Apple Profile Manager error

[Sheridan]

I upgraded our Mac running High Sierra and Profile Manager to Big Sur, understanding that I will need to rebuild Profile Manager as the upgrade completely toasts the configuration. Not a biggie as we only use PM to manage 10 older iMacs.

 

However after the upgrade and reinstalling PM, I can't start the thing, it just comes up with the useless error "an error with code -1 occurred" - thank Apple for that helpful error code!

 

I've tried a reset using the wipeDB command but it still doesn't work. Is there a way to wipe all traces of PM so I can start again, or is it just a flat reinstall of MacOS?

[Brimstone]

Dont use Profile Manager, you will get no where, try Mosyle it's free

[3s-gtech]

Can you get into the Server app okay?

[Sheridan]

Yeah the server app starts ok, its just the final part when you switch on Profile Manager and then the error appears!

 

Edit: Deleting the \Library\Server folder has resolved this, and I've managed to run through the setup - clients don't apply the config though as they get the -1001 error now. I'm sure I've seen that before and I cant remember how I fixed it!

 

I think I'll just wipe the server back to Sierra and reload PM that way - it worked fine for the handful of devices we were using.

[Sheridan]

Looks like PM in Big Sur is a complete non starter - rebuilt from scratch and still can't enroll any devices. All the log shows (SCEPService.log) is:

 

EXCEPTION: SCEP BAD CHALLENGE and

 

Now I have to try and find a way to roll this back a version of two of Macos, as once upgraded to Big Sur you can't use the internet recovery method to roll back.

[3s-gtech]

You should be able to grab the installer from the App Store, then put the image onto a USB stick and install from that. Interesting that it doesn't work on Big Sur, though not surprising. I have a new Mac here to replace our old server - I won't bother!

[Sheridan]

Yeah it worked fine for a few years on HS, wish I'd just left it alone now!

[Sheridan]

I've managed to roll back to my original config, albeit on a rebuilt server. However I'm getting some extremely weird results - for example if I deploy the setting to show 'simple' Finder, then Finder just won't open at all on the client, if I remove it Finder opens ok?

 

I thought it may be profiles left over from the previous server (which no longer exists) but I've deleted the profiles (and deleted /var/db/ConfigurationProfiles) but is there anywhere else Profile Manager puts configuration on a client?