Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) version 3.1 can be installed on computers that have:
- Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
- An Ethernet (recommended), Airport, or FireWire over IP network connection
- Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) 3.0
Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 is a Universal Binary updater application and will upgrade Apple Remote Desktop 3.0 installations on Intel- or PowerPC-based Macintosh computers which meet the above criteria.
Update packages
Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 provides two update packages:
- Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 Client
- Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 Admin
These updates can be downloaded from Apple downloads.
Compatibility with previous versions of Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 allows you to Control or Observe Apple Remote Desktop version 2.0 or later and 3.0 clients.
If you choose not to upgrade your clients to the current version, you will have limited backwards compatibility and will only be able to control/observe computers that are running version 2.x or later of the client software.
Improvements
Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 offers numerous improvements, including:
Software distribution
- Install Package task now supports installing Apple Installer packages that have packages outside the .mpkg
- Addresses issues when copying files to root ("/") on PowerPC clients
- Copy Items task now correctly supports copying of files with aliases
Asset management
- PCI Reports now called Expansion Card Reports
- Software reports now also report architecture type of applications
- System Information Report can now report on Lights Out Management configuration and settings
- Administration Settings Report can now report on Lights Out Management settings
- Application Usage Reports no longer allows for a start date to be later than the end date
- You can now drag computer lists and computers into the the Remote Spotlight Search window
Remote control
- You can now power on an Xserve with Lights Out Management
- Send UNIX panel now correctly focuses cursor in the script field
- Enter key now invokes the Send button in Send UNIX panel
- The Lock Screen and Curtain Mode tasks can now display custom lock screen images
- Send UNIX task no longer has limits on length of commands/scripts being sent to client computers
Remote assistance
- Improved support for using right mouse buttons to invoke contextual menus
- When performing a drag-and-drop copy, Apple Remote Desktop will now prompt you if a same-named item already exists in the location
- Improved compatibility with third-party VNC viewers and servers
- Addresses an issue that could cause video to be displayed improperly when sharing screens
- Control/observe toolbars now retain their settings correctly
Automation
- Copy Items action now also works with computer lists
- AppleScript dictionary now includes support for Power On task for Xserves with Lights Out Management
- Workflows that include Choose Remote Computer and Choose Computer List actions now properly retain their settings when they are re-opened
- Using the "copy to me" task in AppleScript no longer cause the application to unexpectedly quit
- Execute AppleScript action now correctly handles quotes in the input
- AppleScript no longer sends extra quotes in the results of a Send UNIX task
- AppleScript now correctly interprets Install Package tasks that use a Task Server
Other
- Network scanners now support Bonjour-only discovery of Apple Remote Desktop and VNC-enabled client computers
- Get Info panel now supports setting username and password for the Xserves Lights Out Management
- Computer lists can now display the Lights Out Management status of Xserves
- Addresses issue of Smart Computer Lists occasionally clearing out entries in other computer lists
- Apple Remote Desktop now correctly recognizes users that login using Active Directory account with machine administration rights
- kickstart can now correctly configure clients for VNC access
- Resolves an issue when the client idle time in computer lists reported thousands of hours
- Computers that have multiple network interfaces can now be used as Task Servers
- Addresses issues in which IP addresses could occasionally be displayed inverted
- Resolves the issue of not being able to include individual icons for the Sleep/Wake/Restart/Shutdown on your toolbar
- Addresses an issue with computers disappearing form smart computer lists after quitting the Apple Remote Desktop application
- If System Preferences has been restricted from opening, the Remote Desktop menu extra will now not allow launching of System Preferences
- Addressees an issue in which task items could occasionally be dimmed ("grayed out")
- Support for administrators that are in more than 14 groups
- The Installed RAM column of computer lists no longer rounds up values
- Authenticating using directory services based accounts no longer conflicts with mobile accounts in Active Directory
- Authenticating using directory services can now be throttled to minimize load on directory servers
For more support information, visit the Apple Remote Desktop support page.