The pkgbuild binary and Jamf Composer don't support adding single files of 8 GB or more to a package. Some apps like Install macOS Big Sur.app include files larger than 8 GB in their bundles. This script will create a deployable PKG file from apps whose bundles include those large files.

MegaPKGr.zsh

#!/bin/zsh

:<<ABOUT_THIS_SCRIPT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Written by:William Smith
	Professional Services Engineer
	Jamf
	bill@talkingmoose.net
	https://gist.github.com/e9ed319226c6da30dd633725e48a97b0
		
	Originally posted: October 15, 2020
	Updated: December 2, 2020
	Updated: December 11, 2020

	Purpose: Creates a deployable PKG file from an app whose app bundle
	contains one or more files larger than the 8 GB limit supported by pkgbuild
	or Jamf Composer.
	
	Instructions:
	
	1. Save the script to a file named MegaPKGr.zsh on your Mac.
	2. If necessary, run 'chmod +x /path/to/MegaPKGr.zsh' to make it execu-
	   table.
	3. To run the script, open Terminal and enter:
	   /path/to/MegaPKGr.zsh /path/to/large.app

	Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under
	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

	"If you try to save wisdom until the world is wise, Father,
	the world will never have it."
	
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT_THIS_SCRIPT


function logmessage()	{
	echo -ne "$1\r"
	/bin/sleep 1
}

function logresult()	{
	if [ $? = 0 ] ; then
		echo "$1"
		/bin/date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S	$1" >> "$logFile"
		/bin/sleep 1
	else
		echo "$2"
		/bin/date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S	$2" >> "$logFile"
		echo "Aborting script"
		/bin/date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S	Aborting script" >> "$logFile"
		cleanup
		exit 1
	fi
}

function cleanup()	{
	logmessage "Removing temporary items..."
	/bin/rm -Rf "$tempDirectory"
	logresult "Succeeded removing temporary items" "Failed removing temporary items"
}

# need to run this script with elevated privileges

if [ $EUID -ne 0 ]; then
	echo
	echo "This script requires elevated privileges. Run it again with \"sudo\"."
	echo
	exit 0
fi

# define log file location

logFile="/Library/Logs/MegaPKGr.log"

# choose app for packaging

appPath="$1"

while [[ "$appPath" = "" ]]
do
	echo
	echo "Drag the app for packaging into this Terminal window and press return."
	echo "To abort this script, press Control-C."
	echo
	read -p "App path: " appPath
done

app=$( /usr/bin/basename "$appPath" )

echo

# the time right now

startTime=$( /bin/date '+%s' )

# prompt for folder for the final package

theCommand='set chooseFolder to POSIX path of (choose folder with prompt "Save package to this folder...")'

chooseDirectory=$( /usr/bin/osascript -e "$theCommand" )

# verify chosen directory is writable

logmessage "Verifying chosen folder..."
/usr/bin/touch "$chooseDirectory/.test"
logresult "Chosen folder is writable" "Chosen folder is not writable"

/bin/rm "$chooseDirectory/.test"

# verify disk space needed to package app

appSize=$( /usr/bin/du -md 0 "$appPath" | /usr/bin/awk '{ print $1 }' )
logmessage "Size of \"$app\" in MB: $appSize"

availableSpace=$( /bin/df -g /System/Volumes/Data | /usr/bin/grep dev | /usr/bin/awk '{ print $4 }' )
logmessage "Available disk space: $availableSpace GB                         "

neededSpace=$(( appSize * 3 / 1024 ))
logmessage "Disk space required to build package: $neededSpace GB                         "

[ $availableSpace -gt $neededSpace ]
logresult "Disk has enough free space to build \"$app.pkg\"" "Disk does not have enough free space to build \"$app.pkg\""

echo "Log file is located in /Library/Logs/MegaPKGr.log"

echo

# create temporary working directory

logmessage "Creating temporary working directory..."
tempDirectory=$( /usr/bin/mktemp -d "/private/tmp/MegaPKGr.XXXXXX" )
logresult "Succeeded creating temporary working directory" "Failed creating temporary working directory"

# create dmg from the app to create a single file

logmessage "Creating disk image (DMG) archive of \"$app\"..."
/usr/bin/hdiutil create -quiet "$tempDirectory/$app.dmg" -ov -volname MegaPKGr -fs APFS -srcfolder "$appPath"
logresult "Succeeded creating DMG archive of $app" "Failed creating DMG archive of $app"

# create folder structure for pkgbuild

logmessage "Ceating pkgbuild ROOT directory..."
/bin/mkdir -p "$tempDirectory/ROOT/private/tmp/MegaPKGrFileParts" && cd "$tempDirectory/ROOT/private/tmp/MegaPKGrFileParts"
logresult "Succeeded creating pkgbuild ROOT directory" "Failed creating pkgbuild ROOT directory"

logmessage "Creating pkgbuild Scripts directory"
/bin/mkdir -p "$tempDirectory/Scripts"
logresult "Succeeded creating pkgbuild Scripts directory" "Failed creating pkgbuild Scripts directory"

# split archive file into 500 MB file chunks

logmessage "Creating 500 MB file chunks from archive file..."
/usr/bin/split -b 500m "$tempDirectory/$app.dmg"
logresult "Succeeded creating 500 MB file chunks from archive file" "Failed creating 500 MB file chunks from archive file"

# create postinstall script for pkgbuild

logmessage "Creating pkgbuild postinstall script..."
/bin/cat << 'EOF' > "$tempDirectory/Scripts/postinstall"
#!/bin/bash

function logresult()	{
	if [ $? = 0 ] ; then
		echo "$1"
	else
		echo "$2"
		exit 1
	fi
}

function cleanup()	{
	/bin/rm -Rf "$tempDirectory/" "/private/tmp/MegaPKGr"*
	logresult "[RESULT: $?] Succeeded removing temporary items" "[ERROR: $?] Failed removing temporary items"
}

# create temporary working directory
echo "Creating temporary working directory"
tempDirectory=$( /usr/bin/mktemp -d "/private/tmp/MegaPKGr.XXXXXX" )
logresult "[RESULT: $?] Succeeded creating temporary working directory" "[ERROR: $?] Failed creating temporary working directory"

# change directory to temporary working directory
echo "Changing directory to working directory '$tempDirectory'"
cd "$tempDirectory"
logresult "[RESULT: $?] Succeeded changing to temporary working directory" "[ERROR: $?] Failed changing to temporary working directory"

# recombine file parts
echo "Recombining file parts"
/bin/cat /private/tmp/MegaPKGrFileParts/x* > "$tempDirectory/MegaPKGrFileParts.dmg"
logresult "[RESULT: $?] Succeeded recombining MegaPKGrFileParts file parts" "[ERROR: $?] Failed recombining MegaPKGrFileParts file parts"

# copy the application to original location
echo "Extracting archived file"

# mounting recombined DMG
/usr/bin/hdiutil attach -nobrowse "$tempDirectory/MegaPKGrFileParts.dmg"
logresult "[RESULT: $?] Succeeded mounting DMG" "[ERROR: $?] Failed mounting DMG"

# dittoing DMG contents to local disk
/usr/bin/ditto -rsrc "/Volumes/MegaPKGr/" /Applications
logresult "[RESULT: $?] Succeeded dittoing files to specified location" "[ERROR: $?] Failed dittoing files to specified location"

# unmounting recombined DMG
/sbin/umount "/Volumes/MegaPKGr"
logresult "[RESULT: $?] Succeeded unmounting DMG" "[ERROR: $?] Failed unmounting DMG"

# delete temporary files
echo "Deleting temporary items"
cleanup

exit 0
EOF

/bin/chmod +x "$tempDirectory/Scripts/postinstall"
logresult "Succeeded creating pkgbuild postinstall script" "Failed creating pkgbuild postinstall script"

# create installer package

logmessage "Creating package \"$app.pkg\"..."
/usr/bin/pkgbuild --quiet --identifier net.talkingmoose.MegaPKGr --version "1.0.0" --scripts "$tempDirectory/Scripts" --root "$tempDirectory/ROOT" "$chooseDirectory/$app.pkg"
logresult "Succeeded creating package \"$app.pkg\" in $chooseDirectory" "Failed creating package \"$app.pkg\" in \"$chooseDirectory\""

# remove temporary files

logmessage "Removing temporary items..."
cleanup

echo

# calculate and report script run time

stopTime=$( /bin/date '+%s' )
seconds=$(( $stopTime-$startTime ))
formattedTime=$( /bin/date -j -f "%s" "$seconds" '+%M minutes and %S seconds' )
logresult "Packaging time: $formattedTime"

echo

exit 0

@rhype, a few folks have reported issues running the same command on different Macs and receiving different results. Not sure what could be different between the machines other than one is enabled for iCloud and the other is not.

Because you and @JamesV93 are trying to do this with Big Sur, I suggest using Armin Briegel's fetch-installer-pkg script instead. It downloads the same Apple installer package that Software Update would download from Apple and it's already in PKG format.

While my script should work, I haven't been able to reproduce any of the failures with it because I'm likely not able to reproduce the environmental conditions causing them.

@talkingmoose
Thanks for this, I was able to get around the error "Failed creating DMG archive of Install macOS Big Sur.app" by uninstalling the Jamf Pro tools and re-installing it. However, I am now getting the error: "Installation failed. The package could not be verified." I have tried this on multiple devices, on different networks but the issue still persists. I am going to try the Armin Briegel's fetch-installer-pkg script you suggested. I will provide updates. Thanks for your help.

@talkingmoose

Hi Bill!

We've met before when you came onsite to Cadence Design Systems (in San Jose,Ca) years ago to help with my environment back then, just wanted to say hi again, how you doing?!

Anyhow, this might be a small syntax error somewhere but I am getting the following error when running your script:

% sudo ./MegaPKGr.zsh /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur.app

35:93: execution error: User canceled. (-128)
touch: /.test: Read-only file system
Chosen folder is not writable
Aborting script
Succeeded removing temporary items

Let me know if you can shed a light, thanks and stay safe!

-Dave

Never mind what I said, for some reason, I couldn't even run ls -la in any of my directories, changed to a clean system and was able to run the command just fine:

Desktop % ls -la
ls: .: Operation not permitted

Sorry for the noise...thank you and have a good year!

@talkingmoose

thank you writing this script, this really helps us.
My question, can we put the .app under /private/var ? instead /Application directory.
if yes, then where we need to make change in script.
Actually, I am trying to deploy the package via Jamf and want to cache the package under /private/var/ ,so that, its not visible for users to do any thing.

@Kuldeep-Github

replace the only reference to "/Applications" with the new destination; i just tested with /private/var/tmp and it placed the installer there for me instead.

Thank you, @dev-yeet.
Yes it drops the location where we want by just replacing "/Application" to new_path