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Welcome to Techsurvivors => Tech => Topic started by: gunug on October 04, 2011, 10:32:09 AM

Title: Disabling iSight in software
Post by: gunug on October 04, 2011, 10:32:09 AM

I've got a request for the built-in iSight camera on Macbooks to be disabled so the offspring at the penal colony won't be able to make "rude movies" to threaten each other with!  I'm seeing stuff out there about hiding/trashing the QuicktimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component but that doesn't seem to work on my desktop anyway.  Anybody see any other solutions?  They're likely to peal off tape and the LCD displays are kind of hard to open up and actually unplug the camera!

Title: Disabling iSight in software
Post by: Xairbusdriver on October 04, 2011, 04:33:09 PM

Maybe the easiest thing to do would be to delete iChat? And PhotoBooth, Skype, and everything else that can use it. Not sure why renaming the "QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component" wouldn't also work. You'll probably need to do a Restart to get that to disable the camera since most System stuff is loaded at boot up.

While you're at it, see if they can eliminate cell phones, really.

Title: Disabling iSight in software
Post by: gunug on October 04, 2011, 07:45:18 PM

QUOTE

Not sure why renaming the "QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component" wouldn't also work

I've got 10.7 on this Macbook Pro and I don't really want to mess with it but the procedure seemed pretty cut and dried and I thought it would probably work as well!  I've got some problems with that iMac at work so I'll address those first and then see if killing "QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component" still doesn't work.  A question: does Photobooth work independently of the "QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component?"  I guess I could have to delete Photobooth and all the other stuff that you mention!

Title: Disabling iSight in software
Post by: Xairbusdriver on October 04, 2011, 09:27:54 PM

From what I saw, 'killing' that component simply caused any Apple app to throw up an alert saying the component wasn't found or that the app couldn't work without the camera. Third-party apps didn't seem to do anything differently, they just didn't make the camera available, so no video chatting, etc. But there may be some Apple apps that use the camera that I didn't think of. Saw FaceTime mentioned today and realized it would be another function that might need deleting.

OTOH, would it be possible to simply create a minimal account, maybe even a Simple Finder type and or one with "Parental" controls enabled, that severely limited what could be done in the account? But the 'request' by Apple to leave things alone in the Applications directory/folder are more for its benefit (knowing where to look for installed apps) than for ours. I have often re-configured the Applications folder by grouping apps in folders of my own design. It just makes Software Update use a little more difficult. So, I'm saying simply removing the camera using apps should not negatively impact the stability of the set up. If I were you, I'd investigate the settings in the Users & Groups and the Parental Controls pref panels (these are the names in Lion, BTW, I think they were all in the Accounts panel in Snow Leopard and previous versions of OS X).

Title: Disabling iSight in software
Post by: RHPConsult on October 05, 2011, 03:36:13 AM

I guess I really don't grasp the presenting problem, but one solution would seem to be:

• make a "rude movie" lose your (and everyone else's) privileges to use any computer for anything. That might help in developing some self-discipline.
• commit lots of prohibited/proscribed/forbidden "stuff" and experience the consequences of same

Of course, then, probably, along would come some benighted graduate of one of America's premier law schools complaining about cruel/unusual punishment.

Where is it written that those of you taxpayers on the outside are required to furnish inmates with such privileges?

The Aged Curmudgeon

Title: Disabling iSight in software
Post by: gunug on October 05, 2011, 10:30:53 AM

QUOTE

Of course, then, probably, along would come some benighted graduate of one of America's premier law schools complaining about cruel/unusual punishment.

Where is it written that those of you taxpayers on the outside are required to furnish inmates with such privileges?

You're preaching to the choir; it's just something I've been tasked to do and while we already log them into a restricted account they're still able to have some access to the iSight!  In other words they're smarter than I am!