• Mac OS X

    Git Quick-start

    Git it easy. It’s a command with some verbs. Let’s start with the init verb, which creates an empty git repository in the working directory (or supply a path after the verb) git init Now let’s touch a file in that directory. Once a new file is there, which that new repo as your working directory, run git  with the status verb: git status Oh look, you now see that you’re “On branch master” – we’ll talk branching later. You see “No commits yet” and hey, what’s that, an Untracked file! Run git with the add verb, and this time you need to specify a file or path (I’ll use…

  • bash,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server

    This New Years Day, Learn The Jot Command

    This New Years Day, Learn The Jot Command The jot command is one I haven’t used in awhile. But it’s still useful. Let’s take a look at a few of the things you can do with it. First, let’s just print lines into a new file called “century.txt” which we can do by running with the number of increments followed by the starting number, and then redirecting the output into the file name: jot 100 1 > ~/Desktop/century.txt Or to do integers instead, simply put the decimals: jot 100 1.00 > ~/Desktop/century.txt Or in descending order, jot – 100 1 > ~/Desktop/century.txt Now we could change the output to be…

  • Uncategorized

    Use The Profiles Command In Sierra

    You might be happy to note that other than the ability to interpret new payloads, the profiles command mostly stays the same in Sierra. You can still export profiles from Apple Configurator or Profile Manager (or some of the 3rd party MDM tools). You can then install profiles by just opening them and installing. Once profiles are installed on a Mac, mdmclient, a binary located in /usr/libexec will process changes such as wiping a system that has been FileVaulted (note you need to FileVault if you want to wipe an OS X Lion client computer). /System/Library/LaunchDaemons and /System/Library/LaunchAgents has a mdmclient daemon and agent respectively that start it up automatically.…

  • Home Automation

    Add A Chime To Your Ring

    The Ring is a great little device. I love it when I see an alert on my Apple Watch, tap a button on my phone, and then see the UPS deliverer walking away from my front door. When you’re home though, it’s nice to have a door chime. The first thing you do when you’re setting up one of these is to join a wireless network called Chime-****something****. This is pretty common in the home automation world. Devices ship running as a WAP so you can wirelessly control and set them up. Once the device joins the wireless network, open the Ring app and then verify that you’re joined to the…

  • Apple Watch

    Manage Apps On The Apple Watch

    The Apple Watch is just another wearable with a limited feature set. In much the same way that the iPhone is just another phone. But they’re not. They have apps. And the apps are what make these devices so powerful. Installing apps on an Apple Watch is pretty straight forward. But before we do, it’s worth mentioning that there are two types. the first is a glance. This is just another view for an app that is on your iPhone that the Apple Watch talks to. The second is an actual app. These have more functionality and more options. There are also built-in apps that can be shown or hidden. Apps…

  • Apple Watch

    Set Up Your New Apple Watch

    You waited. And you tapped your fingers on the desk. And you sat and waited some more, for the UPS person. You stared at your mailbox. And then, after all of that, UPS showed up. And you signed. And then you had that box in your hands. The cardboard box, when opened, gave way to a sweet white box. You opened it by pulling the little tag off, and then you pulled the watch out of the box. You tried on the two bands. And you picked the one that fit you the best. So now what? Turn on the watch by hitting the button on the side and watch that beautiful…

  • Mac OS X

    Video on Setting Up a Munki Repo

    (Allister Banks Guest Post:) As part of my presentations at LOPSA-East(the pdf slides of this one is here) earlier this year, I wanted to demonstrate how quickly you can get a proof-of-concept of Munki running on a recent Mac OS without Server. I had always used Greg Neagle’s awesome intro articles for MacTech(especially part 2,) which were  created back in 10.6 days(simpler times, amirite?) This video takes you through the setup of a Munki repo, and goes on to demonstrate not only basic Munki interaction and functionality, but if you setup MunkiWebAdmin and the reporting scripts on your clients in addition, it does a quick tour of that interface. Setting Up a…

  • Windows Server

    Installing the DHCP Service in Windows Server

    With the DHCP service no longer in the Server apps provided by Apple (for the most part), it’s important to look at alternative solutions to host the service. The DHCP Service in Windows Server is a Role that a Windows Server can fill that dynamically assigns IP addresses to client computers requesting addresses. The DHCP Role is easily added using the Server Manager application, available in the Administrative Tools menu of the Start Menu. Once opened, click on the Add Roles button. At the Select Server Roles screen, locate DHCP Server and then check the box for it, which will allow you to click on the Next button. At the…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Mass Deployment,  Network Infrastructure

    Installing the Mountain Lion Server VPN Server

    OS X Server has long had a VPN service that can be run. The server is capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. The L2TP protocol is always in use, but the server can run both concurrently. You should use L2TP when at all possible. Sure, “All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks.” But security is a theme that it never hurts to keep in the forefront of your mind. If you were thinking of exposing the other services in Mountain Lion Server to the Internet without having users connect to a VPN service then you should think…