL schemes:
  • http:// or https://
    • Opens in the default browser, which is Safari unless the user has selected a different one.
  • mailto://
    • Opens in the default mail app, which is Mail unless the user has selected a different one.
    • On iOS and iPadOS, if the user hasn’t yet configured a mail account, tapping a mailto:// bookmark results in an error.
  • file:// (only supported on macOS) For more information about file paths in macOS, please refer to Apple’s documentation.
    • Opens a file from a specified path.
    • Using three consecutive slashes, such as file:///path/to/file when defining file paths is recommended.
10

Restore defaults (optional)

If you need to restore the provided defaults, click Restore defaults.
11

Save customizations

Click Done when you are done with your customizations.

​
Exit Password

Liftoff has an exit password that can be used when Liftoff is in Full Screen or Window mode. In either case, the exit password can be used in the following scenarios:
  • The exit password can be used to unlock Full-screen mode, which allows for troubleshooting if Library Items are not installed as intended. This is only applicable when using full-screen mode.
  • The exit password can be used to quit the app through the menu bar before the agent run completes; this additionally unloads the launch agent.
    • This can be done after using the exit password to release Liftoff from Full Screen or Window mode. Window mode initially does not allow an early exit or show the Quit option in the menu bar.
  • To open the Exit Password prompt, press these keys simultaneously: Command-Shift-K-J-D.

​
Liftoff Logic Flow

​
Evaluation of Liftoff Library Item

  • If there’s no Liftoff configuration in the Blueprint, the Iru Agent will note that Liftoff is not eligible and won’t try to retrieve the configuration again.
  • If a Liftoff configuration is present in the Blueprint, the details will be fetched.

​
Enrollment Triggers

  • Automated Device Enrollment Only or Manual Device Enrollment Only: The agent will check the Mac’s enrollment type. If it doesn’t match the criteria, the agent will record that Liftoff is not eligible and won’t try to retrieve the configuration again.
  • All Enrollments: The agent will skip evaluating the enrollment type.

​
Eligibility Check

  • If the enrollment criteria are met, the agent will evaluate the duration of the Mac’s enrollment.
  • If the Mac has been enrolled for more than 1 hour, the agent will record that Liftoff is not eligible and won’t try to retrieve the configuration again.
  • If all criteria are satisfied, the macOS agent will load the LaunchAgent to start Liftoff and initiate an initial check-in.

​
Running Parameters with Liftoff

  • If there’s no Liftoff configuration in the Blueprint, the Iru Agent will run all Parameters and then all Library Items in the Blueprint.
  • If a Liftoff configuration is present in the Blueprint, the Iru Agent will run all Library Items first, followed by all Parameters in the Blueprint.

​
Other Considerations

When using Liftoff with macOS Tahoe, ensure the OS Showcase screen is skipped in both your Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) configuration and Setup Assistant Library Item to prevent configuration interruptions.

​
Device Localization

When a user configures their macOS device to use one of the supported languages as its primary language, Liftoff displays localized text for non-customizable strings. No admin configuration is required to enable this capability. The following languages are supported:
  • Chinese (Simplified)
  • French / French (Canada)
  • German
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Portuguese
  • Portuguese (Brazil)
  • Spanish

​
Required Restarts

If single or multiple Library Items require a restart (such as a Custom App or Custom Script with the “Require restart” option enabled), all restart requests will be collated and held until the end of the Liftoff run. When a Library Item installed through Liftoff requires a restart, the restart timer will always be 5 minutes instead of the typical 30-minute countdown.

​
Managed OS

Managed OS settings will not be applied during Liftoff. Instead, after Liftoff has completed, the device will begin to cache the update in the background. Once the update is ready to install the user will be alerted. For Automated Device enrollments, you can also Require a Minimum OS for eligible devices.