Book Image

The macOS User Administration Guide

By : Herta Nava
Book Image

The macOS User Administration Guide

By: Herta Nava

Overview of this book

Apple is pushing the capabilities of its technologies to help users achieve high performance, including improvements in its OS running across all Mac systems, macOS, and new technologies such as M1 Silicon chips. This book walks you through macOS from a system administration and support point of view, exploring its latest features. The book starts by explaining macOS architecture, installation, and startup processes to enable you to get started with the OS. You'll learn how to manage users and discover techniques for user security and privacy. Moving on, you'll get to grips with the macOS file system and learn to manage disks, volumes, and partitions for effective file management. Most of the examples covered in this book are from an administrator's perspective; however, when relevant, a standard user's perspective is also presented. You'll find illustrations for Mac systems running macOS 11 (Big Sur), and when necessary, for macOS 10.15 (macOS Catalina). Finally, you'll explore advanced topics such as networking and using command-line tools for administration tasks. By the end of this macOS book, you'll be well-versed with macOS features, administration tasks, and best practices. You'll also be able to apply the concepts to increase your chances of success in obtaining Apple certifications such as Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP).

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The macOS User Administration Guide
Herta Nava
Apr, 2021 | 804 pages
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Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Preface
Preface
Who this book is for
What this book covers
To get the most out of this book
Get in touch
1
Overview of the macOS System, Architecture, and Features
Overview of the macOS System, Architecture, and Features
Technical requirements
Overview of the macOS system and architecture
Overview of the macOS general features
Exploring the new features introduced in the latest macOS releases
Touring macOS
Exploring the macOS version history
Comparing macOS to other leading operating systems
Exploring the industry standards used by macOS
Summary
Free Chapter
2
Installing and Configuring macOS
Installing and Configuring macOS
Technical requirements
Installing macOS
Upgrading macOS
Reinstalling macOS
Updating macOS
Configuring the macOS installation
Summary
3
The Start Up Process
The Start Up Process
Technical requirements
Understanding the macOS start up process
Using energy-saving features
Using start up modes
Summary
4
User Accounts Management
User Accounts Management
Technical requirements
Types of user accounts
Managing user accounts
Understanding user home folders
Summary
5
Managing User Security and Privacy
Managing User Security and Privacy
Technical requirements
Understanding password types in macOS
Managing passwords in macOS
Understanding the Keychain system and iCloud Keychain
Managing privacy in macOS
Summary
6
The macOS File System: Disks, Volumes, and Partitions
The macOS File System: Disks, Volumes, and Partitions
Technical requirements
Understanding the macOS filesystem and storage
Managing disks, volumes, and partitions
Optimizing storage space
Summary
Further reading
7
Understanding Ownership and Permissions
Understanding Ownership and Permissions
Technical requirements
Understanding ownership and permissions
Managing access and ownership
Using macOS shared folders
Summary
8
System Resources and Shortcuts
System Resources and Shortcuts
Technical requirements
Understanding system resources
Managing system resources
Understanding shortcuts in macOS
Summary
9
Understanding Metadata and Searching
Understanding Metadata and Searching
Technical requirements
Understanding metadata in macOS
Using macOS tags
macOS searching tools
Summary
10
Managing Apps and Documents
Managing Apps and Documents
Technical requirements
Understanding apps in macOS
Using the App Store
Installing and managing apps
Managing app extensions
Sharing apps
Managing documents
Summary
11
Backups and Archiving
Backups and Archiving
Technical requirements
Archiving in macOS
Using Time Machine for backups
Summary
12
Networking in macOS
Networking in macOS
Technical requirements
Understanding networking concepts
macOS network configurations
Advanced network configurations
Summary
Further reading
13
Using macOS Network Services
Using macOS Network Services
Technical requirements
Using network services in macOS
Continuity
Summary
14
Using macOS Sharing Services
Using macOS Sharing Services
Technical requirements
Understanding sharing services
Remote controlling and screen sharing
Other sharing services
Summary
15
Managing Security in macOS
Managing Security in macOS
Technical requirements
Understanding System Security
Understanding hardware security
Understanding application security
Understanding Data security and encryption
Understanding User security
Summary
16
Using the Command Line
Using the Command Line
Technical requirements
Using the command-line tool
Monitoring and diagnosing the system
Summary
Further reading
17
Troubleshooting Tips
Troubleshooting Tips
Troubleshooting app issues
Troubleshooting disk and volume issues
Troubleshooting system and startup issues
Troubleshooting network issues
Troubleshooting network services issues
Troubleshooting with logs
Summary
Further reading
18
About Packt
About Packt
Why subscribe?

Understanding Data security and encryption

Besides system, hardware, and application security, macOS also provides tools and features to protect your company's and users' data. In this section, we will explore the main technology macOS offers specifically for data security and protection: encryption. By the end of the section, you will understand how data security and encryption work in macOS and how to configure it. More specifically, we will explore the following:

  • Types of encryption
  • FileVault
  • Encryption in Macs with an M1 chip
  • Encrypting external media

Let's begin by learning the types of encryption available in macOS.

Types of encryption

macOS offers two types of encryption:

  • Full-Disk Encryption: This type of encryption is available for Macs that don't have the T2 security chip. It provides XTS-AES-128 encryption with a 256-bit key. It is performed through the FileVault tool at the file system driver level, and it encrypts the startup disk. FileVault is explained...
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