[MacTUG] FW: Software Update - MacOS Big Sur & Safari 14.0.1

[jjohnston at uwaterloo.ca]

AnyConnect will work under Big Sur, but it has different failure modes.  Sometimes it:
  - Works fine
  - the OS flags it as a 32-bit app and won't even let you uninstall it (run a manual uninstallation as mentioned below, then reinstall app)
  - the OS doesn't trust the System Extension (repeatedly).  Go to system preferences, enable it, reboot -- repeat until the system preferences no longer complains (took 3 tries on one machine). Could also just reinstall.
  - Installs fine, launches fine then the GUI gets into a tight loop demanding that you enter a valid server address, but the pop-ups block access to the input field AND you cannot kill it through normal methods (GUI is too busy).  So, do a 'ps' and kill it from a command prompt.  It will work fine on the next launch.
These are all of the cases that I've encountered/debugged so far.  There are probably more.

All of the above is happening on classic Macs with Intel chips ... I haven't tried Apple Silicon yet.

Jim

From: MacTUG <mactug-bounces at lists.uwaterloo.ca> On Behalf Of jjohnston at uwaterloo.ca
Sent: November 13, 2020 3:04 PM
To: mactug at lists.uwaterloo.ca
Subject: Re: [MacTUG] FW: Software Update - MacOS Big Sur & Safari 14.0.1


On my Big Sur test Mac, I ran (as root):

root at mfcfmac41 ~ # /opt/cisco/vpn/bin/vpn_uninstall.sh
Uninstalling Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client...
/opt/cisco/vpn/bin/vpn_uninstall.sh: line 88: /opt/cisco/anyconnect/bin/manifesttool: Bad CPU type in executable
Executing: /usr/bin/kmutil showloaded
No variant specified, falling back to release
Successfully removed Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client from the system.

Then I clean installed the VPN client again and it works fine now.
In this case I installed the client via JAMF policy, but
that policy literally runs the installer that we grabbed from
cn-vpn.uwaterloo.ca, so it should work for anyone.

This version of the client still asks for the Cisco system extension to
be approved, and a reboot to activate it once the user has approved it.
  System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> New system extension... (at bottom)

So, as long as the end user has local admin rights (or you can screen share),
or the Mac is managed and MDM/DEP is configured correctly, then this will be
a nuisance but not insurmountable.

Jim

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