Why not just FUT & FEU with a desktop background package?
If you replace /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg and make sure
the permissions are owned by root:wheel, with -rw-r--r--, is there still a
problem?

Sorry if I'm missing something.

I continued to pick at this after posting the question. The DefaultDesktop.jpg is the picture that appears at the log in screen (it used to be called Aqua blue pre 10.5) It is an oddball file because you cannot just swap it out on a booted system, since it lives in CoreServices. So it has to be renamed (with sudo), then the new file needs to be moved in and renamed and set for the right owner and permissions.

I setup a policy with two parts. The first part delivers a payload to the regular desktop pictured folder in the /Library folder... you could use an existing pic just as easily. I then have the policy execute a script that runs the following CLi commands After the new pic is in place then trigger a reboot.

mv /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg DefaultDesktop.jpg.OLD
cp /Library/Desktop Pictures/tobedefaultdesktop.jpg /System/Library/ CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg
chown root:wheel /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg
chmod 644 /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg

Og only knows why this has to be so convoluted...

_-------------------_____---------------_----------

Eric Young
eyoung at thayer.org

you could just build it into your os image that is deployed. unless you really need to change existing machines.

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you can edit the loginwindow.plist to point to any image you wish for the login window

i place mine in /Library/Desktop Pictures/

criss

Criss Myers
Senior Customer Support Analyst (Mac Services)
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator v10.5
LIS Business Support Team
Library 301
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
Ex 5054
01772 895054

use this in your com.apple.loginwindow.plist

use a policy to copy the picture you want and then use a defaults write command to set the plist

for users desktop pics i use WGM to set the default desktop picture

<Xxml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict> <key>AdminHostInfo</key> <string>DSStatus</string> <key>DesktopPicture</key> <string>/Library/Desktop Pictures/LoginWindow.tif</string>

Criss

Criss Myers
Senior Customer Support Analyst (Mac Services)
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator v10.5
LIS Business Support Team
Library 301
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
Ex 5054
01772 895054

Here's how I do it on our base image. (At this point I have not switch to
making it a package.)

-----per my build documentation-----
Change logon background

1. Copy MyCompanyLogo.jpg to '/Library/Desktop Pictures'
2. Open /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app
3. Enter the following commands in the Terminal window 3a. sudo chown root /Library/Desktop Pictures/MyCompanyLogo.jpg 3b. sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow DesktopPicture /Library/Desktop Pictures/MyCompanyLogo.jpg 3c. exit

REFERENCE: http://www.macworld.com/article/60979/2007/11/loginbkgnd2.html
4. Apple menu > RestartŠ
----------

Extra hints:
In line 3b, if your using tab complete, be sure to delete the ".plist"
extension at the end of com.apple.loginwindow
In line 3b, it should be "...com.apple.loginwindow" space "DesktopPicture"
space "/Library/Desk....."
In line 3b, to the best of my knowledge, the key "DesktopPicture" is case
sensitive and is one word.

Jason

my wayback machine's got a busted thing-a-ma-bob :-) I already have a goodly portion deployed thanks to an almost literal drop dead date. Plus I like the freedom that adding it as a policy gives, so when the powers that be decide it's ugly or whatnot I can change it out.

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Where we have strong emotions, we're liable to fool ourselves. - Carl Sagan

Eric Young
eyoung at thayer.org