A practical, hands-on scripting guide for administrators and security engineers who want to master Bash on macOS
Master Bash scripting on macOS, from fundamentals to enterprise automation.
📖 Also available online: Read the full book at https://bash.itsecurity.network/ with search, navigation, and always up-to-date content.
This comprehensive ebook teaches you how to write secure, efficient Bash scripts specifically tailored for macOS. Whether you're an IT administrator managing thousands of devices, a security engineer hardening endpoints, or a power user automating your workflow, this book provides practical, real-world examples you can use immediately.
- Chapters 1-5: Master the basics of Bash on macOS
- Navigate the Terminal, understand Bash syntax, manipulate files, process data, and manage system resources
- Build a solid foundation with practical examples tailored for macOS
- Chapters 6-13: Level up your scripting skills
- Write resilient scripts with proper error handling
- Integrate with macOS internals (launchd, SIP, PPPC)
- Create secure, auditable automation
- Build interactive GUI-driven tools with osascript, swiftDialog, and Platypus
- Chapters 14-22: Enterprise-grade automation you can deploy today
- Automated hardening & compliance with mSCP
- Application deployment with Installomator & Patchomator
- Endpoint monitoring with osquery
- Patch automation and notifications
- Application control with Santa
- Privilege elevation with SAP Privileges
- And much more!
- Written by a Security Architect with over a decade of experience in IT and extensive focus on cybersecurity
- Enterprise-Tested examples proven in production at scale
- Security-First mindset built into every lesson
- macOS-Specific tips, tricks, and gotchas throughout
- Hands-On exercises and real-world use cases
- Up-to-Date with the latest macOS features and best practices
The complete book is available online at https://bash.itsecurity.network/ with:
- Full search functionality
- Interactive navigation
- Always up-to-date content
- Mobile-friendly reading experience
# Download PDF
curl -L https://github.com/samerfarida/secure-bash-macos-ebook/releases/latest/download/Secure-Bash-for-macOS-v0.14.0.pdf \
-o Secure-Bash-for-macOS.pdf
# Download EPUB
curl -L https://github.com/samerfarida/secure-bash-macos-ebook/releases/latest/download/Secure-Bash-for-macOS-v0.14.0.epub \
-o Secure-Bash-for-macOS.epub
# Download HTML
curl -L https://github.com/samerfarida/secure-bash-macos-ebook/releases/latest/download/Secure-Bash-for-macOS-v0.14.0.html \
-o Secure-Bash-for-macOS.html# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/samerfarida/secure-bash-macos-ebook.git
cd secure-bash-macos-ebook
# Build PDF
make pdf
# Build EPUB
make epub
# Build HTML
make htmlRequirements: macOS with Pandoc installed (brew install pandoc)
Part I – Bash Fundamentals
- Getting Started with Bash on macOS
- Bash Syntax and Command Structure
- File System Navigation and Manipulation
- Text Processing and Data Manipulation
- Working with Processes and System Resources
Part II – Advanced Security Scripting
- Control Structures and Functions
- File Management and Permissions
- Error Handling and Debugging
- Environment Variables and Configuration
- macOS Internals for Scripting
- Security Practices in Bash
- Interfacing with macOS APIs and Tools
- Writing Interactive and GUI-Driven Scripts
Part III – Real-World Projects
- Automated Hardening & Compliance (mSCP)
- Inventory & Asset Management
- Signed & Notarized Installer Packages
- Reprovisioning & OS Refresh
- Endpoint Monitoring & Threat Detection
- macOS Patch Automation & Notifications
- Application Deployment & Update Automation
- Application Control with Santa
- Privilege Elevation with SAP Privileges
This book is perfect for:
- macOS Administrators managing fleets of devices
- Security Engineers hardening endpoints and building detection
- DevOps Engineers automating infrastructure and deployments
- Power Users who want to master the macOS command line
- Anyone who writes Bash scripts and wants to do it securely
Prerequisites:
- Basic familiarity with the Terminal
- Access to a Mac running macOS
- Willingness to learn and experiment
This project thrives on community involvement! We welcome contributions of all kinds.
📖 See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed contribution guidelines, including:
- How to report issues and suggest improvements
- Development setup and installation
- Linting requirements and how to run checks locally
- Pre-commit checklist
- Review process
Quick start:
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Make your changes (ensure linting passes!)
- Submit a pull request
All contributors will be recognized in future releases!
This ebook is released under a dual-license model:
-
Book Content (Markdown files): Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- You can copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the content
- Credit the author and provide a link to the license
-
Scripts & Code (Makefile, build scripts, CI): MIT License
- Free to use, modify, and distribute
Special thanks to all the reviewers, contributors, and community members who provided feedback, tested scripts, and made this project better. Your contributions are invaluable, and you'll be recognized in each release.
Want to see your name here? Join the community!
- Author: Sammy Farida
- Email: samer.farida@yahoo.com
- GitHub: @samerfarida
If you find this book helpful:
- Star the repository
- Bookmark it for later
- Share it with colleagues
- Report issues or suggest improvements
- Join discussions in the Issues section
Ready to master Bash on macOS?
- Read Online - Full book with search and navigation
- Download PDF
- Download EPUB
- Download HTML
- View All Releases
Made with care for the macOS security and admin community