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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Deploy Rosetta 2 as a macOS shell script in Microsoft Intune, running as root:
/usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-licenseThis installs Apple’s Intel-code translation environment on Apple silicon Macs before legacy applications, agents or scripts need it. The script still depends on the Intune management agent, device check-in and direct Internet access, so it cannot solve an enrollment failure that occurs before the agent is operational.
Do you need Rosetta 2?
Apple silicon Macs use ARM processors, while many older macOS applications are compiled for Intel’s x86_64 architecture. Rosetta 2 translates that Intel application code at run time. Native arm64 applications do not need it, and Rosetta does not emulate an entire Intel operating system.
Universal applications can contain both arm64 and Intel binaries. macOS normally uses the native binary, but an administrator or application may deliberately launch the Intel version through Rosetta.
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Install it proactively when your estate includes Intel-only line-of-business software, older VPN, security, printing, monitoring or remote-support agents, Intel-only Java, Python or database tools, or installation scripts that invoke Intel executables. If every application and management component is native arm64, Rosetta is optional rather than a universal requirement. Microsoft’s current Intune management agent has a universal build that runs natively on Apple silicon; Intune itself does not require Rosetta. Microsoft’s shell-script documentation identifies Rosetta as the requirement for x64 applications.
Prerequisites and the ADE limitation
- macOS 12.0 or later under Microsoft’s current shell-script prerequisites.
- An Intune-managed Mac with the Microsoft Intune management agent installed and functioning.
- Direct Internet connectivity. Microsoft states that proxy connections are not supported for this shell-script workflow.
- A Mac that is awake and online when the agent checks in.
- A shell file beginning with a shebang such as
#!/bin/shand smaller than 1 MB.
Shell scripts are delivered by the management agent, which is separate from MDM enrollment. During some Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) and Setup Assistant flows, the agent may not start until Rosetta is present. A Rosetta script delivered through that same agent therefore arrives too late to repair the bootstrap failure. Company Portal may prompt a user to install Rosetta during user-driven enrollment, but that is not a reliable unattended ADE mechanism. Microsoft’s historical sequencing guidance is documented in its Apple silicon support article.
Create a copy-ready Rosetta script
This idempotent version exits successfully on Intel Macs and on Macs where Rosetta is already present, logs locally, and returns softwareupdate’s failure code for Intune retries.
#!/bin/sh
set -u
LOG_FILE="/Library/Logs/InstallRosetta2.log"
exec >> "$LOG_FILE" 2>&1
echo "===== Rosetta 2 installation started: $(date) ====="
ARCH=$(/usr/bin/arch)
if [ "$ARCH" = "i386" ]; then
echo "Intel Mac detected. Rosetta 2 is not required."
exit 0
fi
if [ "$ARCH" != "arm64" ]; then
echo "Unexpected architecture detected: $ARCH"
exit 1
fi
if /usr/sbin/pkgutil --pkg-info com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "Rosetta 2 is already installed."
exit 0
fi
echo "Apple silicon Mac detected. Installing Rosetta 2."
/usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
RESULT=$?
if [ "$RESULT" -eq 0 ]; then
echo "Rosetta 2 installation completed successfully."
else
echo "Rosetta 2 installation failed with exit code $RESULT."
fi
echo "===== Rosetta 2 installation finished: $(date) ====="
exit "$RESULT"The com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto check is a practical indicator, not a permanent Apple public API. Validate it on every macOS build you support. The authoritative installation action is Apple’s softwareupdate command.
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Minimal Microsoft-aligned script
#!/bin/sh
/usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
exit $?The non-interactive --agree-to-license form is appropriate for a root-context Intune deployment after your organization has reviewed the applicable license terms. Microsoft also documents the interactive form, /usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta, for manual use. See the current Intune documentation.
Deploy it in Intune
- Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
- Go to Devices → By platform → macOS → Manage devices → Scripts.
- Select Add, name the script (for example, Install Rosetta 2 – Apple silicon), add a description, and upload the
.shfile. - Configure the script settings below.
- Open Assignments, choose Select groups to include, select the target Microsoft Entra group, review and select Add.
| Setting | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Run script as signed-in user | No | Runs as root; required for a system software installation. |
| Hide script notifications | Organization-dependent | Hiding is quieter; showing can make provisioning visible to users. |
| Script frequency | Not configured for a one-time prerequisite | Rosetta normally needs installation only once. |
| Retry count | 2 or 3 | Allows recovery from transient network or Apple update-service failures. |
| Assignment | Prefer a device group | The prerequisite follows the Mac rather than a particular user. |
Microsoft documents these options, assignments, retry behavior and a 60-minute execution limit at Run shell scripts on macOS devices in Intune.
Choose the assignment scope
A dynamic device group containing Apple silicon Macs is the cleanest broad-fleet target. A device assignment also applies when different users sign in. A user-group assignment can work, but it follows group membership and may affect any Mac used by those users; it also depends on the relevant user signing in. If you want Rosetta only where a known Intel application is deployed, assign a prerequisite script to the same device group as that application instead of installing it fleet-wide.
Check delivery and installation
The agent checks in approximately every eight hours. A user can prompt a check-in by opening Company Portal, selecting the device and choosing Check settings. The Mac must be awake and online. An offline device may show no script status until it completes execution and reports back.
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Local checks
/usr/bin/arch
/usr/sbin/pkgutil --pkg-info com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto
/usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
/usr/bin/tail -f /Library/Logs/InstallRosetta2.logarch normally returns arm64 on Apple silicon and i386 on Intel Macs in the standard shell environment. Package inspection confirms the commonly used installation receipt; it should be treated as a practical validation check rather than an immutable interface.
Intune checks
- Confirm the Mac is in the assigned group.
- Confirm the Intune management agent is installed and healthy.
- Review the script’s success state and last-run time.
- Check that the device was online and that the script returned exit code zero.
- Ensure a user-only assignment was not waiting for a user who has not signed in.
Troubleshoot common failures
The script waits for a license or fails interactively
Use /usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license. A command that waits for an interactive acceptance cannot complete reliably in an Intune root session.
The script runs but Rosetta is absent
- Verify Run script as signed-in user is No.
- Check for
/Library/Intune/Microsoft Intune Agent.app. - Confirm direct Internet access and test firewall, DNS, content-filter and captive-portal behavior.
- Prompt a Company Portal check-in and confirm the device is awake.
- Review the local log and the Intune exit code.
- Confirm the Mac is Apple silicon, not Intel.
ADE is stuck before the script runs
Intune cannot execute a shell script before its management agent is installed and operational. For a blocked first-boot sequence, install Rosetta interactively during setup, use the Company Portal prompt where applicable, use a provisioning mechanism that runs earlier, or redesign the ADE profile so the first deployed components are universal. Do not assume a later Intune script can repair an earlier agent bootstrap failure.
Network restrictions prevent installation
Microsoft’s prerequisite requires direct Internet connectivity and does not support a proxy for this workflow. Check Apple software-update reachability, firewall rules, DNS, content filters and captive portals from the affected Mac.
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A transient error produces a failed status
Set an Intune retry count. Retries occur when the script returns a non-zero exit code and retries are configured.
The Intel application still fails
Rosetta only supplies CPU-architecture translation. Check the application’s macOS support, vendor build, Intel-only plug-ins, kernel extensions, drivers and helper services, macOS security blocks, damage, and whether the app must be launched once under Rosetta. An application can remain incompatible for reasons unrelated to processor architecture.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Alternatives and trade-offs
| Approach | Best fit | Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated Intune shell script | Most Intune-managed fleets | Centralized, reusable, auditable and simple | Depends on agent, check-in and network access |
| Application prerequisite or pre-install script | One or two known Intel applications | Installs only where needed | More dependency-ordering and troubleshooting work |
| Company Portal prompt | User-driven enrollment | Little administrator configuration | Requires user action; unsuitable as a guaranteed ADE prerequisite |
| Manual Terminal command | Testing and break/fix | Fast diagnostic path | Not scalable or zero-touch |
| Jamf Pro, Kandji, Mosyle or another Mac platform | Organizations already standardized there | May provide deeper Mac-specific sequencing and inventory | Additional platform and administration overhead |
A user can launch an Intel-only app and accept macOS’s prompt or run /usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta. This is useful for a small test fleet, but it does not provide predictable zero-touch provisioning.
Should you install Rosetta on every Mac?
Use a dedicated device-assigned prerequisite for a mixed application estate, especially when legacy agents must be present before users work. Use a targeted application prerequisite when only a small, known subset needs Intel translation. Skip broad deployment when your supported estate is entirely native arm64 and you have verified that onboarding tools, scripts and security components are universal. In all cases, treat enrollment sequencing separately from the installation command: the command is simple, but it cannot run until Intune’s agent can run.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Rosetta 2 work on M1, M2, M3, M4 and later Apple silicon Macs?
Rosetta 2 is Apple’s translation environment for Intel applications on Apple silicon. Confirm support against the macOS versions in your fleet.
Can a standard user install Rosetta?
For an unattended Intune deployment, run the script as root by setting Run script as signed-in user to No.
Can Rosetta be deployed as an Intune .pkg application?
The supported practical model here is a macOS shell script invoking Apple’s softwareupdate command, not packaging Rosetta as a conventional installer.
How long does delivery take?
It depends on agent check-in, power, network and reporting. Microsoft documents an approximately eight-hour check-in cycle, with Company Portal’s Check settings option available to request a check-in.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteCan Rosetta be installed during ADE before Company Portal?
Not reliably through an Intune shell script if the management agent has not started. Use an earlier provisioning method or an interactive setup path when ADE sequencing requires Rosetta before agent-dependent work.
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