TITLE
    Macintosh Manager 1.4.1: Document and Software
Article ID:
Created:
Modified:
25280
4/10/01
6/19/01

TOPIC

    This article contains the Read Me document for Macintosh Manager 1.4.1, with links to the software downloads.


DISCUSSION
    Language/OS Required Release Date Version Read Me Software
    North American English
    North American English Mac OS 9.0
    2001-04-05 1.4.1
    4579 K
    International English
    International English Mac OS 9.0
    2001-04-05 1.4.1
    4579 K

    Hardware Requirements

    • Macintosh Manager Admin requires a PowerPC processor.
    • MM Client requires at least a 68030 or 68040 processor.

    Software Requirements

    • Server: Mac OS X Server software or AppleShare IP 6.1, 6.2, or 6.3 server software installed and configured (AppleShare IP 6.3 is recommended). Additionally, either of the following:
      • Macintosh Management server software version 1.2 for Mac OS X Server 1.2
      • Macintosh Management server software version 1.2.2 for AppleShare IP 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
    • Workstation: Mac OS 7.6.1 or later.

    Earlier versions of this software may be available at http://download.info.apple.com/

    For help with downloading, see article 75098 " Help: Downloading Software "All software available from this site is covered by a software license agreement included with this software.

    Related Software Downloads

    60676 Macintosh Management Server 1.2.2 (For AppleShare IP 6.3) Document and Software

    Related Articles

    25259 At Ease for Workgroups to Macintosh Manager Document



    North American English

    About Macintosh Manager 1.4.1

    This Read Me includes information about Macintosh Manager 1.4.1, which can be used to manage client computers with Mac OS 7.6.1, Mac OS 8, and Mac OS 9 installed. If you have recently installed Mac OS 9 on your client workstations, you already have a version of the Macintosh Manager and Multiple Users client software. However, you should update your clients to Macintosh Manager 1.4.1 to take advantage of bug fixes and other changes. (If you are using Macintosh Manager 1.1. or later on your client computers, you can automatically update your client machines using the Macintosh Manager auto-update package. (See "Using the Update Package," later in this document, for more details.)

    Note: Macintosh Manager 1.4 does not include Macintosh Management server software. See "System Requirements," later in this document, for information on the server software you need to use with Macintosh Manager 1.4.

    Note: If you are not upgrading from version 1.3 of Macintosh Manager, you may want to read the Macintosh Manager 1.3 Read Me for previous information and changes not covered in this document.

    What's new in Macintosh Manager 1.4.1

    * Corrected a problem where, if users belonged to more than one Panels workgroup, their approved items may not show properly after logging into the subsequent workgroup.

    * Corrected a problem where some desktop printers set up by the administrator would not be properly displayed when the desktop was locked while in the Finder environment. (See below for more information on Finder system access printers when the desktop is locked)

    Desktop Printing and Locked Desktops

    A feature, which was added in version 1.4 to allow the administrator to lock the user's desktop, may pose problems when a user logs into a Finder environment for the first time.

    If the administrator sets the option to have Finder-type workgroup members use the "Members use printer created in System Access" workgroup option, and then enables the option to lock the desktop, any printer not yet on the desktop (e.g. when the user first logs into that workgroup) can not be created by the Finder due to access restrictions and therefore the user may not be able to print. Though it may be possible to temporarily disable the locked desktop feature in order to have the desktop printer created, we do not recommend locking the desktop for workgroups using the system access printer feature when this printer supports Desktop Printing. This problem should not affect Panels users.

    What's new in Macintosh Manager 1.4

    Application compatibility

    To provide better compatibility with existing applications, the functions of the Security Bypass extension are now directly incorporated into Macintosh Manager 1.4. To give you access to the new security feature, a new option, "Enable file level security on Mac OS 9 workstations," appears in the Privileges pane of the Workgroups pane.

    This security feature works only for workstations with Mac OS 9 installed, since earlier versions of the Mac OS do not support the enhanced security model. If you turn the security option off, applications will be able to write to any local disk location regardless of any security settings. Users, however, are still limited in where they can open and save documents and applications. This more closely mimics the behavior of security on pre-Mac OS 9 computers.

    Because the Template workgroup is used to create new workgroups, you should examine the Template workgroup settings to make sure the security option is set the way you want. For new workgroups, the security option is turned off by default, so that security is in a "more compatible" mode. For preexisting workgroups and databases, the option is turned on, indicating a "more security" mode. You can turn the option on or off as desired.

    Note that if a workstation has the Security Bypass extension installed, it will override and force all workgroups to the OFF state regardless of the workgroup's setting. Using this mechanism can still be useful if the administrator wishes to create a subset of machines or applications that never use the enhanced security option. For Multiple Users, there is no option to disable the file level security, and therefore, the Security Bypass extension is still the only alternative for this.

    Finally, if the site does not want to turn off the enhanced security, the administrator-created "Other Applications*" folder inside the "Applications" folder (or in the case of Mac OS 9.1, inside the "Applications (Mac OS 9)" folder) on the startup disk is still an alternative for some applications that need to be able to write to locations outside of the System Folder in a limited manner. For example, an application that saves settings or other information within its own folder is a candidate for this folder. The administrator can place the application itself (or its folder) inside the Other Applications* folder, which then allows the application (but not the user) to write to any location inside the Other Applications* folder.

    Locking the user's desktop

    You can now lock the desktop folder on a workgroup member's startup volume, preventing the user from saving or moving items to or from the local desktop, including moving items to the Trash. This option, "Lock the user's startup volume desktop," is in the Privileges pane of the Workgroups pane.

    This option works in all environments, including the unrestricted Finder environment. Because some applications may not behave properly when they encounter locked locations, you may see some confusing alert messages.

    Problems addressed in version 1.4

    * The network trash is always emptied when a user logs out to prevent the accumulation of trash folders on the server volume. This primarily addresses an issue that occurred when Panels workgroup members logged out after using a group documents volume that was different from the default Macintosh Manager server volume. This change does not address unexpected crashes that leave network trash folders on the server.

    * A problem has been corrected in which user documents (or other files) disappeared from the server for users on pre-Mac OS 8.1 workstations (predominately 7.6.1).

    * Various files and folders in the System Folder are now protected from users who are logged in as Normal users (in Multiple Users). This addresses a security hole that allowed Normal users to remove the Users & Groups Data file in order to log in as the computer owner.

    * When an idle logout occurs with the option to lock the screen, the Control Strip is hidden and the screen turns black to help ensure privacy of a user's data. If a logout is triggered, the contents of the screen reappear to allow the user to view the information and save it if necessary. The Hide/Show Control Strip hot key is not active when the logout window is showing.

    IMPORTANT Some screen savers may not work properly when the password window is displayed.

    * Applications can now directly manipulate the Startup Items and Shutdown Items folder in the Restricted Finder and Panels environments. This addresses a problem that prevented Stickies from setting itself to start up automatically the next time a user logged in.

    * Write access is allowed for DVD-RAM and CD-RW drives.

    * A disk quota calculation problem that occurred when quotas were set over 32 MB has been corrected. A related problem about warnings when disk quotas were exceeded has also been fixed.

    * A problem has been corrected that caused some network-related control panels not to be restored properly when pre-Mac OS 9 computers were restarted after a crash.

    * Users in the Panels environment can now open items found using Sherlock.

    * A problem that caused the Macintosh Manager databases to be corrupted by errant applications, especially older versions of Epson Launcher, has been addressed.

    * Guest users can no longer select a default workgroup.

    * The maximum number of users per workgroup has been increased to 1500.

    * The maximum number of users that can appear in the login list is now 2000.

    * A problem has been corrected that caused DVDs to launch automatically at startup when using SoftDVD.

    * The computer owner's Documents and Desktop folders have been made invisible for security. This primarily affects Multiple Users, not Macintosh Manager.

    * Security handling routines have been improved for certain types of file system calls that use default directories. This addresses minor security holes that may have occurred depending on the application being used.

    * Panels view preferences should now be properly preserved when users access their account on different client workstations. Note that due to changes made in how these preferences are saved, any previous view preferences will be lost when upgrading to this version.

    * Fixed a problem where the logged in user name wasn't getting set properly for Finder environments. This affected print job notifications, Network Assistant, and the Chooser's setting of the default user name.

    * A problem was fixed where, in some instances, the list of managed preferences being preserved on pre-Mac OS 9 workstations would not be properly preserved, primarily in the case where items were placed in the Initial Preferences folder. As a side note, you should never place alias and invisible files or folders in any of the managed preferences folders because they are ignored when calculating the list of items to manage.

    Problems that primarily affect Multiple Users

    * A security hole has been fixed that allowed a user's password to be used to change the owner's password immediately after the user was logged out.

    * A problem has been corrected that prevented desktop themes from being properly saved and restored.

    * A problem has been corrected that allowed Normal users to remove the Users & Groups Data file in order to access the computer owner's account. Also, users can no longer move or delete many other important system files or folders. However, it's important to note that it is impossible to be absolutely sure that no user will be able to make changes that cause havoc on the system.

    Problems fixed in a previous version of Macintosh Manager

    The following problem was fixed in version 1.3.1 of Macintosh Manager/Multiple Users, but may not have been previously noted:

    * A problem was fixed that caused crashes to occur in the Restricted Finder when doing a large copy operation on the desktop.

    Disc Burner

    Disc Burner will store its disc image file in the user's preferences folder as the disc is being created. For Mac OS 9, because this folder is often times redirected to the server, any user that is creating a disc with this utility will cause storage to be used on the remote server volume, potentially involving huge numbers of megabytes of disk space. In addition, if the utility terminates before completion, the image will not be automatically removed on the server since it may contain important information.

    To prevent a user from running Disc Burner, you must disable access to removable media for that workgroup.

    AppleShare IP users

    If you use AppleShare IP as your server platform, it is essential that you install the 'AppleShare IP 9.0.4 Update' or AppleShare IP 6.3.3, since it addresses numerous problems that are related to clients using Macintosh Manager.

    System requirements

    Server

    * Mac OS X Server software or AppleShare IP 6.1, 6.2, or 6.3 server software installed and configured

    * Macintosh Management server software version 1.2.2 for AppleShare IP 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 (AppleShare IP 6.3.3 is highly recommended.)

    You can download this software from the Apple Software Updates Web site at the following address:
    www.apple.com/swupdates

    Administration workstation

    * Mac OS 9

    * Networking (IP or AppleTalk) set up

    * 800 x 600 minimum display resolution

    Client computer

    * Mac OS 7.6.1 or later (Clients with Mac OS 7.6.1 should have Open Transport 1.1.2 installed for best performance.)

    * Networking (IP or AppleTalk) set up

    Installing Macintosh Manager

    IMPORTANT You should use the Macintosh Manager administration program to set up users and workgroups before installing the client software.

    Components of Macintosh Manager

    The Macintosh Manager software has three components:

    * a server process (either Mac OS X Server or AppleShare IP 6.1, 6.2, or 6.3)

    * an administration application installed on the administrator's workstation

    * client software installed on each computer you want to manage with Macintosh Manager

    The Macintosh Management server process is not included in this update. (See "System Requirements," above, for more information about the required server software.)

    Note: In addition to the Macintosh Manager components, when you install the client software on pre-Mac OS 9 clients, a new shared library called NavSecurityLib may also be installed. The library is only active on computers with Mac OS 8.5 through 8.6.

    Installation methods

    There are several ways to update your client computers to use this new version of Macintosh Manager:

    * Use the Installer to update each individual workstation.

    * Use Network Assistant to copy the appropriate files to client workstations.

    * If you already have Macintosh Manager version 1.1 or later on client workstations, use the auto-update feature that is now part of the Macintosh Manager client software. For instructions on using the auto-update feature, see "Using the Update Package," later in this document.

    If you are updating a specific client workstation from Macintosh Manager 1.0 or 1.1 to version 1.3, you should run the Installer application on the client computer to update your software.

    If you run the Installer on a Mac OS 9 computer, you will also be given the option of installing the administration application. When you install the administration application, the Macintosh Manager Help files will also be installed on your workstation.

    Turning on Macintosh Manager

    On Mac OS 9 client computers, follow these steps to turn on Macintosh Manager:

    1. Open the Multiple Users control panel.

    2. Click the On button next to Multiple User Accounts.

    3. Click the Options button to open the Options window.

    4. Click the Other tab.

    5. Click the "Macintosh Manager account (on network)" button.

    6. Click Save and close the Multiple Users control panel.

    7. Restart or log out (Command-Q) from the Finder to enter the Macintosh Manager login screen.

    Using Network Assistant to turn on Macintosh Manager

    If you have Network Assistant client software set up on your client computer, you can use the Network Assistant administration program to update a group of workstations quickly. To do so, follow these steps:

    1. On one client computer, follow the steps described above to set up the client to select its accounts from Macintosh Manager.

    IMPORTANT Do not restart or log out yet.

    2. Open the Network Assistant administration program and select the computers you want to update.

    3. Choose Copy Items from the Manage menu.

    4. Type "Multi-User Prefs" in the text box and click Find. Select the file in the list and click Copy.

    The file is in the Preferences folder (in the System Folder) and contains the information that indicates where the client should find its accounts.

    5. Choose Restart from the Manage menu to restart the client computers.

    On Mac OS 8.x client computers, you only need to restart your computers once the software has been installed. The Macintosh Manager software will automatically scan for the Macintosh Manager server.

    Using the update package

    If you are already using Macintosh Manager 1.1 or later on your client computers, you can use the auto-update package, instead of the Installer, to upgrade your clients to this version of Macintosh Manager.

    To use the auto-update package, do the following:

    1. Open the Macintosh Manager Installer disk image and locate the Update Package file, which should be inside the Update Package folder. Depending on the version of Macintosh Manager you are using, the name of this file may change.

    2. Copy the Update Package file to the top level of your Multi-User Items folder on the server. This folder should be located inside the Macintosh Manager share point on the server.

    Client workstations periodically monitor the folder for the update package; if the folder is found, the client will update the software automatically when the client workstation is in the login screen. After the software is updated, the client workstation will restart automatically.

    After all your clients have been updated, it is recommended that you remove the update package file to prevent your clients from unnecessarily accessing the server. Also, if you connect your client to a server unintentionally, and the server you connect to has an update package, your client software may change from the version that you are using. Thus, you should only connect to servers that you have direct responsibility for to ensure that your client software is not changed by an update package file set up by someone else.


Document Information
Product Area: Apple General Information
Category: Apple On Line Resources
Sub Category: Apple SW Updates
Keywords: kaswu, kbdload

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