Xserve G5 and the Enclosure Lock

yopwongsapn · Sep 9, 2005

I have been setting up a Xserve G5 for a student lab, and since we don't have any place to keep the server, it is set up right there in the lab, where all the student have physical access to it. So, I'd like to keep it locked down as much as possible, and the Enclosure lock is supposed to do just that: while locked, it disables the usb/firewire ports on the machine.

Well, here's my problem. I switch it to the locked position (little orange light comes on indecating it's locked), hard drives get locked into place, mouse and any other USB devices no longer work. This is great, just what I wanted. Aside from one (major) issue: the keyboard still responds...bad, bad news.

I've gone through the system preferences and checked the "Enclosure lock disbales USB devices" box and, again, all other USB devices are disabled. Is there a separate setting somewhere to have the keyboard disabled when I lock the system?

I know this is not limited to this machine, as I have seen the same phenomenon in 2 other Xserve G5's. The Xserve G3's I've worked with do not have this issue; is it a new bug/feature in the G5's? Is there any way around it?

Thanks,
A very confused system admin.

validpretense · Sep 11, 2005

People probably complained that they had to unlock everything to use the keyboard. All I can say is, unplug the keyboard.

yopwongsapn · Sep 11, 2005

validpretense said:
People probably complained that they had to unlock everything to use the keyboard. All I can say is, unplug the keyboard.

Not quite the answer I was looking for, as this is what I've had to resort to.

This can't be the only solution; the option in the System Preferences (the checkbox) says to "Disable all USB and Firewire devices". Seeing as the keyboard is a USB device, I don't see why I would not be able to lock that out as well.

Not to mention, aside from the keyboard, what other USB devices would I possibly want to lock out??? Obviously, this feature was designed for the keyboard, so I can't see Apple removing it alltogether.

This leads me to believe that there's an option somewhere in the preferences to enable this.

Does anyone else have an answer for me?

validpretense · Sep 14, 2005

Well, I'm sorry, but I dosen't seem like anyone here really knows. Keep checking. That really sucks, good luck.

ed724 · Sep 14, 2005

yopwongsapn said:
I have been setting up a Xserve G5 for a student lab, and since we don't have any place to keep the server, it is set up right there in the lab, where all the student have physical access to it. So, I'd like to keep it locked down as much as possible, and the Enclosure lock is supposed to do just that: while locked, it disables the usb/firewire ports on the machine.

Well, here's my problem. I switch it to the locked position (little orange light comes on indecating it's locked), hard drives get locked into place, mouse and any other USB devices no longer work. This is great, just what I wanted. Aside from one (major) issue: the keyboard still responds...bad, bad news.

I've gone through the system preferences and checked the "Enclosure lock disbales USB devices" box and, again, all other USB devices are disabled. Is there a separate setting somewhere to have the keyboard disabled when I lock the system?

I know this is not limited to this machine, as I have seen the same phenomenon in 2 other Xserve G5's. The Xserve G3's I've worked with do not have this issue; is it a new bug/feature in the G5's? Is there any way around it?

Thanks,
A very confused system admin.

Why do you need to lock the keyboard if access to the OS is password protected in the first place? Or is it?

ed724

macanalli · Oct 5, 2005

Try this on a terminal window:

Code:

systemsetup -setdisablekeyboardwhenenclosurelockisengaged yes

I think you must be logged on as root.

you can check this setting with

Code:

systemsetup -getdisablekeyboardwhenenclosurelockisengaged

hope this helps...

Xserve G5 and the Enclosure Lock

yopwongsapn

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validpretense

yopwongsapn

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validpretense

ed724

macanalli

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