Apple Remote Desktop Help
Index

# Apple Remote Desktop Overview

Apple Remote Desktop is easy-to-use, powerful, open standards-based, desktop management software for all your networked Macs. IT professionals can remotely control and configure systems, install software, offer interactive online help to end users, and assemble detailed software and hardware reports for an entire Mac network.

##### Installing Apple Remote Desktop

To install Apple Remote Desktop, install the administration software on the administrator computer first, and then install and enable the client software on the computers you want to manage. You'll need your install disc, the serial number, and either the Administrator Guide, or these online help instructions. The following links take you to pages where you can choose more specific instructions for your installation.

- Installing the Remote Desktop Administrator Software
- Setting Up an Apple Remote Desktop Client Computer for the First Time
- Upgrading To Apple Remote Desktop 3
- Creating a Custom Client Installer
- Removing or Disabling Apple Remote Desktop

##### Organizing Clients into Computer Lists

Apple Remote Desktop uses lists of client computers to logically organize the client computers under your control. Connecting to client computers on the network and adding them to your list is necessary to administer them.

The following links take you to help topics which explain the main aspects of finding clients and organizing them into lists for Apple Remote Desktop administration and user interaction.

- Finding and Adding Clients to Apple Remote Desktop Computer Lists
- Making and Managing Lists
- Importing and Exporting Computer Lists

##### Understanding and Controlling Access Privileges

There are several different ways to access and authenticate to Apple Remote Desktop clients. Some depend on Apple Remote Desktop settings, and others depend on other client settings, or third-party administration tools.

The following links take you to help topics which explain the various access types, their configuration, and their uses.

- Apple Remote Desktop Administrator Access
- Apple Remote Desktop Administrator Access Using Directory Services
- Apple Remote Desktop Guest Access
- Virtual Network Computing Access
- Command-Line SSH Access
- Managing Client Administration Settings and Privileges

##### Maintaining Security

The following link takes you to a help topic which explains the built-in security features of Apple Remote Desktop.

- Remote Desktop Authentication and Data Transport Encryption

##### Interacting with Users

Apple Remote Desktop is a powerful tool for interacting with computer users across a network. You can interact by controlling or observing remote screens, text messaging with remote users, or sharing your screen with others.

The following links take you to help topics which describe the main aspects of Remote Desktop's user interaction capabilities and links to complete instructions for using them. You can learn about:

- Controlling
- Observing
- Sending Messages
- Sharing Screens

This help topic can be distributed to end users to help them interact with their administrator.

- Interacting with Your Apple Remote Desktop Administrator

##### Administering Apple Remote Desktop Client Computers

Apple Remote Desktop allows you powerful administrative control. You can manually or automatically get detailed information about every computer, install software, and maintain systems from a single administrator computer.

The following links take you to help topics which describe the main aspects of Remote Desktop's administration capabilities and gives links to complete instructions for using them.

- Keeping Track of Task Progress and History
- Installing Software Using Apple Remote Desktop
- Upgrading Software
- Copying Files
- Creating Reports
- Maintaining Systems
- Managing Computers
- UNIX Shell Commands

##### Automating Apple Remote Desktop Client Computers

Apple Remote Desktop allows always-on administration of client computers. You can automate any command or function in Apple Remote Desktop, and AppleScript or UNIX scripts.

The following links take you to help topics which describe the main aspects of Remote Desktop's automation capabilities and gives links to complete instructions for using them.

- Automating the Administration of Client Computers
- Working with the Task Server
- Using Automatic Data Reporting
- Working with Scheduled Tasks
- Using Scripting and Automation Tools with Remote Desktop

##### Find More Information About Apple Remote Desktop

For additional information related to Apple Remote Desktop, try these resources.

You'll find more information in the Apple Remote Desktop Read Me file and on the Apple Remote Desktop website:

www.apple.com/remotedesktop/

You can find the most recent edition of the Apple Remote Desktop Administrator's Guide at:

- the Apple Server Division Documentation page
- www.apple.com/server/documentation/
- the Remote Desktop section of Apple.com, and
- www.apple.com/remotedesktop/
- the Help Menu in the Remote Desktop application

The Apple Remote Desktop Support website provides a database of technical articles about product issues, use, and implementation:

www.apple.com/support/remotedesktop/

To provide feedback about Apple Remote Desktop, visit the feedback page:

www.apple.com/feedback/remotedesktop.html

For details about how to join the Apple Remote Desktop Mailing list, visit:

lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/remote-desktop/

To share information and learn from others in online discussions, visit the Apple Remote Desktop Discussions Forum:

discussions.info.apple.com/appleremotedesktop/

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For more information about using Apple products for IT professionals go to:

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