iBrainloop
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: How to end Curtain mode when using Apple Remote Desktop?

Yesterday I was connected to my Mac using ARD 3.5. Curtain mode was active. In the end I clicked "Login Screen" in fast-user-switch list. Then I ended curtain mode, then I disconnected.

This  morning in the office the Mac was still showing the pad lock and the lock message. I could no log in.

My only option was to power cycle the iMac. Luckily I saved all data.

How the heck can I access my Mac if it is in this locked state? And why is curtain mode not ended if the client gets disconnected?

iPad 2, iOS 5

Posted on Mar 8, 2012 1:53 AM

Close
iBrainloop

Q: How to end Curtain mode when using Apple Remote Desktop?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by varjak paw,

    varjak paw varjak paw Mar 8, 2012 6:44 AM in response to iBrainloop
    Level 10 (169,890 points)
    Mar 8, 2012 6:44 AM in response to iBrainloop

    Normally Curtain Mode drops when you stop controlling the system. But there has been a persistent bug in ARD since the Curtain Mode feature was introduced that in some cases doesn't drop Curtain Mode. Kickstarting ARD, if you have access to the system via SSH, often works, but if not, or you don't have SSH set up, restarting the Mac is the only way I know of to get Curtain Mode to release.

     

    Here's the basic skinny on kickstart:

     

    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=RemoteDesktop/3.0/en/ARDC882.html

     

    Regards.

  • by KDDL,

    KDDL KDDL Oct 27, 2013 4:21 AM in response to varjak paw
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2013 4:21 AM in response to varjak paw

    Dear community,

     

    this issue annoys me for years now (ever since i use ARD) and is why i never use the curtain mode since it visibly demontrates to your users how crappy admin tools for OS-X are - each time it fails and you have to ask your users to restart the machine - very embarassing. That those same admin tools (ARD here) also have very cool features is by contrast nothing that users can witness...

     

    With the advent of ARD 3.7 this one was the first thing i checked, just to learn that STILL this is not sorted out and APPLE feels perfectly fine in just recommending to use curtain mode in a silly and "workaround"-style fashion (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2401).

     

    Why on earth can't they at least implement the restart of the ARD-agent into the logoutout procedure - if i can do this via ssh - if they obviously can't/want to fix this issue thoroughly?

     

    It's not just this issue that bothers me, it's how it is dealt with and what this seems to tell about APPLE's attitude towards professionalism.

     

    So please APPLE listen: there are (still) some admins around out there who would like to work seriously with your products! Not just fix this issue, but also support  the Mac professionals out there better which maintain your products. It's not just all about iTunes...

     

    Best regards...

  • by varjak paw,

    varjak paw varjak paw Oct 28, 2013 8:14 AM in response to KDDL
    Level 10 (169,890 points)
    Oct 28, 2013 8:14 AM in response to KDDL

    http://www.apple.com/feedback/remotedesktop.html

     

    It's been clear for a long time that ARD is a low-priority product for Apple and that third-party solutions are a much better, if also much more expensive, choice for enterprise-quality support.

     

    Regards.