Disallow user access to system preferences?

[george-brooks]

Hi everyone,
I've been working in a university lab getting 30 macs in top shape and I would like to make sure nothing is changed by students, so I want to disable access to system preferences for the managed student user account. I've tried doing this through parental controls, however this has caused some problems when launching other applications (specifically Chrome and adobe creative cloud, perhaps there are others). Disabling access to system preferences seems to also also disable access to some other key services that cannot be managed directly in parental controls. Does anyone know a solution? I know this can also be done in terminal, however that isn't an option as occasionally an administrator may need to authenticate access to system preferences without having to launch terminal. Any ideas?

 

[Intell]

Isn't there an option in the Security preference pane that requires an admin user account to unlock each preference pane?

 

[george-brooks]

Isn't there an option in the Security preference pane that requires an admin user account to unlock each preference pane?

That only applies to preference panes with a lock. I don't want unauthorized users to be able to access any preference panes (including desktop/screensaver, mission control, etc.)

 

[quackers82]

We use Profile Manager to do this on our lab computers, which is part of the Apple Server stuff.

 

[george-brooks]

We use Profile Manager to do this on our lab computers, which is part of the Apple Server stuff.

We do have a mac mini server in the labs, but we don't manage users with it. I don't know a whole lot about OS X Server, would we have greater control over users if they were managed over the network? Would that sacrifice performance at all? All the computers are for intense graphic and video work.

 

[quackers82]

You don't have to manager users with it, you can apply settings for the machine instead, so you could lock the system preferences you wanted out, but it would effect everyone, including yourself, but the changes takes effect almost instantly so you can just allow the ones you need if you need to change something then lock it down again. Just enrol one machine into profile manager and have a play.

Should not effect performance at all, worst case an extra second or so logging in while the preferences are looked up and applied. I could not imagine managing lab macs without profile manager, would be a nightmare.

 

[rfardonk]

Parental Control and Network Change Location Problem

Here is my case…

I have Parental Control enabled for my daughter's MBP.
She uses her laptop Home and at School.
While at school she is required to select
a specific "Location" to access the internet (Proxy).

The problem is that to change locations she is
being requested to provide an Admin User and Passwords.

How can i allow her to change it?
Or perhaps to do some sort of configuration
that would allow her to use the proxy while at school.

Thanks,

 

[rfardonk]

Fixed It… Used ControlPlane …works like a charm!!!

My daughter is able to switch between "Locations" without having to go into System Preferences. No Admin/Password is required.