passwd can change passwords

passwd can change passwords. dscl can also change a password for an account (in this case the xadmin account) using the passwd extension:

dscl . -passwd /Users/xadmin

https://www.macissues.com/2014/05/31/how-to-change-or-reset-your-password-in-os-x/

http://community.centrify.com/t5/Community-Tech-Blog/How-to-create-a-Hidden-Local-Admin-account-on-Mac-systems-Redux/ba-p/14649#

Capture the packet trace

Capture the packet trace

Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder,.
Type the following command, but replace BSDname with the BSD device name (such as en0, en1, or ppp0) from System Information:

sudo tcpdump -i BSDname -s 0 -B 524288 -w ~/Desktop/DumpFile01.pcap

Press Return, then enter your administrator password when prompted.
Terminal should say tcpdump: listening on… to incidate that it’s listening for activity on that network interface.

While Terminal is open, perform the network function that you want to test.
When the network function is complete, return to Terminal and press Control-C to capture the packet trace. Terminal saves it to your desktop in a file named “DumpFile01.pcap.”

To see the contents of the file, use this command in Terminal:

tcpdump -s 0 -n -e -x -vvv -r ~/Desktop/DumpFile01.pcap

To capture additional packet traces, modify the Terminal command to increment the number of the saved file (DumpFile02.pcap, DumpFile03.pcap, and so on).

IMEI number

Every wireless device comes with a 15- or 17- digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.

How to find your your IMEI number?
The instructions below will help you locate your device’s IMEI number:
To find your IMEI, dial *#06# on your keypad. This will return your IMEI.

Alternatively, most phones provide a way to find your IMEI by going to the Settings menu. From there look for General, or About, and then scroll down to find your IMEI number.
You may also find the IMEI number under or below the battery, or on the back or bottom of the device. Look for a label like the one below to find your number.The IMEI graphic shows a bar code with numbers written above it. If you are visually impaired, please call AT&T Customer Service at 800.331.0500 for further help.

Help with your AT&T IMEI number
You must register your device’s correct IMEI with AT&T to access certain plans or features. For help with IMEI-related issues, visit the Troubleshoot & Resolve Tool.

AppleScript

AppleScript is a scripting language that provides direct control of scriptable applications and scriptable parts of the Mac OS. A scriptable application is one that can respond to a variety of Apple events by performing operations or supplying data. An Apple event is a type of interprocess message that can encapsulate commands and data of arbitrary complexity. By providing an API that supports these mechanisms, the Open Scripting Architecture makes possible one of the most powerful features in OS X–the ability to write scripts that automate operations with multiple applications.

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You can use AppleScript scripts to perform repetitive tasks, automate complex workflows, control applications on local or remote computers, and access web services. Because script writers (or scripters) can access features in any scriptable application, they can combine features from many applications. For example, a script might make remote procedure calls to a web service to get stock quotes, add the current stock prices to a database, then graph information from the database in a spreadsheet application. From controlling an image-processing workflow to performing quality assurance testing for a suite of applications, AppleScript makes automation possible.

While the AppleScript scripting language (described in AppleScript Language Guide, and in a number of detailed third-party books) uses an English-like terminology which may appear simple, it is a rich, object-oriented language, capable of performing complicated programming tasks. However, its real strength comes from providing access to the features available in scriptable applications. If you make your application scriptable, it will help scripters get their work done, and quite likely become indispensable to their work process.

The Automator application, available starting in OS X version 10.4, lets users work in a graphical interface to put together complex, automated workflows. Workflows consist of one or more actions, which are provided by Apple, by developers, and by scripters, and can be written in AppleScript and in other languages, including Objective-C. Starting in OS X v10.5, developers can incorporate workflows directly in their applications, providing another mechanism for accessing features of other applications and the Mac OS.

Scripting Bridge, available starting in OS X version 10.5, provides an automated process for creating an Objective-C interface to scriptable applications. This allows Cocoa applications and other Objective-C code to efficiently access features of scriptable applications, using native Objective-C syntax. Some other scripting languages, such as Ruby and Python, can use Scripting Bridge, but also have their own software bridges to access features of scriptable applications–for more information, see Getting Started With Scripting & Automation.

AppleScript has several other new or improved features in OS X v10.5, including full support for Unicode text, additional support for identifying and working with application objects in scripts, 64-bit support, more accurate and useful error messages, and additional scriptability in Apple technologies such as iChat and the Dock. For more information, see AppleScript Features.

DeployStudio Server

DeployStudio Server helps system administrators save time. OS X is stable and robust, but the capacity to (re)install completely a workstation or a server in a few minutes following a preset workflow that automatically restores the right disk image, configures and backs up what was planned by the administrator is a benefit in terms of time and money. DeployStudio was designed this way, in order to manage flawlessly large deployments of workstations, servers and cluster nodes.

DeployStudio Documentation
Documentation

DeployStudio Server Quick Install Guide
Quick_Install_Guide.pdf

Show All Files

[textbox rows=”1″]defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE && killall Finder[/textbox]

[textbox rows=”1″]defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles false && killall Finder[/textbox]

defaults

Example read:
[textbox rows=”1″]defaults read | pbcopy[/textbox]

defaults is a command line utility that manipulates plist files. defaults is present in the macOS and GNUstep operating systems, and first appeared in the NeXTSTEP operating system upon which both aforementioned systems are based. The system stores each user’s preferences set in a .plist file for each program stored at ~/Library/Preferences for user-specific preferences, and /Library/Preferences/ for global preferences. defaults writes to or reads from these plist files depending on the domain given.

A great advantage of the defaults system, which differentiates it from other systems, is its ability to store data in almost any format imaginable: integer, character string, floating point, binary data, dates, so-called dictionaries, or arrays of the same.

Previous versions also offered the opportunity of direct disk access.

Usage
Common uses of defaults:

$ defaults read DOMAIN # gets all
$ defaults read DOMAIN PROPERTY_NAME # gets
$ defaults write DOMAIN PROPERTY_NAME $VALUE # sets
$ defaults delete DOMAIN PROPERTY_NAME # resets a property
$ defaults delete DOMAIN # resets preferences

host

NAME
host – DNS lookup utility

how to easily test forward DNS when diagnosing Active Directory (AD) issues.

Example:

host apple.com

link:

Code:
host apple.com

[textbox rows=”3″]host apple.com[/textbox] to lookup.

how to easily test reverse DNS when diagnosing Active Directory (AD) issues.

Example:

host 17.142.160.59

link:

Code:
host 17.142.160.59

[textbox rows=”3″]host 17.142.160.59[/textbox] to lookup.