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).
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
18
About Packt
User Accounts Management

In this chapter, you will first learn about the different types of user accounts available in macOS in a section divided into two parts: Local user accounts and Other user accounts. Next, you will learn how to manage the different user accounts, as well as how to use login options and other practical features such as fast user switching and Screen Time. Finally, you will understand how user home folders are organized. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to add any type of account to a Mac, as well as manage them and configure the different options available to enhance the user experience and increase security. In the latter half of the chapter, you will gain a good understanding of user home folders and their structure, as well as how to restore them in case of accidental deletion.

The following main topics will be covered in this chapter:

  • The...