Computer Info #1 from the Command Line
Part of my client management process involves using the “Computer Info #1″ field in Apple Remote Desktop 3 (ARD) to store the physical location of each machine on my network. This helps me quickly identify a machine when I’m looking at a list of several hundred Macs. Currently, I enter this information manually on each computer when they’re re-imaged over the summer. I’m always looking for ways to reduce the number of steps in my imaging process, so I’ve been trying to find a terminal command that I can use to push out this setting to multiple machines at once through ARD.
After much searching, I found my answer:
/System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -configure -computerinfo -set1 -1 your info goes here
Use ARD’s ‘Send UNIX Command’ feature and send this to the machine(s) you wish to update. Enter the information you’d like in place of your info goes here. If you’d like to enter a space between words, use a backslash and a space like this: First\ Word
ARD allows you up to 4 fields of computer info, so just follow the convention for those as well (-set2 -2, -set3 -3, etc). I’ve tested this with OS X 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6 with success. It was unsuccessful on a machine running OS X Server 10.3 (an old eMac running as a CD-ROM server, serving up disk images). To find out more command line options for setting up and configuring Apple Remote Desktop, enter the following command in a terminal window (you’ll be asked to authenticate as an administrator):
sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -help
Even though doing this manually only takes a few seconds, it certainly adds up when you have to do it a few hundred times. I can also now do this at the time of imaging, or any time without having to control the remote screen through the GUI. I may eventually automate this and incorporate it into a post-flight script as part of my imaging workflow. If I do, I’ll be sure to post the script.
Posted by acletras on Sep 1, 2009 in
Apple,
Leopard,
Management,
Snow Leopard,
icons 
About two weeks ago, Apple released a point release update to both the client and admin versions of their Remote Desktop software (ARD) to version 3.3.1. This was only a minor update, so no new major features or new application icon.
However, OS X 10.6 ‘Snow Leopard’ was released a few days ago and with it, a new graphic for me to update my ARD Leopard icon! Good timing Apple, thanks. Enjoy!
[Download]
Tags: Apple Remote Desktop, ARD
Posted by acletras on May 21, 2009 in
Apple,
Management,
Tips 
I use Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) to connect to my servers at work. I have another copy of ARD installed on one of the servers as well, and occasionally I’ll need to use ARD on my local machine to connect to a server remotely, and then run another instance of ARD on the server, all within the instance of it running on my desktop. If you’re having trouble following, that’s like calling someone and telling them to call other people for you.
There’s a security preference setting in ARD to disable you from doing exactly this, so as to prevent someone from controlling or viewing your screen when you are using ARD. Somehow, this setting managed to enable itself. You’ll be presented with a window stating “You are not authorized to control this computer. Apple Remote Desktop or another administration application is currently running.” This is highly irritating since it kills your remote session and the only way to fix it is to issue a killall “Remote Desktop” terminal command remotely to that machine, or to get physical access to the machine and quit ARD.
After a little digging in .plist files, I found the entry I was looking for. Right click (or control+click) on the Remote Desktop application and select ‘Show Package Contents.’ This will open a new Finder window. Open the ‘Contents’ folder, and then open the file called ‘Info.plist‘ Find the entry in this property list called “LSMultipleInstancesProhibited” and change its value to “No.” Save the file, relaunch ARD and you should be good to go.
Posted by acletras on Feb 9, 2009 in
Apple,
Leopard,
Management,
Tiger,
Tutorials 
I realize the topic of this post may be a bit specialized, but I would surely have liked to had something like this as a guide when I recently had to overcome this challenge.
Most of our entire campus is still running OS X 10.4.11, for the sole reason that login times for a .local Active Directory domain STILL take 2-3 minutes (as of 10.5.6). Our Lower School purchased some Lego robotics kits which came with new software called WeDo. The minimum requirements are OS X 10.5, and the installer will not run on OS X 10.4.
To get around this, I did the following: Read more…
Posted by acletras on Dec 10, 2008 in
Apple,
Management,
Tiger 
I love Dashboard, I have several widgets I can’t live without. Most of my users however, don’t even know what it is. I also love the Mighty Mouse but again, most of my users don’t understand how it works.
I’ve tried managing the mouse preferences to prevent Dashboard from opening when users click the scroll ball, but I can’t seem to get it to work for the life of me. The same applies to disabling the Dashboard application and all accompanying applications through Workgroup Manager.
I came across DashOff, an application for enabling and disabling Dashboard, but it requires user interaction and I want this to be automated. I finally gave up and decided to create an Applescript application called KillDash to run at login, to issue a “defaults write” command to disable dashboard.
Read more…
Posted by acletras on Sep 7, 2008 in
Apple,
Leopard,
Management 
For a few months now, I’ve been wondering when Cupertino is going to put out a new version of Apple Remote Dekstop (ARD). Partly because I want new features, mostly because I’m tired of looking at the Aqua Blue desktop background on the application’s icon.
I was bored tonight and decided to take care of that last part myself. I present to you, my second ever OS X icon, ARD Leopard! I took the binoculars from the current ARD icon and combined them with Leopard’s desktop sidebar icon. The imperfections of my horrible Photoshop skills are barely noticeable and I think it looks pretty good. Feel free to download, and if you like and use it, please leave a comment.
[Download]
Tags: Apple Remote Desktop, ARD, icons, Leopard
