How to include MacOS X preferences files and app preferences files in InstaDMG builds

[typofonic]

Hi,

I’m wondering how you go about including preferences files for MacOS X and preferences files specific apps in your InstaDMG builds.

The way I currently do it is by packaging a user template with all the users’ preferences files (both for MacOS X and for general apps). This way all of the preferences files get put into the ~/Library/Preferences/ folder for every user who’s created.

And for the non-user specific preferences files (the ones in VolumeName/Library/Preferences/) I also create a package that installs them.

However I’ve had many problems with this, including the following:
• The Airport performance on imaged machines is terrible (need to use an Ethernet cable for it to be useful).
• When booting up machines they don’t automatically join known networks, if the networks are password protected — even though they have the correct password stored in the keychain. The Airport Select Network dialog appears, but the user has to double-click the network to join it. And the password is already filled in when the user clicks on the network — the Mac just doesn’t want to join it automatically. Pretty weird.
• Also stability is not that good and much more.

I’m curious, is there a better way of doing it?

For instance, I’m wondering if many of the preferences settings could be set by issueing defaults write commands.

[dropkick888]

There are a few ways that I would do this:
1. Packages – What plist are you adding or modifying, and do they end up with the write permissions? are you installing them to the English(or whatever language) .lproj?
2. Payload Free Package – this can run a script can issue a defaults write command
3. drop the plist (with proper permissions) into your base OS, then create the image and forget the packages.

[knowmad]

I strongly suggest searching these forums for ‘local mcx’ it is one of the best ways to handle prefs, I have moved almost all my pre-set prefs from defaults write to mcx.
Plus, if you like, you can use a graphical user interface to set them.

[typofonic]

Thanks for the reply both of you!

I looked into the Local MCX way, since it seemed like the most userfriendly way to do it. I’m completely new to it though so I have some questions:
• In WorkGroup Manager is it possible to add multiple preferences at the same time? I have around 100 preferences files that need to be added and I would like to avoid adding them all manually.
• How do I add something like CS4 settings? Files like “Adobe Photoshop CS4 Prefs” and the “Adobe Illustrator CS4 Settings” aren’t possible to add in MCX (they’re not active in the Add Preferences dialog bog in WorkGroup Manager.
• After I have set it all up in Workgroup manager who do I continue and include the settings made in the InstaDMG build?

I followed the tuturials on <http://managingosx.wordpress.com/2008/02/07/mcx-dslocal-and-leopard/>, <https://www.afp548.com/forum/viewtopic.php?forum=45&showtopic=23308&highlight=local%20mcx>, <https://www.afp548.com/article.php?story=using-mcx-in-the-dslocal-domain> and <http://homepage.mac.com/gregneagle/files/MW2009_IT803.pdf> but I still don’t understand how to implement it.

Anybody know how to continue?

[knowmad]

I would read the document on the front page of the AFP site on building prefs manifests.

[typofonic]

An interesting read about the manifests. Maybe a bit too overkill for my use though.

Anyway to answer my own question — “How do I include the settings I made in MCX in my InstaDMG build?” — for anybody with the same question, it is as simple as copying /private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/computers/guest.plist (or whatever your plist is named) into your InstaDMG build (using a package for instance).

[knowmad]

sorry, misunderstood the question.
Your right, that is exactly how I do it as well.

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