• Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    Mac-Only MDM Profile Keys

    Below is a listing of all the profile payloads that you see listed when using the Profile Manager web interface as well as their corresponding keys in the mobileconfig files. You can use these to generate profile keys programmatically: Distribution Type: Automatic Push Manual Download Organization: PayloadOrganization Description: PayloadDisplayName Automatically Remove Profile: PayloadRemovalDisallowed Payload scope: User or computer —— Identification User Display Name: Email address: EmailAddress User Name: FullName Password: Password User Enters Password: AuthMethod Prompt: Prompt Prompt Message: PromptMessage ——— Restrictions (com.apple.applicationaccess.new) Preferences tab: Restrict Items in System Preferences: familyControlsEnabled Allow array: EnabledPreferencePanes with each identified in a string for its domain: EnabledPreferencePanes com.apple.preferences.users com.apple.preference.general com.apple.preference.universalaccess com.apple.preferences.appstore com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate com.apple.preferences.Bluetooth…

  • Apple Configurator,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Mass Deployment

    Programmatically Extract Saved Wi-Fi Passwords In OS X

    Previously, I covered how to Programmatically Obtain Recent Wi-Fi Networks On A Mac. But, here I’m gonna’ go a step further and look at how to extract the password for a network as well. The two are stored in different locations. The recent networks are in the /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences defaults domain. If you pull one of those, then you can use the security command to extract the password itself. security find-generic-password -ga "Krypted Home" The output is as follows, showing everything that is tracked about this network in the keychain. keychain: "/Library/Keychains/System.keychain" class: "genp" attributes: 0x00000007 <blob>="Krypted Home" 0x00000008 <blob>=<NULL> "acct"<blob>="Krypted Home" "cdat"<timedate>=0x32303135313230373135313731375A00 "20151207151717Z\000" "crtr"<uint32>=<NULL> "cusi"<sint32>=<NULL> "desc"<blob>="AirPort network password" "gena"<blob>=<NULL> "icmt"<blob>=<NULL> "invi"<sint32>=<NULL> "mdat"<timedate>=0x32303135313230373135313731375A00 "20151207151717Z\000"…

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  JAMF,  Mass Deployment

    Use Apple Configurator 2 To Automate Casper Enrollment

    Enrolling iPads and iPhones into JAMF’s Casper suite can be done through Apple Configurator 2, text messages, email invitations, Apple’s Device Enrollment Program (DEP), or using links deployed to iOS devices as web clips. When doing larger deployments the enrollment process can be automated so that devices are automatically enrolled into Casper when set up using an Enrollment Profile that is manually downloaded from Casper and deployed to device. Additionally, a certificate can be needed if the certificate is not included in the profile, an option available as a checkbox in the setup. While you hopefully won’t need to download the certificate, we’ll cover that as well: Download the Enrollment Profile…

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    Recruiting Good Mac Talent

    When I was doing a lot of hiring, the pool of Mac Admins was smaller. And it was in a way easier for me to recruit people, because I knew a lot of them. As the pool has grown and a lot of the talent has matured, keeping your finger on the pulse of the hiring market around Apple has become much more challenging. Also, I’ve recruited far more developers and marketing professionals than Apple engineers in the past couple of years. But, there are still a number of places that you can look to find good Mac and iOS engineers looking for a gig. Here’s a quick and dirty…

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  Mass Deployment

    Add Profiles To Blueprints In Apple Configurator 2

    One of the tasks you’ll need to perform in Apple Configurator 2, is to assign Profiles to iOS devices in order to set them up with features or restrict the device from using certain features. I cover creating a profile here. To get started applying a profile to a device, bring up the Blueprints screen. Choose a Blueprint and right-click on it. Choose Profiles… Browse to the profile and then click on Add Profile. The profile is then applied to any devices that the Blueprint is applied to. For more on Blueprints, view this article.

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  Mass Deployment

    Apple Configurator 2 Guide

    Apple Configurator 2 is a great new evolution in iOS initial and configuration management. And there are lots of great options. And to help you wrap your head around all this new fun stuff, I’ve written up a quick and dirty guide for using Apple Configurator 2. It’s not completely done, but it will be shortly. Hope this help someone. Enjoy!

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  Mass Deployment

    Manage Profiles To Control Settings On iOS Devices With Apple Configurator 2

    Enter Apple Configurator 2, a free tool on the Mac App Store. This tool basically fixes most setup challenges for iOS, but does so over USB. This means that Apple Configurator is not necessarily a replacement for MDM. In fact, you can deploy Trust and Entrollment profiles for MDM and automate the MDM enrollment for a device through Apple Configurator 2. Instead, Apple Configurator 2 is a tool that can either help to manage iOS devices during a mass deployment and do so in a manner that is easy enough that you don’t need a firm background in IT to manage devices on a day-to-day basis. Here is what Apple Configurator can do: Update…

  • Apple Configurator

    Upgrade Devices And Apps Using Apple Configurator 2

    Apple Configurator has always been able to upgrade devices. But it can also now upgrade apps that are on devices. To run an upgrade, first open Apple Configurator 2. Once open, right-click on a device and click on the Update… option. You can update all assets on the device concurrently, using the default option. Here, we’re going to select to update only the items we need to in the drop-down menu. Select Only Some Apps and then you’ll see a list of each app that needs an upgrade on the device. Check the box for the apps to be updated and then click on the Update button. Apps are updated…

  • Apple Configurator,  Mac OS X,  Mass Deployment

    Using Apple Configurator 2 Blueprints to Manage iOS Devices

    Blueprints are a new option in Apple Configurator 2. Blueprints allow you setup a template of settings, options, apps, and restore data, and then apply those Blueprints on iOS devices. For example, if you have 1,000 iOS devices, you can create a Blueprint with a restore item, an enrollment profile, a default wallpaper, skip all of the activation steps, install 4 apps, and then enabling encrypted backups. The Blueprint will provide all of these features to any device that the Blueprint is applied to. But then why not call it a group? Why call it a Blueprint? Because the word template is boring. And you’re not dynamically making changes to devices over…

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  Mass Deployment

    Restore A Device Backup Using Apple Configurator 2

    One of the common tasks to perform when doing some larger iOS deployments is to restore an iOS device as part of setting the device up for users. Restoring a device will retain a few things like icon placement on a device. To restore a device, we’ll first create a backup, described here. As of Apple Configurator 2, you can use iTunes and Apple Configurator 2-sourced backups of devices. You can also now assign the restore task to a Blueprint or do so manually. To get started with restoring a device, first plug in a device and open Apple Configurator. Right-click on a device and then choose the Restore from Backup… option.…