Mac OS X at Penn State

Public Resources for Mac OS X Administrators

Software Tools

Access My PASS Disk
Access My U-Drive

Programs which allow you to mount either your Penn State Access Account Storage Space (PASS) or U-Drive network storage.
You must use a VPN client to run either of the 'Access My ...' programs when using a third-party Internet Service Provider (ISP) cable modem or when using a campus wireless connection.
You can download the 'Access My...' programs and the Mac OS X VPN client from:
https://downloads.its.psu.edu/ (Click 'Connecting to Penn State')

PSU Blast Image Config

Quickly restore system disk images and set the Open Firmware Password protection. Used at PSU to quickly build all Lab and Kiosk Macs.

PSU ScreenSaver

A screen saver that will run over the login window.

Scripts

AppleScript for Administration and User Interface

These scripts are made available as examples of how PSU is using AppleScript for various administrative tasks in our lab environment. They may not be the up-to-date version being used in production.

Documentation

Mac OS X Kerberos Authentication Documentation

This documentation provides the details of how CLC is authenticating its current and future deployment of Mac OS X. Useful for any department or group affiliated with Penn State

Presentations

Multi-OS Booting Macs

These are a summary of our thoughts, research and discussing the pros and cons of supporting multi-OS Macs in the student computing lab locations. Also called 'Dual Booting' - but we think that Linux is also a viable booting OS option, not just Windows!

PSU IT Pro Roundtable Presentation, November 27, 2007

Description of this presentation: This IT Pro Roundtable [was] presented by Justin Elliott and Yadin Flammer from the PSU Mac Admins group. Come learn about Apple and 3rd party tools that facilitate system administration of Mac OS X clients and servers. If you are interested in looking for tools and information to assist you in your daily systems maintenance, then plan on attending. Demos of various tools and techniques will be shown as well.

Justin and Yadin will talk about various tools and methods for effective system maintenance used by CLC (Classroom and Lab Computing) and SALA (School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture) for both Mac OS X clients and servers.

In collaboration with MacEnterprise.org, these are the presentations that Justin Elliott presented during the MacWorld Expo 2007 Conference from January 8-12, 2007 in San Francisco, California.
IT811: Creating and Managing Packages for use with Multiple Images (4.7 MB)

An important part of any enterprise deployment may include using repackaging tools (that aid in the distribution of software). How an application inventory is maintained, how that inventory is distributed, and how modifications are made to applications for an enterprise deployment, are paramount when making the decision to use packages. Secondly, Apple's package format can be used to deploy scripts without payloads, thus permitting yet another layer of management. We will examine how any application can be repackaged into the standard packaging format used by Apple, and leveraged with the functionality of Apple Remote Desktop 3. During this session you will be walked through examples on how to track the installation of software, create packages with and without payloads, repackage application updates, and general techniques.

IT821: Image Creation Techniques (1.4 MB)

Your box is perfect, but you need to clone it to 1,000+ machines. How do you even begin to think about it? What tools are ideal, Apple Software Restore, Disk Utility, NetRestore, command line tools, other third party tools? As such, there are a variety of techniques that can be used to prepare the images. Another aspect to image creation is the variety of hardware on which the image will run. Criteria for differentiating between various hardware specific topics will also be discussed in this session.

IT831: Image Deployment Methodologies (6.2 MB)

Building on the first three sessions, you've got an ideal machine, and have created an ideal image (or images), how are you going to deploy it? Firewire/USB? Netboot? DVD? Web-based? In this session, appropriate methods of distributing images to client machines will be examined with pros and cons of each method discussed. Some best practices for each methodology will also be discussed. We will show there is no right or wrong way to deploy images. Understanding the requirements and limitations of each deployment method will allow you to make better decisions and have a positive impact on your deployment process. You may even find that you mix and match to suit your needs.

All of the presentations that the MacEnterprise.org group presented for the MacWorld Expo 2007 conference can be downloaded free of charge.

May 10, 2005 PSU User Services Conference 2005
(252 KB PDF)

These are the slides that were used for our presentation on Remote Administration for Macintosh Computers at the Penn State 2005 User Services Conference

May 22, 2003 PSU Seminar Slides (23.7 MB PDF)

This is an Acrobat PDF file of the slides that we presented at the May 22, 2003 Apple UEF and PSU Seminar on Mac OS X.

© 2006, The Pennsylvania State University. All rights reserved.
This site maintained by the Classroom and Lab Computing group of Information Technology Services.
Suggestions and comments about this web site: CLC Webmasters; Other contacts here.

This page was last modified: 7/3/2008 8:33:47 PM.

Software Tools
	Access My PASS Disk Access My U-Drive Programs which allow you to mount either your Penn State Access Account Storage Space (PASS) or U-Drive network storage. You must use a VPN client to run either of the 'Access My ...' programs when using a third-party Internet Service Provider (ISP) cable modem or when using a campus wireless connection. You can download the 'Access My...' programs and the Mac OS X VPN client from: https://downloads.its.psu.edu/ (Click 'Connecting to Penn State')
	PSU Blast Image Config Quickly restore system disk images and set the Open Firmware Password protection. Used at PSU to quickly build all Lab and Kiosk Macs.
	PSU ScreenSaver A screen saver that will run over the login window.

Presentations
	Multi-OS Booting Macs These are a summary of our thoughts, research and discussing the pros and cons of supporting multi-OS Macs in the student computing lab locations. Also called 'Dual Booting' - but we think that Linux is also a viable booting OS option, not just Windows!
	PSU IT Pro Roundtable Presentation, November 27, 2007 Description of this presentation: This IT Pro Roundtable [was] presented by Justin Elliott and Yadin Flammer from the PSU Mac Admins group. Come learn about Apple and 3rd party tools that facilitate system administration of Mac OS X clients and servers. If you are interested in looking for tools and information to assist you in your daily systems maintenance, then plan on attending. Demos of various tools and techniques will be shown as well. Justin and Yadin will talk about various tools and methods for effective system maintenance used by CLC (Classroom and Lab Computing) and SALA (School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture) for both Mac OS X clients and servers.
	In collaboration with MacEnterprise.org, these are the presentations that Justin Elliott presented during the MacWorld Expo 2007 Conference from January 8-12, 2007 in San Francisco, California. IT811: Creating and Managing Packages for use with Multiple Images (4.7 MB) An important part of any enterprise deployment may include using repackaging tools (that aid in the distribution of software). How an application inventory is maintained, how that inventory is distributed, and how modifications are made to applications for an enterprise deployment, are paramount when making the decision to use packages. Secondly, Apple's package format can be used to deploy scripts without payloads, thus permitting yet another layer of management. We will examine how any application can be repackaged into the standard packaging format used by Apple, and leveraged with the functionality of Apple Remote Desktop 3. During this session you will be walked through examples on how to track the installation of software, create packages with and without payloads, repackage application updates, and general techniques. IT821: Image Creation Techniques (1.4 MB) Your box is perfect, but you need to clone it to 1,000+ machines. How do you even begin to think about it? What tools are ideal, Apple Software Restore, Disk Utility, NetRestore, command line tools, other third party tools? As such, there are a variety of techniques that can be used to prepare the images. Another aspect to image creation is the variety of hardware on which the image will run. Criteria for differentiating between various hardware specific topics will also be discussed in this session. IT831: Image Deployment Methodologies (6.2 MB) Building on the first three sessions, you've got an ideal machine, and have created an ideal image (or images), how are you going to deploy it? Firewire/USB? Netboot? DVD? Web-based? In this session, appropriate methods of distributing images to client machines will be examined with pros and cons of each method discussed. Some best practices for each methodology will also be discussed. We will show there is no right or wrong way to deploy images. Understanding the requirements and limitations of each deployment method will allow you to make better decisions and have a positive impact on your deployment process. You may even find that you mix and match to suit your needs. All of the presentations that the MacEnterprise.org group presented for the MacWorld Expo 2007 conference can be downloaded free of charge.
	May 10, 2005 PSU User Services Conference 2005 (252 KB PDF) These are the slides that were used for our presentation on Remote Administration for Macintosh Computers at the Penn State 2005 User Services Conference
	May 22, 2003 PSU Seminar Slides (23.7 MB PDF) This is an Acrobat PDF file of the slides that we presented at the May 22, 2003 Apple UEF and PSU Seminar on Mac OS X.