Application Settings across network

[bigtime5001]

Hi guys,

 

Anyone else had any experience trying to do this, I have a few applications that I have configured under a local admin account. I have added the plist files to the details tab for the student group within workgroup manager but when I log in as a student and run the application none of the configuration seems to be applied.

 

for example within itunes I have made some changes to what the students can access but also set the iTunes media folder location as a network shared folder. when I log in a a student none of the itunes settings are as I saved them and the itunes media folder is set as the students home folder.

 

Having simular problems with Logic pro aswell not saving the settings as they have been configured.

 

I could be compleatly off base here and doing this totally wrong (can you tell I am a noob with macs...lol)

 

Anyway anyhelp or advise would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[dayzd]

I'll assume you're making sure to copy user plists, not machine ones?

 

You might wanna check the plists once they're in the WGM and make sure there aren't any user-specific details in there, such as paths or usernames that reference your local account. Plus, you may have added settings you didn't need or want. I tend to do a bit of trial and error with some test accounts to make sure I only apply settings for what I need.)

 

Also, it seems to depend which area you put them in - I've found some things will apply more reliably if you put them under 'Often' rather than 'Always'. ('Often' re-applies at log-on, so is usually acceptable anyhow.)

 

All that said, I'm only a slightly seasoned user of WGM-controlled Macs (only had them for 9 months), so take the above with smidge of salt in case I'm wrong!

[bigtime5001]

Hi Thanks for the reply , changing the option to often on itunes has done the trick.

 

I am still having problems with Logic though, basicly a template has been created, now as an admin when I load Logic it loads the template and all is fine. However as a user it shows an error because it cant find the template file. I am guessing the template needs applying to the user profiles when they login or something.

 

Any Ideas ?? Does anyone else use Logic this way ?

 

Thanks Again

[dayzd]

Is this template a file, or are you referring to your imported .plist? What does the template do?

 

(We don't have Logic here, but I'll be trying it at home soon...)

[bigtime5001]

The template is a file that is saved under the users profile I believe, it loads all the instruments and config for logic if you have altered it from the default.

 

I have tried copying across the plist file but that had no effect.

[Marci]

The template is a file that is saved under the users profile I believe

But have you copied across the template file...? Your telling the Mac to open the file as the default template, but it still needs to be able to access it. Does the file ACTUALLY exist in the student accounts, or do you need a script to grab it from somewhere and put it there on login? Eliminate the "I believe" before you proceed basically...

[bigtime5001]

Ok maybe I was a little vague in my previous post....lol

 

Yes the template does exist under the user profile that the settings were made (So in my case because it was configured under the local admin account its saved there.

 

So logging in as admin and running Logic Pro everything is fine obviously because it has access to the paths where the template files etc are stored.

 

I have tried copying the files into the shared folder and this didnt seem to do the trick, So as you suggest I think I need to create a script that will copy the template files into the user profile when a user logs onto the mac's.

 

Sorry if I have got any of this wrong never touched a mac before 3 weeks ago and I have an IT director who is expecting a suite of 34 Macs all setup and configured by the 3rd week in FEB.

 

Its pretty much all done apart from this last issue (but as you can imagine I was not best pleased when he dropped this bombshell on me 3 weeks ago)

 

Thanks for any help

[dayzd]

The easiest way to write the script would be have a local copy of the template file somewhere on the machine that pupils cannot access (maybe a folder just for your custom stuff in 'Macintosh HD:Library') and have it make a copy into the users' folder on login.

[Marci]

Once you've got all this working, you need to update your client mac images so that the file in question is in the default user skeleton template (presuming you rebuild your macs using images).

 

Assuming that your users do not have work saved locally on the Macs, I'd steal one... delete all the local users off it other than Admins... add the template file into the default user skeleton template on the client machine... THEN log in with a test account - the file will then already be there. If that works, and everything else preference-wise for your users is correct, then whack all the latest updates on that Mac from softwraeupdate, test thoroughly, reimage, then reinstall your Mac suite using netboot or whatever from that image.