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So I'm using mcxToProfile.py to create .mobileconfig files that my company will be pushing to all the Macs in our lab. mcxToProfile.py takes a .plist and turns it into a .mobileconfig file.



One of the preferences we are trying to set is the Sidebar in Finder. I've found the .plist for this, made sure its settings were what we needed, and turned it into a .mobileconfig. I then transferred it to our test Mac, installed it and... nothing. It's not changing the settings it needs to be changing. Specifically, we're trying to uncheck "Back to my Mac", "Bonjour computers" and "Hard disks".



On our set-up computer, those options are unchecked. The .plist file shows that these settings are on "false". When turned into a .mobileconfig, those settings are still "false", as we want them. But when the .mobileconfig file is installed on another computer, the settings do not transfer, meaning the .mobileconfig file is having no effect on the system.



I could use some help figuring out why this isn't working.

As I have previously noted here (https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/24196/user-template-vs-configuration-profile-in-sierra), in my testing I have noticed that configuration profiles are not 100% effective at implementing changes that work as a plist.
Since you are trying to set the sidebar plist, which I have fought extensively with I recommend using the user template to accomplish your task.
Only issue of course is the sidebar can be changed by the end user.

I would also add, that Apple has setting that it's trying to make harder for you to manage, or maybe a better way to look at it is Apple feels for some reason that managing some setting is just something they don't want us to do.. lets take a look... what has gotten harder in the last few year...



Sidebar
Desktop
Dock
Safari Home Page



My take on this ... if Apple is changing stuff and not documenting how to manage it then we shouldn't be managing it. Search Jamf nation for trying to manage one of the above setting and you will see hours and hours wasted man days. It's time to stop and look at what we manage and why manage it.



Someday for security reasons the "user template" will be locked in SIP ....



C

Thanks guys. Yeah, it's definitely a wall of frustration we're up against at the moment. We did manage to get the Safari homepage to stick as well as our custom dock, but the dock was definitely done through a bit of code that runs at startup. But it's so funny you mention the desktop... yeah, we're having trouble with that too!

I submitted a ticket to Apple with a similar issue a few months ago. I was able to find this tool (mysides https://github.com/mosen/mysides), but it wouldn't work for our environment. I just thought I'd mention it, to see if it was useful to you.



Regardless, official response from Apple stated there is currently not a way to manage the Finder sidebar via configuration profiles or command line. However, they were nice enough to submit a feature request on my behalf :)

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