Where can I get Apple Configurator v1.7.2?

[fizzicist]

Can anyone tell me where I can get an installer for Apple’s Configurator v1.7.2?

I just bought an iPad Pro 12.9” running iOS 103. One of the things I need to be able to do on it is send and receive encrypted mail. There are no encryption settings in iOS for iPad Pro, but Mail app for iPod says that I can add encrypt/decrypt functionality by creating a profile that contains my encryption keys. So far so good.

As it turns out, the only way to create a profile for the iPad is to use Apple’s Configurator app, a utility that’s a free download from the App Store. That’s where it fails. The App Store offers only Configurator 2, which has a minimum system requirement of macOS 10.12.2.

My Mac Pro is currently running Yosemite 10.10.5, and I’m in the middle of a big project that won’t complete until December 2017...six months from now. I'd like to be able to use my iPad to read my encrypted mail before then.

Switching systems in the middle of a project is a prescription for massively disrupted workflow. I have hundreds of apps and plugins, and I already know that some of them don’t work in Sierra. This is just the wrong time to jump ahead from OS X 10.10 to macOS 10.12.

I can’t configure my iPad without Configurator, and the App Store won’t let me download a Yosemite-compatible version...even though Yosemite is still a supported system. Apparently, the last version of Configurator that worked with Yosemite (as far as I know) was v1.7.2.

I’ve searched the web for a legacy download, but all the software update sites I’ve checked ultimately lead back to the App Store. Can anyone tell me where I can get a legacy version of Configurator?

Thanks!

 

[Rigby]

I don't know where to get the old version, but you don't need Configurator to set up email encryption in iOS. Simply export your S/MIME certificate in .p12 or .pfx format, send it to yourself via email, and tap the attachment in iOS Mail. You'll be offered the option to install the certificate. Then enable S/MIME in the advanced account settings.

 

[fizzicist]

Rigby:

Wow! Can it be that easy? I'll try that tout de suite...

 

[fizzicist]

Rigby:

Wow! Can it be that easy? I'll try that tout de suite...

Rigby:

OK, I tried it. As it turns out, the answer to "Can it be that easy?" is both yes and no.

I sent myself the .p12 backup file for all my certs, which contains the public keys for all the associates with whom I exchange encrypted mail (which I need in order to send them encrypted messages), as well as my digital signature and my public key (which others need in order to send me encrypted messages), plus my private keys for all encrypted messages sent to me (so I can decrypt them).

Alas, iOS will not accept multiple private keys, which means that I can only decrypt messages that have been encrypted with my current public key. If I want to read a message that was encrypted with an earlier key, I can't do it.

Also, since I can't install anyone else's public key, there's no way to send encrypted mail to anyone else. In fact, the functionality of Mail for iOS is so impoverished that I can't even send an encrypted message to myself.

Additionally, there's no way to sign messages in Mail for iOS, so even the unencrypted messages I send don't provide any assurance to the recipients that the messages really came from me.

So, I can read encrypted messages sent to me, which is better than nothing, but the functionality of Mail for iOS as regards secure messaging can look forward to a great deal of improvement.

Oh...and of course Mail for iOS shares the same fatal flaw that makes Mail for OS X (and presumably Mail for macOS) unsuitable for business use—namely the inability to honor read receipt requests. I won't argue the virtues of read receipts here. Those who understand why they're useful don't need to be convinced, and in my experience those who don't understand will never be convinced. The fact remains that Mail for iOS is not a mail client that I can use for business purposes.

Ah, well...I guess I can always use a VNC app on the iPad to read and reply to business mail on my Mac. It's not ideal, but it will work.

Anyhow, thanks for your reply. I suspect that even if I managed to get a copy of Configurator v1.7.2, it still wouldn't solve any of the problems detailed above. Your reply was helpful, and I realize that you can't do anything about the inherent limitations of iOS.

Thanks again, amigo!

 

[960design]

Here is an excellent tutorial on iOS and MacOS encrypted mail.
https://www.macobserver.com/tips/how-to/encrypting-email-ios-mail/

 

[Rigby]

Rigby:

OK, I tried it. As it turns out, the answer to "Can it be that easy?" is both yes and no.

I sent myself the .p12 backup file for all my certs, which contains the public keys for all the associates with whom I exchange encrypted mail (which I need in order to send them encrypted messages), as well as my digital signature and my public key (which others need in order to send me encrypted messages), plus my private keys for all encrypted messages sent to me (so I can decrypt them).

Alas, iOS will not accept multiple private keys, which means that I can only decrypt messages that have been encrypted with my current public key. If I want to read a message that was encrypted with an earlier key, I can't do it.

Have you tried exporting the private keys in separate files and installing those? Obviously you don't need to include your own public keys, and you also don't need to install anybody else's using the p12/pfx method (see below).

Also, since I can't install anyone else's public key, there's no way to send encrypted mail to anyone else.

If you and the recipient are in a corporate Exchange domain, Mail will automatically pull the certificate from the global address list (which of course needs to be properly configured in account setup). Otherwise, you'll need a signed email from the recipient. Then, tap on the person's From address, tap "view certificate" and "install".

Additionally, there's no way to sign messages in Mail for iOS, so even the unencrypted messages I send don't provide any assurance to the recipients that the messages really came from me.

Yes there is. Go to the advanced settings of the email account. If S/MIME is activated, you'll see options to sign and encrypt by default.

Personally I never use read receipts (nor do I want to honor them), so I haven't looked into this.