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Oracle’s Java 8 Update 40 – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
For the past few major releases, Oracle has used a standard installer package to install Java 7 and Java 8. With the release of Java 8 Update 40 though, Oracle changed how Java 8 for Macs is installed....
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MacJREInstaller and Oracle’s Java install application
Part of Oracle’s new install application for Java is a binary named MacJREInstaller. This application appears to be what installs Java and governs whether or not the Ask.com toolbar gets deployed. For...
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Fixing mach_kernel file visibility using Casper
Following the release of Security Update 2015-002, it became apparent that the usually-hidden /mach_kernel file was now visible via the Finder. The mach_kernel file file is important to OS X and is...
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Deploying a pre-configured Junos Pulse VPN client on OS X
My shop recently made the change from using Juniper Network‘s Network Connect VPN client to using Juniper’s Junos Pulse VPN client. As part of the changeover, I wanted to provide an installer for our...
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Oracle’s Java 8 Update 40 has been updated to …. Java 8 Update 40
Oracle has released a new update for Java 8, but this update has an interesting wrinkle. Oracle has put out a new build of Java 8, but didn’t bump the version number from Java 8 Update 40. So folks who...
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Oracle’s Java 8 Update 40 has been updated again to …. Java 8 Update 40
Oracle has released a new update for Java 8, but has continued their recent trend of not bumping the version number. Oracle has put out a new build of Java 8 but didn’t bump the version number from...
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Setting up ESXi 6.0 on a 2012 Mac Mini Server
Something I’ve been doing for a while is running ESXi on my home server setup. Up until now I’ve been running ESXi 5.5.x on a 2011 Mac Mini, but with the release of ESXi 6.0 by VMware, I decided it was...
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Upgrading an ESXi server from 5.5 to 6.0
As part of moving my ESXi environment from 5.5 to 6.0, I have a 2012 Mac Pro which I’m using to host my OS X test environment for work. As this server is already configured the way I want it, I wanted...
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Accessing and unhiding the hidden ~/Library folder
Starting in Mac OS X 10.7.x, Apple started hiding the Library directory stored inside an account’s home folder. I’ve written a script to un-hide it on my own Macs, but I recently came across a couple...
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Creating mobile accounts using createmobileaccount is not working on OS X...
Following the release of OS X 10.10.3, I noticed in my testing that I was no longer able to create Active Directory mobile user accounts using the...
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Virtualization session at MacIT 2015
I’ll be speaking about OS X and virtualization at MacIT 2015, which is being held from July 14th -16th, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. For those interested, my talk will be on Wednesday, July 15th....
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Using VMware’s Standalone Remote Console for OS X with free ESXi
VMware recently released a Virtual Machine Remote Console (VMRC) application for OS X users. This application is designed to complement the browser-based console for vSphere users by providing a native...
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Upgrading from ESXi 5.5 to ESXi 6.x via SSH and esxcli
In the wake of VMware’s release of ESXi 6.0, I upgraded my ESXi 5.5 server to ESXi 6 using the install ISO file. However, it is also possible to perform the upgrade from 5.5 to 6.0 via SSH and esxcli....
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USB-A to USB-C connections via USB Target Mode not usable by Setup Assistant...
Apple has updated its Using the USB-C port and adapters on your MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) KBase article to provide more detail about USB Target Mode. One piece of information that jumped...
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Installing Joyent’s pkgsrc package manager on OS X
As part of working with open source software on OS X, it’s often convenient to use a package manager to install open source packages. Good package managers are useful because they handle downloading...
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Virtualization session at Penn State MacAdmins 2015
I’ll be speaking about OS X and virtualization at the Penn State MacAdmins Conference 2015, which is being held from July 7th – 10th 2015 in State College. For those interested, my talk will be on...
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Walking through Bushel
At JAMF Nation User 2014, JAMF Software took the wraps off of a new product: Bushel. Bushel is a cloud-based MDM solution for managing Apple Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPod devices. It’s designed to be...
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“Take Vacations using this One Weird Trick – DOCUMENTATION!” session at Penn...
I’ll be collaborating with my colleague Vanessa White to give a lab session at the Penn State MacAdmins Conference 2015, which is being held from July 7th – 10th 2015 in State College. For those...
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Installing the latest VMware Tools in OS X VMs with AutoPkg
As part of working with OS X VMs in VMware Fusion and ESXi, I’ve regularly installed the VMware Tools and have even found ways to incorporate their installation into my build process. However, getting...
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Accessing the FileVault 2 Reset Password wizard via Yosemite’s Recovery HD
I’d previously written a post about Yosemite’s FileVault 2 pre-boot recovery options and how they can be accessed via the FileVault 2 pre-boot login screen. This process uses a Reset Password wizard to...
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