Archive for category: OS X

UEFI, 10.13/APFS, and You(r Imaging)

UEFI, 10.13/APFS, and You(r Imaging)

Let’s discuss the basic input/output system for IBM PC compatible computing devices, aka BIOS. Wait, that’s not a good start, P.eople C.an’t reM.ember C.omputer and I.nternet A.cronyms. Ok, EFI – that’s a thing that’s like BIOS, right? You can lock it, it makes sure all your most vital hardware components […]

Read more

Stop All The Downloadin’

Stop All The Downloadin’

Just a quick one, to remind you that there are ways you can have a dialog with users about tightening security controls. We’re beating the drum about Flash dying a death, and haven’t included it in our image since the Great Analytics Fiasco of 20.0.0.235. I’m not the most tolerant […]

Read more

Proactive Mac Security: osquery

Proactive Mac Security: osquery

There are two reputations(at least) that your faithful writer is hoping to shake: #1, I do not work for Google. #2, I am not the ‘osquery guy’. I don’t even know any C++! (I’m going to make time for this eventually, though.) However, for three events over the course of […]

Read more

Proactive Mac Security, Introduction

Proactive Mac Security, Introduction

Let’s say your company is a place where no one works day-to-day logged in as an admin on their Mac. Everybody in this environment is also a computer expert, and therefore aren’t as prone to tomfoolery such as letting family members use their login to play Chrome games, and of […]

Read more

Skipping Network Setup in SetupAssistant

SetupAssistant.app has many fun hidden dot files in /var/db/ and Pepijn Bruienne (@bruienne) has found another good one: /var/db/.MBSkipWiFiSetupIfPossible This dot file will make SetupAssistant skip the WiFi setup portion of the setup in some cases. Only 10.11 and higher will respect this dot file. For SetupAssistant to skip the […]

Read more

Challenges My Organization Faces Upgrading to OS X 10.11, El Capitan

Challenges My Organization Faces Upgrading to OS X 10.11, El Capitan

As if you haven’t heard, there’s something new this month to cause drama on the Apple upgrade treadmill (just as nefarious as Slack dragging everyone’s communication watering hole into the future). This time it’s the coming System Integrity Protection and other tightening restrictions we’re all dealing with. I wanted to […]

Read more

Return of the Intermittent Bricking

Return of the Intermittent Bricking

So it used to be we’d wait for machines that were bound to Active Directory running 10.10.0-10.10.2 to freeze during startup and we’d either perform CPR or apply rc.server script fixes. ‘Things can only get better,’ we said. ‘Just trust them,’ we said. ‘They’ll get it all fixed if we […]

Read more

When Yosemite has Fallen, and it Can’t Get Up

When Yosemite has Fallen, and it Can’t Get Up

UPDATE January 20, 2015 – Some are reporting an opendirectoryd-related fix, featuring the very cool-looking darwinup. Let’s hope it makes it into .2, and we’re not all chomping at the bit for 10.10.3! People are noticing a symptom, branded LoginLockout (credit @andrewrose), where Yosemite seemingly freezes during startup. The keyboard shows […]

Read more

VMware ESXi 5.5 on the Mac Pro (2013)

VMware ESXi 5.5 on the Mac Pro (2013)

Five years ago, it was not uncommon to see many cabinets full of Xserves fulfilling serving roles in the enterprise.  Today those servers are on their last legs and warrant replacement by modern hardware and software design. Luckily there isn’t much of a need of OS X Server by IT […]

Read more

Virtualize OS X using vSphere on Mac hardware

On my blog, I have written a 3 page blogpost about virtualizing OS X using vSphere on Mac hardware. In the blogpost I try to answer the below questions: What is required to virtualize OS X? Which hardware is supported, and which hardware works? How to license OS X in […]

Read more