Useful Graphical Tools

While this book does not spend much time discussing the OS X graphical environment, a few applications are worth mentioning as they can be of use while exploring the UNIX side of Mac OS X.

System Preferences

The System Preferences window (Figure 2-5) provides access to a number of system maintenance and configuration features. For example, System Preferences provides an easy way to change your password (page 36) and to handle system maintenance tasks (page 427) such as creating new accounts and enabling remote login via ssh.

Figure 2-5. The System Preferences window

Panes

When you click a control icon in the System Preferences window, OS X replaces the System Preferences window with an interface for that control, called a pane. Click Show All, visible in the top button bar of all panes, to display the System Preferences window again.

On Mac OS X Server, many system maintenance functions are available from the Server Admin and Workgroup Manager applications.