A curated list of handy-dandy tools for Mac Admins.
Inspired by the awesome list.
- Command-line tools
- Deployment
- Helper Menus
- Onboarding Experience
- Productivity
- Text Editing
- Utilities
erase-install.sh is a script to download macOS full installers, and to reinstall, upgrade or erase macOS.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/grahampugh/erase-install
Quick-and-dirty tool to download the macOS IPSW files currently advertised by Apple in the https://mesu.apple.com/assets/macos/com_apple_macOSIPSW/com_apple_macOSIPSW.xml feed.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts
Create disk images containing macOS Installer applications available via Apple's softwareupdate catalogs.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts
A Mac command-line tool that automatically downloads macOS Installers/firmware.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/ninxsoft/Mist
A helper app for Hello IT to make building mobileconfig files easier.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/WardsParadox/moss
Quickly recategorize policies and packages in Jamf Pro, and even more unused categories.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/sheagcraig/Recategorizer
A utility for managing the scripts in Jamf Pro. It provides backup, change tracking, and an easier edit process.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/Honestpuck/scriptorium
S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. (Software Update Policy Enforcement (with) Recursive Messaging And Notification) optimizes the macOS software upgrade and upgrade experience.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/Macjutsu/super
Easily configure macOS security settings from the terminal.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/alichtman/stronghold
A handy script that converts a never-booted DMG into a VMware Fusion VM.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/chilcote/vfuse
swiftDialog is an open source admin utility for macOS written in SwiftUI that presents custom dialogs, displays informative messages or can be used as a form to request user input.
Cost: Free
Link: https://github.com/swiftDialog/swiftDialog
An application for inspecting application bundles, including code signing requirements, notarization, and included frameworks.
Cost: Free
Link: https://www.mothersruin.com/software/Apparency/
Automated third party package download and creation for deployment.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/autopkg/autopkg
GUI for AutoPkg, with click-to-add functionality of additional components.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/lindegroup/autopkgr
Jamf's in-house package creator tool. Builds pkgs and dmgs made for deployment with the Jamf Pro Suite, but pkgs built with Composer can be used with any management framework.
Cost: $ USD 99.95, otherwise included with the Jamf Pro Suite if a Jamf customer.
Link: https://www.jamf.com/products/jamf-composer/
A Mac utility to help inspect Apple Configuration Profile payloads.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/ninxsoft/LowProfile
munki-pkg is a simple tool for building packages. While it was developed for use with munki, it can be used to make pkgs that are deployable with any management framework.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/munki/munki-pkg
Nudge strongly encourages running macOS updates and can be customized with profiles or local json files.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/macadmins/nudge
A free package creation tool. The gold standard of making your own custom installer packages.
Cost: Free
Link: http://s.sudre.free.fr/Software/Packages/about.html
An Automator application that quickly builds payload-free pkgs for deployment.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/rtrouton/Payload-Free-Package-Creator
macOS application to create configuration profiles.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/ProfileCreator/ProfileCreator
An application for inspecting the contents of macOS packages.
Cost: Free
Link: https://www.mothersruin.com/software/SuspiciousPackage/
An MDM agnostic zero touch or light touch solution for macOS. Fueled by swiftDialog and integrated with Installomator, run Packages, Scripts, and Installomator labels. Manage configurations using iMazing Profile Editor.
Cost: Free
Link: https://github.com/secondsonconsulting/baseline
A handy menubar application to get users in touch with IT and quickly get information and resources on their Mac.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/ygini/Hello-IT
Customizable menubar that checks for hardware status, management framework status, and other handy information.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/jhbush/Arek/tree/master/Development/MacDNA%20Menulet
The functionality you want from a Mac bound to Active Directory without having to actually bind to AD. (Make sure you check out this NoMAD updater as well.)
Cost: Free, Jamf Connect (pro version) pricing information can be found here
Link: https://nomad.menu/products/#nomad
Automatically audit your Mac for basic security hygiene.
Price: N/A
Link: https://paretosecurity.app/
The Support app is a macOS menu bar app built for organizations to help users and helpdesks to see basic diagnostic information at a glance and easily customizable with a configuration profile.
Cost: Free
Link: https://github.com/root3nl/SupportApp
A setup/splash screen for DEP and user-initiated Jamf Pro enrollments. Detailed documentation highlights how to work with the application in Xcode to customize it for your organization's needs.
Cost: Free to use, paid installation/customization services available.
Link: https://git.tramscloud.co.uk/projects/XCOD/repos/adept/browse
A lightweight notification app designed to let users know what's happening during DEP enrollment.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://gitlab.com/Mactroll/DEPNotify
There are many enrollment progress tools available for Mac admins, each with their own strengths. Jamf Setup Manager approaches the problem from the perspective of an IT service provider. It runs over Setup Assistant before a user is created so it won't interfere with MDM-capable user or the secure token flow for FileVault. You can control which policies and installations Setup Manager runs with a configuration profile.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/Jamf-Concepts/Setup-Manager
Octory is a highly customizable and elegant macOS application to onboard, support and watch over your users on their Mac.
Cost: Free, with Pro pricing/options available
Link:
Virtual sticky notes, lists, photos, and audio.
Cost: Included with Gmail accounts.
Link: https://www.google.com/keep/
Team chat and productivity client. Anyone can create a free team with ten integrations. (Join the MacAdmins Slack!)
Cost: Free teams with limited capabilities, additonal pricing can be found here
Link: https://slack.com/downloads/osx
Create simple and minimal checklists, notes and outlines. Taskade is collaborative and syncs in real-time across all devices. Free, browser-based and mobile app interface.
Cost: Free, with paid features available.
Link: https://taskade.com/
Use Trello's boards, lists, and cards to organize and prioritize your projects. Free, browser-based and mobile app interface.
Cost: Free, with paid features available.
Link: https://trello.com/
Clean and simple HTML & text editor, made by Bare Bones Software.
Cost: USD $49.99 (direct download or via Mac App Store)
Link: https://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/
Free cross-platform editor
Cost: free (plug-ins are paid)
Link: https://codelobster.com/
An open source markdown editor for macOS.
Cost: Free
Link: https://macdown.uranusjr.com/
Nova is a new, fast, and flexible text editor, with all the features like smart autocomplete, multiple cursors, a Minimap, editor overscroll, tag pairs and brackets, and way, way more.
Cost: USD $99.99 + tax (includes one year of updates and new features)
Link: https://nova.app/
A high performance, cross-platform text editor.
Cost: USD $80 to buy, free to evaluate.
Link: https://www.sublimetext.com/
Microsoft's source code editor in a lightweight, open source, cross-platform application.
Cost: Free
Link: https://code.visualstudio.com/
Apple's integrated development environment (IDE) containing a suite of software development tools developed by Apple for developing software used by Apple hardware.
Cost: Free with an Apple ID.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12
A caffeine replacement that prevents your Mac from sleeping on demand.
Cost: Free in the Mac App Store
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12
A small application which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps.
Cost: Free
Link: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/
An authorization plugin that helps MDM administrators regenerate and escrow FileVault recovery keys.
Cost: Free
Link: https://github.com/macadmins/escrow-buddy
Easily capture GIFs from your Mac, great for documentation.
Cost: Free from the Mac App Store.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/giphy-capture-the-gif-maker/id668208984?mt=12
Icons.app is an application for macOS which enables you to create graphics files in PNG format, for use with management tools like Jamf Software's Jamf Pro or the open source Munki software installation tool.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/SAP/macOS-icon-generator
Jamf Compliance Editor is a tool that provides macOS system administrators with an easy way to establish and manage compliance baselines on their fleet of macOS devices. This tool is built on the foundations of the macOS Security Compliance Project, hosted by the United States government agency, NIST, in their Github repo.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://trusted.jamf.com/docs/establishing-compliance-baselines
A tool to migrate data granularly between Jamf Pro servers.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/jamf/JamfMigrator
The macOS security compliance project is an open source effort to provide a programmatic approach to generating security guidance. This project can be used to create customized security baselines of technical security controls by leveraging a library of rules which are mapped to compliance requirements in existing security guides or used to develop customized guidance.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/usnistgov/macos_security
The MUT is a native macOS application written in Swift which allows Jamf admins to make mass updates to attributes (such as username, asset tag, or extension attribute) of their devices and users in Jamf.
Cost: Free
Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-mut/id1133234759
Particulars displays system information as an overlay to your Mac wallpaper, as a Siri Shortcut, or a via command line. In wallpaper mode, you choose the position and theme of the overlay. You can choose to display any or all of: computer name, model name & identifier, serial number, CPU, GPU, RAM, OS version, Darwin version, current user, uptime, disk space, and network configuration. Available via Mac App Store, and also offers a mass deployment .PKG for IT administrators.
Cost: Free (developer accepts donations)
Link: Main Site (https://particulars.app), or Mac App Store.
Postman is an API platform for building and using APIs. The Postman desktop app provides a simple way to interact with an API.
Cost: Free, with paid options
Link: https://www.postman.com/downloads/
PPPC Utility is a macOS (10.15 and newer) application for creating configuration profiles containing the Privacy Preferences Policy Control payload for macOS.
Cost: Free
Link: https://github.com/jamf/PPPC-Utility
Prune is a handy app that looks for unused items in a Jamf Pro server and makes them easy to identify and remove.
Cost: Free
Link: https://github.com/BIG-RAT/Prune
Move and resize windows in macOS using keyboard shortcuts or snap areas.
Cost: Free
Link: https://rectangleapp.com/
Helps with the process of creating payload-free installer packages.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/SAP/script-to-package-tool-for-macos
SOFA (Simple Organized Feed for Apple Software Updates) supports MacAdmins by efficiently tracking and surfacing information on updates for macOS and iOS. It consists of a machine-readable feed and user-friendly web interface, providing continuously up-to-date information on XProtect data, OS updates, and the details bundled in those releases.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://sofa.macadmins.io/
Inspect Apple macOS software updates.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/hjuutilainen/sus-inspector
A Professional Tool to help users with getting pre-existing devices enrolled into MDM.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/macadmins/umad
Custom user notifications with Swift.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/sheagcraig/yo
A macOS app to create standard & customized configuration profiles & plists.
Cost: N/A
Link: https://github.com/ProfileCreator/ProfileCreator
Cost: Free
Link: https://imazing.com/profile-editor
iMazing Profile Editor lets you create, edit, and sign profiles for macOS and iOS devices without coding XML files. You can customize the app, use community-compiled manifests, and export to MDM-compatible .plist files.
To the extent possible under law, Emily Kausalik has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.
