Entourage deployment

[Robert Moir]

Hi,
I'm trying to deploy a "standard" Mac OS X "image" for Macs to log into our
Windows AD domain and allow users to work as easily as possible on our
mostly Windows based network.

I've setup the Macs in AD, and set things up so that users with windows
accounts can login with their windows account info, and this works ok, their
home area is mapped and everything so I know they've validated to AD
correctly. I've customised the default Mac account template to give users
our desired custom dock and suchlike.

With that preparation in mind, is it possible to pre-configure Entourage,
either prior to, or as part of, the account login so that users don't have
to go through the account setup wizard, or supply login details to entourage
that they already gave when they logged into the system?

I'm trying to provide as smooth an experience as possible to people working
on the Macs, because they're not used to odd bumps like this when logged
into our Windows PC network.

Windows 2000 SP4 Server (AD)
OS X 10.3.9 (+ whatever hotfixes the auto update tool sucked down when it
was last run on Monday)
Entourage 2004 SP1 (+ whatever hotfixes the auto update tool sucked down
when it was last run on Monday)

--

 

[Barry Wainwright]

Much of it can be done.

First, set up your image with a copy of entourage that has been run once and
a dummy account created. This will avoid the 'first run' procedure from
distracting the user when he logs in. It will also give you a chance to
enter the serial numbers etc.

Then, create an applescript application and list it in the user's start up
items. This script can configure entourage for the vast majority of the
account settings that will be needed. There are some bugs/shortcomings in
some areas that we may be able to offer advice on if you encounter them.

The last action of the applescript can be to delete itself from the login
items so it only runs on the first occasion a user logs in.