Clik here to view.
Standard user accounts in OS X 10.8.4 now blocked from decrypting FileVault...
One of the changes noted in Apple’s security notes about 10.8.4 and Security Update 2013-002 was this section: Disk Management Available for: OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 to v10.8.3 Impact: A local user...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Session videos available from Penn State MacAdmins Conference 2013
The good folks at Penn State have posted the session videos from the Penn State MacAdmins Conference 2013. The sessions slides and videos are all accessible from the Penn State MacAdmins’ Resources...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mac OS X 10.8.4′s Recovery HD removes ability to decrypt FileVault...
To follow on to my earlier post about needing admin rights to decrypt FileVault 2 on Mac OS X 10.8.4, it appears that Mac OS X 10.8.4′s Recovery HD partition no longer can decrypt FileVault 2-encrypted...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Decrypting FileVault 2 on Mac OS X 10.8.4 – Unlock first, then decrypt
As a follow-up to my earlier post about not being able to decrypt FileVault 2 from the Recovery HD partition, it looks like Apple has changed the process for how decryption works. Previously, you could...
View ArticleClik here to view.
UUIDs, LDAP and FileVault 2
A little-known fact about FileVault 2 is that it uses the GeneratedUID user attribute (also known as a UUID) of an account to help identify enabled accounts. For example, when you run the fdesetup list...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Enabling FileVault 2 pre-boot login screen functions from the command line
There’s a couple of functions that you can enable on your Mac that will show up at the FileVault 2 pre-boot login screen. The two functions that I’m familiar with are the keyboard input menu and a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
MATLAB problems after Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 16 or Java for OS X...
After the latest round of Apple’s Java updates, some Java-based applications began exhibiting problems. At my shop, MATLAB was one of the applications that was affected by this. The root cause was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Casper Extension Attribute script to detect Java build 1.6.0_51-b11-456-10M4508
To follow up on the re-release of Apple’s Java For Mac OSX 10.6 Update 16 and Java for OS X 2013-004 updates, which fixes a problem with the previous versions of the updates, there’s a need to identify...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Installing Apple’s updated Java for OS X 2013-004 and Java for Mac OS X 10.6...
As part of dealing with the issues caused by the initial versions of Apple’s Java for OS X 2013-004 and Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 16, Apple has recommended installing the revised version of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Erasing a FileVault 2-encrypted Volume
On occasion, it’s necessary to erase a FileVault 2-encrypted volume. However, Disk Utility won’t let you erase or repartition until you unlock or decrypt. This can be an issue for a malfunctioning...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FileVault 2 on OS X 10.8.x is now FIPS 140-2 Compliant
Apple announced on Friday, June 28th that the FIPS 140-2 validations for the cryptographic modules used by iOS 6 and OS X 10.8.x have now been completed. This is significant news for Mac admins who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Casper’s Hidden URLs
Casper’s JSS server has some hidden URLs that JAMF Software has built in for various purposes. As part of a discussion today, the folks in the ##osx-server IRC room pulled together a list of the ones...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using Internet Apple Diagnostics
One of the changes Apple has made with the 2013 MacBook Airs is new hardware testing. Apple has moved on from Apple Hardware Test with its vintage Mac OS 9-like look to the new and more automated Apple...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Installing custom OS X builds using DeployStudio and createOSXinstallPkg
From time to time, Apple will release a custom build of Mac OS X to support a new Mac model. A current example is the Mid 2013 MacBook Airs, which were released after 10.8.4, but before 10.8.5. Since...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Creating customized OS X installer disk images for VMware Fusion
My preferred way to create VMs in VMware Fusion is by leveraging NetBoot and DeployStudio, but not all environments have access to NetBoot or DeployStudio. For those environments, there’s now a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
VMware custom OS X installer script adds support for VMware ESXi
I’ve updated the create_vmware_osx_install_dmg.sh script that I had previously posted about here. It now includes the ability to create an .iso file, which can be used with VMware ESXi servers running...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Setting New Window and New Tab behavior in Safari
While testing a new machine setup today, I noticed that Safari wasn’t opening to the default homepage like it should. Instead, it was opening Safari’s Top Sites. There wasn’t an obvious way to set the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Accessing the Equation Tools in Word 2011
We’ve gotten in a couple of calls from our users asking how to work with equations in Word 2011. So that other folks know, here’s how you do it: 1. Make sure that your document is saved in Word’s .docx...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Downloading Apple’s Server.app installer package
As part of building a custom OS X installer ISO for my ESXi server, I wanted the ability to include Server.app as part of my installation process. One problem with that is that Server.app is only...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FileVault 2 session at MacSysAdmin 2013
I’ll be speaking about FileVault 2 at MacSysAdmin 2013, which is being held from September 17 – 20th, 2013 in Göteborg, Sweden. For those interested, my talk will be on Wednesday, September 18th. For a...
View Article