Archive for category: Articles

Using Netatalk: AFP Services on a Linux Server

Using Netatalk: AFP Services on a Linux Server

Let’s face it, OS X makes a great stable client platform but the server components do not scale well. That is probably why most big companies rely on some other component to have the infrastructure and then us, the Mac admins, spend a lot of time on the integration. For […]

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Casper Focus Review

Casper Focus Review

JAMF Software just recently released Casper Suite 8.7 along with their new education-aimed tool Casper Focus.  I had a chance to play around with it and test it out the past two days, so you can decide if this is something worth pursuing for yourselves. What does it do? To […]

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Python Versioning in OS X

Python Versioning in OS X

Apple has included one or more versions of python with OS X since Jaguar (10.2). Their latest version, Mountain Lion (10.8), includes python versions 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7. This presence of python on a clean install of OS X makes it a compelling language choice for automation and information gathering […]

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Real World Example: 500 iPads from Boxes to Students

Real World Example: 500 iPads from Boxes to Students

One of the rising topics of discussion that continually returns to every single Mac Admin conference, gathering, and website is the deployment of iPads.  iPads have become ubiquitous, for users, schools, and businesses now, and suddenly lots of system admins, technology coordinators, directors, and supervisors are being tasked with adopting […]

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Fixing Broken Software I: Logitech Control Center

Fixing Broken Software I: Logitech Control Center

This is part one of a series on dealing with the issues software can cause in enterprise environments, and how to combat these issues. One of the most important skills in a Mac Admin’s toolbox is being able to identify and work around issues with vendor software.  Many vendors release […]

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Another Way to Enable Wi-Fi At Login Window (with Profiles!)

The Premise: Nick McSpadden and I were both working on a similar goal this week: getting Macs to connect to Wi-Fi at the loginwindow. By default, adding preferred wireless networks will only connect once a user is logged in, either via the networksetup command or Profiles. By using a modified […]

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Setting up a basic Puppet 3.1.x master on OS X 10.8

Between OS X 10.7 and 10.8, some changes were made with how directory services functioned.  This caused Puppet 2.7.x to not be fully functional on 10.8. Thankfully, these changes have been adjusted for in the latest version of Puppet (3.x).  Now that we have full 10.8 support, lets make a […]

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802.1x EAP-TLS Machine Authentication in Mt. Lion with AD Certificates

One of the greatest new enterprise features in OS X Mt. Lion is its support of the DCE/RPC protocol in combination with Active Directory (AD) for use with 802.1x machine or user based certificate authentication. In Lion, for AD certificate based authentication to function, a working Microsoft Active Directory Certificate […]

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MacSysAdmin 2012: The European Macintosh Administrator Meeting

Today, the Mac is on the stage. It is the first day of MacSysAdmin 2012. In the last years, the appointment on the Swedish land has become one of the most important meeting for all the System Administrators who, every day, are involved with a considerable number of workstations to […]

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Skinning a Cat: Lots of Ways to Deploy Lion

Skinning a Cat: Lots of Ways to Deploy Lion

The release of Mac OS X Lion dramatically changed how Apple distributed its desktop operating system. By moving from physical distribution to electronic distribution, Apple was able to offer Lion at a much lower price than many earlier releases, and also offer a better installation experience for most of its […]

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