The macOS Monterey release is finally here. We also got iOS 15.1 (and siblings) and the security updates for macOS Big Sur (11.6.1) and iOS 14.8.1. And the new round of betas for macOS 12.1 and iOS 15.2 started.
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While some features shown at WWDC are still missing, this should keep everyone busy for a while. Many MacAdmins were already busy and published posts on how to work with and manage the new systems.
Settle in, because this is a big summary!
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macOS 12 Monterey and iOS 15.1
macOS Monterey 12.0.1
- What’s new in the updates for macOS Monterey
- macOS Monterey is compatible with these computers
- How to upgrade to macOS Monterey
- macOS Monterey 12.0.1 Developer Release Notes
- Xcode 13.1 Release Notes
- macOS User Guide
- App Store: macOS Monterey
Deployment
- What’s new for enterprise in macOS Monterey
- What’s new for enterprise in iOS 15
- What’s new for enterprise in iPadOS 15
- Apple Platform Deployment
- Apple Business Manager: Document revision history
- Apple School Manager: Document revision history
iOS 15.1 and siblings
- iOS 15.1
- iPadOS 15.1
- watchOS 8.1
- iOS & iPadOS 15.1 Developer Release Notes
- watchOS 8.1 Developer Release Notes
- tvOS 15.1 Developer Release Notes
Security Updates
Apple Support
- Digital camera RAW formats supported by iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey
- If the Classroom app quits unexpectedly in macOS Monterey
- Prepare for new configuration profile requirements in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey
- Erase all content and settings on Mac
- How to create a bootable installer for macOS (Updated)
- Use secure token, bootstrap token, and volume ownership in deployments – Apple Support
Reactions
- macOS Monterey: The MacStories Review – John Voorhees, MacStories
- macOS 12 Monterey: The Ars Technica review – Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica
- macOS Monterey Review: Seeking harmony, but a work in progress – Jason Snell, Six Colors
- What’s new in the macOS Monterey command line – Kaleidoscope Blog
- Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 15.1 with SharePlay, Safari for iPad Fixes, Shortcuts Improvements, and More – Federico Viticci, MacStories
- macOS Monterey: How to make your Mac user profile an animated Memoji – Dave Mark, The Loop (This is absolutely frivolous and insanely fun.)
MacAdmins
- macOS Monterey 12.0.1 (21A559) Public Release is Live! What’s New? – Mr. Macintosh
- macOS Monterey prompt: “…..” needs to be updated – Ben Toms
- MDM custom preference to disable python 2 deprecation popups – Graham R Pugh
- Theile/montereyblocker
- Disabling the Erase All Contents and Settings function on macOS Monterey – Rich Trouton
- Re-enable Jamf Connect Login Window after Major macOS Upgrade (Monterey) – Frederick Abeloos
- Save up to 25% pkg file size with this weird Monterey trick! – Scripting OS X
- Silently uninstalling system extensions on macOS Monterey and earlier – Rich Trouton
- Notifications showing a prohibitory symbol after upgrading to macOS Monterey – Ben Toms
- How to Disable iCloud Private Relay in macOS Monterey – Matthew Warren
- macOS Monterey Users Report Connectivity Issues With USB Hubs – Tim Hardwick, MacRumors (Hard to say how anecdotal these problems are. FWIW, my OWC USB-C Traveler Dock works fine with Monterey.)
New Apple Silicon MacBooks Pro
- Apple’s M1 Pro, M1 Max SoCs Investigated: New Performance and Efficiency Heights – Andrei Frumusanu, AnandTech
- Paul Stamatiou: “The only benchmark that matters: Extracting Xcode_13.1.xip 2019 8-core Intel i9 16″ MBP: 9m 34s 2021 10-core ASi M1 Max 16″ MBP: 4m 43s”
- Dropbox M1 support won’t happen unless you vote for it! – Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac
- How to adjust an app’s settings to appear below the camera area on your 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro – Apple Support
macOS and iOS Updates
MacAdmins on Twitter
- Eric Holtam: “Live Text works to capture the horribly tiny and shiny Serial Numbers from the bottom of Macs. Never question if it’s a Q or 0 again!”
Security and Privacy
- Macs Still Targeted Mostly With Adware, Less With Malware – Robert Lemos, DarkReading
- Microsoft finds new macOS vulnerability, Shrootless, that could bypass System Integrity Protection – Microsoft Security Blog
- Josh Long: “Here’s a preliminary look at what Apple patched—and what they didn’t—in macOS Monterey 12.0.1 vs. Big Sur 11.6.1 vs. Security Update 2021-007 Catalina. (Reminder that some things only get patched for the current macOS!)” (follow link for image, same for iOS)
Support and HowTos
- Packer Template for macOS 11+ on VMware Fusion – netjibbing.com
- Using a custom ShortName attribute from Azure in Jamf Connect (Menu Bar app) – Frederick Abeloos
- The Mac Hardware/Software Obsolescence Chart – Anthony Reimer (updated)
- How macOS is more reliable, and doesn’t need reinstalling – Howard Oakley
- How to ask good questions – Julia Evans
- How to answer questions in a helpful way – Julia Evans
Scripting and Automation
- Shortcuts for Mac: 27 of Our Favorite Third-Party Integrations – MacStories
- Shortcuts: counting files and Quick Actions – Howard Oakley
- Building cross-platform shortcuts – Jason Snell, Six Colors
Updates and Releases
- Jamf Switcher 1.3.1
- grahampugh/erase-install 24.0
- iTerm2 3.4.12
- Munki 5.6.1 Release
- Download Full Installer 1.1.1
- Kandji Announces Passport, Enabling Secure Mac Authentication with Cloud-Based Identity Providers – Kandji Blog
To Listen
- The Mac Spa – Mac Admins Podcast
- Things Everyone Knows That I Want To Talk About – Command-Control-Power
- What role does an MSP play when looking at MDM integration? – Apple @ Work Podcast, 9to5Mac
- Beyond the VPN: Ultimate online privacy, with The Tor Project’s Isabela Bagueros – Lock and Code, Malwarebytes Labs
- Life Work Balance of an SRE with Sophie Smithsburg – MacDevOpsYVR
Support
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