The first thing you’ll want to do on any server is setup the networking for the computer. To do this, open the System Preferences and click on Network. You usually want to use a wired Ethernet connection on a server, but in this case we’ll be using Wi-Fi. Here, click on the Wi-Fi interface and then click on the Advanced… button. At the setup screen for the interface, provide a good static IP address. Your network administrator can provide this fairly easily. Here, make sure you have an IP address and a subnet mask. Since we need to install the Server app from the Mac App Store, and that’s on the Internet,…
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Add A VPP Token To Profile Manager On macOS Server
In order to use the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP), you will need an MDM solution (Profile Manager, Jamf Pro, MobileIron, Meraki, FileWave, etc). The same program is used for device-based VPP or user-based VPP. There are two programs, which is meant to simplify the experience of setting up an MDM solution and long-term maintenance. The first is the traditional VPP account, available to companies and other non-educational environments that have a DUNS number. The second is the newer Apple School Manager, for educational institutions. Before starting to buy apps and associating those apps from an MDM solution, there are a few things you should know. The first is that…
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App Store Preferences To Set In On Server 5.4 for macOS High Sierra
By default, macOS now updates apps that are distributed through the Mac App Store (MAS). Server running on macOS High Sierra is really just the Server app, sitting on the App Store, installed on a standard Mac. If the Server app is upgraded automatically, you will potentially experience some adverse side effects, especially if the app is running on a Metadata Controller for Xsan, runs Open Directory, or a major release of the Server app ships. Additionally, if you are prompted to install a beta version on a production system, you could end up with issues. Therefore, in this article we’re going to disable these otherwise sweet features of macOS. To…
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Delete User Configurable nvram In High Sierra (10.13)
A nifty little feature of nvram is the ability to delete all of the firmware variables you’ve created. This can get helpful if you’ve got a bunch of things that you’ve done to a system and want to remove them all. If you run nvkram followed by a -p option you’ll see all of the configured firmware variables: nvram -p If you run it with a -d you’ll delete the given variables that you define (e.g. boot-args): nvram -d boot-args But, if you run the -c you’ll wipe them all: nvram -c
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Use The Profiles Command In High Sierra
You might be happy to note that other than the ability to interpret new payloads, the profiles command mostly stays the same in High 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…
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Clear nvram in macOS High Sierra
Note: before you do anything with clearing nvram, keep in mind that doing so clears any kext whitelisting you may have done previously! macOS has the ability to delete all of the firmware variables you’ve created. This can get helpful if you’ve got a bunch of things that you’ve done to a system and want to remove them all. If you run nvram followed by a -p option you’ll see all of the configured firmware variables: nvram -p The output would be as follows: efi-boot-device-data %02%01%0c%00%d0A%03%0a%00%00%00%00%01%01%06%00%05%1c%01%01%06%00%00%00%03%12%0a%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%04%01*%00%02%00%00%00(@%06%00%00%00%00%00X%a8#:%00%00%00%00%eee6%da%00%0b%09G%82%c9%bd4wpQ%82%02%02%04%03$%00%f7%fct%be|%0b%f3I%91G%01%f4%04.hBw;%1a$%82%a3>D%92#%80%e9o%a9!%de%04%04%9a%00\%00A%003%000%006%00A%004%00F%00D%00-%00F%00F%00B%005%00-%003%00F%00A%002%00-%008%00D%00C%004%00-%00B%00F%007%003%00E%007%00F%003%008%00C%007%00E%00\%00S%00y%00s%00t%00e%00m%00\%00L%00i%00b%00r%00a%00r%00y%00\%00C%00o%00r%00e%00S%00e%00r%00v%00i%00c%00e%00s%00\%00b%00o%00o%00t%00.%00e%00f%00i%00%00%00%7f%ff%04%00 efi-boot-device <array><dict><key>IOMatch</key><dict><key>IOProviderClass</key><string>IOMedia</string><key>IOPropertyMatch</key><dict><key>UUID</key><string>241A3B77-A382-443E-9223-80E96FA921DE</string></dict></dict><key>BLLastBSDName</key><string>disk1s2</string></dict><dict><key>IOEFIDevicePathType</key><string>MediaFilePath</string><key>Path</key><string>\A306A4FD-FFB5-3FA2-8DC4-BF73E7F38C7E\System\Library\CoreServices\boot.efi</string></dict></array>%00BootCampProcessorPstates %0c%00 bluetoothInternalControllerInfo %90%82%ac%05%00%000%14%f4\%89%adF%f prev-lang:kbd en:0 SystemAudioVolumeDB %e4efi-apple-recovery <array><dict><key>IOMatch</key><dict><key>IOProviderClass</key><string>IOMedia</string><key>IOPropertyMatch</key><dict><key>UUID</key><string>3D351489-745F-4434-89E0-DC914B49969F</string></dict></dict><key>BLLastBSDName</key><string>disk0s1</string></dict><dict><key>IOEFIDevicePathType</key><string>MediaFilePath</string><key>Path</key><string>\EFI\APPLE\FIRMWARE\MBP121_0171_B00.fd</string></dict></array>%00previous-system-uuid A306A4FD-FFB5-3FA2-8DC4-BF73E7F38C7EbluetoothActiveControllerInfo %90%82%ac%05%00%00%00%000%14%f4\%89%adF%faALS_Data ^%0d%8a%8a%00%00%00%00backlight-level %10%02SystemAudioVolume GLocationServicesEnabled %01 If you run it with a -d you’ll delete the given…
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Configure The VPN Service In macOS Server 5.4 on High Sierra
macOS Server has long had a VPN service to allow client computers to connect to a network even when they’re out of the home or office. And as with many a service on macOS Server, this is one of the easiest VPN servers you’ll ever setup. The server was once capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. And while PPTP is still accessible via the command line, L2TP is now configured by default when you setup the server using the Server app. Setting Up The VPN Service In macOS Server To setup the VPN service, open the Server app and click on VPN in…
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Convert a macOS Volume to APFS in High Sierra
You can run High Sierra without converting a drive to apfs, Apple’s latest File System. However, you might encounter some odd behaviors, or want to take use of the enhancements in apfs. If you did a command line installation to skip the apfs conversion or are just trying to upgrade a volume that wasn’t converted during the upgrade process, Boot the Mac into Recovery Mode by holding down the Command and R keys until you see the macOS Utilities screen. Open Disk utility. Choose your boot volume. Click on the Edit menu Click on Convert to APFS When prompted with “Would you like to convert <thenameofyourdrive> to APFS?” click on…
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Configure DHCP in macOS Server 5.4 for High Sierra
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 macOS Server 5.4 on High Sierra is similar to the DHCP service that was included in Server 10.2 and 10.2 and from the good ‘ole Panther days. It’s pretty simple to use and 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…
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Using Wikis In macOS Server 5.4
A wiki is a repository of dynamically created and managed content, or content created or edited by multiple users collaboratively. This article is about using the wiki service in macOS Server 5.4 (the Apple Server app running on 10.13/High Sierra). I reference file services with WebDAV because it is a very nice integration piece that I think a lot of people will find pretty beneficial. To get started with the Wiki service, first turn it on. This one isn’t heavily dependent on host names (other than being able to access the server from a browser) or directory services (other than being able to authenticate users, but local accounts are perfectly functional)…