Clik here to view.
Apple Device Management book now available for purchase from Apple Books
For the folks who have asked about eBook purchasing options for the Apple Device Management book I wrote with my colleague Charles Edge, I’m happy to say that you can now also get our book from Apple...
View ArticleA beginner’s guide to the Jamf Pro Classic API
When working with Jamf Pro, one way to save yourself a lot of clicking in the admin console is to use one of the two current Jamf Pro APIs. Both APIs are REST APIs, which means they can perform...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Creating root-level directories and symbolic links on macOS Catalina
One of the changes which came with macOS Catalina was the introduction of a read-only root volume for the OS. For users or environments which were used to using adding directories to the root level of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Backing up a Jamf Pro database hosted in Amazon Web Services’ RDS service to...
For those using Amazon Web Services to host Jamf Pro, one of the issues you may run into is how to get backups of your Jamf Pro database which you can access. AWS’s RDS service makes backups of your...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fixing Homebrew’s rsyslog on macOS Catalina
As part of some recent testing, I needed to install rsyslog and the instructions I had referenced using Homebrew to do it. I used the following procedure to do it: 1. Set up a new VM running macOS...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Apple making changes to maximum lifetime limits for SSL certificates as of...
All SSL certificates have a set amount of time which they’re good for, which means that at some point they expire. As an example, the SSL certificate currently used by www.apple.com has the following...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Jamf Pro Inventory Update and recon functions – alike, but not the same
As part of discussing the outcome of a troubleshooting session concerning Jamf Pro and profile deployment with a teammate, I learned that the two functions that Jamf Pro uses to update its computer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Identifying which MDM server a Mac is enrolled with
Every so often, you may run across a Mac which is enrolled in an MDM server which is different from the one it should be. However, if you’re checking remotely, it may be difficult to identify which one...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Disabling telemetry for Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code
Recently, I was tasked with figuring out how to disable telemetry for Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code. Normally, you can disable telemetry in a Microsoft application through using a macOS configuration...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kernel extension warning dialogs in macOS Catalina 10.15.4
As part of macOS Catalina 10.15.4, Apple has begun displaying a new dialog window message concerning third-party kernel extensions. macOS Catalina is the last macOS to fully support the use of kernel...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Booting to macOS Recovery or Diagnostics via Jamf Pro’s Self Service
One of the advantages provided by Jamf Pro’s Self Service is that you can use it to provide easy access to tools for your users or helpdesk folks. One such tool could be a script which helps folks boot...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Erasing a FileVault-encrypted T2-equipped Mac
Normally, reinstalling macOS on a Mac is a straightforward process: 1. Boot to macOS Recovery2. Select Reinstall macOS from macOS Utilities. 3. Follow the onscreen instructions. However, if you have a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Upgrading from ESXi 6.7 to ESXi 7.0 via SSH and esxcli
Following VMware’s release of ESXi 7.0, I upgraded my ESXi 6.7 server to ESXi 7.0 using SSH and esxcli. For those interested, see below the jump for the details of the process I used. To upgrade from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Enabling Safari to successfully connect after changing a self-signed certificate
Every so often, I need to use Safari to access something which is using a self-signed certificate. When I do so, Safari now walks you through the following procedure: Warns you something’s not right...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Removing the Restart Options section from Jamf Pro policies using the API
As part of setting up new Jamf Pro policies, the Restart Options section is automatically added to newly-created policies. For policies which don’t need it though, this section should be removed as a...
View ArticleSlides from the “SAP In The Haus” session at Futureproof IT 2020
For those who wanted a copy of my talk at the Futureproof IT 2020 conference, here are links to the slides in PDF and Keynote format. PDF – https://tinyurl.com/FPIT2020PDF Keynote –...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Removing restart options from all Jamf Pro policies in a specified category
As a follow-on to my previous post on removing the Restart Options section from Jamf Pro policies, I’ve written a script to target the policies in a particular Jamf Pro category. For more details,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Identifying and deleting Jamf Pro inventory records with duplicate serial...
I recently saw an issue where several computers in Jamf Pro were showing up with the same serial number listed in their inventory records. This made it difficult to work with this serial number using...
View ArticleMac admin conferences in 2020
With COVID-19’s disruption of travel and public gatherings, a number of Mac admin conferences have made the choice to move to an online format. This change has meant that a number of conferences which...
View ArticleSlides from the “Introduction to MDM and Configuration Profiles” session at...
For those who wanted a copy of my MDM and profiles talk from Penn State MacAdmins 2020, here are links to the slides in PDF and Keynote format. PDF: https://tinyurl.com/PSUMac2020PDF Keynote:...
View Article