Removing the macOS Big Sur upgrade advertisement

Introduction

Apple actively promotes the upgrade to macOS Big Sur in the Software Update pane in the System Preferences encouraging users to install it. If you are not yet ready to support users running macOS Big Sur, you can hide this advertisement. This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to do this.

Prerequisites

Removing the macOS Big Sur upgrade advertisement requires user-approved MDM enrollment. Before following the instructions below, please make sure that target Macs were enrolled in MDM using one of the following methods:

• Apple Business Manager enrollment
• Apple School Manager enrollment
• User-approved MDM enrollment

Removing the macOS Big Sur Upgrade Advertisement

Create a Configuration Item with Scripts for Disabling the Advertisement

1. In the SCCM Console, navigate to \Assets and Compliance\Overview\Compliance Settings\Configuration Items.
2. Choose the Create Configuration Item action.
3. On the General page, enter the Name of the configuration item, select the type of the configuration item – Mac OS X (custom), and click the Next button.
   
   
   
    
4. On the Supported Platforms page, leave the Select All option checked, and click the Next button.
   
   
   
    
5. On the Settings page, click the New... button.
   
   
    
6. In the Create Setting dialog, set the Setting type to Script and the Data type to String.
   
   
   
    
7. Then click the Edit Script... button in the Discovery script section. In the Edit Discovery Script dialog, click Open... and choose the discover.sh file.
   
   
   
   NOTE: Because of Unix line endings, the script may look unformatted in the editor. Nonetheless, the script will be saved with the correct line endings when you click OK.
   Click OK to save the discovery script and close the dialog.
    
8. Then click the Add Script... button in the Remediation script section.
   
   
    
9. In the Edit Remediation Script dialog click Open... and choose the remediate.sh file.
   
   
   
   Click OK to save and close the dialog.
   
    
10. Select the Compliance Rules tab and click the New... button.
    
    In the Create Rule dialog, choose the Equals rule type and Yes as the value. 
    
    Set the Run the specified remediation script when this setting is noncompliant checkbox.
    
    
    
    Then click OK to save and close the dialog.
     
11. Click OK to save and close the Create Setting dialog.
     
12. Then go through the following pages of the Create Configuration Item Wizard, clicking the Next button:
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Click the Close button to complete the creation of the configuration item.

Create a Configuration Baseline for the Configuration Item

1. In the SCCM Console, navigate to \Assets and Compliance\Overview\Compliance Settings\Configuration Baselines.
2. Choose the Create Configuration Baseline action.
3. In the Create Configuration Baseline dialog:
   
   Enter the baseline name.
   Add the configuration item to the baseline using the Add button and then Configuration Items action.
   
   
   
   Click OK to save and close the dialog.
   
   

Deploy the Configuration Baseline

1. Choose the baseline created in the previous step.
2. Choose the Deploy action.
3. In the Deploy Configuration Baseline dialog:
   
   Use the Browse... button to select a collection of Macs.
   Use controls in the Schedule section to specify the compliance evaluation schedule.
   
   Note: We recommend the "Run every day" schedule
   
   
   
   Сlick OK to save and close the dialog.

Attachments

The discover.sh and remediate.sh scripts.