[UniMacTech] Re: Bulk region set via ARD

[Jake Carroll]

Niel,

Good guess, but unfortunately, it isn't that simple. The biggest issue with
/usr/bin/setregion is that it actually doesn't accept any commandline
arguments, so using the standard in of "4" won't actually do anything with
the binary "setregion".

The reason behind this is because /usr/bin/setregion doesn't actually
interact with *any* other application except DVDPlayer.app.

In other words, if you can't involve DVDPlayer.app in the process, the
region itself can't be triggered or "set" in firmware (as this is a directed
EEPROM/firmware write).

One work around to CONTROL changes was found on the Apple engineering lists
a few years back:

By editing /etc/authorization

        <dict>
            <key>class</key>
            <string>user</string>
            <key>comment</key>
            <string>Used by the dvd player to set the regioncode the first
time.  Note that changed the region code after it has been set requires a
different right (system.device.dvd.setregion.change)
Credentials remain valid indefinitely after they've been obtained.
An acquired credential is shared amongst all clients.</string>
            <key>group</key>
            <string>admin</string>
            <key>shared</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>

Not exactly safe...but it is a way to allow the group string to be a
different user - so that other users (such as the teacher in a
classroom/academic/supervisor) are the only ones allowed to make the initial
setting. Ergo - a student/other staff member can't pop in and set it
initially, only those with appropriate access to the struct can change it
(with the correct knowledge to set it to region 4 only!).

Hope that helps. That I know of, there *is* no simple way around this, apart
from a firmware hack which:

1. Void's warranty
2. Isn't endorsed by Apple
3. Isn't safe in the wrong hands


Cheers!

Jake C

 

> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:37:18 +1100
> From: "Neil Wiltshire" <neil.wiltshire at rmit.edu.au>
> Subject: [UniMacTech] Bulk region set via ARD
> To: <unimactech at auc.edu.au>
> Message-ID: <47F2024F.AF04.009D.0 at ems.rmit.edu.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Hi all
>  
> I know this has been discussed sometime in the past but I am only now needing
> to bulk set DVD region to 4 for quite a few intel imacs.
>  
> I've tried "sudo /usr/bin/setregion 4" but this fails.
>  
> Did anyone work a simple way of doing this in bulk?
>  
> cheers
> Neil

-----------------------------------------
Jake Carroll
Senior Systems Programmer
The Queensland Brain Institute
-----------------------------------------


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