Test your basic knowledge |

ACSP: Apple Certified Support Professional Os X Support

Subjects : certifications, it-skills, apple

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. What are the two primary automation technologies for the GUI?
Core system files - fonts - X11 - nearby & local printers - language translations
Temp files - spotlight indexes - items in the trash - and any files defined as exempt either by you or by an application.
Every home folder has the public folder and dropbox folder whereas all other home folders are protected.
Automator is a workflow based application whereas AppleScript is an english-like scripting language

2. What steps should you take when troubleshooting app issues?
Don't erase data - zero out the data - 7-pass erase - 35-pass erase
Restart the app - try another document - try another user account - check log files - delete caches - replace preferences - and replace app resources.
The firmware initializes the Mac's hardware and and locates the booter file on the system volume. The Power-On Self Test (POST) checks for basic hardware functionality.
Users' public folders

3. What are the four erase options in disk utility?

4. Account attributes
Check for firmware updates - verify app compatibility - back up files - document critical settings
System Profiler - Disk Utility - Reset Password Utility - Firmware Password - Restore from Time Machine Backup - Startup Disk - Terminal - Network Utility
Individual pieces of information used to define a user such as user ID - UUID - home directory - etc.
Internet traffic goes through the primary interface.

5. How does the IP addresses use the MAC address to send messages between computers on a LAN?

6. 3 Default items in CLI prompt
It allows Windows XP SP2+ - Vista - and 7 to run natively on the Mac by running a separate partition.
Get Info from Finder or System Profiler
computer hostname - working directory - user account
Screen sharing - remote login - remote management - remote apple events - and Xgrid sharing

7. What is the difference between launch daemons - startup items - launch agents - and login items?

8. What are PPD files responsible for?
It's a special permission used to define a folder as an append-only destination (only the creator can delete the file he creates)
All users can read/write - but only the creator can delete. This uses the sticky bit.
human input devices (HIDs) like keyboards and mice - storage devices like hard drives - printers - scanners - digital cameras - video devices including both input and output - and audio devices.
PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files are printer driver files that instruct the CUPS system on how to communicate with specific printer models.

9. Why does the Finder hider certain folders at the root of the system volume?

10. What is the relationship between a network service and a network port?
Intel - directly attached input devices - 10.5 or later - all new firmware updates - 10.5 or greater install disc - 10 gigs of free space - 2 GB or more of RAM
Devices providing network services broadcast their existence and Mac OS X picks up on these broadcasts and provides a list of services.
The network service operates or broadcasts on a network port.
Enable Web Sharing in System Preferences

11. What are the primary system initialization stages and user environment stages in Mac OS X and what order do they start?
Locally connected volumes are fully accessible to any logged in user.
Standard - Admin - Guest - Sharing-Only - Root
Firmware - booter - kernel - and system launchd. Primary user environment stages are loginwindow - user launchd - and user environment.
Restart the app - try another document - try another user account - check log files - delete caches - replace preferences - and replace app resources.

12. Folder/directories
Run the assistant - install windows - install drivers.
AFP - SMB - FTP - NFS - WebDAV
Apple Menu>> Force Quit - Activity Monitor - Dock contextual menu
Describe containers in the file system

13. How do you provide Mac OS X web-sharing services?
The DNS Service is used to translate host names to IP addresses via forward lookups and IP addresses to domain names via reverse lookups.
Enable Web Sharing in System Preferences
To run commands as the root user
ls

14. What happens during system shutdown?
Too many to list. Hehe.
HFS+ (Mac OS X Extended Journaled - Mac OS X Extended Case Sensitive Journaled - Mac OS X Extended) - HFS - UFS - FAT32 - NTFS - UDF
The loginwindow process logs all users out and then tells the kernel to quit all remaining system processes.
Applications - Library - System - Users

15. What items are automatically started by system launchd during the system initialization process?
Launch daemons and startup items are launched during system initialization by the system launchd process on behalf of root. Launch agents and login items are opened during the initialization of the GUI environment by the user's launchd process.
Documents - Movies - Music - Pictures - Library - Downloads - Desktop - Public - Sites
Your Mac provides network routing NAT - DHCP - and DNS forwarding services for any device connected. When sharing AirPort - you can specify and SSID - channel - and WEP settings.
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons - /Library/LaunchDaemons - /Library/StartupItems - /etc/rc.local (maybe)

16. Why is time machine bad at backing up large databases?
It has to copy the entire thing over again on each change.
Safe boot refers to when the system is starting up - safe mode is when the system is actually running - and safe login is when the system starts up the user session.
To run commands as the root user
computer hostname - working directory - user account

17. What are five application environments supported by Mac OS X and what are they used for?
Cocoa - Carbon - BSD (CLI) - X11 - Java (Cocoa is native - Carbon is based on OS 9 but still provides OS X performance - X11 is a unix windowing environment)
Hold down T on boot - allows the mac to be turned into a very large - and expensive - external hard drive or disc drive.
Standard - Admin - Guest - Sharing-Only - Root
This will not change the keychain. They can either unlock the keychain with the old password to sync them - or create a new keychain.

18. What type of files are omitted from time machine backups?
Review network preferences - review network utility preferences - and attempt to connect to different network services
Admins have access to any locally-connected volume whereas standard users can only access their home folders and other user's Public folders.
Individual pieces of information used to define a user such as user ID - UUID - home directory - etc.
Temp files - spotlight indexes - items in the trash - and any files defined as exempt either by you or by an application.

19. Utilities available from OS X install DVD
Used to make the filesystem appear less complex. Data forks and resource forks are combined to appear as a single item. They have fallen out because they're not compatible with non Mac-OS volumes and are not extensible.
extensions - tied to the kernel to provide hardware support - frameworks - shared code libraries - fonts - preference files - configuration info - Launch Agents and Launch Daemons - used by launchd to provide auto-starting services - logs - contain d
System Profiler - Disk Utility - Reset Password Utility - Firmware Password - Restore from Time Machine Backup - Startup Disk - Terminal - Network Utility
Apple Menu>> Force Quit - Activity Monitor - Dock contextual menu

20. What two methods can be used to hide items from the Finder?
The user's loginwindow process does the following: Request that all user applications quit - quits any user backgroun processes - runs any logout scripts - records the logout to the man system.log - resets device permissions and preferences to defaul
They're stored at the root of every volume in a /.Spotlight-V100 folder. A fileVault user's database is stored in his vault in his home user. Mail is in ~/Library/Mail/Mail Envelope. Spotlight plugins can be in any library folder in a folder called S
Individual pieces of information used to define a user such as user ID - UUID - home directory - etc.
Start the name with a . - or enable the hidden file flag.

21. What functionality does 10.6 support with AppleTalk?
It will not load any third party KEXTs - third-party LaunchAgents - LaunchDaemons - StartupItems - fonts - any user login items - or any user specific LaunchAgents.
Run the assistant - install windows - install drivers.
Safe boot refers to when the system is starting up - safe mode is when the system is actually running - and safe login is when the system starts up the user session.
Nothing.

22. What 4 methods can be used to eject a volume from the finder?
So they can navigate to the public or sites folder
The firmware initializes the Mac's hardware and and locates the booter file on the system volume. The Power-On Self Test (POST) checks for basic hardware functionality.
1 GB of RAM - 5 GB of disk space - DVD drive - display
Press the eject button - file>>eject - drag to trash - press eject in the sidebar

23. Path
The loginwindow process logs all users out and then tells the kernel to quit all remaining system processes.
Absolute always start at the root of the filesystem - whereas relative paths start where the user is current at
Defines the directions to a specific item in the filesystem
AFP - SMB - FTP - NFS - WebDAV

24. How does file system journaling work?
Root has unlimited access - Admin can change system files & settings - guest can dump tons of files
Internet traffic goes through the primary interface.
They're stored at the root of every volume in a /.Spotlight-V100 folder. A fileVault user's database is stored in his vault in his home user. Mail is in ~/Library/Mail/Mail Envelope. Spotlight plugins can be in any library folder in a folder called S
It records what file operations are in progress at any given moment. If a power failure or system crash occurs - it can verify the integrity by replaying the journal.

25. How can you identify the MAC Addresses for all of the Mac's network interfaces?
Every home folder has the public folder and dropbox folder whereas all other home folders are protected.
Single partition drives are easier to setup initially - but aren't as flexible for admin/maintenance. Multiple can segregate data
Disconnected cable - nonfunctioning port - DHCP issue - DNS issue
Info pane in Network Utility

26. Default 9 home folder folders?
Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) manages all printing and faxing for the system.
Resource contention general - an item another user has running. Document contention for document another user has open. Peripheral contention for peripheral in use by another user. Application contention for when an app is designed to be open only on
Documents - Movies - Music - Pictures - Library - Downloads - Desktop - Public - Sites
The DNS Service is used to translate host names to IP addresses via forward lookups and IP addresses to domain names via reverse lookups.

27. How does the IP transfer messages between computers on a WAN?

28. How does the spotlight search service use metadata?
ls
firmware - startup chim or bright flash of power-on light and light gray screen booter - dark gray apple logo on primary display kernel - small gray spinning gear system launchd - bright blue screen
The spotlight search service creates index databases of file system metadata so that it can perform normally time-intensive searches nearly instantly.
Bonjour and NetBios & WINS

29. Five types of accounts in 10.6
Standard - Admin - Guest - Sharing-Only - Root
1 GB of RAM - 5 GB of disk space - DVD drive - display
It enacts itself any time an App crashes or hangs indefinitely. It send an error report and any comments to Apple.
Intel - directly attached input devices - 10.5 or later - all new firmware updates - 10.5 or greater install disc - 10 gigs of free space - 2 GB or more of RAM

30. What 3 types of resource contention issues can occur when fast user switching is enabled?
Resource contention general - an item another user has running. Document contention for document another user has open. Peripheral contention for peripheral in use by another user. Application contention for when an app is designed to be open only on
It records what file operations are in progress at any given moment. If a power failure or system crash occurs - it can verify the integrity by replaying the journal.
Print and Fax or Sharing Preferences. For windows users - you must enable users' password in the SMB file sharing settings in Sharing Preferences.
The user's loginwindow process does the following: Request that all user applications quit - quits any user backgroun processes - runs any logout scripts - records the logout to the man system.log - resets device permissions and preferences to defaul

31. Where does spotlight store its metadata index databases? How about the plugins?

32. What is protected memory? What is 64 bit memory addressing?
Drag the disk image into disk utility and press burn
Core system files - fonts - X11 - nearby & local printers - language translations
The system keeps applications from interfering with one another by segregating their memory using protected memory. 64 bit memory addressing allows apps to directly access more than 4 GB of ram.
Launch daemons and startup items are launched during system initialization by the system launchd process on behalf of root. Launch agents and login items are opened during the initialization of the GUI environment by the user's launchd process.

33. What does 'ignore volume ownership' do in the Finder?
This ignores any ownership rules and will grant any logged-on user unlimited access to the contents of the volume.
extensions - tied to the kernel to provide hardware support - frameworks - shared code libraries - fonts - preference files - configuration info - Launch Agents and Launch Daemons - used by launchd to provide auto-starting services - logs - contain d
ls
Terminal - Single User Mode - >Console from login window - SSH

34. How does Mac OS X use dynamic network discovery protocols to access network services?
Hold down shift on startup
Devices providing network services broadcast their existence and Mac OS X picks up on these broadcasts and provides a list of services.
A database of information that in some cases can be shared to the network. Account information is the most commonly accessed directory resource.
Nothing.

35. Security risks & account types
System Profiler
A driver is a piece of software designed to facilitate the communication between Mac OS X and the peripheral. There are kernel extensions - framework plug-ins - or stand-alone applications.
It starts with a full copy of the system and then it records any changes made to the system and only copies those changes. It creates a simulation of the entire system using hard links for files that didn't change.
Root has unlimited access - Admin can change system files & settings - guest can dump tons of files

36. How does the default organization of the filesystem allow users to safely share local files and folder?
Locally connected volumes are fully accessible to any logged in user.
It allows Windows XP SP2+ - Vista - and 7 to run natively on the Mac by running a separate partition.
Drag the disk image into disk utility and press burn
Every home folder has the public folder and dropbox folder whereas all other home folders are protected.

37. What three common unix commands support Mac filesystem metadata?
Users don't traditionally need access to them - and if they do - they can use Terminal.
HFS+ (Mac OS X Extended Journaled - Mac OS X Extended Case Sensitive Journaled - Mac OS X Extended) - HFS - UFS - FAT32 - NTFS - UDF
cp - mv - rm
The DNS Service is used to translate host names to IP addresses via forward lookups and IP addresses to domain names via reverse lookups.

38. What does the firmware do? What is the POST?

39. What do the terms interface - protocol - and service mean in relation to computer networks?
Core system files - fonts - X11 - nearby & local printers - language translations
Applications - Library - System - Users
The system keeps applications from interfering with one another by segregating their memory using protected memory. 64 bit memory addressing allows apps to directly access more than 4 GB of ram.
Interface is any channel through which networks data can flow. Hardware network interfaces are defined by physical network connections - while virtual network connections are logical network connections on top of hardware connections. Protocol is a s

40. What are some common file flags and extended attributes used by Mac OS X?
Absolute always start at the root of the filesystem - whereas relative paths start where the user is current at
HFS+ (Mac OS X Extended Journaled - Mac OS X Extended Case Sensitive Journaled - Mac OS X Extended) - HFS - UFS - FAT32 - NTFS - UDF
Common flags include locked and hidden - Common extended attributes include an items color - spotlight comments - etc.
Kerberos can only be used to authenticate against kerberized services and is often managed on a network-wide scale.

41. Four methods to access CLI
Terminal - Single User Mode - >Console from login window - SSH
Screen sharing - remote login - remote management - remote apple events - and Xgrid sharing
User preferences are in ~/Library and the format is often Property List - which is just a special XML file.
IP addresses identify the location of a specific network device. Subnet masks are used by network devices to identify their local network range. IPv4 addresses are a 32-bit number represented in 4 groups of four octets separated by periods. 0-255.

42. How does Mac OS X's built-in firewall work? What advanced firewall settings are available?
It monitors all incoming connections and requests. Connections are allowed on a per-application basis. Advanced options include signing options - stealth mode - and more.
Locally connected volumes are fully accessible to any logged in user.
The Dock process starts the DashboardClient process. All widgets run inside one of the two DashboardClient processes.
computer hostname - working directory - user account

43. What five network file services can you connect to from the Finder's Connect To Server dialog?
AFP - SMB - FTP - NFS - WebDAV
GUID partition table for intel-based macs - Apple-Partition-Map for PPC macs
Admins have access to any locally-connected volume whereas standard users can only access their home folders and other user's Public folders.
The system keeps applications from interfering with one another by segregating their memory using protected memory. 64 bit memory addressing allows apps to directly access more than 4 GB of ram.

44. What two dynamic network service discovery protocols are supported by Mac OS X?
Bonjour and NetBios & WINS
To run commands as the root user
Finder get info - command line run ls -l
Common flags include locked and hidden - Common extended attributes include an items color - spotlight comments - etc.

45. What network services are provided by your Mac to facilitate Internet sharing? What options are available for Internet sharing your Mac's AirPort wireless Ethernet interface?
Local accounts are just for that Mac - network accounts are available anywhere on the network - and Mobile accounts create a cached local copy of a network account for offline access.
Your Mac provides network routing NAT - DHCP - and DNS forwarding services for any device connected. When sharing AirPort - you can specify and SSID - channel - and WEP settings.
May cause data corruption
Admins have access to any locally-connected volume whereas standard users can only access their home folders and other user's Public folders.

46. What three methods can be used to select the start-up disk?
Don't erase data - zero out the data - 7-pass erase - 35-pass erase
Option key - Startup Disk preference pane in OS X - or the BootCamp utility in Windows.
firmware - startup chim or bright flash of power-on light and light gray screen booter - dark gray apple logo on primary display kernel - small gray spinning gear system launchd - bright blue screen
It stores the home folder as an encrypted sparse-bundle disk image

47. How does file-fault secure a user's data?
The system keeps applications from interfering with one another by segregating their memory using protected memory. 64 bit memory addressing allows apps to directly access more than 4 GB of ram.
It stores the home folder as an encrypted sparse-bundle disk image
The client uses the subnet mask to decide if the client is on the LAN. If it's not on the LAN - then it sends the data to the IP address of the local router. Traffic continues through routers until it reaches the destination.
Full directions to a specific item

48. Why might a previously backed-up item no longer be available in Time Machine?
Review network preferences - review network utility preferences - and attempt to connect to different network services
If the backup volume became full and removed the older item(s).
1.) User accounts not tied to individual Macs 2.) Same user account for multiple services 3.) Kerberos SSO 4.) Define user/comp settings in a single location
Check for firmware updates - verify app compatibility - back up files - document critical settings

49. Relative path

50. What is sudo used for?
based on the user's current location
The firmware initializes the Mac's hardware and and locates the booter file on the system volume. The Power-On Self Test (POST) checks for basic hardware functionality.
To run commands as the root user
Every home folder has the public folder and dropbox folder whereas all other home folders are protected.