Category Archives: Mac

Add a User to the Sudoers File in Mac OS X

Adding users to the sudoers requires the usage of vi, which can be fairly confusing if you’re not accustomed to it. For the unfamiliar, we’ll outline the exact key command sequences to edit, insert, and save the file in vi, follow the instructions carefully.

  1. Launch Terminal and type the following command:
    sudo visudo
  2. Use the arrow keys to navigate down to the “#User privilege specification” section, it should look like this:
    # User privilege specification
    root ALL=(ALL) ALL
    %admin ALL=(ALL) ALL
  3. Put the cursor on the next empty line below the %admin entry and then press the “A” key to insert text, then type the following on a new line, replacing ‘username’ with the users short name of the account you wish to grant privilege to (hit tab between username and ALL):
    username ALL=(ALL) ALL
  4. Now hit the “ESC” (escape) key to stop editing the file
  5. Hit the : key (colon) and then type “wq” followed by the Return key to save changes and exit vi


You should be good to go, you can cat the sudoers file to be certain the file was modified:

How to make a bootable macOS Sierra USB drive

To make a bootable macOS Sierra USB drive please follow the steps below. Assuming you have already downloaded the OS from app store.

Here is what you need to do:

  • Connect the USB drive to your Mac.
  • Using Disk Utility (it is typically found in the Other folder, under Launchpad), format the USB drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), using the GUID Partition Mac scheme, and name it macOSSierra. This can be done from the Erase tab within the app; make sure that there are no multiple partitions (turn to the Partition tab to verify and correct this).
  • Open Terminal (it is found in the same folder as the Disk Utility app).
  • Use (paste) the following command: 
    sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app
  • Type in your user password, when required, to start the process.

Based on my experience, this is the best method of creating a bootable macOS Sierra USB drive. It delivers consistent results every time, and does not cause any issues.