deploy shortcut to multiple Macbooks desktops

[pty10]

I have a shortcut that points to a network drive that I need to deploy to several Macbooks desktop. I attempted to deploy the shortcut using composer then using self service so students can move the shortcut to their desktops but It didn't work, seems to me that composer is geared more to deploy dmg's and packages.

Could someone tell me if is possible to do it with composer or if there's another way of deploying the shortcut? Macbooks use Snow Leopard 10.6.8

[mm2270 · Accepted solution]

If you're looking to have the shortcut placed on the user's Desktops on those MacBooks, there are probably at least a half dozen ways you can do this. Here is one way, using built in Casper Suite functionality and tools-

1. Create the shortcut on your admin Mac if necessary and place it on your own Desktop
2. Open Composer, and drag and drop the shortcut into the Composer window, making sure to drag it into the gray sidebar, not into an existing source location.
3. A new Source should get created, named the same as whatever your shortcut file is named
4. Rename it if you'd like and build it out using DMG as your format
5. Upload into Casper Admin, and open the Info window for the DMG. Check the Fill Existing Users (or FEU) box in the panel. Save it.

From there, when you deploy the dmg package, it should be set to deploy down into all local user accounts' Desktops, provided the accounts are located under the /Users/ path.
Optional: You can also check the FUT or Fill User Template checkbox in Casper Admin to deploy the shortcut into the System's User Template directory, which means any new user accounts on the Macs from that point on will have the file already.

Outside of this, solutions can be done using a .pkg format and a postflight or postinstall script in the pkg that would loop through all local accounts and copy/move the file into the correct location.

In fact, depending on the kind of file or shortcut you're looking to make, it can just be a script that would create the file on the fly in all accounts, or just certain ones.

[mm2270 · Accepted solution]

If you're looking to have the shortcut placed on the user's Desktops on those MacBooks, there are probably at least a half dozen ways you can do this. Here is one way, using built in Casper Suite functionality and tools-

1. Create the shortcut on your admin Mac if necessary and place it on your own Desktop
2. Open Composer, and drag and drop the shortcut into the Composer window, making sure to drag it into the gray sidebar, not into an existing source location.
3. A new Source should get created, named the same as whatever your shortcut file is named
4. Rename it if you'd like and build it out using DMG as your format
5. Upload into Casper Admin, and open the Info window for the DMG. Check the Fill Existing Users (or FEU) box in the panel. Save it.

From there, when you deploy the dmg package, it should be set to deploy down into all local user accounts' Desktops, provided the accounts are located under the /Users/ path.
Optional: You can also check the FUT or Fill User Template checkbox in Casper Admin to deploy the shortcut into the System's User Template directory, which means any new user accounts on the Macs from that point on will have the file already.

Outside of this, solutions can be done using a .pkg format and a postflight or postinstall script in the pkg that would loop through all local accounts and copy/move the file into the correct location.

In fact, depending on the kind of file or shortcut you're looking to make, it can just be a script that would create the file on the fly in all accounts, or just certain ones.

[pty10 · Accepted solution]

Hi mm2270,

What you suggested to do worked a treat, thanks! The only issue is that when I deploy the DMG using self service to a Macbook, I keep getting prompted for the admin username and password. Is there a way that I can eliminate getting asked for those details so that way students can use self service to deploy the package without getting asked to enter the username and password?

Cheers,

Henry

[mm2270]

Henry,

Self Service shouldn't be asking for an admin password, but there are two possible reasons why you're seeing that.

1- You may have enabled the setting that forces Self Service to ask for local authentication when running policies. That's located in Settings > Computer Management Framework Settings > Self Service > End User Authentication tab. Check to make sure the setting called "End users need to authenticate..." isn't selected.

2- The local service/management account used on your Macs has a password that doesn't match up with what your JSS has stored for them. To check that, you first need to look at what local service account is managing your systems, which can be found in any Macs' inventory details in the Computer Information section. Once you know what it is, you'll have to determine that the account exists first of all, and check the account's password to make sure its the same as in the JSS. If Self Service can't authenticate locally with that account when it tries to run something, your users will be prompted to do so instead.

[Chris_Hafner]

Any reason why you're not using profiles to set network mounts at login?

[pty10]

Hi mm2270,

I did check what you suggested and those settings appear to be fine. Which brings me to what Chris suggested about network mounts. We do have network mounts, students get prompted to login to their mounts every time they start or restart their computers. The mistake I was making was that I was trying to get access to the shortcut (which is pointing to a network drive) without first logging in to the network mount (which is where the shortcut points to) which in part explains why I was getting prompted for the username and password.

I was also testing on some old Macbooks we got so I have re-imaged those so that way they have the current JSS logon details and that helped as well. Thanks guys.

Cheers,

Henry

[Sandy]

Another reason SS may ask for a password is if users do not quit the app after use (they just close the window but leave the app running).
If they then open a new window it may ask for authentication.
S