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Index
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
The macOS User Administration Guide
Dedication
Contributors
About the author
About the reviewers
Preface
Who this book is for
What this book covers
To get the most out of this book
Download the color images
Conventions used
Get in touch
Reviews
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
New features introduced in macOS Big Sur
New features introduced in macOS Catalina
Touring macOS
Exploring the macOS version history
Comparing macOS to other leading operating systems
Exploring the industry standards used by macOS
Multicast DNS
Swift
Summary
Installing and Configuring macOS
Technical requirements
Requirements for macOS Big Sur
Requirements for macOS Catalina
How to find out your Mac model and specs
Installing macOS
Upgrading macOS
Automatic upgrades
Manual upgrades
Manual upgrades to macOS Big Sur
Through the internet
Reinstalling macOS
Reinstalling macOS via internet recovery
Reinstalling through the macOS Recovery system
What is the macOS Recovery system?
Accessing the macOS Recovery system with macOS Catalina and earlier (Intel Mac)
Startup Disk
Startup Security Utility
Network Utility
Terminal and Reset Password
Accessing the macOS Recovery interface with macOS Big Sur (Intel Mac)
Accessing the macOS Recovery interface in Macs with the M1 chip
How to perform a reinstallation with macOS Catalina Recovery
How to perform a reinstallation with macOS Big Sur Recovery
How to perform a clean installation
Using an external installer
Formatting the external volume or USB
Downloading a macOS installer from the App Store
Using the createinstallmedia command
Testing and using the bootable installer
Updating macOS
Software updates
Disabling update notifications
Automatic App Store updates
Manual App Store updates
System updates
Firmware updates
Configuring the macOS installation
The Setup Assistant process
Adjusting the system settings
Benefits of configuring iCloud
Summary
The Start Up Process
Technical requirements
Understanding the macOS start up process
Primary system initialization stages
Power-on or BootROM firmware
Booter
Kernel
System launchd
FileVault initialization
User session stages
loginwindow
Logout, shutdown, and restart
launchd
Files and processes involved in launchd
Visualizing the processes
User environment
Using energy-saving features
Sleep mode
Battery preferences (macOS Big Sur)
Safe Sleep and Standby
Waking up the Mac
Using start up modes
Safe mode
Verbose
Single-user
The T2 Security Chip and Secure Boot
Summary
User Accounts Management
Technical requirements
Types of user accounts
Local user accounts
Standard user account
Administrator user account
Root user account
Guest user account
Sharing Only user account
Group user account
Other user accounts
Network user accounts
Mobile user accounts
Managing user accounts
Creating standard user accounts
Initial setup of a new user account
Using your Apple ID or iCloud account
Creating a new Apple ID
Turning a Standard account into an Administrator account
Configuring additional account preferences
What are account attributes?
Deleting user accounts
Restoring deleted user accounts from a disk image
Restoring deleted user accounts kept in the Users folder
Managing the root user
Enabling the root user
Logging in as the root user
Disabling the root user
Managing the Guest user
Adjusting the login options
Automatic login
What is fast user switching?
Using Screen Time (macOS Catalina and later)
Tracking usage
App Usage
Notifications
Pickups
Limiting usage
Downtime
App Limits
Always Allowed
Content and Privacy
Understanding user home folders
The user home folder structure
The Desktop folder
Using Stacks
Quick Actions
The Library folder
The Public folder
Deleting local user home folders
Migrating and restoring local user home folders
Migration Assistant
Your data is on a Windows computer
Your target Mac is running OS X Mavericks v10.9.5 or later
Restoring manually
Summary
Managing User Security and Privacy
Technical requirements
Understanding password types in macOS
User account passwords
Apple ID account and password
Keychain passwords
Resource passwords
System firmware passwords
Managing passwords in macOS
Changing local user account passwords
Changing account passwords through Users and Groups
Changing account passwords through Security and Privacy
Changing the root password
Resetting local user account passwords
Resetting account passwords with the Users and Groups preferences
Resetting account passwords with macOS Recovery
Resetting account passwords with the Apple ID
Resetting local account passwords and the login keychain
Resetting local account passwords with FileVault enabled
Using a recovery key
Using iCloud
Using the Reset Password assistant
Configuring a firmware password
Understanding the Keychain system and iCloud Keychain
Types of keychains
Default keychains
System keychains
Other keychains
How the default keychain works with iCloud
Enabling iCloud Keychain
Managing keychains
Creating a new keychain
Adding keychain items
Locking keychains
Changing keychain passwords
Safari keychain information
Managing privacy in macOS
Security and Privacy settings
Location Services
Protecting yourself from cross-site tracking
Privacy while using the Dictation service
Summary
The macOS File System: Disks, Volumes, and Partitions
Technical requirements
Understanding the macOS filesystem and storage
Understanding general concepts
What is formatting?
Differences between disks, partitions, and volumes
Disks and drives
Partitions
Volumes
macOS partition maps (schemes)
Understanding the macOS filesystem
What is a filesystem?
macOS volume formats
The advantages of APFS
Space sharing
Encryption
Defragmentation
Additional filesystems supported by macOS
File system domains in macOS
Managing disks, volumes, and partitions
Examining storage
About This Mac
Disk Utility
System Information
Managing partitions
Examining and modifying partitions
Formatting/partitioning a disk/volume
Adding a non-APFS partition
Erasing/reformatting disks
Resizing/deleting a non-APFS partition
Using APFS volumes
Converting volumes to APFS
Adding a volume to an APFS container
Deleting/erasing an APFS volume
Mounting, unmounting, and ejecting disks/volumes
Unmounting and ejecting
Mounting
Optimizing storage space
Store in iCloud
Optimize Storage
Empty Trash Automatically
Reduce Clutter
Summary
Further reading
Understanding Ownership and Permissions
Technical requirements
Understanding ownership and permissions
What are ownership and permissions in macOS?
Access Control Lists (ACLs)
Access hierarchical rules
Case 1
Case 2
File flags
macOS's filesystem security policy
Managing access and ownership
Verifying an item's ownership and permissions
Changing an item's ownership and permissions
Ownership in non-system volumes
Granting and changing permissions
Deleting permissions
Permission customization examples
Example 1: Restricting access to an item
Example 2: Propagating folder permissions
Using macOS shared folders
The Public and Drop Box folders
The Shared folder
Summary
System Resources and Shortcuts
Technical requirements
Understanding system resources
Types of system resources in macOS
Extensions
Frameworks
Fonts
Preference files
LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons
Logs
System resource domains
Sandboxing
Managing system resources
Uncovering hidden files and folders
Accessing the Library folder temporarily
Accessing the Library folder permanently
Managing font resources
Installing fonts
Font location preferences
Resolving duplicate fonts
Disabling/removing fonts
Understanding shortcuts in macOS
Types of shortcuts
Aliases
Symbolic links
Hard links
Creating shortcuts
Summary
Understanding Metadata and Searching
Technical requirements
Understanding metadata in macOS
Types of metadata available in macOS
File flags
File system tags
The AppleDouble file format
Additional extended attributes
Using macOS tags
Viewing tagged items
Using tags
Creating tags
Creating tags from the Finder
Creating tags from a file preview
Deleting tags
Advanced tag management
macOS searching tools
Using Spotlight
Using Siri
Summary
Managing Apps and Documents
Technical requirements
Understanding apps in macOS
Supported macOS environments
Native macOS
Universal macOS binary
Unix-based
Open source
App compatibility
Compatibility with 32- and 64-bit apps
Universal and Intel apps
iOS and iPadOS apps (Apple M1 silicon)
Using the App Store
The App Store and your Apple ID
Logging in to the App Store
Creating an Apple ID
Creating an Apple ID without a payment method
Managing your account
Installing and managing apps
Installing apps
Installing from the App Store
Installing iOS and iPadOS apps (Apple M1 silicon)
Other installation methods
Drag and drop
Using packages
Examining packages and bundles
Updating apps
App Store
Automatic updates
Manual updates
Uninstalling apps
Launchpad
Dragging to the Trash
Custom uninstaller
Exploring installed apps
Exploring app preference files
Monitoring open processes and apps
CPU
Memory
Energy
Disk
Network
Managing app extensions
Types of extensions
Finder
Sharing menu
Managing app extensions and widgets
Sharing apps
Family Sharing
Enabling Family Sharing
Purchase sharing
Start sharing purchases
Stopping purchases and Family Sharing
Managing documents
Using the Launch Services, Quick Look, and Quick Actions features
Launch Services
Quick Look
Quick Actions
Using the Autosave, Versions, Locking, and Resume features
Autosave
Versions
Locking
Resume
Using documents in iCloud
Summary
Backups and Archiving
Technical requirements
Archiving in macOS
ZIP archives
Disk images
Creating disk images with the Disk Utility
Changing a disk image's format
Restoring a disk image to a disk
Using Time Machine for backups
Understanding Time Machine
Where can you store your backups?
Configuring Time Machine
Stopping Time Machine backups
Restoring a Time Machine backup
Using the Time Machine interface
Restoring only specific items
Using the Migration Assistant
Using macOS Recovery
Summary
Networking in macOS
Technical requirements
Understanding networking concepts
Networking models
The OSI reference model
TCP/IP model
Fundamental networking concepts
Host
What are network interfaces?
Ethernet
Wi-Fi
FireWire
Thunderbolt Bridge
Bluetooth
USB
VPN
PPPoE
6to4
How to identify which network interfaces are available?
LAN and WAN
What is a MAC address?
IP addresses and subnet masks
IPv4
IPv6
Subnet masks
Router address
Network protocols
What is DHCP?
What is DNS used for?
TCP and UDP
ICMP
macOS network configurations
Initial network configuration
Connecting to Wi-Fi
Other types of networks
Ad hoc networks
Enterprise
What are network locations?
Configuring additional network services
VPN configuration
Bonjour
Advanced network configurations
Custom Wi-Fi configuration
Manual TCP/IP configuration
NetBIOS/WINS
802.1X configuration
Network proxies
Manual Ethernet configuration
Summary
Further reading
Using macOS Network Services
Technical requirements
Using network services in macOS
Understanding network services in macOS
Types of network services in macOS
Network services accounts
Mail
Notes
Calendar
Network calendar services
Reminders
Contacts
Messages
FaceTime
Safari
Configuring network services and apps
Automatic configuration for essential apps
Manual configuration for essential apps
Adding additional email accounts
Configuring services with an iCloud account
Configuring Messages
Continuity
Sidecar
Continuity Markup and Sketch
Text Message Forwarding
Cellular Calls
Continuity Camera
Auto Unlock
Handoff
Universal Clipboard
AirDrop
Apple Pay
Instant Hotspot
Summary
Using macOS Sharing Services
Technical requirements
Understanding sharing services
What are file-sharing services?
Network file service protocols
Using file-sharing on macOS
Enabling file-sharing on macOS
How to connect to file shares
Automatic discovery
Authentication
Manual connection through SMB and AFP
Manual connection through NFS, WebDAV, and FTP
Creating automatic connections
Disconnecting from a mounted share
What is AirDrop?
Remote controlling and screen sharing
Remote controlling via System Screen
Connecting
Authenticating
Controlling
Adjusting settings
Remote controlling via Messages Screen Sharing
Remote controlling via Apple Remote Desktop (ARD)
Other sharing services
Internet Sharing
Printer Sharing
Bluetooth Sharing
Remote Apple Events
Remote Login
Media Sharing
Summary
Managing Security in macOS
Technical requirements
Understanding System Security
macOS security features
Recommended security measures
Bonjour/zero-configuration and mDNS security concerns
What is System Integrity Protection?
Understanding hardware security
Firmware password
T2 Security Chip (Intel-based Macs)
Secure Boot
External Boot
Activation Lock
Macs with the Apple M1 silicon chip
Understanding application security
Application security technologies
App sandboxing
Code signing
File quarantine
Gatekeeper
Malware detection
Notarization
Verifying app security settings
Opening a non-notarized or unidentified app
Understanding Data security and encryption
Types of encryption
What is FileVault?
FileVault Recovery
Enabling FileVault
Turning off FileVault
Changing your recovery key
Recovering FileVault access
Using your iCloud account
Resetting with the local Recovery Key
Resetting using the regular user account password reset methods
Encryption with the Apple M1 chip
Encrypting external media
Understanding User security
The iCloud Security Code and two-factor authentication
Login options
Automatic login
Display of usernames
Enabling the firewall
Screen Time
Find My
Locating your Mac on a map
Playing a sound
Locking your Mac
Erasing your Mac
Guest accounts
Family Sharing
Summary
Using the Command Line
Technical requirements
Using the command-line tool
When and why you should use the command-line interface
Understanding the structure of a command-line string
The sudo command
The command-line interface in macOS
Using macOS Terminal
Creating customized profiles
Using marks and bookmarks
The default shell on macOS
Terminal shell commands
Common commands
Uncovering hidden files and folders
Hiding specific files and folders
Monitoring and diagnosing the system
Summary
Further reading
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
About Packt
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