Managed WGM Preferences!

Hi,
I'm trying to create a master image for Mac labs, and I have created a computers group and add all the labs to that group and assigned preferences to that specific group.. i have two questions:
1) all those computers in that computer group has an ethernet ID which doesn't change and DHCP IP address, does this gonna effect the managed settings since the ip address will be different from time to time ?.. or maybe its better to remove the ip address and keep the ethernet ID ?, and the same thing for the computer name & shortname.. i need to know which ones does matter?
2) How can i tell the workgroup manager to change the desktop background to any network user login to the computer?, i cant find an option to change the desktop background!
or should i create a customized user template and replace it with the default one?.. but if i do that then there is no reason of having managed preferences under WGM ?..
I'm just confused which one is more easy to control or maybe i should combine both together and come up with a solution?
Thanks,

the MAC address is the only thing that really matters.
to manage the desktop picture, you need to have your custom image somewhere on disk and import the preference to manage. it's doable.
for more on managed prefs and other tips, check this white paper:
http://images.apple.com/education/docs/Apple-ClientManagementWhitePaper.pdf

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Good afternoon.
We are managing our students' preferences via Workgroup Manager, but we have a problem with iTunes. There is one Preference, 'Check for iTunes updates automatically', which we cannot seem to be able to manage. Looking at the iTunes plist using Property List Editor, there is no item that manages this Preference. All the other 'iApps' have a similar Preference, which is easy to deal with, but not iTunes.
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The various settings for iTunes can be managed - but the update check isn't one of them, unfortunately. You can use the Prefs Editor (Details) in WGM to add the iTunes preference manifest to your mcx settings and set the acceptable values for your site from there. I have posted a simple guide at my .Mac site to walk you through this - iTunes v7 has a few more settings than the iTunes v5 I used for the guide, but the steps still apply.
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Check http://homepage.mac.com/johnd/
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Thanks

CrockDocAK wrote:
I want to manage whether the "mirror display" option is true or false and can't find the settings to control this in WGM. Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks
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The various settings for iTunes can be managed - but the update check isn't one of them, unfortunately. You can use the Prefs Editor (Details) in WGM to add the iTunes preference manifest to your mcx settings and set the acceptable values for your site from there. I have posted a simple guide at my .Mac site to walk you through this - iTunes v7 has a few more settings than the iTunes v5 I used for the guide, but the steps still apply.
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Check http://homepage.mac.com/johnd/
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Nevermind,
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How do I managed audio preferences for lab machines?

I am unable to get an audio preference to be a the default configuration for all users, local or network. I've created a user template that has all other configurations and preferences and this works great except for audio I/O. All lab machines have identical firewire audio input devices and identical usb prowered speakers for an output. Using the Audio/Midi utility I set the input to the firewire micpre, output to the usb speakers and set alert sounds to the internal speaker.
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AD Server 2008 R2 with extended schema.
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I would know if it's possible to write a workflow in Automator, or an AppleScript, that let me quickly activate the "sharing internet" (via Airport, from Ethernet) option in the Sharing panel of the system preferences.
Message was edited by: Shony

Try the Automator forum and see http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2039384 and Introduction to Automator tutorial at http://automator.us/leopard/video/index.html
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http://www.macosxautomation.com/automator/examples/ex04/index.html
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I can't see a way to do this, but I thought I might as well ask...
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TIA

Hello Christopher.
I looked into this and opened my WGM. You can disable the whole "Sharing" tab from the preferences pane. You can do this setting for specific computers or computer groups or users / user groups. So open up WGM. Select one you like to set preferences to (user, group, computer/computer group), and select "Preferences" from the top menu bar. Then Select "System Preferences" from the list that opens to the middle right, and then select to manage "Always" or "Once". You see the list below of services that you wish your computer / user to grant access to. Then just uncheck all the services you want to be disabled for that computer /user, and hit Apply Now.
And you are all set! Was this helpful?
Sincerely,
V

Managed Preferences Have No Effect

I've been trying to figure this one out for a while. I have a lab of Macs running 10.3.9 that were originally set up to authenticate to our PM G5 running Tiger Server. The eMacs running 10.3.9 had preferences controlled by the server such as having the System Preference restricted from users.
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A couple of suggestions...
Are your client machines still being managed as WGM guests?
Maybe they haven't been removed properly from OD? To check this:
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2. Click on the inpector icon in WGM
3. Choose Computers from the pulldown menu
4. If the comuters you don't want managed are on thet list you should delete them.
HTH,
b.

How to you prevent disabling remote login via managed preferences?

this doesn't seem to be an obvious setting.
i want to disable our users from disabling remote login on their machines. some of them know how to do this.
everyone has moblie home accounts, btw.
hope someone can help!
thanks in advance.

thanks for your response, Tony.
your 2nd suggestion is more towards what i am looking to do.
we have WGM with User, Computer, Groups, and Computer Groups. right now, we aren't managing any preferences and we do make the users local admins on their machines after their first login/Home Sync.
i was hoping to add a manifest to WGM in Preferences/Details, but i am not sure if this is possible and if it is, i don't know how to do it.
we have users in remote sites that connect to our network via vpn and sometimes i need to remotely access their machines. but i can't on those that turn it off, obviously.
thanks again!

Managing the Mobility preference at the computer list level

Hi,
I'd like to get a confirm about my understanding of the role of the Mobility preference in computer lists.
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I saw no effect on clients' local account, but I think this is expected because portable home directories requires a network home folder to be set, and obviously local accounts cannot have it set.
Could anyone confirm?
If the above reasoning is correct, the only point of managing the Mobility preference at the computer lists level is to allow or disallow network users with network home folders to create mobile accounts on specific computers.
Am I right?
TIA.

I tried to
manage the preference for a computer list that
contains clients with only local accounts and set it
to "Synchronize account for offline use".
I saw no effect on clients' local account,
That is the expecetd behavior.
If the above reasoning is correct, the only point of
managing the Mobility preference at the computer
lists level is to allow or disallow network users
with network home folders to create mobile accounts
on specific computers.
Am I right?
Yes, you are right.
b.

Centrally managing email marketing preferences in the enterprise

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Possible Now might be able to handle this scenario - they are not quite live with an Eloqua integration and I am not sure of their ability for multiple instance support.
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I would get my install DVD out and do an archive and install.

Managed WGM Preferences!

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