I'm setting up our new Jamf Server and my first Goal is DEP. I'm trying to emulate what I used to do with setting up a "golden image" on Macs and not having much success. Terminology and trying to figure out the "flow" has been challenging so here I am. When a new Mac is opened at our facility one of these things I need done is have a standard user account created. I need to be able to change most things in System Preferences for this new user. I would also like to be able to set it up as a "template" for all future Standard Accounts setup locally which I could do easily a year ago. I'd be happy to read some more manuals but everything I'm finding is too generalized. Any help would be appreciated!
Question
How to create a user 101
+6
+22User Template can be changed, packaged and distributed as policy
https://www.amsys.co.uk/modifying-os-x-user-template/
+14Hi @MacGeek ,
If you are just starting out with this config I'd recommend two things:
I need to be able to change most things in System Preferences for this new user.
Carefully consider what you really need to control. The more things you tweak the more that will break with each OS update. I only mention this because your comment above is nightmare inducing. :)
Use Configuration Profiles whenever possible for the config. User Templates might still work and may be necessary for some settings, but they are an older way of doing things and not in line with the direction the OS is headed. You also mention using DEP and that would prevent your modified User Templates from getting in the System directory before the first user logs in if shipped directly to the user...so Configuration Profiles should really be your first choice here, and likely custom scripts second before modified user templates.
Watching this presentation would be a good place to start: Preference Management with Profiles (Greg Neagle)
+6mhasman - That's very exciting that I can still make my own User Template as I did in all previous image builds. Will SIP need to be disabled for the policy to run/install? Will it just overwrite the current template?
Josh - I agree, watching that presentation added a lot of great information that I wasn't aware of. I should have clarified my statement about System Preferences. All I'm doing is changing the Screen Saver Start after time, Energy Saver settings and use a different Time Server in Date & Time and others. I went through all these settings changes with our Field Support Team and we agreed to make some changes.
I have started to create Configuration Profiles in Jamf to emulate what I use to do with the Standard and Admin accounts. I am still unclear how this all comes together and the timing of installs but those are next steps at this point.
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