262-299-4600 • Email us

Policies on Mac

Settings in the Admin By Request client application are controlled under "Mac Settings" in the "Settings" menu, when signed in to the portal. If you for what-ever reason want to overrule these settings on specific clients, you can set overruling policies in a policy file.


Please note that we do not recommend that you use a policy file to control client behavior. Instead, we recommend that you use portal settings and sub settings for better transparency and for real-time control of computers off your LAN. If you have any questions about portal settings or would like a demo of these, please feel free to contact us.

Overruling portal settings

To overrule portal settings with a policy file, edit this file:

/Library/Application Support/Admin By Request/adminbyrequest.policy

Note that this file is protected during administrator sessions and can therefore not be hacked by end-users. The file is in json format and has an example non-used setting by default, as shown below. Simply add more settings from the table below to overrule web settings.

{
      "ExampleSetting": "ExampleValue"
}


KeyTypeDefaultDescription
AdminMinutesString15Number of minutes the user is administrator. This can also be set in your cloud settings.
AllowAppStoreBoolean0Allow users to install software from the App Store without admin rights or an active Admin By Request session.
AllowSudoBoolean0Allow users to run sudo commands. Should not be enabled unless there is a good reason to, because it allows the user to tamper the client software.
CompanyNameStringOverrules the company name that appears on user interfaces, which is by default the licensed company name.
DockIconBoolean1Place an icon in the dock.
DockIconNameStringAdministrator AccessName of dock icon (overrules default name). Note that a change of name only takes effect after next reboot.
ExcludedAccountsArray of stringsList of accounts that will not be downgraded to user role, such as service accounts.
InstructionsStringBody text on Code of Conduct ("Instructions") screen.
InstructionsHeaderStringHeader text on Code of Conduct ("Instructions") screen.
LastAdminCheckBoolean1Prevents downgrading the last admin account on the computer, unless it is domain joined. Refer to the FAQ for more information.
LogoUrlStringUrl to download logo from. If not specified, default icons will be used.
RemoveRightsBoolean1Downgrade users from Admin to User, unless the account is in excluded accounts or is a domain administrator in on a domain joined Mac.
RequireApprovalBoolean0Elevate without requiring someone to approve requests.
RequireReasonBoolean1Require reason to elevate.
ShowInstructionsBoolean0Show Code of Conduct screen.
UploadInventoryBoolean1Upload inventory data to the portal.





LATEST CYBERSECURITY BLOGS

Catching up with CoolUnite

The CoolUnite Foundation improves the lives of terminally ill and vulnerable children by collaborating with a range of organizations that provide support for them and their families. Here’s what they’re getting up to at the moment – and how you can get involved.

It's Time To Take MacOS Security Seriously

Despite contrary belief, security is a big problem for the modern Mac operating system. Admin By Request’s cross-platform solution can help you address this problem and get your Apples under control.

Auto Approval, In Case of Emergency

How to have your (ICE Cream) cake and eat it.