Enforcing Screen Saver Policy

[iamvery]

I’ve found several topics in the forum as well as across the web, but I cannot find an answer to this. I’m beginning to think it may actually be a sort of bug in WGM, but I’d like to see if anyone else can vouch for that. I’m just going to duplicate and link my post on Apple’s discussion board.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1684112&tstart=0

We are using a 10.5.4 server with all 10.5.4 clients.

The server is running OD only in the “Golden” or “Magic Triangle” configuration. Basically, this server is our point of managed preferences for our macs while we use Group Policy for all our PCs. Authentication is done through AD.

I have had success adding various policies to test machines, but one continues to evade me. I can force the computer to lock on screensaver, but I am having difficulty setting a permanent timeout or “Idle Time” for the screen saver. I have tried adding the “Idle Time” preference to the manifest in both “Often” (a supported area) and “Always” (one that throws a warning), but neither seem to effect the computers actually screen saver time. Note: If “Always” is set, that time will show in the /Library/Managed Preferences//…plist file, but the actual policy doesn’t appear to be enforced.

Here are the sources I’ve used for setting up screen saver policies:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7251806&#7251806

MCX vs the screensaver (and Leopard!)

Is there even a way to enforce either 1) an exact time for the screen saver to be invoked or at least 2) a maximum wait time allowed for it to be set to?

Thanks all!

*Side note: I noticed that if I import com.apple.screensaver (not ByHost) it does create a plist in the byhost folder for the user, but it uses the old file naming scheme (with Mac address instead of UUID). Even though that is the case, it will still enforce the password on wake policy. The idle time though is not enforced.

[traveler400]

Have you ever found a well documented solution to this problem? I am attempting to set this up in our environment now and cannot seem to find the right combination. Basically all I want to do is push out a setting through workgroup manager that will do 2 things:

1) Force the users screensaver to come on after 30 minutes of inactivity
2) Once the screensaver comes on, force the user to enter their credentials in order to unlock the screen saver.

This seems like it should be one of the more basic function of workgroup manager yet I can’t seem to find a way to do this. Any ideas form anyone would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

-A

[nemonada]

I guess this is an open topic that no one’s been able to solve. Same problem. Can’t get the idleTime to apply in either 10.4 or 10.5. Using the info from [url]https://www.afp548.com/article.php?story=using-mcx-in-the-dslocal-domain[/url] I’ve got askForPassword to work but that’s all. Nothing in 10.4, even using WGM.

Doesn’t make sense that the one item would be the only one not to work. 😥

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