In Mac OS X, a user who isn't an administrator cannot change the time zone setting in System Preferences without authorization. In this advanced article, learn how an administrator can use Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later to change the /etc/authorization file so that a non-admin user can adjust the time zone setting.
Please note that this will not affect other settings in the Date and Time preferences or other secured System Preferences settings.
Important: This article contains instructions for editing the /etc/authorization file and is only intended for use by system administrators who are familiar with editing configuration files in a command-line interface. Misconfiguring this file can cause issues, including preventing any user from logging in. Be sure that you make a back up of the /etc/authorization file before editing it.
To grant time zone setting access to a non-admin user, do this:
- Make sure that you've updated to Mac OS X 10.4.3.
- Open the /etc/authorization file in a text editor.
- Locate the text that makes up the system.preferences.accounts right; it looks like this (in its entirety):
<key>system.preferences.accounts</key>
<dict>
<key>allow-root</key>
<true/>
<key>class</key>
<string>user</string>
<key>comment</key>
<string>This right is checked by the Admin framework when making changes to the accounts preference pane</string>
<key>group</key>
<string>admin</string>
<key>shared</key>
<false/>
</dict>
- Below this block of text (immediately below the </dict> tag), add the following section of text:
<key>system.preferences.dateandtime.changetimezone</key>
<dict>
<key>class</key>
<string>allow</string>
<key>comment</key>
<string>This right is used by DateAndTime preference to allow any user to change the system timezone.</string>
<key>shared</key>
<true/>
</dict>
Please note that the "This right is used by..." string does not include a line break; make sure that you enter it all on one line.
- Save the file.