Admin account

[#1]

Hi Folks,

We are trying to find a way for us to create a single local admin account that we can move to each Mac we image or deploy. This way the standard settings that the admin account would use are present on all of our Macs. The idea is to keep things uniform.

Things such as the clock settings, the software update NOT running automatically and so are not moving with the package I set.

Anyone else doing this or have a quick easy solution? If not, then we will simply set these per machine if needed.

Thanks for any feedback you might have.
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Michael D. Conners, APP
Apple Project Leader
3550 Anderson Street
Madison, WI 53704
Phone: 608-246-6360
Fax: 608-246-6329
Work E-Mail: mconners at matcmadison.edu
www.realworldsmart.com

[#2]

I'm confused. Is it a single account? If so, it's not local...

Clock settings and Software Update settings are system-level preferences, not user-level.

[rockpapergoat]

a few easy options:

1. package your local admin account, including homedir, refs, and all that
2. manage prefs for this account via mcx (local or otherwise)
3. manage the account creation and prefs separately in any number of ways

i'd think if you're using some type of config management tool, like casper, the default user level prefs for a local admin shouldn't be that important. it's probably more important that the account exists.

what's your goal?

[#4]

You are right. I didn't explain it too well for sure. Got into work
around 5 AM and without much sleep...well, enough said.

Anyhow, I have created a single user account on a configuration that I am
calling Admin and it does have admin rights. I wanted to move this
account to other configurations so the layout and look of the system is
uniform.

BUT, with us binding to AD and allowing administration of a Mac using
certain groups, this entire topic may not apply.

Also considering there are system wide settings, trying to move a single
local admin account, then this really wouldn't apply...

Sorry guys...very long day here.

Mick

[tlarkin]

This is my opinion of user deployment/creation when imaging.

1) Create pristine image, no prefs, no accounts, no settings, just OS X and whatever apps you need standard on every single mac 2) Create packages for specific users/groups/computers 3) image your clients with pristine image, then deploy apps in a packaged based manner. This allows you to only ever maintain 1 master image file for all Macs, gives you the fast performance of block copy for your main image, and then allows you to be modular with package based deployment afterward. 4) Use post image shell scripts to set specific system settings, create local user accounts, and then use MCX for everything else.

This is the most efficient work flow I could come up with since we are now managing like 13,000 or so Macs. Of course there are many ways to accomplish the same goals.

-Tom

[nessts]

+1

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Todd Ness
Technology Consultant/Non-Windows Services
Americas Regional Delivery Engineering
HP Enterprise Services