macOS Automated Setup Script

Automates the provisioning of macOS machines with applications, system settings, user management, and Tailscale connectivity. Designed for IT administrators deploying multiple Macs.

Features

Step	Feature	Description
1	Pre-flight Checks	Verifies macOS 11+ and installs Xcode Command Line Tools
2	Homebrew	Installs Homebrew (Intel & Apple Silicon support)
3	Tailscale	Installs and authenticates Tailscale (optional)
4	Brewfile Apps	Installs applications from your Brewfile
5	Hide IT Admin	Hides an admin user from the login screen
6	Rename Computer	Sets ComputerName, HostName, and LocalHostName
7	Create User	Creates a new user account for the end user
8	Security Settings	Configures firewall, auto-updates, screen lock
9	Cleanup	Optionally deletes the script and folder

Quick Start

One-liner for fresh Mac:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/macOSAutomatedSetup.git && cd macOSAutomatedSetup && chmod +x automateSetup.sh && ./automateSetup.sh

For Macs without git (uses curl):

curl -L -o macOSAutomatedSetup.zip https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/macOSAutomatedSetup/archive/refs/heads/main.zip && unzip macOSAutomatedSetup.zip && cd macOSAutomatedSetup-main && chmod +x automateSetup.sh && ./automateSetup.sh

Configuration Prompts

The script collects these inputs upfront:

Prompt	Required	Description
Brewfile name	No	Default: brewfile
Tailscale auth key	No	Leave empty to skip Tailscale

Then prompts during execution:

Prompt	Default	Description
Hide IT admin user?	Yes	Hides specified user from login screen
Rename computer?	Yes	Max 63 chars, letters/numbers/spaces/hyphens
Create new user?	Yes	Username, full name, password (confirmed twice), admin status
Delete script folder?	Yes	Removes the setup folder after completion

Brewfile Example

Create a brewfile in the same directory as the script:

# Browsers
cask "google-chrome"
cask "firefox"

# Productivity
cask "microsoft-office"
cask "slack"
cask "zoom"

# Utilities
cask "dropbox"
cask "1password"

# CLI tools
brew "git"
brew "wget"

Security Features

• Tailscale auth key hidden when typing
• User password hidden and confirmed twice
• Log file restricted to owner only (chmod 600)
• Sensitive variables cleared after use
• Firewall and stealth mode enabled
• Automatic security updates enabled
• Screen lock password required immediately

macOS Settings Applied

• Automatic update checks enabled
• Automatic update downloads enabled
• Critical security updates auto-install
• Firewall enabled
• Firewall stealth mode enabled (ignores ping)
• Password required immediately after sleep/screensaver
• Remote Apple events disabled

Logging

All output is logged to ~/mac_setup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.log with restricted permissions.

Requirements

• macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later
• Internet connection
• Administrator privileges
• Tailscale account (optional, for auth key)

License

MIT License