0636_Cvr 2/10/03 1:59 PM Page 1 Apple Remote Desktop Administrator’s Guide Includes setup instructions and solutions for managing client computers remotely
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Contents System Requirements for Apple Remote Desktop 5 Setting Up Apple Remote Desktop on Client Computers 6 Installing the Client Software 6 Upgrading Existing Client Software 6 Setting Access Privileges for Client Computers That Use Mac OS X 6 Setting Access Privileges for Client Computers That Use Mac OS 8.1 Through 9.
Strategies and Tips for Apple Remote Desktop 19 Demonstrating Software 19 Preparing a Computer Lab Between Classes 19 Getting the Best Performance 20 Solving Problems With Apple Remote Desktop 20 Interpreting Status Messages 20 Interpreting Error Messages 22 Where to Find More Information About Apple Remote Desktop 4 26
1 Using Apple Remote Desktop Apple Remote Desktop gives you the ability to remotely control and manage Macintosh desktops. It’s your complete solution for remote desktop access, remote assistance, system management, and software distribution.
File servers (for scheduled operations) m Mac OS X Server version 10.1 or later, or AppleShare IP 6 NetBoot and Network Install m Mac OS X Server with NetBoot and Network Install services enabled Setting Up Apple Remote Desktop on Client Computers To set up Apple Remote Desktop, you first install the client software on the client computers you plan to administer. Then, you set access privileges for client computers.
To change privileges on each computer, follow these steps: 1 On the client computer, open System Preferences and click Apple Remote Desktop. If necessary, enter the user name and password of a user with administrative privileges on that computer. 2 To activate the Apple Remote Desktop client, make sure to select “Start Apple Remote Desktop client at system startup.” 3 Select the checkbox of each user account that you want enabled for Apple Remote Desktop.
Setting Access Privileges for Client Computers That Use Mac OS 8.1 Through 9.2 After you install the client software on a Mac OS 8 or 9 computer, you can choose Remote Desktop access privileges. To change access privileges on each client computer that uses Mac OS 8.1 through 9.2: 1 On the client computer, locate and open the Remote Desktop Security application and enter the password (the default password is “xyzzy”—you should change this password to something else right away).
After you are finished, you can delete the Remote Desktop Security application from the client computer as an extra security measure. You may need to install it later if you want to make more changes. About Access Privilege Settings Access privileges allow an Apple Remote Desktop administrator to add computers to a list and then interact with them. If no access privileges are allowed on a client computer, that computer cannot be used with Apple Remote Desktop.
Select To allow administrators to Delete and replace items Use these Manage menu commands: Delete Selected, Copy Items, Install Package, and Empty Trash. This item must be enabled in order to use the Remote Desktop Client Update feature. Control and observe Use these Interact menu commands: Observe, Control, and Share Screen. This item must be enabled in order to use the Remote Desktop Client Update feature.
The administrator computer may appear in the left list if the computer has more than one network interface enabled, such as an AirPort card and an Ethernet interface. Important If computers on your network have dynamic TCP/IP addresses, do not put computers that get their addresses from different DHCP servers in the same computer list. For more help adding computers to a list, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Using Remote Desktop With Mac OS X Server Apple Remote Desktop makes an excellent productivity partner for Mac OS X Server users. You can control a server interactively via the desktop, and when used in conjunction with server features such as NetBoot and Network Install, you can make the tasks of installing operating systems and applications or performing system upgrades on one or more clients more convenient. It’s simple to change startup settings for multiple computers.
When you schedule an automated task, information about the scheduled event is saved on the remote computer. At the appointed time, the Remote Desktop client software on that computer activates and initiates the file transfer. For more instructions about using the Set Scheduled Copy command, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Other Remote Desktop features, such as reports and the ability to drag and drop items you wish to copy, can make the task of updating remote computers more efficient. For more instructions about using copying features, see Apple Remote Desktop Help. Copying Items to Mac OS 9 Clients You can update items on a Mac OS 9 client computer’s hard disk, including the system software, using Apple Remote Desktop.
To copy and install software using a package file: 1 Open Remote Desktop. 2 Select one or more computers in the computer status window. 3 Choose Install Package from the Manage menu. 4 Select a .pkg or .mpkg file, and click Install. During installation, a progress bar appears on the administrator’s screen. No progress bars appear on the client computer. The package copied to a remote computer is deleted if an error occurs during installation.
System Information report: Checks a variety of hardware and system settings, allowing you to diagnose problems and determine a computer’s compatibility with various Apple Remote Desktop features (for more on the System Information report, see “Using the System Information Report” on page 17).
Using the System Information Report You can choose any of the following types of information to display in the System Information report: Option Information displayed 2nd Monitor Setting The resolution setting for the second monitor (if present) 2nd Monitor Size The width and height in pixels of the second monitor (if present) AppleTalk Network # Number from 0 to 65535 that identifies the computer’s AppleTalk network AppleTalk Node # Number from 0 to 254 that identifies the computer on an AppleTal
Option Information displayed Play and Record Whether the computer can play and record sounds at the same time Printer Name1 Name of printer selected Printer Type1 Type of printer selected Printer Version1 Version of printer software installed on the computer Processor Type of processor Processor Clock Speed Speed of the computer’s microprocessor RAM Disk Size1 Amount of RAM used by the RAM disk System SW Memory1 Amount of RAM used by the system software System SW Version Version number of
To create new computer lists from a report window: m Select computers in the report window and click the New List button. To delete an item from a computer: m Select the item in any software report window and click the Delete button. Strategies and Tips for Apple Remote Desktop Following are some tips you may find helpful while using Apple Remote Desktop. For more information on the tips, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
m Open applications and documents by using the Open Selected, Open Item, or Open Application command in the Manage menu. m Lock the computer screens until you’re ready for the class to begin working by using the Lock Screen command in the Interact menu. Getting the Best Performance To get the best performance when using the Share Screen, Observe, and Control commands: m Reduce the use of animation on remote computers.
If the message is dimmed, another administrator is managing the computer. Message Description Access Denied The password for the computer is no longer valid, or the current user of the client computer is not set up correctly for Apple Remote Desktop. Try the following: m Make sure the user who is currently logged in on the client computer is enabled for Apple Remote Desktop and has sufficient remote access privileges.
Message Description Screen: Name The screen of the computer named is being displayed on this computer. Screensaver Engine (Mac OS X) or ScreenSaver Active (Mac OS 9) A screensaver is active on the client computer. Sleeping The client computer is asleep. Use the Wake Up command in the Manage menu.
Error messages remain in the Status column for about 45 seconds, or until you perform another command on the computer. Message Description Access Denied The selected computer does not accept the administrator name and password used. Try the following: m Make sure the user who is currently logged in on the client computer is enabled for Apple Remote Desktop and has sufficient remote access privileges. m Remove the computer from the list and add it again with the correct name and password.
Message Description Command Not Authorized You do not have privileges to use the selected command with the client computer. For a Mac OS X client, check the administrator privileges selected in the Remote Desktop preference pane on the client computer. For a Mac OS 8 or 9 client, check the privileges set in the Remote Desktop Security application. Command Not Supported You tried to use the Set Scheduled Copy command with a client computer that uses Mac OS X version 10.1.5 or earlier.
Message Description Item Exists You tried to copy an item to a location on the computer that has an item with the same name. If you stop the Copy command, this message indicates which computers have the item. You can create a Software Search report to find out more about the item, and then delete or replace it. Item in Use You tried to delete or replace an item that is open or in use by an application. Do one of the following: m Ask the user to quit all applications.
Message Description Slow Network Connection Your network connection isn’t fast enough to support sharing multiple screens. To share multiple screens, the computers must be connected to Ethernet or another network of similar performance. Unable to Delete Item The command to delete an item failed for an unknown reason. Use the Control command in the Interact menu to delete the item. If this doesn’t work, create a Disk Verification report to check and repair the computer’s hard disk.
