Mac OSX presentation for the NorthEast Wisconsin Linux Users Group. It is a presentation about OSX to a group of Linux users.

1. Apple OS X
Joshua S Goldman

2. About Me
 Education
 Master of Business Administration – Lakeland College
 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – UW Oshkosh
 Computer Information Systems
 Extensive programming in C, C++, OpenGL, Scheme, ML all
in a Linux environment
 Configured and operated CompSci Linux server as a
Windows Domain controller
 CompTIA Network+ Certified
 Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC)
 Apple Certified Macintosh Technician (ACMT)
 HP Self-Maintainer Warranty repair certified
 Linux Professional Institute (LPI-101) Coursework

3. About Me
 Experience
 Started with Amiga OS and IBM DOS
 MS DOS, then Windows 3.11, then 95
 Windows 2000 and XP with Netware 5, 6, 6.5 at UWO
 Final position at UWO was Netware / Windows server
administrator. Configured their first Netware cluster to connect
to a true HP EVA 5000 SAN
 Macintosh OS X 10.4 – 10.6 and Windows XP, 7 and Linux at
UWGB
 Primary support for OS X client and server
 Also heavily support Windows XP and 7 in a Microsoft Active
Directory environment
 Support NASA/JPL Linux workstation and Computer Science
Linux server
 Support various enterprise software applications (Xythos, SDE,
etc)

4. OS 9 and earlier
 Now referred to as the Macintosh Classic OS
 Ran on Motorola PowerPC architecture (G4, G3,
earlier)
 No true multitasking
 No true multi-user support
 No protected memory

6. Macintosh OS X
 Released in 1999
 XNU kernel (X is not UNIX)
 Purchased by Apple as the base for Darwin
 Hybrid kernel of BSD and the Mach kernel
 Many functions of UNIX / Linux are readily available via
command line or SSH
 Aqua interface
 X11 environment available

7. Macintosh OS X
 Finder default file browser (ie Windows Explorer)

8. Default Folder Structure

9. What’s really there:

10. User Home Folder Structure

11. Macintosh OS X
 Original releases ran on Motorola PowerPC
Architecture (G3, G4) and later IBM PowerPC G5
 10.4 was the last version to support Classic Mode
 Allowed Classic VM to run inside OS X
 10.6 was first to only support Intel hardware
 Lowered install footprint (4GB smaller than 10.5)
 Grand Central Dispatch handles multithreading at an OS
level instead of relying on individual programs

12. Macintosh OS X
 Primary file system HFS+
 Full support for FAT / FAT32
 NTFS read only native, full support can be added with NTFS-
3G
 Ability to bind to any LDAPv3 directory service
 Custom plugin specifically for Active Directory
 Easily bind and share files with any Windows (SMB/CIFS),
WebDAV, FTP, NFS, AFP file system
 Uses CUPS printing
 Can be managed through System Preferences or built in CUPS
webpage

13. OS X Server
 Officially supported on Mac Mini, Mac Pro, Xserve
 Xserve recently EOL’ed (will they go virtual?)
 Can be ran on a Mac Laptop – but unsupported
 Open Directory
 LDAPv3 compliant directory server
 Windows and Linux workstations can bind to it
 WorkGroup Manager
 Provide user and computer policy management
 Very similar to Active Directory (MCX = GPO)
 Netboot services
 PXE Boot Macintosh workstation to either run diskless in a thin client setup
or for imaging tasks
 Use in conjunction with many free imaging tools

15. OS X Server
 Also support for numerous services that any other
server would provide:
 HTTP
 Mail
 File Services (SMB, AFP, NFS)
 DNS
 DHCP
 Firewall
 Xgrid clustering
 Locally hosted software update server

16. iOS
 Also based off of Darwin kernel
 Runs on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, AppleTV
 Primarily focused on touch screen interface
 Designed to work around App store for all purchases
 Jailbroken to unlock greater functionality and use the
Cydia App store (SSH, non-approved apps, etc)
 Some elements of iOS are being integrated into 10.7
Lion

18. Your Questions
 Is there an easy way to mass deploy iPhones/iPads
 Quick answer: NO
 iOS Devices are designed for a single user 1 to 1
 Reliance on App store makes distribution a challenge
 Educational Institutions can use App Store Volume
Purchase Program (voucher system – may go private)
 Still an ownership issue since Apps belong to end
redeemer of voucher
 In case of employee termination or leaving they would still
own the Apps

19.  Is there an easy way to deploy Mac OS X
 Quick answer: YES
 Leverage OS X Server for netboot deployment
 Use free imaging service such as DeployStudio
 Hand free booting of systems
 Workflow style allows custom imaging and post image
package installs
 Ability to add scripts pre-flight and post-flight to name
computers, bind them to AD or other directory service
 Control workstations with VNC, SSH, Apple Remote
Desktop
 Manage workstations using Open Directory or Active
Directory with AD Schema expansion and Thursby
ADmitMac

20. DeployStudio Runtime example

22. Apple Remote Desktop ARD

23.  In what technical ways does OS X differ from Linux?
 Same as asking how Linux differs from UNIX
 OS X is based around the Aqua interface
 Aqua designed to provide the most intuitive simple to use
user interface
 OS X requires Apple hardware (legally)
 Major reason for stability
 Side note – 80% of Windows BSODs are poor video drivers
 OS X primary package delivery is the .PKG
 OS X removes some command line features and adds
others
 software_update – check for updates
 dsconfigldap – bind to directory services
 system_profiler – give detailed info on software/hardware
installed
 diskutil – change volumes, check raid, mount drives

24.  What are some sysadmin problems for a Mac that are
not problems on Windows
 No wake on LAN. Wake from sleep supported, but no
true wake from powered off state
 Finger pointing when troubleshooting. Many vendors love
to use this as an excuse.
 Limited troubleshooting tools
 Techtool Pro is good
 Apple provides basic Apple Hardware Test CDs with all Macs
 Certified Apple Service stations have access to Apple
Service Diagnostic images that will test every component
 Anyone who supports Linux / UNIX workstations will have
no problem supporting Mac workstations / servers

26.  Is it trivial to get a Mac to connect to a Windows
server?
 Yes!
 Go -> Connect to server
 smb://servername/sharename
 Currently does not support DFS shares
 ADmitMac by Thursby software provides a custom
SMB/CIFS implementation that gives better performance
and enhanced AD configuration options
 Also a bonus when troubleshooting issues. They will check
any logs and find the source of issues for you
 Can also connect to any other standard protocol such as
NFS, HTTPS, AFP

27.  How is IPv6 Supported on OS X
 Personally unsure of underlying support
 Fully supported on OS X client
 Can be enabled / disabled through network preferences
 Supported by OS X Server DHCP Service

28.  Are there any Mac tricks that you find useful such as
tethering
 I don’t use tethering – so I have no advice
 Learn the shortcut keys (Command +)
 Command + O = open
 Command + Q = Quit
 Command + Option + Escape = force quit apps
 Command + Tab = page through open programs
 Learn startup keys
 Command + S on boot takes you to single user (Unix) mode
 N on boot boots to network
 C on boot boots to optical drive
 T on boot boots into Target Mode (ie External firewire drive)
also can share Optical drive in this mode
 Option on boot brings up boot selector

29. Maintenance / Repair
 Disk Utility
 Verify / Repair file permissions
 Verify / Repair file structure issues
 Can be ran from command line and single user mode
 Apple Hardware Test CD (or hidden partition)
 Provide a basic test of Mac Hardware
 Comes with all Macs
 AppleJack
 Run from Single User Mode for maximum useability
 Run Memtest
 Clear Caches, Run Disk Utility scripts, verify preference files
 Set scan options and walk away

30. Maintenance / Repair
 Onyx
 Schedule maintenance scripts to run (GUI cron)
 Clean System, User, Internet, Font, and log Cache
 Change parameters for various OS X applications
 Change default path for screen capture
 Show hidden files in Finder
 Change default login settings
 PLIST files
 Preferences in the user’s ~/Library/Preferences folder
 Simply deleting the plist for misbehaving apps can often
fix a problem
 Be careful when doing this to the main
/Library/Preferences folder

31. Onyx

33. Maintenance / Repair
 Boot holding in Command + Option + P + R
 Resets PRAM which has settings for startup disc, sound,
screen settings, and more
 Checking / replacing hardware
 ifixit.com provides excellent color take apart guides
 Most components are now standard PC components
 Ram, hard drives, optical drives, LCD Panels
 Not all video cards are compatible in Mac Pro sytems
 Most commonly needed tools are high quality precision
screw drivers (#0, #00, #000) and a Torx set
 Suction cups needed for iMacs

34. Things to consider before
switching
 Software compatibility
 You will need to buy all new software – few licenses
transfer cross platform
 Microsoft Office 2011 is finally a good release
 Some web apps require Internet Explorer - not an option
unless you want to run a VM
 Game support getting better – Steam is now on Mac
 New OS = learning curve. Even though OS X is
considered intuitive, its not if you used Windows your
whole life

35. Freeware/Shareware/Donatio
nware Apps
 Text Wrangler – text editing
 SimplyBurns – Easy to use disc burning
 AppleJack – UNIX maintenance scripts – can be ran from
single user mode
 Onyx – OS X maintenance / UI tweaking
 Handbrake – Video converting (cross platform)
 Audacity – Sound recording / editing (cross platform)
 Mac the Ripper – DVD decryption
 Open Office
 Chicken of the VNC – VNC viewer (VNC server built in)

36. Freeware/Shareware/Donatio
nware Apps
 Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection – connect to PCs
 Adium – Multi-service chat client (Google, AIM, Yahoo, MSN, etc)
 Menu Meters – Graphical display of Network, CPU, Disk IO in Menu bar
 Sophos AV – Not really needed for the Mac, but scans/removes Windows
viruses
 Firefox / Chrome / Opera
 DeployStudio – Deployment tool for OS X and Windows
 WinClone – Imaging too for Windows partitions
 Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) – Simply cloning for OS X
 Pacifist – Extract individual components from an OS X installer DVD

37. Links
 goldmanj@uwgb.edu - feel free to email me!
 www.afp548.com - excellent source of server info
 www.macfixit.com - Cnet owned Mac support site
 www.macrumors.com - Support forums / Mac rumors
 www.ifixit.com - color manuals for repair Apple devices
and find parts