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Migration

This guide outlines the migration process from Google Santa to North Pole Security (NPS) Santa, designed to ensure a smooth transition with minimal security coverage gaps.

If you are not currently running Google Santa, you should instead read the Getting Started page.

Pre-requisites​

  • Active Google Santa installation
  • MDM (Mobile Device Management)
  • A method to deploy the NPS Santa installer package

Migration Steps​

1. Configure System Extensions​

  • (Optional) Add a Team ID rule for North Pole Security's Team ID (ZMCG7MLDV9) to Gogle Santa. This is to gauarantee that complex MDM setups don't allow Google Santa to block NPS Santa if they try to start simultaneously.

  • Either add it as a Static Rule, use santactl rule or via your sync server.

  • Update your MDM configuration to allow both Google and NPS Santa system extensions simultaneously. This dual-authorization is temporary but necessary for a seamless transition.

  • Deploy an updated TCC profile for NPS Santa also

  • See the prior pages in this section for how to configure profiles.

2. Install NPS Santa​

Deploy the latest NPS Santa release to your systems. The installer is designed with migration support.

  • NPS Santa will remain dormant after installation - It will automatically monitor for the removal of Google Santa - At this point in time, NPS Santa will not appear in systemextensionsctl list output.
warning

To avoid system extension authorization popups, ensure the MDM has applied the configurations from step #1 before deploying the NPS Santa installer.

3. Remove Google Santa​

Through your MDM:

  • Remove Google Santa from the allowed system extensions list - This will trigger the automatic unloading of Google Santa - NPS Santa will detect the removal and finish loading itself within a few seconds
warning

To minimize security coverage downtime, ensure the NPS Santa installer has run before removing Google Santa from the allowed system extensions list

If you do not use an MDM:

  • Remove Google Santa by dragging /Applications/Santa.app to the trash
  • Respond affirmitively to the admin authorization popup dialog

4. Verification​

NPS Santa should now be installed and running:

$ systemextensionsctl list
2 extension(s)
--- com.apple.system_extension.endpoint_security
enabled	active	teamID	bundleID (version)	name	[state]
		EQHXZ8M8AV	com.google.santa.daemon (2024.9/2024.9.674285143)	santad	[terminated waiting to uninstall on reboot]
*	*	ZMCG7MLDV9	com.northpolesec.santa.daemon (2024.10/2024.10.49)	santad	[activated enabled]

The terminated Google Santa entry will be cleared on the next reboot. In a terminated state, Google Santa does not affect NPS Santa.

You should also verify that santactl version reports the NPS Santa version that you installed:

$ santactl version
santad          | 2025.3 (build 94, commit 63bc558d)
santactl        | 2025.3 (build 94, commit 63bc558d)
SantaGUI        | 2025.3 (build 94, commit 63bc558d)