Edit the Default User Template?

[Zoom7000]

I'm trying to setup a new image of Snow Leopard (10.6.4) and have run in to a very annoying issue. I have set up a "policy" (can you call them policies on Macs? ) in Workgroup Manager to manage the users dock so that it only displays the following icons:

 

Safari

Word

Excel

Powerpoint

Applications Folder

 

However, when I log on to the iMac as a user, it still shows all the default icons (iChat, Mail, iCal etc) even though I have unticked the "Merge with user's Dock" option.

 

I have followed a guide here on how to create a default user template, however, everytime I log in with a new user, it still picks up all the defaults. Any ideas?

[HodgeHi]

So what type of user are you logging with?

if it's an AD user are you using forced local home dirs?

If you have an AD user by default I don't think you can create their home dirs on the OS X Server side through WGM so have these already been pre-created?

 

Open Directory users have their home dirs created when you click on the create Home now button. This takes the default template on the SERVER and creates their home dir. So to change the home dir for all users you would need to edit the server's default template before you create the home dir.

 

If you use AD users with networked based accounts you would need to copy the default template on the server into each home dir and adjust the permissions accordingly.

 

If though you are using AD users with local home dirs I think these are created using the client's default template. So you would need to modify this as well.

 

But from what you are saying it sounds to me that you have issues with your managed preferences applying. I would perhaps look at whether your clients have the OD server added to their list of authentication servers in the directory util.

[manxdan]

FYI

* the user template is only referred to at the creation of a new user home directory

* the template on your client image is used when creating a local home directory (eg when using mobile accounts)

* when creating a network home directory, the template referred to resides on the startup disk of the server where the network home is stored.

 

I force only 3 things in the dock via wgm (leave these out of the template or you get 2 of each!) and add a few others via the template.

[HodgeHi]

FYI

leave these out of the template or you get 2 of each!.

 

This may be due to having 'merge with the Users dock' setting in use. I'm just assuming here though. You may be right, although I usually overwrite the Users dock preference so could not confirm this to be 100% accurate. As you were