The following management modes exist for macOS policy settings:
Table 1: macOS: Management modes
Never |
This mode means that the settings do not apply. This is equivalent to disabling the policy. This is the default mode. |
Once |
In this mode, policy settings are applied one time. Users can remove the Configuration Profile. This mode functions as a default value. |
Always |
In this mode, policy settings will always apply. Users cannot remove the Configuration Profile. |
Safeguard Authentication Services provides Group Policy extensions that mirror the functionality available in Apple Workgroup Manager console. Workgroup Manager Settings are located in the Mac OS X Settings folder (or in the Policies folder, if you are using the new Group Policy Management Editor.)
To open the properties of the Workgroup Manager settings
- Start the Group Policy Management Editor.
- Navigate to Computer Configuration | Mac OS X Settings or User Configuration | Mac OS X Settings.
- Double-click the Workgroup Manager Settings to open its properties.
The Applications Properties settings allow you to control access to specific applications and paths to applications using digital signatures.
You can apply Application Properties settings under both Computer Configuration and User Configuration.
There are two tabs:
The Application settings control which applications are allowed to execute on macOS.
- Select the Manage mode: Never, Once, or Always.
- Select Restrict which applications are allowed to launch if you want to disallow applications thus restricting the applications the user can access.
- Application restrictions are controlled by means of folder paths. Group Policy does not currently support application management using digital signatures, therefore to allow or prevent users from launching an application, add the application or the path to the application to one of two lists:
If an application does not appear in either of these lists, the user can not launch the application.
- Click Add to open the New Application Item dialog. You can type the absolute Unix path or you can click Remote Browse to log into a remote macOS machine (by means of SSH) and browse for the target folder. It displays recently specified paths. To reuse a recently specified path, double-click the item in the list.
Note: Both disallow and allow paths support the %HOME% macro-expansion to the user's Unix home directory. For example, to restrict a user from running applications in their home directory, specify %HOME%. This macros is only supported by user policies; machine policies do not support this macro type.