Workstation Setup
The workstation is pretty much self-configuring, since the administration program handles all the settings for the workstations and users. The only thing that you may need to do is to locate the Macintosh Management server.
If you are on an AppleTalk network, the workstation attempts to locate and connect to the first Macintosh Management server it finds in the local AppleTalk zone. If it finds one, the login dialog appears.
If the server it found was correct, you can log in with a user name (and optional) password, assuming that this information was previously specified in the admininstration application.
If the server it found wasn't correct, you can use the Server popup menu to select either another server in the same AppleTalk zone, or use the Other menu to bring up a dialog box that asks you to locate the server, either by AppleTalk or by IP.
Once the server has been located, the login dialog box reflects the new server's information.
The user can change the server location only as long as the computer has never been successfully logged into a Macintosh Management server.
Holding down the Shift key at startup does not bypass Macintosh Management, though you may be able to go to the Finder if no administration passwords are known, or if you enter a global administration password when asked. This is true for NetBoot clients as well.
In all environments, the File menu contains a Quit menu command to allow the user to logout (back to the login dialog).
User Environments
Before users can have access to the computer they must be authenticated by the system. This is done through the Login screen.
Figure 1, Macintosh Manager Login screen
Panels
The Panels environment provides a simple and easy to use interface, with large one-click icons that make it easy for the younger child. Buttons are now icons, similar to what you might find in a browser window (you click them once to "open" them). Because the panels environment does not show (or normally give) access to the client's hard disk, this environment can also be used to limit access by individuals to only those programs and files that they should have access to.
Figure 2, Panels environment
Restricted Finder
The Restricted Finder environment is a secured Finder environment that gives users access to the Finder, but imposes many default restrictions on the user. This environment is used to help protect workstations, while still giving the user access to the standard Macintosh desktop. In general, users are restricted to not being able to write to any location on the local volume except for their own documents folder.
Figure 3, Restricted Finder environment
Finder
The Finder environment imposes little or no restrictions on the users. Its primary purpose is to give users the virtual desktop experience. You can, however, protect the System Folder and Applications folder.
System Access
While not a true environment (that is, it can't be selected as an environment by the administrator but instead is given automatically to every global administrator), logging into this environment is equivalent to "turning off" Macintosh Manager. That is, when a user logs into a System Access environment, it is very similar to starting up the client workstation with Macintosh Manager off, gaining immediate access to the Finder.
The System Access environment is automatically granted to all global administrators, and can be optionally given to any other user as well.
Installing Workstation Software
For a workstation to be controlled by Macintosh Management software, the client software must be installed. The workstation software is preinstalled in the Mac OS image for Mac OS X server NetBoot clients.
To install software on a local-startup computer, follow these steps:
- 1. Start up the computer you want to install the software on.
2. Use the Chooser to mount the NetBoot server volume. When you log in to the server, use any user name and password that has read access to the NetBoot server volume. For example, you can use the name "Administrator" and the password you set up for the Administrator of the Mac OS X Server.
3. Locate the Macintosh Manager Installer folder and open it.
4. Double-click the Installer icon.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the appropriate software.
Once the software is installed, the computer restarts automatically.
The components of the client software are:
- MM Client Panels
- MM Client Finder Plugin,
- MM Client Login
- MM Client Startup.
Workstation Startup
When a client netboots it immediately looks for a Macintosh Management server in the local AppleTalk zone. If it is successful it brings up a login dialog box.
If you have not configured any users or administrators at this point you can log in as Administrator using the password you set up for the Administrator (root) account on the Mac OS X Server. You can also log in to the Macintosh Management server as any Apple File Services user with the appropriate privileges.
Keeping in mind this is the first time the system has been used, the initial login gives the user full system access.