If you work with the Casper Suite or are a System Administrator, you will probably enjoy this GeekTool setup.  It provides a ton of the regular information you access but instead of clicking around to find it, it is all there when you log in.  I set it to deploy to all my machines on the local admin account so when I log in to troubleshoot a device, I have all the information right at my fingertips.

You can download the scripts from MacOSXTips.

JSS connection status

This shows if this computer and the JSS are communicating.  The text is green if it is, and red if there is no link.  It will also show the current version of the jamf binary, which can cause issues if it differs from the version of the JSS.

Network

Ethernet

There is a verbal cue that the ethernet is unplugged.  Often, I have needed to just test an ethernet connection.  So instead of going into Network Preferences and watching the jellies change color, I just wait for the verbal cue (via the say  command) letting me know that the Ethernet is active.

The text also changes color here from red to green (disconnected or active connection respectively).  It also shows the current IP address, if applicable.

Wi-Fi

This will show the current SSID.  If it is not the desired network (set this variable in the script), the text is red.  It will also show the current IP address

Preferred Networks

In an enterprise setting, there are often two networks running side-by-side, a guest network and the secure one for employees.  I often ran into the problem where someone will connect a computer to the guest network, which is bad because it is slower and they won’t be able to access any printers or other network resources.

OS X remembers networks you have connected to, so this text turns red if the guest network (set the value in the script) is found in the list of preferred networks.  If it is not, the text is green.

Computer name and model

Macs actually have more than one “computer name,” and each is displayed so you can verify consistency.  I typically set the NetBIOS Name to the serial number, as it is less than 15 characters and always unique.

OS X version

The OS X version number.

Reboot, shutdown, and power events

Shows when the last reboot, shutdown, and wake time (with wake reason).  This is useful for troubleshooting staff machines which rarely get rebooted.

Config profiles installed

Shows how many are actually installed and lists them.

Users

Shows what users are on the system and the UID.

Warranty status

Shows the current warranty status of the machine.  You may need to edit the values in the script because some serial numbers need either 3 or 4 of the characters sent to the Apple Website.

jamf.log

Shows the jamf.log so you can quickly log in and see if your policies are deploying or why something is not working.