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I would like to know how to install Mac applications remotely. Could you tell me about it?

Reason: My concern is that my home network is sometimes hacked and my DHCP server goes down, so I wonder whether someone could have installed any backdoors on my Mac. So, I would like to know if Mac applications can be installed remotely.

Condition: The person who installs applications remotely knows my admin ID and password. Even if I change them, they would easily know about the password.

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There are lots of ways to install an application remotely on a Mac, if you have access to an admin account.

  • The easiest way might be to SSH in, then use the command line to download and install the software package. You can of course use traditional Unix command line tools to do the install, or you could even run the installer(8) command to do the equivalent of running Installer.app on an installer .pkg file.

  • Another way would be to use Screen Sharing to remotely log into the GUI of the computer and install software the normal way form the GUI (like use Safari to download a .pkg, then double-click on it in the Finder to have Installer.app install it).

  • A third way would be to use Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) to control the remote install. ARD was originally designed to control classrooms full of Macs and do things like install a new software package on all of them at the same time, so ARD makes this process easy.

For all three of these methods I've suggested, you'd have to have the relevant service enabled in the "Sharing" pane of System Preferences, and the person doing the install would need to know the username and password of an account with Administrator privileges.

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  • Thank you for your answer. So, Please make me confirm. Is there are way to enable the relevant service remotely?
    – Juza
    Feb 14, 2014 at 3:31
  • If any one of them is on, you can connect via that one and enable the others remotely. If all of them are off, then I can't think of an easy way to enable them remotely.
    – Spiff
    Feb 14, 2014 at 3:34
  • Thank you for your prompt answer. If there is a case, It could be a microwaves which means I should implement MFA with PKCS token. Again, Thank you!
    – Juza
    Feb 14, 2014 at 3:38
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    Multi-factor authentication with crypto tokens doesn't block microwaves. The fact that you brought that up at this point in the conversation makes me think that you might also want to wear a tinfoil hat to block their mind-control rays.
    – Spiff
    Feb 14, 2014 at 3:49
  • That's right! I had several suspicious matter with my PC and smartphones. So, I'm looking for the protection way. It should not be discussed here that will bring us down vote.:-)
    – Juza
    Feb 14, 2014 at 3:54

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