I want to disable the front panel (USB, Firewire) connections on my Mac Pros. These are new models and I am running Lion.
These are for edit stations and I don't want the users to be able to plug in drives. That is handled by other computers.
Thanks.
Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.4)
You could possibly electrically disconnect them, but you might (by removing a single ribbon cable) disable the power switch and LED? Not a good idea.
If you do manage to disable them, how will you stop users plugging stuff in the back?
I was going to suggest some sort of cover or "dummy plug" you could stick in the socket so that usb/firewire connection is not possible, but I don't know if such a thing exists
maybe just make a guest account and turn off access to those things?
just an idea...
John B
Getting to the back of the machine is painful. You have to climb behind a large desk. Not worried about the back.
There are configuration parameters you can use when running a Mac OS X advanced Server that allow you to restrict the mounting of any external devices, and dis-allow the mounting of CD/DVDs on individual computers tied in to the Server.
Anything that shows up there should also be available for restriction on any individual computer. It may be available through Parental Controls, or you may have to go in and set parameters by hand.
Thanks Grant,
Unfortunately we are not running OSX Servers. We are authenticating through AD. Not my call, just what I inherited. There is also no way I can get OSX servers in here, I've tried. I will take a look through Parental Controls and see if anything in there is helpful.
The parameters control those items on the individual workstations associated with The Server. I can tell you with authority that those parameters are present in the workstations.
In a Mac OS X Server environment, you set then centrally with Workgroup Admin software. I believe they can be set in a similar fashion on the individual workstations, but the mechanism may be primitive.
Lion Server is a small upgrade to do from OS X Lion Client, not a hardware swap or anything. Just OS.
It turns out you can run WorkGroup Manager locally on a workstation.
This allows very simple setting for that workstation of anything that can be specified for control by the Server.
Here is a background discussion on the subjest:
http://managingosx.wordpress.com/2008/02/07/mcx-dslocal-and-leopard/
Server tools Includes WorkGroup Manager (but not the Server software itself) and can be downloaded separately. This is Lion version:
Workgroup Manager for Lion Server uses the User Administration manual from the previous version (10.6 Server):
Disable the front panel (USB, Firewire) connections on my Mac Pros.
