Non-Admins Change Date & Time Settings?

[MTFIDjamf]

Hello all -
Wondering if anyone has a script or similar to unlock the date & time settings for non-admin users? If so, could you please post it here so that we can test it in our environment as well? Not having much luck with my attempts. We are running some devices on 10.8.5 ML and 10.10.5 Yosemite. If the script works in ML that's awesome, focus is more on Yosemite at this point. Thank you in advance!

[htse]

you'll be looking at editing the /etc/authorization and auth.db files. The implementation will depend on the version of OS X.

https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/managing-the-authorization-database-in-os-x-mavericks/

[Aziz · Accepted solution]

Try this:

security authorizationdb write system.preferences allow
security authorizationdb write system.preferences.datetime allow

[Chris_Hafner]

Yep... what @Abdiaziz said. You can also use the same methodology for changing access to most system preference panes. For us, it's mostly to allow non-admin users to access their energy save and add printers.

[Aziz]

Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone know how to unlock the "Languages & Region" pane for non-admins?

I've searched everywhere and tried everything I can think of without success.

@Chris_Hafner

[Chris_Hafner]

Hrm, good question! I'd have to go back and check for 10.8. in 10.10 it's open by default. However, I'm hoping someone else can jump in here with the answer for ML. I just did a quick inventory and discovered that we have only 2 computers running 10.8 on campus and they are BOTH scheduled for swap tomorrow. Heh, I might actually be able to check!

I guess even kiosks can be ignored!

[bpavlov]

Good resource:
http://www.dssw.co.uk/reference/authorization-rights/index.html

[Chris_Hafner]

@bpavlov Sweet link, thanks! @Abdiaziz Check these links: https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=9937
https://macmule.com/2011/03/02/setting-user-os-language-post-install-from-casper/

Hopefully they can get you pointed in the proper direction for 10.8.x as it looks like you could at least script it.

[MTFIDjamf]

@Abdiaziz This did it, exactly what I needed. Works perfectly. Thank you for the help! Excellent avatar as well...

[john_sherrod]

This thread hasn't been updated since 2015, so I just wanted to bump it to ask if there's any known issues utilizing this method in High Sierra and Mojave. I've done some testing this morning and it seems to work. We occasionally have users who let their battery die and then need IT assistance to get their date and time reset. I'm particularly concerned about this happening when one of them is on business travel.

[gregrob]

The easiest way for a one off change of date and time is to restart in recovery mode - many ways to do it but holding Command+R when the sound plays on startup is best. Once booted get a Terminal running (from the Tools or Utilities menu I think) and type in "date MMDDhhmmCCYY" (no quotes) substituting the right numbers in place of the letters (eg date 041117422019 is April 11, 2019 at 5:42 pm). This is current Californian time. Restart and check.

[larry_barrett]

Keep in mind that if there is an EFI password, gregrobs method won't work.