I almost missed Hack the Mac this year but luckily Twitter let me know once it had already started. Since I showed up late, I missed the first project overview and needed to go back to the video on demand to review what was said. While I was watching I thought it might be useful for others if I compiled a short overview with video links.
All three projects were already brought to my attention before the event but here is my take away after watching the event:
NBICreator can queue build jobs (I’ve already build multiple NBIs).
I managed to use Recipe Robot to create a new recipe with little to no effort, output recipe was AutoImagrNBI.
Zentral has also been on my radar for a few weeks but I’ve yet to do anything besides read through the docs. Hoping to spin up a docker instance soon™ (eventually). It. Looks. Awesome!
VOD Links
NBICreator
NBICreator is a NetInstall image creation tool for OS X written in Objective-C.
The following NetInstall images are currently supported:
- NetInstall
- DeployStudio
- Imagr
- Casper (Alpha)
The design and idea of the application is to be able to create different types of NetInstall images in one single application, and to save the configuration in a template to be reused when the NetInstall image need to be updated for newer versions of the OS.
Project Link: github.com/NBICreator/NBICreator
VOD Link: click here
Recipe Robot
Recipe Robot is the easiest way to create new AutoPkg recipes for simple Mac apps. It consists of two components:
A Python script that takes various types of input and automatically outputs AutoPkg recipes.
A native Mac app that puts a friendly face on the Python script and makes it as simple as dragging and dropping. You can download the latest version of the app here.
This two-pronged approach allows AutoPkg novices to easily create recipes that follow community-accepted guidelines, and still provides a command-line tool for more advanced AutoPkg users. Also, using Python for program logic fosters community contribution to this project.
Project Link: github.com/homebysix/recipe-robot
VOD Link: click here
Zentral
Zentral is a new open-source project initiated by Apfelwerk in Summer/Fall 2015. Zentral combines osquery’s powerful endpoint inventory features with a flexible notification and action framework. This enables one to identify and react to changes on OS X and Linux clients. Zentral consolidates the osquery information with inventory data from client management suites, e.g. JAMF Casper Suite and Sal. All details and events stored in a full text search engine.
Project Link: github.com/zentralopensource/zentral
VOD Link: click here
For the full event link click here
Winners
As for the winners, if you feel like seeing what the judges picked you’ll need to click the discloser arrows. I didn’t want to ruin the experience for anyone.
In reality we are all winners. Thanks to Macbrained for hosting the event, the sponsors, and special thanks to the developers for all your hard work.