Apple Remote Desktop 2: Configuring remotely via command line (kickstart)

Note: This document does not apply to ARD version 1.2 or earlier or versions 1.2.1 to 1.2.4.

Apple Remote Desktop 2 includes the “kickstart” command line utility. It allows you to install, uninstall, activate, configure, and restart components of Apple Remote Desktop without restarting the computer. You can configure all the features found in Apple Remote Desktop preferences.

The kickstart utility is located here:
/System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart

You need an administrator account to use the kickstart utility. To begin using the kickstart utility, use the sudo command, such as:

$ sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -restart -agent

Note: All commands presented in this document should be typed as one line of text. It’s OK if the text wraps as you enter it, just be sure not to enter hard carriage returns.

Following are some examples of other things you could do.

1. Activate Remote Desktop Sharing, enable access privileges for all users, restart ARD Agent:

$ sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -activate -configure -access -on -restart -agent -privs -all

2. Activate Remote Desktop Sharing, enable access privileges for the users “admin”, grant full privileges for the users “admin”, restart ARD Agent and Menu extra:

$ sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -activate -configure -access -on -users admin -privs -all -restart -agent -menu

Note: The -users flag should refererence the shortname of a user of the system.

3. Activate Remote Desktop Sharing, disable access privileges for all users:

$ sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -activate -configure -access -off

4. If you just want to stop the ARD Agent process:

# sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -agent -stop

5. If you want to deactivate it:

# sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -deactivate -configure -access -off

Tip: For more information about using the kickstart command, add the -help flag. For example:

# sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -help