Creating a Deployment Task in a BigFix Software Distribution Package

Use the Add Task wizard in the BigFix UI to create deployment tasks — install, uninstall, repair, upgrade, or configuration — within a Package, defining the installation command, advanced options, Self Service Application settings, and the relevance expression that controls when the task applies to endpoints.

Before you begin

Files must be uploaded to the Package before creating tasks that reference them. See Adding Files to a Package. You can create a task with zero files for uninstallation or configuration tasks that do not require downloading files to the endpoint.

About this task

The deployment task creation wizard follows a three-step flow: Files → Behaviour → Conditions. It mirrors the workflow available in the legacy BigFix Console, with additional options for Self Service Application (SSA) integration. A single Package can have multiple tasks — for example, separate Install, Remove, and Repair tasks, each referencing different subsets of the Package's files.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to Explore > Software and open the target Software entry.
  2. From the Package details > Tasks tab, click + Add task.
    The Create distribution task wizard opens at the Files step.
  3. On the Files step, select either the Use default name or Use custom name option.
    Figure 1. Add Task Wizard — Files Step: Task Name Configuration

    The Create distribution task wizard at the Files step, showing two radio button options for the task name: Use default name (auto-generated from the package metadata) and Use custom name (a user-specified label). A Next button advances to the file selection view.
  4. Next, select the files to bundle with this task.
    Figure 2. Add Task Wizard — Files Step: File Selection and Primary File

    The file selection view of the Files step, listing all files uploaded to the package. Each file row has a checkbox for selection and a radio button to designate it as the Primary file for version introspection. An optional icon image upload field appears at the bottom for the SSA catalog.
    • Select a subset of the Package's uploaded files, all of them, or none (for uninstallation or configuration tasks).
    • Different tasks within the same Package can use different file subsets — for example, two Install tasks can each include different files.

    After selecting files:

    • Designate one file as the Primary file. This file is used for introspection — for example, reading version metadata from an MSI.
    • (Optional) Upload an icon image for the SSA catalog. Supported formats: PNG, JPG, ICO. Maximum size: 2 MB. Recommended dimensions: 120×120 px.
  5. On the Behaviour step, define the installation command and configure task options.
    Figure 3. Add Task Wizard — Behaviour Step: Installation Command and Options

    The Behaviour step of the Create distribution task wizard. The top section contains the required Installation command field. Below it, collapsible sections provide Self-service application options (SSA button label and catalog icon) and Run command as options (System user, Current user, or Local user).

    Enter the Installation command (required) — the command executed on the endpoint when this task is deployed. Example:

    msiexec /i "Firefox Setup 150.0.1.msi" /qn
    1. (Optional) Expand Self-service application options to configure how this task appears to end users in the SSA:
      Table 1. Self Service Application (SSA) Task Options
      Field Description
      Select the label to be displayed on the SSA button The action button label in the SSA Offer and Action Requests pages. Supported values: Install, Remove, Repair, Upgrade, Get, Run, Default.
      Select the icon to be displayed in the SSA catalog The icon displayed in the SSA catalog for this task. Supported formats: PNG, JPG, ICO. Maximum size: 2 MB. Recommended dimensions: 120×120 px.
    2. Select the Run command as user context for command execution on the endpoint:
      Table 2. Run Command As — User Context Options
      Option Description
      System user Runs the command under the system account. Recommended for machine-wide installations that do not require a logged-in user.
      Current user (Windows only) Runs the command as the currently logged-in user. Use for per-user installations or tasks requiring user-context permissions.
      Local user (Windows only) Runs the command as a specified local user account.
  6. On the Conditions step, define the Relevance expression for this task.
    Figure 4. Add Task Wizard — Conditions Step: Relevance Expression

    The Conditions step of the Create distribution task wizard, showing a relevance expression text editor. The field accepts BigFix relevance language to control which endpoints the task targets — for example, filtering by OS version, installed software state, or available disk space. A Create task button at the bottom right finalizes and saves the task.
    The relevance expression controls when the task is applicable. An endpoint must satisfy the condition for the task to appear as a deployment candidate or be visible to the device owner in the SSA. Use BigFix relevance language to target specific OS versions, installed software states, disk space, or other endpoint properties.
  7. Review the task configuration and click Create task → to save it in the BigFix Platform.

Results

The new deployment task appears in the Package's Tasks list and is immediately available for deployment to endpoints. If SSA options were configured, the task is also visible to device owners in the Self Service Application when its relevance condition is met on their device.

What to do next

To make the task visible and request able through the Self Service Application, configure the SSA on your endpoints. See Configuring the Self Service Application.