Software Update

Setting up your computer to check for updates automatically is easy! Follow the following steps, and you should get a screen similar to the one you see below: Click on the Apple Menu, select System Preferences, and from there, select Software Update.

Quick Reference: Apple Menu → System Preferences → Software Update

Choose the check box for "Check for Updates", and choose "Weekly" from the drop-down menu. Once a week, Software Update will give you a list of the available updates for all Apple software installed on your computer, and make recommendations about what to install. You may need to pick and choose exactly what you will need.

You also have the option to check for updates right now, by choosing the "Check Now" button.

Turn on the Firewall

Turning on the Mac OS X firewall is simple - go to the Apple Menu, select System Preferences, and choose Sharing. Select the tab named Firewall. You should see a screen similar to what is picture below:

Quick Reference: Apple Menu → System Preferences → Sharing → Firewall

Click on the button that says "Start".

Account Management

We're not going to spend much time on this, since the details of account management on a Unix system can get complicated very quickly, and Mac OS X doesn't create extraneous user accounts in the same way that Windows XP does.

To open up the Accounts preference pane, click on the Apple Menu, choose System Preferences, and choose Accounts. You should see a window similar to what is pictured below:

Quick Reference: Apple Menu → System Preferences → Accounts

Choose an account, and click on the Password box. Authenticate with your current password, and then enter your new password in both the Password box, and the Verify box. It is a good idea to make sure each user account on your machine has a good password. For rules on how to create a good password read the section titled; common sense security.