Apps and Settings Installed During Initial Setup

Issue/Question

What is automatically installed when a WKU-owned Mac is prepared by ITS?

Resolution

Apps

• Chrome - common web browser
• Office Suite (Excel, OneDrive, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, Word)
• Privileges - app that temporarily elevates a standard user account to an admin user account
• Support App - menu bar app that displays helpful information that users can provide to IT support
• SwiftDialog - app that can display customized messages

Other Settings & Customizations

• ADShorts.zip - shortcuts to the WKU P, S, and U drives are downloaded from webapps.wku.edu/tss/adshorts.zip and unzipped to /Library/WKU/AD Shortcuts for Mac
• Disable DS_Store on SMB Mounts - script that prevents Macs from indexing files on a network-attached drive (i.e. the AD Shortcuts above); typically, when a drive is accessed, the OS will index the contents of it and create hidden system cache files that it references later when searching for content in the directory. Network drives connected via SMB, however, can become unresponsive when first accessed, as the system tries to index the entirety of drive.
• DockUtil - customizes apps listed in the dock:

  Apps	Safari	Chrome	OneDrive	Word	Excel	Powerpoint	Outlook	Self-Service	Privileges
  Folders	Applications	AD Shortcuts for Mac

• Installomator - script that installs and updates apps available through the Self-Service app
• MacAdmins Python Framework  - a programming language that allows more interactions from our management system
• mkuser - script that can modify the admin account installed on WKU Macs
• MDM Watchdog - script that helps Macs consistently communicate with our management system
• Nice Updater - automatically installs updates that do not require a restart; displays a prompt for updates that do--after being deferred multiple times, the prompt will remain on the screen until the user agrees to restart.
• OneDrive KFM - specifies the amount of bandwidth that can be used for uploading files; enables an alert that recommends moving Documents and Desktop folders to OneDrive
• Printer - when a computer is assigned to a person, any printers associated with the person’s Active Directory groups will install automatically
• PrivilegesDemoter - script that runs periodically and prompts an account with administrator rights to return to standard account rights
• Renew - script that uses SwiftDialog to remind end user to restart if the machine has not been restarted for 15 days
• WKU Logos - script that downloads WKU logos used for the Support app, Renew, and Nice Updater, placing them in /Library/WKU