MacOS – Can Server be used to standardize the desktop background on user computers

macososx-server

I have a Mac Network controlled by Mac OS X Lion Server and a bunch of clients on Snow Leopard, with many network users. I want to force them to all have the same background (that is custom) by some form of preference. I can't find a way of doing this – is it actually possible? The network users do not have access to System Preferences.

Best Answer

This is one of the preferences that Server can manage using the managed preferences (sometimes referred to as MCX on older servers and now called profiles on Lion and later for servers).

Here is a short Apple document covering the high points on how to use managed preferences and the workgroup manager. This would be a good, safe item to test with in getting started with WorkGroup Manager and a couple of lightly used Macs.