How do I get different accounts to log out after different amounts of time?

February 3, 2007 4:55 PM

Is anybody familiar with setting the AutoLogOutDelay in /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist using the "defaults" command (OS 10.4)?

I'm working on a script for a student lab that needs different automatic logout times for each account. (This setting is normally changed under SysPrefs > Security). However, this is a Global Preference, so I am trying to implement a (clunky) workaround with a login script that would change /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist based on current user account.

If I understand correctly, these two commands should 1) change the logout time and 2) update the text box in the security pref pane.

defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences com.apple.autologout.AutoLogOutDelay 1200


defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences com.apple.securitypref.logoutvalue 1200


However, although these commands indeed change the values in the .GlobalPreferences file, they do not appear to change the settings in the Pref Pane, and even worse [!] do not change my autologout time.

Can anybody point me in the right direction?

posted by michaelkuznet to computers & internet (1 comment total)

Hum. Can you use the .login script in each users' home directory to fire off your desired "defaults write" commands?

Or maybe this?
posted by YoBananaBoy at 8:41 AM on February 22, 2007