Schedule shutdown and restart

For example, you can turn off all Mac computers during maintenance or a holiday shutdown, or have them all start up before school starts. See Sleep, shut down, log out, or restart a computer. You can also send a Remote Desktop message—for example, reminding users to shut down their computers at a particular time. For information, see Send messages.

Rename computers

For example, you can rename each student’s Mac computer using the student’s name to make it easier to manage computers as students move from class to class with their Mac. For information, see Set preferences on client computers.

Send UNIX commands

Use Remote Desktop to distribute and run UNIX shell scripts on Mac computers. For example, use a script to turn the volume up or down, mount a share point, repair disk permissions, or set a web proxy. For information, see Execute commands remotely.

Set startup disks

Change the startup disk of a Mac to perform diagnostic or troubleshooting activities, such as using a server-based NetBoot image that’s been set up for troubleshooting. For information, see Set preferences on client computers.

Manage computer lists

Use computer lists to manage hardware and software for groups of computers. You can create computer lists for different purposes. For example, you can create a computer list for Mac portables that 8th grade students carry from class to class and a different computer list for a science lab with Mac desktops. A computer can belong to more than one list. For information, see Manage computer lists.