Apple Remote Desktop Help
Index

# Method -Manual Installation

This method works best if you have never enabled Apple Remote Desktop on your clients and have an existing software distribution infrastructure. This method also allows for the greatest power and configuration flexibility. Also, if you don't want Apple Remote Desktop to upgrade your clients using the Upgrade Client Software feature, you can perform a manual upgrade.

The custom installer not only installs the needed software but also prepares and configures the client computer for administration and can be configured to add or edit user names and passwords for Apple Remote Desktop authentication.

1. Use Remote Desktop to create a client software installer package.

   For detailed instructions, see Creating a Custom Client Installer.

2. Copy and install the package on the client computers. You need the name and password of a user with administrator privileges on the computer to install the package.

   There are several ways to do this. For example, you can:

3. Distribute the package by removable media, such as a CD.
4. Copy the installer to the clients over the network using file sharing.
5. Copy the installer to the clients using command-line tools like scp (if ssh is enabled), and use Apple's command-line installation tool, "installer," to install the package remotely.
6. Add the custom installer package to a NetInstall image, using System Image Utility to automatically include the software and your custom settings when clients install the operating system using Mac OS X Server's NetBoot and NetInstall features.

   WARNING: Custom install packages that create user names contain sensitive password data. Take care to store such custom installers securely.