This article applies to:

• M86 Authenticator for Apple/Mac computers

Question:

• How do I install the Apple/Mac Authenticator?

Procedure:

Download the Apple/Mac Authenticator from the Web Filter:

System > Authentication > Enable/Disable Authentication > Download the M86 Autheticator for Apple.

The M86 Authenticator Deployment Kit (for Apple/Mac) contains resources to assist network administrators in deploying the M86 Authenticator for Apple OSX.  When you “run” the Authenticator Deployment Kit application by double-clicking on it, the Finder opens the Deployment Kit folder in the distribution. 

Basic Installation

Basic installation can be performed in a few moments by running Authenticator-install.sh.
This shell script can be used as-is or modified to suit your purposes.  It installs the Authenticator on the  local machine, using the recommended permissions and locations for files.  It must be run as root from the same directory where it is located, i.e.:

sudo ./Authenticator-install.sh 192.168.30.201

The parameter is the virtual IP address or hostname of your 8e6 R3000 filter appliance.  There are comments in the script describing additional details.

Distribution

The following files must be distributed together if you wish to use the Authenticator-install.sh script for installation on target workstations:

Authenticator:  The single-file binary program itself.

com.marshal8e6.authenticator.plist:  A property list file used to provide configuration
information for launchd (the process responsible for LaunchAgents on OSX).

Authenticator-install.sh:  The install script itself.

It is sufficient to place all 3 files in a temporary directory, and then run the install script as directed
above.  After installation, the original files can be safely deleted. 

Bulk Distribution

The recommended way to distribute the application across a large number of workstations is to use Apple Remote Desktop, available from http://www.apple.com/remotedesktop/. This tool allows bulk installation of applications, as well as many other advanced group administration features.  Use of Apple Remote Desktop is beyond the scope of this topic, see the user documentation for Apple Remote Desktop for more information.

What the Installation Script Does:

The script performs the following actions:

• Authenticator:  This  binary application is designed to run when the user logs in.  It connects
to the R3000 filter appliance and sends the user's identity information.  This allows the R3000
to load the appropriate Internet filtering profile for that user, as well as to track and report
Internet activity for the user by name.  The script places this program on the client workstation
in the /Applications/Marshal8e6/Authenticator directory.  It is set to be owned by root and
executable by all.

• com.marshal8e6.authenticator.plist:  This is a property list file which provides properties
needed by the OS X launchd daemon in order to ensure that Authenticator is properly loaded
when the user logs in. The install script places this file on the client workstation in the /Library/
LaunchAgents directory.  It is owned by root, and readable but not writeable by users.

• 8e6Authenticator.conf: This is the configuration file for the Authenticator.  The script creates a
minimal configuration, setting only the RA[] parameter to specify the address or host name of
your 8e6 R3000 filter appliance – the same value supplied on the script command line.  The
script places this file in the /Applications/Marshal8e6/Authenticator directory.  It is readable by
all, but writable by root only.

Configuration:

In most cases, configuration involves simply setting the address of the 8e6 Mobile Server (the RA[] parameter in 8e6Authenticator.conf – the installation script does this and nothing else.)  However, you may want to change the log level option during initial deployment testing to be more verbose – this can make it easier to spot deployment problems.  To change the log level, set the LD[] parameter to 4 (maximum).  Be sure to set it back to 2 (the default) before deploying on a large scale, as verbose logs can be quite noisy.

For complete configuration information, see the 8e6 R3000 User Guide for Authentication (appendix A).

Notes: