The macOS User Administration Guide: A practical guide to implementing, managing, and optimizing macOS Big Sur features and tools

Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Dedication
Contributors
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 01: 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
Chapter 02: 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
Chapter 03: 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
Chapter 04: 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 & 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
Chapter 05: 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 & Groups
			Changing account passwords through Security & Privacy
		Changing the root password
		Resetting local user account passwords
			Resetting account passwords with the Users & 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 & Privacy settings
		Location Services
		Protecting yourself from cross-site tracking
		Privacy while using the Dictation service
	Summary
Chapter 06: 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
Chapter 07: 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
Chapter 08: 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
Chapter 09: 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
Chapter 10: 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
Chapter 11: 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
Chapter 12: 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
Chapter 13: 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
Chapter 14: 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
Chapter 15: 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
Chapter 16: 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
Appendix: Troubleshooting Tips
About Packt
Index