• Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server

    Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server 10.6.1 Now Available

    Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server 10.6.1 are now available for download. Listed fixes for Mac OS X Server include: reliability of services using Grand Central Dispatch duplicate serial number alerts on servers with multiple network interfaces But more importantly are a number of minor GUI changes that have been resolved. If you’re an early adopter I would certainly run this as soon as possible. In addition, Server will have the following fixes, which are also included in Client: compatibility with some Sierra Wireless 3G modems an issue that might cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly some printer compatibility drivers not appearing properly in the add printer browser…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mass Deployment,  Microsoft Exchange Server

    Snow Leopard & Managed Client Preferences

    In Mac OS X 10.6’s Open Directory, when you add ManagedClient to managed preferences you end up with two com.apple.mail entries (one suffixed with .managed). One is called com.apple.mail.managed, which is used for Mail for 10.5 and below and frankly doesn’t seem to be complete, so I’ve manually populated my environment with keys from 10.5 Server. The other is com.apple.mail, which now supports SSL, but only gives the drop-downl list for Always, showing no options in Once/Often. One thing that was a bit confusing to me is what Beau and I discovered to be a GUI bug, where when you click on a manifest and then click on Once, Often…

  • Active Directory,  Mac OS X

    Snow Leopard + SkyHook = Kerb Problems?

    In the Date and Time System Preference pane there is now an option to enable “Set time zone automatically using current location”. Assuming you have a Mac OS X computer with Wi-Fi and you use this option (which is not enabled by default) then your portable looks up your location automatically using the wireless access points surrounding you, which can then be looked up against the Skyhook database API and then changes your time zone based on your physical location. However, if your system looks back to the IP address of the KDC and sees a time offset that is greater than 5 minutes a few people have asked me…

  • certifications,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Mass Deployment

    Snow Leopard Certifications

    Apple has released the Snow Leopard certification information and site. To make a long story short, for those who are ACSA inclined, you basically have the Apple Certified Support Professional, which is just one exam based on the Snow 101 course. You then have the Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC), which is the Support Essentials Exam along with the Server Essentials Exam, based on the Snow 201 course. Now for where the changes come into play. First and foremost security has returned, although it’s been lumped in with mobility, likely to focus the syllabus on settings through managed client (ie – automated FileVaulting). Therefore, I guess the SANS course will…

  • Active Directory,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mass Deployment

    Directory Utility in Snow Leopard

    In Leopard, the Kerberos application got mad because the other utilities were making fun of him. So he went and hid in /System/Library/CoreServices and became an application that was summoned by other applications (ie – Keychain Utility) when they couldn’t do their own work and needed him. Directory Utility saw this and decided it looked like a pretty darn appealing way to go. So Directory Utility has now moved into /System/Library/CoreServices. Not that you will always need to use her. You see, if you open the Accounts System Preference pane and click on Login Options you’ll see Network Account Server. Here you can click on Join. With more space in…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server

    Using Podcast Composer in Podcast Producer 2

    In Snow Leopard Server, Apple has introduced a whole new way to make Podcast workflows. It’s now simple to use, but still with amazing and powerful new automations that give Podcast Producer admins the ability to configure a host of new options quickly and easily. To get started, first setup Podcast Producer. Then, fire up Podcast Composer and go through 7 quick steps. First, provide a default name, author name and title for your workflow, then click on step 2. In step two you’re going to configure the source of the video and audio. For each of the three options, Single Source, Dual Source and Montage, you’ll have an i…