How to disable auto launching "Wacom Desktop Center" app during user's first login

[wdoty]

Hey Everyone,

Does anyone know how to disable the "Wacom Desktop Center" app from auto launching during a user's first login?

(I don't remember having this issue last year when setting our computer lab iMacs at my community college.)

[mhuston]

I started a WACOM forum question, that lead to support response.

https://support.wacom.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/25369629201943-OSX-How-to-prevent-Wacom-Center-et...

They sent the driver to me via an email link.

[whiteb]

I'd be interested in trying this driver. Anything to get rid of the Desktop Center app. I reached out to their support a few weeks ago and they didn't have anything helpful for me.

With this driver, what bundle ID's do you still have PPPC's for?

My current WACOM PPPC has:

• com.wacom.wacomtablet
• com.wacom.FirmwareUpdater
• com.wacom.Wacom-Desktop-Center
• com.wacom.TabletDriver
• com.wacom.WacomTouchDriver
• com.wacom.IOManager
• com.wacom.Wacom-Display-Settings
• com.wacom.RemoveWacomTablet

I feel like those have accumulated from WACOM changing things over the years and not all of them are actually necessary.

[mhuston]

I don't know how long this link will stay active... But this is what they sent me.
* The link still worked on Aug 14, 2024.
---
Here is the download link to our MacOS enterprise driver: https://wacom.app.box.com/s/8dot9xi4ud0e46h1bxvczik1pnuwk4z6

[janthenat]

The download link worked for me today, Aug 20, 2024.  Thanks, you're a life saver!

I just threw this up on Mac Self Service for our computer services folks to install as needed.  My testing showed that during the install, on macOS 14 Sonoma, there were two System Settings changes requiring admin credentials (in this order I think):

Privacy & Security => Accessibility => "com.wacom.IOManager" toggle

Privacy & Security => Input Monitoring => "WacomTabletDriver" toggle

One of those prompted to quit and relaunch the driver, but I don't remember which one, so I just rebooted for good measure.

Upon login to the computer as a standard user there were ZERO auto launched Wacom items.  Connecting a Wacom tablet resulted in just one user approvable notification, and the tablet worked as expected and the tablet control item showed in the menu bar.  Wacom apps could be launched and worked as expected, etc.

So, the only problem with deploying hands-free would seem to be the two prompted security items.  Maybe I can figure out a PPPC for those?

[mhuston]

Does your PPPC successfully handle apple security question issues; Does an OSX admin account still need to approve access?  The enterprise driver only removes Desktop Center app etc. 

[mhuston]

I choose to be optimistic about this;  in the future the enterprise driver hopefully will  be made available to all who need it.

• I will ask that they officially add enterprise driver support to Wacom web site.

Its people like us who do the ordering of equipment for computer labs, I should think our opinion’s and needs should matter.

Cheers
Mike

[ianatkinson]

If they have an enterprise driver it shouldn't be hidden away and shared randomly why don't they just put it on the downloads page with some instructions and save us all the headaches!

Booo!

[kacey3]

I agree 100% since I am using AutoPKG in order to keep our Wacom driver up to date. Making it this ridiculous begging to receive the driver scenario defeats my ability to keep our drivers as up to date as possible.

[kacey3]

With the availability of the new Enterprise Driver, I took some time to compare the original driver to the new driver (and more specifically, the installer) and found that they are virtually identical. In fact, it takes only one file to change a standard driver install to an enterprise driver install.

To make your standard install operate as an enterprise install, simply create a com.wacomtablet.defaults.xml file in the /Library/Preferences folder. The contents of the xml file are as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--Author: Wacom Co.,Ltd.-->
<root>
	<!-- Set Enterprise Mode -->
	<OperatingMode>Enterprise</OperatingMode>
</root>

Once you add that file, it doesn't matter what driver you initially installed, this will force it to run in Enterprise Mode.

I have tested this on version 6.4.6-3 and 6.4.7-2

From what I understand from reading the Wacom documentation, this was introduced in version 6.4.4 and should function from this point forward. So no need to request the specific Enterprise Driver from Wacom, just add this file and you should be able to enable Enterprise Mode without any special drivers.

[smolyeet]

this is awesome! I haven't had a moment yet to work on Wacom, but i'm curious if this can be managed with a manage preference / configuration profile from whichever MDM.

[kacey3]

I was hoping so, but unfortunately this one must be a .xml file, where all other managed preferences are created as .plist files. I will be writing a script to create the file as necessary.

[kacey3]

Here is the script that I will be using:

#!/bin/bash

##################################
#
# Enable Wacom Enterprise Mode
# Written by KClose
#
# This script creates a file to force Enterprise Mode for all Wacom Tablet drivers.
#	This should function on any Wacom drivers from version 6.4.4 and up.
#
##################################

### VARIABLES ###
scriptFile="/Library/Preferences/com.wacomtablet.defaults.xml"

### MAIN SCRIPT ###
# Create file.
echo "Writing script file."
touch "$scriptFile"
{ 
	echo "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>"
	echo "<!--Author: Wacom Co.,Ltd.-->"
	echo "<root>"
	echo "	<!-- Set Enterprise Mode -->"
	echo "	<OperatingMode>Enterprise</OperatingMode>"
    echo "</root>"
} >"$scriptFile"

# Set ownership and permissions.
echo "Setting ownership and permissions on script file."
chown -R root:admin "$scriptFile"
chmod -R 755 "$scriptFile"

exit 0

[luke_jaeger]

You can also use Composer to build a .pkg that installs the /Library/Preferences/com.wacomtablet.defaults.xml file. Worked for me.

[kacey3]

Absolutely! 

I chose to do it as a script so that if Wacom does something silly and changes the process, I don't have to upload a new pkg. 

But ultimately, it's pretty much the same either way.

[janthenat]

I uncovered this as well by peeking at the Enterprise installer pkg with Suspicious Package.  It was literally the only thing different from the regular installer.

What exactly does "Enterprise" mode mean?  Do we know for sure?

[kacey3]

Enterprise mode disables all auto-launch functions (so no more Wacom Desktop at startup, no more user survey at startup), there are no more requests to register your device, and no prompts to log into your Wacom account.

Additionally, per Wacom documentation (that was provided with my Enterprise Driver):

Enterprise Mode disables or hides several driver components including:

• Wacom Experience Program is hidden

• Setup Wizards disabled/hidden

• Product registration prompts are hidden

• Links to Wacom ID and related content, including:

• product registration prompts

• software offers

• tutorial videos

• social media

• YouTube

• Driver for firmware update messages via Windows/macOS Notification dialogs

[ianatkinson]

niiiiiiiiiiiice :)