Lesson 15: Manage System Resources

Question 1

What are the four default top-level folders that are visible in the Finder?

Answer 1

The four default top-level folders visible in the Finder are the following:

1. Applications: Apps that local users can access
2. Library: System resources that local users can access
3. System: System resources
4. Users: Local user home folders

Question 2

What are 10 common system resources?

What purpose does each resource serve?

Answer 2

The following are 10 common system resources and the purposes they serve:

1. Application Support: Ancillary data that an app needs, such as help files or templates, might be in this folder.
2. Containers and Group Containers: These folders contain resources for sandboxed apps.
3. Extensions: Attach themselves to the system kernel to provide hardware and peripheral driver support. (macOS Catalina is the last version of macOS that will support third-party kernel extensions.)
4. Fonts: Files that describe typefaces used for both screen display and printing.
5. Frameworks: Shared code libraries that provide additional software resources for apps and system processes.
6. Keychains: Help securely store sensitive information, including passwords, certificates, keys, Safari AutoFill information, and notes.
7. LaunchDaemons:Processes that launchd starts. LaunchDaemons start processes thatalways run in the background.
8. LaunchAgents: Processes that launchd starts. LaunchAgents start up only when a user is logged in.
9. Preference files: App and system configuration information.
10. Logs: Text files that contain error and progress entries from nearly any app or system service.

Question 3

What are the four system resource domains?

What purpose does each domain serve?

Answer 3

The four system resource domains and the purpose they serve is as follows:

1. User: Contains apps and system resources that are specific to each user account
2. Local: Contains apps and system resources that are available to users on a local Mac
3. System: Contains apps and system resources that provide basic system functionality
4. Network: Optional (is considered legacy)

Question 4

What purpose does the ~/Library/Containers folder serve?

What items are in this folder?

Answer 4

The ~/Library/Containers folder contains resources for sandboxed apps.

macOS Catalina creates and maintains a separate container folder for each sandboxed app that a user can open.

A sandboxed app is more secure because it can access only items inside its container.

Only items intended for sharing are in the ~/Library/Group Containers folder.

Question 5

How does System Integrity Protection help ensure that macOS Catalina system resources remain secure?

Answer 5

System Integrity Protection prevents users and processes with administrator or root access from modifying core macOS Catalina items.

System Integrity Protection includes protection for these parts of the system:

• /System
• /usr
• /bin
• /sbin
• /var
• Apps that are pre-installed with macOS

Paths and apps that third-party apps and installers can continue to write to include:

• /Applications
• /Library
• /usr/local

Question 6

Which app should you use to enable, disable, or validate a font or to add a font to the local font library?

Answer 6

You can use Font Book to enable, disable, or validate a font, or to add a font to the local font library.

Question 7

How can you identify duplicate fonts?

Answer 7

The Font Book app shows a small dot next to the name of any font that has duplicate resources.