This article comprises the Read Me for the following update:

Update Name: Macintosh Manager 1.3

Release Date: 2000-04-12

Localized OS: North American English, International English

It can be downloaded from the Apple Software Updates Web site at:

http://www.apple.com/swupdates/

Click the following link to download the North American English update:

http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11631

Click the following link to download the International English update:

http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11759

About Macintosh Manager 1.3

This Read Me includes information about Macintosh Manager 1.3, which can be used to manage client computers with Mac OS 7.6.1, Mac OS 8.x, and Mac OS 9 installed. If you have recently installed Mac OS 9 on your client workstations, you already have version 1.1 of the Macintosh Manager and Multiple Users client software. However, you should update your clients to Macintosh Manager 1.3 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 the section "Using the Update Package" for more details.)

Note: Macintosh Manager 1.3 does not include Macintosh Management server software. See "System Requirements," later in this document, for information on the server software you need to use Macintosh Manager 1.3.

What's new in Macintosh Manager

New features in version 1.3

• Macintosh Manager has a new model for handling and setting preferences. See "Preference Management," later in this document, for more information.
• You can now allow applications that aren't on the list of approved items to be opened by placing them in the Special Folder. The name of the Special Folder must start with the bullet character ("·," Option-8) on both the workstation and in the administration application. The folder cannot be set to the Write Only permission.
• The workstation computer name now appears in the Apple menu of the Login screen.

• The Hand Out feature in the Panels environment now works as documented.
• Desktop printers created and selected in the System Access environment should now be preserved through subsequent logins.
• Users can no longer save documents in the parent folder of the users' documents folder.
• A problem that caused multiple Recent Items folders to appear on pre-Mac OS 9 clients has been fixed. Users are no longer allowed to preserve recent items from previous logins.
• The "Check for e-mail when members log in" option now works correctly.
• A problem that sometimes prevented removable volumes, server volumes, or CD-ROM discs from being unmounted properly has been addressed.
• A problem that allowed users to access other users' documents folders has been fixed. In addition, when an application uses Standard File or Navigation Services to open or save a document, in most cases it should now point to the user's documents folder.
• A problem that caused some CD-ROM discs not to show up correctly on the desktop in the Restricted Finder environment has been fixed.
• A printing problem has been fixed so that users can now print from the Panels environment without having to log into a Finder workgroup. To utilize this fix, you must log in to a System Access workgroup on each workstation that uses the Panels environment to make sure the System Access printer is set properly.

Note: If you don't set a computer name and owner in the File Sharing or Sharing Setup control panel on the client computer, the client starts up in the Finder.

New compatibility options in Macintosh Manager 1.3

Macintosh Manager 1.3 provides new options for allowing older applications to work with Macintosh Manager on Mac OS 9 computers:

• Other Applications· folder-If you store older applications in this folder, they may work better with Macintosh Manager and Mac OS 9.
• Security Bypass extension-This extension improves compatibility by REDUCING THE SECURITY offered in Mac OS 9 to the level of security offered by Mac OS 8.

• Preference Management-Some applications require certain initial preferences to be set before the application can be used. You can use the Managed Preferences feature of Macintosh Manager to facilitate the set up process. On a machine, in System Access, configure the application for your users. Then copy the preference files or folders created by the application to the Initial Preferences folder or to the Forced Preferences folder. (For more details on Managed Preferences, see the Preference Management section below.)

If an application isn't working properly (for example, it won't open, or you get a disk error) when you use it in the Restricted Finder or Panels environment on a Mac OS 9 computer, try the following:

1. Log in to the System Access environment.

2. Open the Applications folder, at the root of the hard disk. If the Applications folder does not already exist, you need to create it.

3. In the Applications folder, create a new folder named "Other Applications·". You create the bullet character ("·") by holding down the Option key while pressing the 8 key.

4. Drag the incompatible application into the Other Applications· folder. If the application is in a folder with other support files, be sure to drag the entire folder to the Other Applications· folder, not just the application file.

5. Log out.

IMPORTANT Any application, even if it's not in the Other Applications· folder, can write to any file or folder inside the Other Applications· folder. Users will not be able to save into this folder using Standard File or Navigation Services, but they may be able to open existing files in this folder and modify them.

Note: The Other Applications· folder functions as the Application Support folder did in Macintosh Manager 1.2.x. However, unlike the Application Support folder, which was located inside the System Folder, the Other Applications· folder provides a location outside the System Folder for applications with compatibility problems. You can continue to use the Application Support folder with Macintosh Manager 1.3, if you wish.

Security Bypass Extension

The Security Bypass extension, when used in conjunction with Mac OS 9 or later and Macintosh Manager 1.3 or later, will help improve compatibility for some older applications. The extension allows all applications (compatible or incompatible) to operate in a way similar to the way they operate with Mac OS 8.

IMPORTANT The trade-off for this improved compatibility is REDUCED FILE SECURITY. With the Security Bypass extension installed, you will have a reduced level of security that may make it possible for some applications to write to unauthorized locations. In some rare instances, users may be able to open or save to these locations as well.

The Security Bypass extension and instructions on installing and using it are available at http://www.apple.com/swupdates .

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 for Mac OS X Server 1.0 or 1.2
• Macintosh Management server software version 1.2.2 for AppleShare IP 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 (ASIP 6.3 is recommended.)

Administration workstation

• Mac OS 9
• Networking (IP or AppleTalk) set up
• 800 x 600 minimum display resolution

• 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

IMPORTANT You should use the Macintosh Manager administration program to set up your 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

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 is also installed. The library is only active on computers with Mac OS 8.5 to 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 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.

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 "MM Update Package" file, which should be inside the Update Package folder.

2. Copy the "MM Client 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.

Preference management

Macintosh Manager 1.3 has a new preference management model that replaces the model used in previous versions of Macintosh Manager.

How it works

Three special folders are now automatically created and scanned on the Group Documents server volume (or share point) when a user logs in from a client workstation. The three folders are located in the Managed Preferences folder on the Group Documents volume and have the following names:

• Initial Preferences
• Forced Preferences
• Preserved Preferences

Creating the preferences folders

You can create the three preferences folders manually by following these steps:

1. Create a folder called "Managed Preferences" on the Group Documents server volume (or share point) for the workgroups for which you wish to manage preferences.

2. In the Managed Preferences folder, create three folders named "Initial Preferences," "Forced Preferences," and "Preserved Preferences."

1. Create an unrestricted Finder workgroup that connects to the Group Documents volume that you wish to use the new preferences model.

2. Ensure that you have the "Copy preferences when workgroup members log in" option set.

3. Log a user in to this workgroup. The three folders will be automatically created when the user logs in. If you wish, you can delete the workgroup after the folders are successfully created.

To use the new preferences model, you must simply enable the "Copy preferences when workgroup members log in" option for each workgroup for which you want to manage preferences.

IMPORTANT If one or more items exist in any of the three folders when a workgroup member logs in, Macintosh Manager 1.3 will use the new preferences model. The previous preferences model has been left intact so that administrators upgrading to the new software can get their clients up and running quickly without doing additional work. However, future versions of Macintosh Manager may not support the old preferences model, so you should plan on switching to the new model as soon as possible.

About the preferences folders

• Initial Preferences-You can use the Initial Preferences folder much as a "default preferences" feature; for example, you might use it to set up a group of initial preferences for users. Items in the folder are copied to the user's Preferences folder at login only if items with the same name do not already exist in the user's Preferences folder. This feature works on all clients (Mac OS 9 and pre-Mac OS 9). Items in this folder won't be copied back to the server at logout unless they are also in the Preserved Preferences folder (see below).

If you want to make sure an item in the Initial Preferences folder is preserved for pre-Mac OS 9 clients, you must place a file with the same name in the Preserved Preferences folder (see below).

• Forced Preferences-Items in this folder are always copied to the user's Preferences folder at login (for all clients, both Mac OS 9 and pre-Mac OS 9), even if the items already exist in the user's folder. Items are never copied back to the server at logout. If you put an item in the Forced Preferences folder, you should not place the same item in the Preserved Preferences folder, because it will be forced again the next time the user logs in.
• Preserved Preferences-Items in the Preserved Preferences folder are used only by pre-Mac OS 9 clients, and only if you've set the option not to copy all preferences. The actual items in this folder are not copied to the user's Preferences folder; instead, Macintosh Manager uses the items to create a list of preference items to preserve at login and logout. You'd use this folder to preserve a group of preferences across logins.

Items in the Preserved Preferences folder can be any type of file or folder, but each item in the folder should have the same name and the same kind (file or folder) as the item that you want to be copied. Since the items in the Preserved Preferences folder are never actually copied, they don't need to contain any data. To save disk space, you can place very small files or folders in the Preserved Preferences folder to represent the real files and folders.

IMPORTANT Do not push out the General Controls Prefs file with the Forced Preferences folder or with the Initial Preferences folder. Doing so may cause users to get the wrong Documents folder.

Browser cache deletion

On pre-Mac OS 9 client workstations, if the new preferences model is enabled, any Internet Explorer or Netscape browser cache folders or files will be deleted to prevent delays when users log in and out. You cannot turn this feature off. If the user's Preferences folder already contains a browser cache item, an attempt will be made to delete it when the user logs in the next time.

Always and Never Copied items

Several specific preferences are treated as "Always Copied" or "Never Copied" items for pre-Mac OS 9 clients. "Always Copied" items are appended to the list of preserved items. "Never Copied" items are removed only if the workgroup copies all preferences. (If you copy only certain preferences, and a Never Copied item is included in the preferences list, it will be copied. This is not recommended since the original item will be deleted on the workstation when the user logs out.)

• Always Copied Preferences:
  
  Appearance Preferences
  Control Strip Preferences
  Date & Time Preferences
  Finder Preferences
  Mac OS Preferences
  Panels Preferences
  User Prefs
• Never Copied Preferences:
  
  Energy Saver Preferences
  AppleTalk Preferences
  ColorSyncTM Profiles
  Desktop Picture Prefs
  Extensions Manager Preferences
  Client Prefs
  TCP/IP Preferences
  Multi-User Items
  Multi-User Prefs
  Remote Access
  Open Transport Preferences
  Users & Groups Data File
  Users & Groups Data File Backup
  Network Assistant Preferences

Unlike Mac OS 9 client computers (which do not need to copy preference files from the server), Mac OS 7.6.1 or 8.x clients have the option of copying user preferences to and from the server. This option must be enabled in the administration program. The instructions for turning on preference handling are described in the next section.

User documents folder privileges

In versions of Macintosh Manager before 1.2, if you disabled a user's access to his or her user documents location (using the Privileges panel in the Workgroups panel), and the user's documents were stored on a different volume from the Macintosh Manager volume, the user could not access the documents volume. In Macintosh Manager 1.2 and later, since preference information is now stored in that location, the user will always have some access to the documents volume, though the user's actual documents folder may still be protected via the privileges set up in the administration program.

Appearance preservation

Appearance-related preferences (desktop pattern, etc.) are only preserved for client computers that have Mac OS 8.5 or later installed.

Turning on preference handling for client computers

On Mac OS 9 client computers, preferences are always preserved since they are never copied to the local client workstation. However if you want to manage preferences on pre-Mac OS 9 client computers, or you want to take advantage of the new preference model for all client workstations, you must enable the preference handling options in the administration program. To enable these options, follow these steps:

1. Open the Macintosh Manager administration program.

2. Click the Workgroups tab, then click the Options panel.

3. Enable preference handling for each workgroup for which you want Macintosh Manager to preserve users' preference files. (On Mac OS 9 workstations, this will enable the Initial and Forced Folder options.)

4. Click the Global tab, then click the Security panel.

5. Click either of the following options:
· Copy entire Preferences folder-Select this if you want all preferences to be managed. If you are using the new preferences model, Initial and Forced preferences will be used, but not the Preserved folder.

· Copy only Internet preferences or administrator-defined preferences-Select this if you only want a predefined set of preferences to be copied. If you are using the new preferences model, the Initial, Forced, and (for pre-Mac OS 9 workstations) Preserved folders will be used instead.

Note: Users will have the same preferences whether they log on from a Mac OS 9 client or a pre-Mac OS 9 client. All clients, Mac OS 9 and pre-Mac OS 9, can use the same preference files. Mac OS 9 clients are redirected to use the preference files on the server; pre-Mac OS 9 clients may be set to copy only certain files from the server at login and then copy it back to the server at logout.

When a user logs in from a client computer, there are a number of factors that can slow down the login process. This section will help you understand how to avoid these slow-downs.

Finding user documents

If your workgroup does not store its documents on the Macintosh Management server, Macintosh Manager has to locate the workgroup documents volume at login. If you're experiencing overall slowdown on the network, you may want to leave the workgroup's documents server on the Designated Macintosh Management Server. If you are using DHCP, you may want to try using static IP numbers to see if performance improves.

Updating items: Locating items on disk

Changing a workgroup's items (approved applications) can affect login performance the next time a workgroup member logs in. Any changes to the list, regardless of whether or not you are adding or removing items, will cause the workstation to find the items again the next time the user logs in. Usually, only the first user of the changed workgroup to log into that workstation will notice this particular slowdown. Also, you may wish to reduce the number of approved items to increase login performance.

Setting up Apple Menu Items aliases

When a user logs in from a Mac OS 9 workstation, Macintosh Manager creates aliases to the user's Apple menu items in the user's own directory. Creating these items can take a long time, so you should not make unnecessary changes to a workgroup's Apple menu privileges, especially the "(Show Other Items)" option.

If a user logs in from different workstations, the Apple menu aliases may be created every time the user moves to a different computer. To minimize login time, users should try to use the same workstation at every login. (Mac OS 9.0.1 or later also introduces a fix that should reduce the time needed to create these aliases.)

If you continue to have problems, you can prevent Macintosh Manager from creating aliases to Apple menu items by placing a copy of the Calculator file in the user's Apple Menu Items folder. You must place the actual Calculator file, not an alias to the file. If Macintosh Manager detects the Calculator in the folder at login, it won't create aliases to the other Apple Menu Items files. You can also manually place other items in the Apple Menu Items folder, but aliases to a file on a local workstation may not work properly. (Aliases to the Chooser, control panels, and other system files will always be created during login.)

Offline access

When working offline, the user must log out and then log back in when the documents server becomes available again. (The client workstation checks for the reappearance of the server at logout.) Documents saved while working offline will not be automatically updated to the user's personal folder on the workgroup documents volume. When the server is available, the user or an administrator can manually copy the user's documents to the user's documents folder.

Known issues

• Changing the desktop background: To prevent users from using contextual menus to alter the desktop appearance in the Restricted Finder environment, you can remove the Contextual Menu Extension or the Appearance control panel on the client computer, or deny access to control panels from the users' workgroup.
• Problems starting an environment: If a user can't log in to an environment on a pre-Mac OS 9 client workstation and is immediately returned to the login screen (especially if the client is using Mac OS 8.1), remove the Mac OS Easy Open control panel from the Control Panels folder on the client and restart.
• Shut Down Command: You can use the "Shut down the computer" command in Macintosh Manager to shut down workstations that provide a shutdown option in their Energy Saver settings. Workstations that provide a sleep option (rather than shutdown) in their Energy Saver settings will be put to sleep instead of shut down when you use the Macintosh Manager shutdown command.
• -1070 Error: If an administrator receives a -1070 error when trying to connect to the Macintosh Manager server, restart the administrator workstation and try again.
• Switching workgroups: If you have set up multiple share points on the Macintosh Management server, users will not be able to use the switch menu to switch from one workgroup to another unless both workgroups have been assigned to the same documents volume. The user can, however, log out and then log back in to the other workgroup.
• Netscape Communicator: When using the new preference management feature to distribute Netscape preferences, you will experience some problems with Communicator's ability to locate the user profile. Users will be prompted to choose the location of their user profile. Once set, the application should behave normally.
• Netscape Plug-ins: Some versions of Netscape will not allow plug-ins to open properly when using restricted environments on a Mac OS 9 computer. There are two ways to work around the problem. You can move the plug-in (such as the QuickTime Plugin) to the Application Support folder in the System Folder, make an alias of it, and place the alias in the Netscape Plug-ins folder. Or, you can put the Netscape folder in the Other Applications· folder in the Applications folder at the root of the hard disk.
• Open and save points to the desktop folder: Some applications that use Navigation Services (the replacement for the older Standard File dialog) may point a user to the desktop folder the first time the user opens or saves documents. If this occurs, instruct users to open the alias to their documents folder (usually named with the user's login name) to save their documents in the proper location. The next time users open or save, they should be pointed to the last location they opened or saved to.
• Speech Manager and excessive network activity: If you install the Speech software on a Mac OS 9 workstation and encounter excessive network activity (as indicated by the flashing arrows in the top left corner of your screen) when logged in to a Panels environment, remove the Speech Manager extension on that workstation and restart. This problem should be addressed in a future version of the Mac OS.
• Microsoft Office 98 Clip Gallery: If you are logged in as a Panels or Restricted Finder user and attempt to use the Microsoft Office 98 Clip Gallery, it will be empty. Workarounds are documented at the following Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q244/1/04.ASP .
• Epson Printers: You may experience problems printing from a restricted environment to Epson printers. Check with Epson for an update to their printer driver. You can also avoid this problem by adding Postscript support to the printer and using Apple's LaserWriter driver.
• Epson scanners: To enable Macintosh Manager users to use an Epson scanner, place a copy of the appropriate TWAIN folder for the scanner in the users' Preferences folders.
• Epson printers and large preference files: In some cases, when a user tries to print to an Epson printer, the Epson driver creates a very large preference file. One workaround is to store documents and preferences on the startup disk (that is, set the Workgroup Data Volume to <startup disk>).
• Recent Items folders: If you turn off the "Remember recently used items:" option in the Apple Menu Options control panel, users may still see the Recent Applications, Recent Documents, and Recent Servers folders. However, the folders will be inactive; Apple Menu Options will not track recent items and nothing will be listed in the folders.
• Locating items: In some cases, a user trying to open an approved application may see an error message that the application can't be found. If you've recently added the application to the workstation, and it is approved for use by the workgroup, you may want to force Macintosh Manager to search again for the item by removing and re-adding the item to the workgroup using the Macintosh Manager administration program.
• Internet Explorer: If your Restricted Finder or Panels users have problems when using the Preferences menu command in Internet Explorer, you should instruct your users not to use this command. In many cases, it will not be possible to use this feature until an upgrade to Internet Explorer is released. One workaround is to remove the MS Preferences Panels folder on your workstation to avoid any crashes that may result when users attempt to modify the preferences. This issue has been addressed in Internet Explorer 5.0.
• Login Problems on Mac OS 7.6.1: In some cases, users may not be able to log in to the server from a workstation using Mac OS 7.6.1 if AppleTalk has been turned off. If this occurs, turn AppleTalk back on.
• Desktop Printer Menu: In some cases, there are incompatibilities with Macintosh Manager and the Desktop Printer Menu. We suggest that you remove this utility and use the Printing menu to select printers if you are experiencing problems.
• Changing System Settings: To change System Settings in a Macintosh Manager environment, you must be logged in as the owner of the machine.