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Box Drive support on devices with M1 chips

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IMPORTANT:  We've released a new version of Box Drive (v.2.24.193) built on Apple File Provider Extensions (FPE) supported on macOS 11.5, and above, that provides seamless access and support on M1 devices. Download this new version of Box Drive here.

 

We know users have been anxiously awaiting support for Box Drive on Apple's new M1 chips and we're excited to provide public beta access to Box Drive on M1 devices. Please see below for instructions on how to install this version of Box Drive.  

Important notes about the Box Drive M1 public beta

  • Box Drive utilizes kernel extensions currently.  With M1 devices, users will need to enable Reduced Security mode in order to run applications that use kernel extensions.  Later this year, Box will release a version of Box Drive that no longer requires kernel extensions, therefore no longer requiring Reduced Security mode to run.   In the interim, customers who would like to use Box Drive will need to enable Reduced Security mode in order to use the product.
  • A known Mac OS system bug exists related to the use of kernel extensions on Big Sur.  This affects users who upgrade from one version of Box Drive to another version of Box Drive on M1 devices.  It will not affect users who are not on M1 devices.  Box will not auto-update public beta builds to a different version until there is a fix for this issue.

 

Installing the Box Drive M1 public beta

Before proceeding with the install, please uninstall any existing versions of Box Drive.

To uninstall Box Drive:

  1. Quit Box Drive.

  2. Run the uninstaller script:

    • Launch Terminal.

    • Type the following: "/Library/Application\ Support/Box/uninstall_box_drive".  Then press Enter.

    • You are prompted for a password to complete the uninstallation in your terminal.  The terminal does not display your password as you enter it.  After entering your password, press Enter.

 

After uninstalling Box Drive, install the Box Drive M1 public beta.

To install the Box Drive M1 public beta:

  1. Download and install Box Drive M1 public beta. 
  2. After you launch Box Drive, Box prompts you to install Rosetta, which is required for Drive to run.
    system_extensions.png
  3. After installing Rosetta, click Continue.

  4. After Box Drive is installed, but before the login window displays, the system prompts you to enable the Box system extension.  Click  Open System Preferences.
    system_preferences.png

  5. To make changes, click the unlock icon on the following screen, then click Enable system extensions.
    enable_system_preferences.png

  6. Because Drive uses kernel extensions, in order to use Drive on M1 devices, you need to boot into recovery mode and enable Reduced Security mode.   To do this, first click Shutdown.
    shutdown.png

  7. Follow the steps to boot into recovery mode.  

  8. Select Reduced Security with both sub-options selected.
    MacOS-Reduced-Security.jpeg

  9. For the settings to take effect, restart your device. 

  10. Once your device reboots, re-launch Box Drive.

  11. Click Open System Preferences.
    system_preferences.png

  12. To make changes, click the lock icon, then next to System software from developer "Box, Inc." has been updated, click Allow.
    allow_box_drive_kext.png

  13. For settings to take effect, Restart your device.
    restart_machine.png

  14. After your device reboots, re-launch Box Drive.

 

Enterprise management options to ease installation steps for users

For organizations enrolled in MDM to manage Mac devices, these enterprise management configuration options from Apple can help ease the installation steps for users.  Below is a summary of the steps and resulting user experience (steps referenced are from the enterprise management configuration options from Apple).

Configuration type Admin configuration steps End user experience
MDM Automated Device Enrollment

How to manage legacy system extensions

To install a new or updated kernel extension in macOS Big Sur, you can do either one of the following:

  • Instruct the user to follow the prompts within Security & Privacy preferences to allow the extension, then restart their Mac. You can permit users who are not administrators to allow the extension using the AllowNonAdminUserApprovals key in the Kernel Extension Policy MDM payload.
  • Send the RestartDevice MDM command and set the RebuildKernelCachekey to "True".

Any time the set of approved kernel extensions changes, either after initial approval or if the version is updated, a restart is required.


Before you can install a kernel extension on a Mac computer with Apple silicon, the security policy must be changed in one of the following ways: 

  • If you have devices enrolled in MDM with Automated Device Enrollment, you can automatically authorize remote management of kernel extensions and change the security policy.
  • User is prompted to restart to load kernel cache (security is already reduced by admin).
  • After restart, user launches and uses  Box Drive.
MDM Device Enrollment

How to manage legacy system extensions

To install a new or updated kernel extension in macOS Big Sur, you can do either one of the following:

  • Instruct the user to follow the prompts within Security & Privacy preferences to allow the extension, then restart their Mac. You can permit users who are not administrators to allow the extension using the AllowNonAdminUserApprovals key in the Kernel Extension Policy MDM payload.
  • Send the RestartDevice MDM command and set the RebuildKernelCachekey to "True".

Any time the set of approved kernel extensions changes, either after initial approval or if the version is updated, a restart is required.

 

Before you can install a kernel extension on a Mac computer with Apple silicon, the security policy must be changed in one of the following ways: 

  • If you have devices enrolled into MDM with Device Enrollment, a local administrator can change the security policy manually in macOS Recovery and authorize remote management of kernel extensions and software updates. Additionally, an MDM administrator can advise the local administrator to make this change by setting PromptUserToAllowBootstrapTokenForAuthentication in MDMOptions or by setting the same key in the MDM profile.
  • User is prompted to enable Reduced Security mode.
  • User is prompted to restart device.
  • User is prompted to authorize the MDM to manage all kernel extensions.
  • User is prompted to restart device.
  • After device restarts, MDM loads the kernel extension and prompts the user to restart again.
  • After device reboots, user launches and uses Box Drive.

For future software updates involving a kernel extension update, users will not need to manually allow the new kernel extension.  In order for the new update to work, users will still need to restart.

 

 

Known Issues

See this article for a list of known issues for Box Drive on M1 devices.

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