This article will cover two methods for changing a device's name through the Addigy platform.
Changing a Device Name via MDM
Prerequisites
- Enrolled in Addigy's MDM
- A supported OS version
- Supervision
Steps
- Navigate to a device's GoLive page.
- Select Change Name at the top of the page.
- Type in the desired name and click Rename.
If a device's name is not changing, the MDM connection to the device may be stuck or broken.
For macOS troubleshooting steps, please reference the following article: MDM Client Is Unresponsive and Remediation - Addigy MDM Watchdog
For non-macOS troubleshooting steps, we recommend:
- Restarting the device
- Ensuring the push certificate on the device has not expired (verified by clicking "MDM:" in GoLive)
If the name is still not changing after ensuring the above, please reach out to our support team for further assistance.
Changing a Device Name via Agent (macOS)
One method for changing the device name is to deploy scripts to the device. Our Creating and Running Scripts on Your Devices article provides a thorough explanation of how to push scripts to your devices.
Note: This workflow is not supported for BYOD devices as it does not leverage our agent.
Commands and Information
The below commands can be used to change the various name parameters of your machines. Addigy will determine the device name based on the Computer Name. For uniformity, we recommend changing all three to the same name.
HostName:
- Usually provided by a network based system via DHCP or DNS
- Not set by default on newer macOS versions
sudo scutil --set HostName [Desired device name]
Local Hostname:
- Used with Zeroconf networking tools such as Bonjour, AirPlay, AirDrop, and Lan Cache
- Defaults to {users}-{type-of-device}.local after Setup Assistant. Example: johns-macbook-pro.local
sudo scutil --set LocalHostName [Desired device name]
Computer Name:
- A user friendly name that is visible in the Sharing pane of System Preferences
- Defaults to {users’} {type of device} after Setup Assistant. Example: John’s MacBook Pro
sudo scutil --set ComputerName [Desired device name]
The device name may not change until the DNS cache has been cleared, which can be accomplished by running the following command:
killall -HUP mDNSResponder