Disable Spaces/Mission Control for Network Users

[johnnasset]

Our school district is piloting the Smarter Balance assessment this spring. One requirement of the testing is that Mission Control/Spaces is disabled. Through the GUI, you do this by going to System Preferences-Keyboard-Shortcuts and unchecking the box for Mission Control. It appears unchecking this box modifies the com.apple.symbolichotkeys (amongst others) preference file. The problem I'm having is that this is a user-level preference and most tips I find online are for local users, not AD users. Anybody have a fairly painless way to do this rather than touching each machine?

[bentoms]

@johnnasset.. Will it now work via MCX?

[cbrewer · Accepted solution]

Setup a configuration profile with a custom payload. Preference domain should be com.apple.symbolichotkeys.

The plist contents should be:
{AppleSymbolicHotKeys={79={enabled=false, value={parameters=[65535, 123, 262144], type=standard}}, 80={enabled=false, value={parameters=[65535, 123, 393216], type=standard}}, 81={enabled=false, value={parameters=[65535, 124, 262144], type=standard}}, 118={enabled=false, value={parameters=[65535, 18, 262144], type=standard}}}}

[johnnasset]

Excellent, thanks. I set it as a computer level profile, converted a plist from a machine to xml and uploaded to the JSS. Worked like a charm.

[cbrewer]

Mine is User level FWIW.

[johnnasset]

Hmm, seems to work fine at computer level too.

[cdenesha]

awesome - was dreading tackling this.

[chrismartin]

Thanks!

[cbrewer]

Here's the original plist contents needed for this. You'll also need to convert it to xml prior to uploading to the jss.

plutil -convert xml1 ~/Desktop/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>AppleSymbolicHotKeys</key>
    <dict>
        <key>118</key>
        <dict>
            <key>enabled</key>
            <false/>
            <key>value</key>
            <dict>
                <key>parameters</key>
                <array>
                    <integer>65535</integer>
                    <integer>18</integer>
                    <integer>262144</integer>
                </array>
                <key>type</key>
                <string>standard</string>
            </dict>
        </dict>
        <key>79</key>
        <dict>
            <key>enabled</key>
            <false/>
            <key>value</key>
            <dict>
                <key>parameters</key>
                <array>
                    <integer>65535</integer>
                    <integer>123</integer>
                    <integer>262144</integer>
                </array>
                <key>type</key>
                <string>standard</string>
            </dict>
        </dict>
        <key>80</key>
        <dict>
            <key>enabled</key>
            <false/>
            <key>value</key>
            <dict>
                <key>parameters</key>
                <array>
                    <integer>65535</integer>
                    <integer>123</integer>
                    <integer>393216</integer>
                </array>
                <key>type</key>
                <string>standard</string>
            </dict>
        </dict>
        <key>81</key>
        <dict>
            <key>enabled</key>
            <false/>
            <key>value</key>
            <dict>
                <key>parameters</key>
                <array>
                    <integer>65535</integer>
                    <integer>124</integer>
                    <integer>262144</integer>
                </array>
                <key>type</key>
                <string>standard</string>
            </dict>
        </dict>
    </dict>
</dict>
</plist>

[kateswist]

Can you explain the last step? I was with you until I got to the upload file part of configuration profile. This is the first time I have created one so assume I know nothing...

Thanks in advance,
Katie

[cbrewer]

This is not a configuration profile. This is the plist needed for the preference domain after you create a configuration profile in the JSS. Create a new configuration profile and configure custom settings. There you can upload the com.apple.symbolichotkeys plist file.

[fordsam]

Setup a configuration profile with a custom payload
Uploaded XML converted Plist
scoped to appropriate devices
Device received the configuration profile successfully

opened up CaSecureBrowser and it still states the need to disable spaces.

Anyone suggestions?

[millersc]

Anyone have any luck with this and key dict 52, which happens to be "Turn Dock Hiding On/Off" in the Keyboard Pref pane.

Tired defaults write, profile at computer and user levels. Nothing sets it. 10.10.3 workstations.

Thanks
Steve

[mohtashim_mobin]

Thank you very much for this.

[csjoberg]

This should be included https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/13713/sbac-secure-browser-7-0-and-disabling-spaces