Apple recently introduced a laptop with the same fingerprint technology found in an iPhone as well as a T-1 chip to take the sapphire Touch ID sensor information and store it securely, non-reversibly(ish), on the machine. OS X 10.12 now comes with a tool that can manage the fingerprints, stored as keys, on the device. The bioutil command is simple to use, with a few options that are mostly useful for enabling different features of the new technology. Let’s get started by enabling the unlock option, using the -r option to see if Touch ID is enabled for the current user and -s to check the system as well: bioutil…
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Configure NetInstall Services In macOS Server 5.2 for Sierra
The NetBoot service allows administrators of Apple computers to leverage images hosted on a server to boot computers to a central location and put a new image on them, upgrade them and perform automations based on upgrades and images. Since the very first versions of OS X, the service has been called NetBoot and so the name remains at the command line, but is listed as NetInstall in the Server app. In the Server app, Apple provides a number of options surrounding the NetInstall service, based on Automator-style which we’ll explore further in this article. The first step to configuring the NetInstall service is to decide what you want the service…
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The Services That Run On Apple Servers
[table id=7 /] * Services are now built into the client operating system, albeit with less finely grained controls.
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Using The Messages Service In macOS Server 5.2
Getting started with Messages Server couldn’t really be easier. Messages Server in the macOS Server 5.2 version of the Server app uses the open source jabber project as their back-end code base. The jabber binary is located at /Applications/Server.app/Contents/ServerRoot/private/var/jabberd directory and the autobuddy binary is at /Applications/Server.app/Contents/ServerRoot/usr/bin/jabber_autobuddy. The actual jabberd binary is also stored at /Applications/Server.app/Contents/ServerRoot/usr/libexec/jabberd, where there are a couple of perl scripts used to migrate the service between various versions as well. Setting up the Messages service is simple. Open the Server app and click on Messages in the Server app sidebar.  Click on the Edit… button for the Permissions. Here, define which users and interfaces are allowed to…
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Setup FTP in macOS Server 5.2 on macOS 10.12 (Sierra)
macOS Server 5.2 (for Sierra) sees no changes with the FTP Service from previous versions of OS X. Instead of sharing out each directory the new incantation of the FTP service allows administrators to share a single directory out. This directory can be any share that has previously been configured in the File Sharing service or a website configured in the Websites service. To setup FTP, first open the Server app and then click on the FTP service. Once open, use the Share: drop-down list to select a share that already exists (output of sharing -l basically) and click on one of the shares or Custom to create a new share for…
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Manage Users On macOS Server 5.2 On Sierra
There are a few ways to create users in macOS Server 5.2, running on Sierra. The first is using the Server app, the second is using using the Users & Groups System Preference pane and the third is using the command line. In this article we will look at creating users in the Server app. To do so, open the Server app and connect to your server. Then click on the Users entry in the ACCOUNTS list. The list of users is displayed, based on the directory domain(s) being browsed. A directory domain is a repository of account data, which can include local users, local network users and users in a shared directory…
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Navigating Through accountsd in macOS
The directory services options in macOS has quietly been going through some slow changes over the past couple of years. Many of the tools we use to manage accounts look similar on the outside but sometimes work a little differently under the hood. Account information is still stored in the /var/db/dslocal/nodes directory. Here, the local directory service pulls files from within directories recursively when accountsd loads. You can still create a second instance of the local directory service by copying the Default directory. For example, here we’ll copy the Default directory node to a directory node called NEW: sudo cp -prnv /var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default /var/db/dslocal/nodes/NEW If you killall accountsd then wait (this is…
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Upgrade macOS Server to Server 5.2
macOS Server 5.2 is now available to be installed. To do so, first backup your server. Then, backup your server again, making sure you have a functional, bootable clone. Once you’re sure you have a solid backup of your server, open the App Store and search for Server. When you find the Server app, click on it. At the macOS Server app, click on Install (or Open if the server is already installed). The download will begin. Once complete, you’ll see a notice that the “Server app replacement detected.” Click OK. Then, open the Server app. When the Server app opens, you’ll be prompted to update the server. Click Continue. At the Licensing…
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Getting Help With Server 5.2
OS X Server 5.2, running on Sierra, comes complete with lots of awesome features. And these features are made easier with some documentation to help you get up and running, started and owning the configuration of Apple Servers. One such is the built-in options to help manage your servers. Open Server, click Help, then click Server Help. You can then search and browse for information about things you’d like to accomplish using the Help Center. Now, click the arrow for each service for information about configuring that service. And just like that, simple and easy-to-use documentation, available live on OS X Server, guiding you to accessing the features you need.…
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App Store Preferences To Set In On Server 5.2 for macOS Sierra
By default, OS X now updates apps that are distributed through the Mac App Store (MAS). Server running on macOS 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 OS X.…