Windows Active Directory step by step (3.1) ------ join / bind Mac OS X 10.14 Mojave to Windows Active Directory Domain

Windows Active Directory basically follows the LDAP/Kerberos standard, so besides Windows itself, other systems can also join  Active Directory.

To join a Linux system to AD, we can use open source solutions like SSSD, Winbind. There is also a great commercial product named "CentrifyDC" providing a free version called "CentrifyDC express".

To join a Mac OS X to AD is actually as simple as would a Windows 10. Mac OS X has a built-in function to join/bind to a Windows Domain.

1. Log in to the Mac as an Admin
2. Open ‘System Preferences’ and select ‘Users & Groups’
3. Select the ‘Login Options’ menu in the sidebar and use the “Join” button. (Make sure the DNS setting is right so Mac can find the DC Server).
4. Enter the fully-qualified domain name of the AD domain being bound
5. AD Domain level credentials will be needed

By default domain administrators don't have super right on Mac even if Mac joins AD. This can be changed by:

Then, you can log in OS X as any domain account, e.g. domain administrator. In order to show the user name correctly, make sure on the AD server side, the logon name is set for it.

Mac OS X uses its own algorithm to calculate the user's necessary attributes like uid, gid based on what attributes are stored on AD.

smstongtekiMac-mini:~ administrator$ id

uid=1839808755(administrator) gid=1939330391(CANADA\Domain Users) groups=1939330391(CANADA\Domain Users),12(everyone),62(netaccounts),763240085(SMALLSTRONG\Schema Admins),969000933(SMALLSTRONG\Enterprise Admins),1367114704(SMALLSTRONG\Group Policy Creator Owners),793112335(SMALLSTRONG\Domain Admins),988540702(SMALLSTRONG\Domain Users),1083572540(SMALLSTRONG\Denied RODC Password Replication Group),33(_appstore),80(admin),98(_lpadmin),100(_lpoperator),204(_developer),250(_analyticsusers),395(com.apple.access_ftp),398(com.apple.access_screensharing),399(com.apple.access_ssh)

On AD DC side, we can see the computer has been added to group "computers".