📝 Charles Proxy Licensing and Script Workflow Documentation

🔧 Objective

Document how Charles Proxy picks up its license and how the deployment script automates licensing via Jamf, even when silent injection is not supported.

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🧠 Charles License Injection Behavior

Charles Proxy does not accept a license file silently unless the app has been launched at least once by the user. To handle this, we automate:

1. First-time app launch
2. Triggering Preferences
3. Injecting license via AppleScript

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🛠️ Script Workflow Summary

✅ Function

Your script ensures Charles Proxy is fully licensed without any user interaction.

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📂 Actions Performed

1. Launch Charles Proxy via AppleScript:

   tell application "Charles" to activate
   delay 2
   tell application "System Events"
       keystroke "," using {command down} -- Opens Preferences
       delay 1
   end tell
   

2. Inject license via AppleScript UI automation (example placeholder):

   tell application "System Events"
       tell process "Charles"
           click button "Register" of window "Preferences"
           set value of text field 1 of group 1 of window "Register" to "Your Name"
           set value of text field 2 of group 1 of window "Register" to "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"
           click button "OK" of window "Register"
       end tell
   end tell
   

3. Quit Charles:

   tell application "Charles" to quit
   

4. (Optional) Verify license file:

   ls ~/Library/Preferences/com.xk72.charles.license.xml
   

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🚀 Jamf Deployment

• Script is deployed via Jamf Policy

• Triggered using:

  sudo jamf policy -event install_charles
  

• Script handles:

  • App launch
  • Preferences navigation
  • License registration
  • App exit

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✅ Outcome

• Charles is fully licensed on first install
• No end-user prompts or trial warnings
• Seamless automation for first-run licensing

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📝 Notes

• AppleScript UI automation requires Accessibility permission.
• PPPC configuration profile should allow:
  • System Events and Charles under AppleEvents
  • Accessibility access for script runner (e.g., Jamf binary or management app)

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