[Casper] disable Dashboard on lab computers

Thu Mar 6 13:01:23 PST 2008

Hey all,

Some great ideas have been bouncing around about disabling the  
dashboard.

We have also come up with a script to help out with this since the  
dashboard plist is unique for each user.

Attached is the script that reads in the username as a variable that  
can be passed by making the script part of a policy triggered at  
"Login".

Hope this helps!

Nick Amundsen
JAMF Support
612-216-1296

On Mar 5, 2008, at 3:27 PM, Leacy, Miles wrote:

> I’ve found that this plist alone is not enough to disable Dashboard.
>
> When you use the script:
> defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES;
> killall Dock
>
> Dashboard still exists as a component of Dock.app, and a standalone  
> app in /Applications.  It can still be invoked by hotkey, or by  
> directly launching either app.
>
> The way I disable dashboard in Tiger is to run the following script:
>
> #!/bin/sh
>
> mkdir -p /Library/polo/disabled/Dock
>
> cp -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/Wid* / 
> Library/polo/disabled/Dock/
> rm -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/Wid*
>
> cp -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/wid* / 
> Library/polo/disabled/Dock/
> rm -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/wid*
>
> cp -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/Dash* / 
> Library/polo/disabled/Dock/
> rm -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/Dash*
>
> cp -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/dash* / 
> Library/polo/disabled/Dock/
> rm -R /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources/dash*
>
> cp -R /Library/Widgets /Library/polo/disabled/
> rm -R /Library/Widgets
>
> cp -R /Applications/Dashboard.app /Library/polo/disabled/
> rm -R /Applications/Dashboard.app
>
> chmod -R 700 /Library/polo/disabled
>
> for i in $( ls /Users/ );
>     do
>     fn=$i
>     if test ${i:FIRST:1} != "." -a $i != "Shared"; then cp -R / 
> System/Library/User\ Template/English.lproj/Library/Preferences/ 
> com.apple.dock.plist /Users/$i/Library/Preferences/ 
> com.apple.dock.plist; cp -R /System/Library/User\ Template/ 
> English.lproj/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist / 
> Users/$i/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist; chown - 
> R $i /Users/$i/Library/Preferences; fi
>
>
> Done
>
> # end script
>
> The Dashboard hotkey must be turned off too.  If you leave the  
> Dashboard hotkey active after removing/deleting Dashboard, the Dock  
> will crash and relaunch when you press the hotkey.  It doesn’t seem  
> to have any ill effect other than an annoying “blinking” of the dock.
>
> The “for” statement at the end copies a hotkey plist from the user  
> template to all existing home folders.  The script was written  
> before I adopted Casper and was a postflight script in a .pkg that  
> put the plist into the User Template.  A .dmg package containing the  
> plist and set to FUT and FEU would accomplish the same thing, but  
> you’ll still need the rest of the script to perform the Dashboard- 
> ectomy.
>
>
> On 3/5/08 3:49 PM, "Thomas Larkin" <tlarki at kckps.org> wrote:
>
>> I think you need to include the full file path of where that plist
>> lives, also can you show us the exact command?
>>
>> Thomas Larkin
>> TIS Department
>> KCKPS USD500
>> tlarki at kckps.org
>> cell:  913-449-7589
>> office:  913-627-0351
>> >>> "Jeff Johnson" <jeff.johnson at glendale.k12.wi.us> 03/05/08 2:22 PM
>> >>>
>> Hello -
>>
>> Is there a way to use one of the Casper tools to disable Dashboard on
>> lab
>> machines (all Macs running 10.4.11)?
>>
>> I've tried doing this via ARD (3.2) using these commands:
>>
>> defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES;
>> killall Dock
>>
>> I paste that in the Unix window in ARD and try to run the command as
>> root
>> --
>>
>> [Image:3508_15735_1.png]
>>
>> -- but I get this error message "No matching processes were found"
>> [Image:3508_15803_2.png]
>> Any idea on what's wrong? Is there a better way to do this?
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Jeff
>> --
>> Jeff Johnson
>> Technology Coordinator
>> Glendale-River Hills School District
>> 2600 W. Mill Rd.
>> Glendale, WI 53209
>> 414-351-7170 x2195 office
>> 414-351-8100 fax
>> * 414-218-7096 mobile (new)
>> jeff.johnson at glendale.k12.wi.us
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Casper mailing list
>> Casper at list.jamfsoftware.com
>> http://list.jamfsoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/casper
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Miles Leacy
> Senior Macintosh Technician
> Polo Ralph Lauren
> 212-318-7603
> miles.leacy at poloralphlauren.com
> <image.png>
>
> This message and any attached documents contain information which  
> may be confidential, subject to privilege or exempt from disclosure  
> under applicable law. These materials are intended only for the use  
> of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient of  
> this transmission you are hereby notified that any distribution,  
> disclosure, printing, copying, storage, modification or the taking  
> of any action in reliance upon this transmission is strictly  
> prohibited. Delivery of this message to any person other than the  
> intended recipient shall not compromise or waive such  
> confidentiality, privilege or exemption from disclosure as to this  
> communication. If you have received this communication in error,  
> please immediately notify the sender and delete the message from  
> your system.
> <ATT00001.c>

Nick Amundsen
Product Specialist
.............................................................
JAMF Software
1011 Washington Ave S. #350
Minneapolis, MN 55415
.............................................................
US Support (612) 216-1296
UK Support (020) 3002 3907
support at jamfsoftware.com
.............................................................
http://www.jamfsoftware.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.jamfsoftware.com/pipermail/casper/attachments/20080306/3d6b906d/attachment.htm 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: script-disableDashboard.zip
Type: application/zip
Size: 681 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://list.jamfsoftware.com/pipermail/casper/attachments/20080306/3d6b906d/attachment.zip 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.jamfsoftware.com/pipermail/casper/attachments/20080306/3d6b906d/attachment-0001.htm 