Apple releases Apple Remote Desktop 3.1
Apple Computer on Thursday released a significant update to its network-based desktop management system, Apple Remote Desktop, which addresses numerous issues related to the overall reliability, usability and compatibility.
Version 3.1 of the software (2.5MB client, 28MB admin) includes a Universal Binary updater application that will upgrade Apple Remote Desktop 3.0 installations on Intel- or PowerPC-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
Apple recommends that Apple Remote Desktop version 3.1 Clients be managed only by Apple Remote Desktop version 3.1 Administration software. "Please ensure that have upgraded your Apple Remote Desktop Administration software to version 3.1 before upgrading your clients," the company said.
A full list of improvements in the new version, recommended for all users, follows:
Software distribution
Install Package task now supports installing Apple Installer packages that have packages outside the .mpkg
Addresses issues when copying files to root ("/") on PowerPC clients
Copy Items task now correctly supports copying of files with aliases
Asset management
PCI Reports now called Expansion Card Reports
Software reports now also report architecture type of applications
System Information Report can now report on Lights Out Management configuration and settings
Administration Settings Report can now report on Lights Out Management settings
Application Usage Reports no longer allows for a start date to be later than the end date
You can now drag computer lists and computers into the the Remote Spotlight Search window
Remote control
You can now power on an Xserve with Lights Out Management
Send UNIX panel now correctly focuses cursor in the script field
Enter key now invokes the Send button in Send UNIX panel
The Lock Screen and Curtain Mode tasks can now display custom lock screen images
Send UNIX task no longer has limits on length of commands/scripts being sent to client computers
Remote assistance
Improved support for using right mouse buttons to invoke contextual menus
When performing a drag-and-drop copy, Apple Remote Desktop will now prompt you if a same-named item already exists in the location
Improved compatibility with third-party VNC viewers and servers
Addresses an issue that could cause video to be displayed improperly when sharing screens
Control/observe toolbars now retain their settings correctly
Automation
Copy Items action now also works with computer lists
AppleScript dictionary now includes support for Power On task for Xserves with Lights Out Management
Workflows that include Choose Remote Computer and Choose Computer List actions now properly retain their settings when they are re-opened
Using the "copy to me" task in AppleScript no longer cause the application to unexpectedly quit
Execute AppleScript action now correctly handles quotes in the input
AppleScript no longer sends extra quotes in the results of a Send UNIX task
AppleScript now correctly interprets Install Package tasks that use a Task Server
Other
Network scanners now support Bonjour-only discovery of Apple Remote Desktop and VNC-enabled client computers
Get Info panel now supports setting username and password for the Xserves Lights Out Management
Computer lists can now display the Lights Out Management status of Xserves
Addresses issue of Smart Computer Lists occasionally clearing out entries in other computer lists
Apple Remote Desktop now correctly recognizes users that login using Active Directory account with machine administration rights
kickstart can now correctly configure clients for VNC access
Resolves an issue when the client idle time in computer lists reported thousands of hours
Computers that have multiple network interfaces can now be used as Task Servers
Addresses issues in which IP addresses could occasionally be displayed inverted
Resolves the issue of not being able to include individual icons for the Sleep/Wake/Restart/Shutdown on your toolbar
Addresses an issue with computers disappearing form smart computer lists after quitting the Apple Remote Desktop application
If System Preferences has been restricted from opening, the Remote Desktop menu extra will now not allow launching of System Preferences
Addressees an issue in which task items could occasinally be dimmed ("grayed out")
Support for administrators that are in more than 14 groups
The Installed RAM column of computer lists no longer rounds up values
Authenticating using directory services based accounts no longer conflicts with mobile accounts in Active Directory
Authenticating using directory services can now be throttled to minimize load on directory servers
Version 3.1 of the software (2.5MB client, 28MB admin) includes a Universal Binary updater application that will upgrade Apple Remote Desktop 3.0 installations on Intel- or PowerPC-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
Apple recommends that Apple Remote Desktop version 3.1 Clients be managed only by Apple Remote Desktop version 3.1 Administration software. "Please ensure that have upgraded your Apple Remote Desktop Administration software to version 3.1 before upgrading your clients," the company said.
A full list of improvements in the new version, recommended for all users, follows:
Software distribution
Install Package task now supports installing Apple Installer packages that have packages outside the .mpkg
Addresses issues when copying files to root ("/") on PowerPC clients
Copy Items task now correctly supports copying of files with aliases
Asset management
PCI Reports now called Expansion Card Reports
Software reports now also report architecture type of applications
System Information Report can now report on Lights Out Management configuration and settings
Administration Settings Report can now report on Lights Out Management settings
Application Usage Reports no longer allows for a start date to be later than the end date
You can now drag computer lists and computers into the the Remote Spotlight Search window
Remote control
You can now power on an Xserve with Lights Out Management
Send UNIX panel now correctly focuses cursor in the script field
Enter key now invokes the Send button in Send UNIX panel
The Lock Screen and Curtain Mode tasks can now display custom lock screen images
Send UNIX task no longer has limits on length of commands/scripts being sent to client computers
Remote assistance
Improved support for using right mouse buttons to invoke contextual menus
When performing a drag-and-drop copy, Apple Remote Desktop will now prompt you if a same-named item already exists in the location
Improved compatibility with third-party VNC viewers and servers
Addresses an issue that could cause video to be displayed improperly when sharing screens
Control/observe toolbars now retain their settings correctly
Automation
Copy Items action now also works with computer lists
AppleScript dictionary now includes support for Power On task for Xserves with Lights Out Management
Workflows that include Choose Remote Computer and Choose Computer List actions now properly retain their settings when they are re-opened
Using the "copy to me" task in AppleScript no longer cause the application to unexpectedly quit
Execute AppleScript action now correctly handles quotes in the input
AppleScript no longer sends extra quotes in the results of a Send UNIX task
AppleScript now correctly interprets Install Package tasks that use a Task Server
Other
Network scanners now support Bonjour-only discovery of Apple Remote Desktop and VNC-enabled client computers
Get Info panel now supports setting username and password for the Xserves Lights Out Management
Computer lists can now display the Lights Out Management status of Xserves
Addresses issue of Smart Computer Lists occasionally clearing out entries in other computer lists
Apple Remote Desktop now correctly recognizes users that login using Active Directory account with machine administration rights
kickstart can now correctly configure clients for VNC access
Resolves an issue when the client idle time in computer lists reported thousands of hours
Computers that have multiple network interfaces can now be used as Task Servers
Addresses issues in which IP addresses could occasionally be displayed inverted
Resolves the issue of not being able to include individual icons for the Sleep/Wake/Restart/Shutdown on your toolbar
Addresses an issue with computers disappearing form smart computer lists after quitting the Apple Remote Desktop application
If System Preferences has been restricted from opening, the Remote Desktop menu extra will now not allow launching of System Preferences
Addressees an issue in which task items could occasinally be dimmed ("grayed out")
Support for administrators that are in more than 14 groups
The Installed RAM column of computer lists no longer rounds up values
Authenticating using directory services based accounts no longer conflicts with mobile accounts in Active Directory
Authenticating using directory services can now be throttled to minimize load on directory servers
Comments
Hopefully 3.1 will bring ARD to the level of stability that 2 had.
Truly a killer app if you need to manage more than a few Macs.
Even 3.0 was much more stable than 2.x ever was - for me anyway.
Maybe I just got a defective copy?
I still think it would be nice if Apple offered an "Express" version of ARD like they offer an Express or reduced version of much of their other software. I think I would buy it if it's better than the regular VNC clients and if it would fall back to just VNC when connecting to non-Apple machines.
I hope it fixes the mouse pointer. When connecting to my Mac Pro, all the black parts if the mouse pointer aren't shown, instead, I see through the black parts. The only part of the pointer I see is white, and it's annoying and hard to use because it's often invisible over white areas of a screen.
Addendum: there's no change with respect to this problem.