OS X Server 5 dropped last week. It’s the first time I’ve seen an OS X Server version drop before an OS release. I’m guessing there was an impetus to get it out the door before OS X 10.11 ships, so that caching and software update servers can facilitate quicker adoption and tools like Profile Manager will work on 0-day. But, there are some funny issues that are popping up. One of these is OS X Server usurping some ports that would otherwise potentially be used by other tools. Notably for Casper administrators, this includes port 8443. So here are some issues I’ve seen with Apache in the latest OS…
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Promote an Open Directory Master in OS X Server 5
Open Directory has never been so easy to setup for a basic environment as it is in OS X Server 5 (for OS X 10.11 El Capitan and OS X 10.10 Yosemite). It’s also never been so annoyingly simple to use that to do anything cool requires a bunch of command line foo. No offense to the developers, but this whole idea that the screens that were being continually refined for a decade just need to be thrown out and started fresh seems to have led to a few babies thrown out along with them. Not often as I’m kinda’ digging most of the new config screens in OS X Server…
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Use SSH, ARD, SNMP, And The Server App Remotely on OS X Server 5
SSH allows administrators to connect to another computer using a secure shell, or command line environment. ARD (Apple Remote Desktop) allows screen sharing, remote scripts and other administrative goodness. You can also connect to a server using the Server app running on a client computer. To enable any or all of these, open the Server app (Server 5 for El Capitan and Yosemite), click on the name of the server, click the Settings tab and then click on the checkbox for what you’d like to enter. All of these can be enabled and managed from the command line as well. The traditional way to enable Apple Remote Desktop is using…
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Manage The Adaptive Firewall Options In OS X Server 5
OS X Server 5 (El Capitan 10.11 or Yosemite 10.10) has an adaptive firewall built in, or a firewall that controls incoming access based on clients attempting to abuse the server. The firewall automatically blocks incoming connections that it considers to be dangerous. For example, if a client attempts too many incorrect logins then a firewall rule restricts that user from attempting to communicate with the server for 15 minutes. If you’re troubleshooting and you accidentally tripped up one of these rules then it can be a bit frustrating. Which is why Apple gives us afctl, a tool that interacts with the adaptive firewall. The most basic task you can…
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Setup DNS Server Running OS X Server 5
Under the hood, OS X Server has a number of substantial changes; however, at first the Server app (Server 5) appears to have had very few changes. The changes in the Server app were far more substantial in the El Capitan version (and Yosemite for that matter) of OS X Server. All of the options from OS X are still there and using the new command line interface for managing the service, there are far more options than ever before. The DNS service in OS X Server, as with previous versions, is based on bind 9 (BIND 9.9.7-P2 to be exact). This is very much compatible with practically every DNS server in…
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Enable Push Notifications In OS X Server 5
Push Notifications can be used in most every service that OS X Server 5 (for El Capitan and Yosemite) can run. Any service that requiring Push Notifications will often provide the ability to setup APNS during the configuration of the service. But at this point, I usually just set up Push Notifications when I setup a new server. To enable Push Notifications for services, you’ll first need to have a valid AppleID. Once you have an AppleID, open the Server app and then click on the name of the server. Then click on the Settings screen and click on the checkbox for Notifications. At the Settings screen for your server, click on…
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Setup DHCP In OS X Server 5
DHCP, or Dynamic Host Control Protocol, is the service used to hand out IP addresses and other network settings by network appliances and servers. The DHCP Server built into OS X Server 5, installed on El Capitan or Yosemite is easy-to-use and fast. It’s pretty transparent, just as DHCP services should be. To install the service, open the Server app and then click on the Show button beside Advanced in the server sidebar. Then click on DHCP. At the DHCP screen, you’ll see two tabs: Settings, used for managing the service and Clients, used to see leases in use by computers that obtain IP address information from the server. You’ll…
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Use the Software Update Service In OS X Server 5
The software patching configuration built into most operating systems is configured so all that a user has to do is open a box at home, join the network and start using the computer right away. As environments grow from homes to small offices and then small offices grow into enterprises, at some point software updates and patches need to be managed centrally. OS X Server 5 (for El Capitan and Yosemite), as with its OS X Server predecessors has a Software Update service. The service in the Server app is known as Software Update and from the command line is known as swupdate. The Software Update service, by default, stores each update…
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Use The Caching Server In OS X Server 5
The Caching Server in OS X Server 5 (for El Capitan and Yosemite) now does content and Software Updates. Woohoo, the promised land. Now, when 10 of your users download that latest Nicholas Sparks book and movie, you only sacrifice your WAN pipe to download it once, and the other 9 people piggy-back off that. And when OS X El Capitan ships, you only need to download it over the WAN once, and the other local users will pull off that spiffy Caching Server sitting in your office. Pretty sweet, right? So, how do you use this ultra-complicated service. Well, it looks and feels kinda’ like an iPad app. Which is…
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Second Interview With Command Control Power
Was interviewed by the most excellent guys from the Command Control Power podcast. Wetland everything from Bushel, to IBM, to Apple, to OS X Server, to Krypted, to Instagram nerdy and even a little reading It’s now available at http://commandcontrolpower.com/podcast/2015/9/12/117-charles-edge-of-jamf-software-and-kryptedcom-talks-about-the-response-to-bushel. I have tons of fun with these guys and look forward to getting a good excuse to hang out with them again! Maybe next time I’ll interview them!