Why does setting the hard-limit for maxfiles to "unlimited" using `launchctl limit` result in a hard-limit slightly above the soft-limit?

A fresh system install, with default parameters is configured with the following system wide file limits:

Kernel Max Files: 12288
Max Files per Process: 10240

Current kernel sysctl parameters can be viewed with sysctl command:

$ sysctl -a |grep kern.maxf

kern.maxfiles: 12288
kern.maxfilesperproc: 10240

Now let's check limits values, using ulimit command:

For SOFT limits: [we can see that: open files = 256]

$ ulimit -aS

core file size          (blocks, -c) 0
data seg size           (kbytes, -d) unlimited
file size               (blocks, -f) unlimited
max locked memory       (kbytes, -l) unlimited
max memory size         (kbytes, -m) unlimited
open files                      (-n) 256
pipe size            (512 bytes, -p) 1
stack size              (kbytes, -s) 8192
cpu time               (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes              (-u) 266
virtual memory          (kbytes, -v) unlimited

For HARD limits: [we can see that: open files = Unlimited]

$ ulimit -aH

core file size          (blocks, -c) unlimited
data seg size           (kbytes, -d) unlimited
file size               (blocks, -f) unlimited
max locked memory       (kbytes, -l) unlimited
max memory size         (kbytes, -m) unlimited
open files                      (-n) unlimited
pipe size            (512 bytes, -p) 1
stack size              (kbytes, -s) 65532
cpu time               (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes              (-u) 532
virtual memory          (kbytes, -v) unlimited

Using launchctl

launchctl has the capacity to configure limit values, or show current values.

Using launchctl limit it shows all the current Soft and Hard limits, and we can see that soft limit is 256 and hard limit is 'unlimited' for the item maxfiles. (the same information we got using ulimit command above)

$ uname -a
18.6.0 Darwin Kernel Version 18.6.0: Thu Apr 25 23:16:27 PDT 2019; root:xnu-4903.261.4~2/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64

$ launchctl limit
    cpu         unlimited      unlimited
    filesize    unlimited      unlimited
    data        unlimited      unlimited
    stack       8388608        67104768
    core        0              unlimited
    rss         unlimited      unlimited
    memlock     unlimited      unlimited
    maxproc     266            532
    maxfiles    256            unlimited

To filter, we can just use launchctl limit maxfiles

$ launchctl limit maxfiles
    maxfiles    256            unlimited

Now let's try to change those values #

Using your command line as example:

sudo launchctl limit maxfiles 10000 unlimited

But after it, when I execute again the command to display the limits, we can see that:

the Soft limit was adjusted from 256 to 10000,
but the Hard limit was reduced from 'unlimited' to '10240'

sudo launchctl limit
    maxfiles    10000          10240

And from now, it is impossible to get it back to unlimited!

We can see that after executing it, it also changed the kernel sysctl parameters

$ sysctl -A |grep max

kern.maxfiles: 10240
kern.maxfilesperproc: 10000

The reason is

  The word 'unlimited' when used as a parameter for setting maxfiles,
  is the same as using value '10240'.

  Because launchctl do not accept the string 'unlimited' and convert it
  to the value 10240!

  [I will prove it below, with the source code of launchclt and source of MacOS Mojave kernel]

But first, let see if we can use a bigger value like 2 million:

sudo launchctl limit maxfiles 10000 2000000

$ launchctl limit maxfiles
    maxfiles    10000          2000000

Yes, we can, it accepted the bigger value.

Why this happens

It is hardcoded on the source code to not accept 'unlimited' as a value, so once we changed it, we can never put it back.

But what is the value that corresponds to  'unlimited' ?

R: The value of 'unlimited' is INT_MAX, which is '2147483647' (the maximum value of the Integer Type)

Let's go inside the source code #

  Source code analysis of launchclt.c and Kernel routines  of MacOS
  10.14 Mojave about why is not possible to set  maxfiles to 'unlimited' via launchctl command line.

  All information below is my analysis, using the source  code from
  Apple, that can be obtained via: https://opensource.apple.com

  Rafael Prado - 2019/08/09

/* START OF CODE ANALYSIS */

// --------------- Analisys Comment ----------------------------------
// Looking at MacOS system core header file syslimits.h there is
// a definition of OPEN_MAX with value 10240.
//
// This is the base value that will be used by default for
// maxfiles value during system startup.
//
// This comment you are reading here is mine.
//

/* FILE: sys/syslimits.h */
// *****************************************************************

#define OPEN_MAX                10240   /* max open files per process - todo, make a config option? */

// *****************************************************************

//
// --------------- Analisys Comment ---------------------------------
// Now we can see inside kernel config, that maxfiles parameter
// is a subprodut of OPEN_MAX, by adding 2048 to its value,
// which give us the number 12288.
//
// This will became the default value for sysctl kern.maxfiles: 12288
//

/* FILE: conf/param.c */
// *****************************************************************

#define MAXFILES (OPEN_MAX + 2048)
int     maxfiles = MAXFILES;

// *****************************************************************

//
// --------------- Analisys Comment ---------------------------------
// Now here is why it is impossible to set 'unlimited' value using
// the command line of launchctl:
//

/* FILE: launchd/support/launchctl.c */
// *****************************************************************
//

// (:..) Function lim2str() on line 2810
const char *
lim2str(rlim_t val, char *buf)
{
    if (val == RLIM_INFINITY)
        strcpy(buf, "unlimited");
    else
        sprintf(buf, "%lld", val);
    return buf;
}

// (:..) Function srt2lim() on line 2821
bool
str2lim(const char *buf, rlim_t *res)
{
        char *endptr;
        *res = strtoll(buf, &endptr, 10);
        if (!strcmp(buf, "unlimited")) {
                *res = RLIM_INFINITY;
                return false;
        } else if (*endptr == '\0') {
                 return false;
        }
        return true;
}

// (:..) Function limit_cmd() found on line 2835
int
limit_cmd(int argc, char *const argv[])
{

    // ------------------------------------------------------------
    // This comment is not part of the source file, it is
    // my analisys comment about what this function does.
    //
    // Here it is reading the parameters of 'launchctl limit argv2 argv3'
    // and will call function srt2lim() to convert the args to limit values
    //
    // Function srt2lim() is printed above.
    // ------------------------------------------------------------
    //
    // (:....) skipping to line 2850 inside this function

    if (argc >= 3 && str2lim(argv[2], &slim))
            badargs = true;
    else
            hlim = slim;

    if (argc == 4 && str2lim(argv[3], &hlim))
            badargs = true;

    // ------------------------------------------------------------
    // But before settin the values, there is a verification that
    // prohibits using the word 'unlimited' as a parameter (only
    // if used for 'maxfiles') and this check returns error, exiting
    // the limit_cmd() function [the function we are now inside] and
    // the system kernel paramter is never adjusted if we use
    // the word 'unlimited' as a value.
    //
    // This comment was written by me
    // and is not part of the source file.
    // ------------------------------------------------------------
    //
    // (:....) skiping to line 2906 inside this function

    bool maxfiles_exceeded = false;

    if (strncmp(argv[1], "maxfiles", sizeof("maxfiles")) == 0) {
        if (argc > 2) {
            maxfiles_exceeded = (strncmp(argv[2], "unlimited", sizeof("unlimited")) == 0);
        }

        if (argc > 3) {
            maxfiles_exceeded = (maxfiles_exceeded || strncmp(argv[3], "unlimited", sizeof("unlimited")) == 0);
        }

        if (maxfiles_exceeded) {
            launchctl_log(LOG_ERR, "Neither the hard nor soft limit for \"maxfiles\" can be unlimited. Please use a numeric parameter for both.");
            return 1;
        }
    }

    // -------------------------------------------------------------
    // We can see above, that it is prohibited to use the 'unlimited' value
    // And when we use it, the system assumes the
    // default value of OPEN_MAX which is 10240 !
    //
    // This explains and prove why setting 'unlimited' gives us 10240
    // --------------------------------------------------------------

// *****************************************************************

//
// --------------- Analisys Comment ---------------------------------
// Looking at another file from Kernel source, we can find another
// place where it checks for 'unlimited' value, and also there is
// an explanation by Apple on it.
//
// The comment BELOW IS Original comment from Apple Developers and
// it is inside the file kern_resource.c from MacOS Kernel Source.
//

/* FILE: kern/kern_resource.c  */
// *****************************************************************

case RLIMIT_NOFILE:
        /*
         * Only root can set the maxfiles limits, as it is
         * systemwide resource.  If we are expecting POSIX behavior,
         * instead of clamping the value, return EINVAL.  We do this
         * because historically, people have been able to attempt to
         * set RLIM_INFINITY to get "whatever the maximum is".
        */
        if ( kauth_cred_issuser(kauth_cred_get()) ) {
                if (limp->rlim_cur != alimp->rlim_cur &&
                    limp->rlim_cur > (rlim_t)maxfiles) {
                        if (posix) {
                                error =  EINVAL;
                                goto out;
                        }
                        limp->rlim_cur = maxfiles;
                }
                if (limp->rlim_max != alimp->rlim_max &&
                    limp->rlim_max > (rlim_t)maxfiles)
                        limp->rlim_max = maxfiles;
        }
        else {
                if (limp->rlim_cur != alimp->rlim_cur &&
                    limp->rlim_cur > (rlim_t)maxfilesperproc) {
                        if (posix) {
                                error =  EINVAL;
                                goto out;
                        }
                        limp->rlim_cur = maxfilesperproc;
                }
                if (limp->rlim_max != alimp->rlim_max &&
                    limp->rlim_max > (rlim_t)maxfilesperproc)
                        limp->rlim_max = maxfilesperproc;
        }
        break;

// *****************************************************************

/* END OF CODE ANALYSIS */

This explains why it is impossible to set 'unlimited' again, after changing it for some other value.

How to do it? #

RLIM_INFINITY is defined on line 416 of <sys/resources.h>

/*
 * Symbolic constants for resource limits; since all limits are representable
 * as a type rlim_t, we are permitted to define RLIM_SAVED_* in terms of
 * RLIM_INFINITY.
 */
#define RLIM_INFINITY   (((__uint64_t)1 << 63) - 1)     /* no limit */
#define RLIM_SAVED_MAX  RLIM_INFINITY   /* Unrepresentable hard limit */
#define RLIM_SAVED_CUR  RLIM_INFINITY   /* Unrepresentable soft limit */

In practice, for the current platform, the unlimited INFINITY maximum value is limited to INT_MAX (which is the maximum value of the Integer Type)

Considering that, it means that 'unlimited' means INT_MAX, which is the value 2147483647.

A possible workaround may be set the limit value of 2147483647:

sudo launchctl limit maxfiles 2147483647 2147483647

Because this is the maximum possible value.

Since this is a possible workaround. I would have to go deeper into source to check if this really means 'the same thing' as 'unlimited'.

Warning:

PS: Please, don't set it bigger than 2147483647, because it is SIGNED INT, and if you put 2147483648 (notice the number eight, I just add +1 to that maximum value), the SIGNED INT will be interpreted as negative, and you will instantly almost crash your macOS, because it will not be able to open any other file descriptor, including the one you will need to revert this value back, if trying to adjust it again by executing launchctl with different parameters.

The only solution will be to hard reset your system if you try this. And you may loose all your unsaved things. Try it on some MacOS virtual machine for testing purposes

Source code References:

<sys/resource.h>  https://opensource.apple.com/source/xnu/xnu-4903.221.2/bsd/sys/resource.h.auto.html

<dev/unix_startup.c> https://opensource.apple.com/source/xnu/xnu-4903.221.2/bsd/dev/unix_startup.c.auto.html

<kern/kern_resource.c> https://opensource.apple.com/source/xnu/xnu-4903.221.2/bsd/kern/kern_resource.c.auto.html

<conf/param.c> https://opensource.apple.com/source/xnu/xnu-4903.221.2/bsd/conf/param.c.auto.html

<sys/syslimits.h> https://opensource.apple.com/source/xnu/xnu-4903.221.2/bsd/sys/syslimits.h.auto.html

launchctl.c https://opensource.apple.com/source/launchd/launchd-442.21/support/launchctl.c.auto.html


Why do text messages not appear when off of wi-fi?

iMessage is designed to prefer sending a message over Apple's servers vs sending via the carrier's SMS system.
When you send a message, iMessage checks to see if the recipient is registered with Apple's Messages server. If the target you are messaging is not registered with Apple's Messages server (ie they use an Android phone), your iPhone will send the message via SMS.This uses the carrier's Voice protocols, not Data protocols. This is why you can send a text even without a data plan or with a 'dumb' phone.
When sending to a Registered Messages user, iMessages will send a message via Apple's Messages server. This requires a DATA connection. Apple assumes every iPhone has a Data connection, and since iMessages is designed to NOT use SMS (saving the user money), it will wait until it gets a data connection before sending the message. A Data connection is either EDGE/3G/4G from the carrier, or Wifi.
This is why you can send to a non-iPhone user right away, but an iPhone user does not get the message promptly.
Now, Apple didn't assume everyone pays for text messages, so in case they actually have a texting plan, and PREFER to send via SMS, there is a setting in iMessages that will send a message via SMS, if it fails to send via the preferred Data connection. While by default iMessages will not send Registered users via SMS, its easy to tell it to do so. Simply go into iMessages settings, and enable the 'Send via SMS" setting, and you will be able to send to other iPhone users.

Very long additional info:
Messages is really a combination of SMS + Instant Messaging services. For users of iDevices, it really is a great experience and how a message is delivered is seamless. However, if you use other devices, or if your device is not 'standard' in some way, Messages can be difficult to manage and understand.
Since Messages combines both SMS and IM, it allows Messages to be delivered via both methods. "IM" style messages are delivered via the Apple Message Server, while SMS messages are sent via the carrier service. Where it gets confusing is that even iDevices that have no carrier service at all, such as iPod Touch and some iPads, can send Messages.
The Confusion
If all devices had carrier services, this would be simple: if data service was available, Apple Messages service would send via data, and use SMS all other times. But since all devices do not have carrier services, it gets tricky: An iPhone can send a SMS to another device, and data-based Messages to any iDevice. Of course, it can't send a SMS to an iDevice that does not have carrier service.  Likewise, an iDevice without carrier service can not send a SMS to an iDevice, nor any other device, but they can send a data-based Message to any iDevice. Here is a summary:

iPhone > iDevice:   Messages (data) only
iPhone > iPhone:    Messages and SMS
Android > iPhone:   SMS only
iDevice > iPhone:   Messages only
iPhone > Android:   SMS only
iDevice > Android:  not possible with Messages
Android > iDevice:  not possible with Messages.

Where things get really confusing is when you have registered BOTH a telephone number on your iPhone, and an email address with the Apple Messages Server. If you have an iPhone, it will default to registering your phone number, allowing you to add an email address. an iDevice will allow only an email address, since it does not have a phone number.
For iDevice and iPhone uses, they do not notice or care which contact form was used to send the message: either will do. But in order to send to a non-iDevice, a user of an iPhone MUST send to a phone number (since it goes via SMS). But an iDevice can not send to a non-registered non-iDevice, such as an Android phone at all, since it does not have SMS capability. Nor can an Android phone send to an iDevice over SMS for the same reason.
Therefore, when there is a mix of iDevices, iPhones and Android phones, the user must carefully choose what contact form to use. For example, I have an Android phone, an iPad, and a Mac. I can send Messages to my wife's iPhone from my iPad, to either her phone number or email address, both of which are registered. But to send her a message from my Android, I can only use her phone number. When she contacts me however, she must think first: if she messages me at my email address, it will go to my iPad and Mac, but in order to reach my Android phone, she must choose my phone number. Since most people simply open existing conversations, this gets really confusing it they were conversing using a different contact form.
Your device problems:
I believe your issue is that your iPhone is 'non-standard' in that you do not have a carrier data plan. Therefore, it behaves much like an iDevice like an iPod Touch. Only if an iPod Touch has wifi will Messages work. But since you have SMS, you are able to send an SMS, and likely receive an SMS from non-iDevices. But if another iDevice sends to your registered email, it will fail, until you are on Wifi. I suspect this is true if you send to a registered iphone phone number too: Messages is going to try long and hard to send via data, so will wait until connected. You can force it to use SMS as discussed above.
So, carefully look to see what contact form your wife and you are using when you use Messages. If your wife is sending you Messages using your registered email address, they will not arrive on your phone till you get Wifi, whereas if she is sending to your phone number, you will likely get it right away. An Android will be able to text you immediately, since it is sending via SMS.  I suggest that you both use the phone number only (and set her phone to send via SMS). You can register to receive Messages sent to a registered phone number via your Mac Messages as well, so that you can receive Messages sent to the iPhone via both iPhone and Mac.


iMac won't let me login with network account

Interestingly, I found a solution for my issue after some testing. In the hope that it helps someone else, this is what I found.

My initial, and many subsequent logins on the device were just Username & Password, and this just stopped working. When I tried domain\username and password it sailed through, asked me to update my keychain, and I was logged in.

That's quite an unusual change of behaviour, as if the device had forgotten that my account was a network account, and was trying to authenticate it locally. There's only one local account configured on the device and the name of it is nowhere close to the name of my network account.

I think I'm going to recommend all users to login using their domain\username as their login name, in order to avoid any support calls for this issue.


What might cause mouse and keyboard freezes after updating to OSX 10.8.2?

Several users have found this to work (and as far as I can evaluate, it fixed it for me as well):

Log in/switch to an administrator account
open Terminal
sudo rm /Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.keystone.agent.plist
sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.google.keystone.daemon.plist


How to make my iPhone 7 faster (at least decent)

The claim you refer about Apple purposely making the phone slow is one of these things that can seem both true and false depending on your point of view.
The short version of that story is that the battery in your phone is a wearpart - and as it wears down it will loose capacity and perform worser. At a certain point the battery is weakened so much that you risk the phone just spontaneously turning off as the battery cannot supply the necessary power. At that point Apple applies "performance management", which essentially means making the CPU a bit slower in order to consume less power and prevent the phone from turning off unexpectedly.
You can disable this behavior from Settings > Battery > Battery Health. It will display the following text if performance management is applied:

"This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the
battery was unable to deliver the necessary peak power. Performance
management has been applied to help prevent this from happening again.
Disable…"

You can disable performance management to ensure the CPU is run at full speed again. However, it will automatically be turned on again, if the phone is unexpectedly powered off due to battery problems.
Essentially if your current battery is worn down, you want to replace the battery to fix this problem.
However, if your previous battey was worn down and performance management applied - and you replaced the battery without disabling performance management again, then you can simply disable it to regain performance. If you used an official, authorized repair shop, they should have done this for you as part of the battery replacement though.
All in all the "truthiness" of the claim now depends on whether you think an slightly throttled iPhone is faster than a non-throttled iPhone that might turn off at the most unfortunate time.


Cmd click on top of Xcode used to open a Finder - this no longer works in Yosemite

I now crtl click on the Project container or a file inside to get to the Project folder or file.


External USB drive connected to Airport Extreme doesn't show up in Airport Utility

I had the same problem with my Western Digital USB drive. I re-formatted it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled, not case-sensitive, not encrypted) and it worked.


My iPhone 4 (model AI332) won't turn on or charge

The real answer is you can:

a) pay someone to test a new battery in the device and tell you if it's just the battery
b) buy a new battery (or one that is so old and used, that it doesn't hold a long charge, but works well enough to restore the device when it's being powered from a computer).

There's no way the internet can do the diagnosis on one device with the details you have provided. We can explain how to test things, how things work but generally refrain from making guesses.


Does cloning with SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner clone everything from a HDD to a SSD?

SuperDuper! doesn't create the Lion Recovery partition on the new disk so Carbon Copy Cloner is a better choice for cloning to an empty drive.

If you use SuperDuper, you'll need to reinstall Lion afterwards to create the recovery partition.  It's a non-destructive reinstall so all your data and applications are preserved (although it still sounds scary to me).

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/forums/showthread.php?p=31750#post31750


Make open file 'finder' larger by default

Generally speaking a window remembers the last size it was set to before closing it. That can and will be overridden on an individual folder basis. EG a folder will usually remember the size and position of the finder window that was opened to view it.
Unfortunately the days of a truly spatial Finder went away with macOS X. So the Mac does not always remember the window size, icon arrangement and such. A feature I really miss from the Classic MacOS days.
But, again, macOS should remember the size that the last Finder window that was opened.


I assume you have local calendars and iCloud calendars.

Make sure that the events and birthdays are only in one calendar. I had the same problem before. After consolidating my calendars and moving them to iCloud it was fixed.


Hide a Fluid app toolbar using applescript

It the target app does not have focus then there is no menu item to click of its process.

Add tell application "Test App" to activate before trying to click a menu item.

tell application "Test App" to activate
tell application "System Events"
    tell process "Test App"
        if menu item "Hide Status Bar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1 exists then
            click menu item "Hide Status Bar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1
        end if
        if menu item "Hide Bookmark Bar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1 exists then
            click menu item "Hide Bookmark Bar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1
        end if
        if menu item "Hide Tab Bar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1 exists then
            click menu item "Hide Tab Bar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1
        end if
        if menu item "Hide Toolbar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1 exists then
            click menu item "Hide Toolbar" of menu "View" of menu bar 1
        end if
    end tell
end tell

Also note if there are any timing issues you may have to add a delay command after the activate command, e.g.: delay 1


From: Get the latest version of Safari for your Mac

  You can keep Safari up to date by keeping macOS up to date.

  Safari is included with your Mac. To get the latest version of Safari, install the latest macOS.

  To keep Safari up to date for an earlier macOS, install the latest
  updates for that macOS.

Note: Updated to reflect changes in Apple Support HT204416 as of: Jun 15, 2017


Updating iOS through public WiFi in hotel

iOS updates are cryptographically signed by Apple - one among a whole slew of integrity and security measures in iOS (PDF document, see section "System Software Authorization").  If something modifies the update over the air, the update will fail to validate, and iOS will not apply the update.


Maybe duplicate of https://stackoverflow.com/questions/28669587/python-segmentation-fault-11-when-running-import-cv-or-import-cv2.
Did you install python through brew? If yes then there is probably crash between built-in version that ships with macOS and that installed through brew. Try using absolute path /usr/bin/python -c "import cv2" (built-in) and /usr/local/bin/python -c "import cv" (from brew). One should probably work.


Prevent Mail pop up automatically when there's a new email

IF you go to Notifications > Mail you should be able to change the Mail Alert Style to "None" to avoid mail alerts altogether.

Source: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4306641


iPhone 6s backup and restore from iTunes

Thank you for making sure to note all of the iOS versions and that you updated to 10.3.1 already, since that would definitely be my first suggestion.

I work on software called Decipher Backup Repair, that deals with issues just like this. Sometimes there are glitches in the backup that cause it to be corrupt, and we fix those issues to make a version of the backup that is restorable in iTunes again.

Before getting to our software though, I would double check a few more things, such as trying a different cable, usb port, etc, just in case, if you have extras handy.


Can't see the image or movie file dimensions in Finder

Files on the remote server are not indexed by Spotlight. Try using identify or ffprobe:

brew install imagemagick ffmpeg
identify image.png
ffprobe -i video.mp4


How can I buy an unlocked iPhone 5s in the US?

It is up to Apple to decide when and where unlocked iPhones are sold. Currently in the U.S., Apple does not explicitly state that it sells unlocked iPhone 5s - the Apple online store page for iPhone 5s does not mention unlocked phones, unlike the Apple online store in say, Canada.

However, buying directly from Apple and choosing T-Mobile as the carrier means paying the full price, and it may be unlocked (do not purchase from T-Mobile). See this thread titled  iPhone 5s purchased from Apple is not unlocked on the T-Mobile forums for more information. After buying the T-Mobile option from Apple, if it seems locked, activate it with T-Mobile and request T-Mobile for an unlock.

Also note that all unlocked iPhone 5s models sold on Amazon and elsewhere are probably from other countries since the pricing is a lot higher (which may be an indication that it's not easy to get unlocked iPhone 5s in the U.S.).


How to set Apple TV's language back to English?

The top item in the main settings menu is General > on the next page you want Language, which is item 1 (of 2) in the 4th group.

If you ignore the groups, it's item number 14 on mine.


How can you active the Script Menu Bar with AppleScript?

10.13 (High Sierra) and before

If you do not want to have to go through Script Editor > Preferences > General to check the [ ] Show Script menu in menu bar check box, then here is one way of enabling the Script Menu using AppleScript:

tell application "System Events"
    if not (script menu enabled) then
        tell current application
            do shell script "open '/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/Script Menu.menu'"
        end tell
    end if
end tell

You could just use:

do shell script "open '/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/Script Menu.menu'"

However, since System Events has a script menu enabled property, it makes sense to check whether or not it's enabled first. Either way though, opening the target file loads the Script Menu and checks the [√] Show Script menu in menu bar check box in: Script Editor > Preferences > General

Also, from Terminal, you could just run:

open '/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/Script Menu.menu'

Opening the target file in any manner shown accomplishes the goal.

By the way, when the Script Menu is enabled the target plist file is:

com.apple.systemuiserver.plist

The key is a Boolean and is NSStatusItem Visible com.apple.scriptmenu, and will also have an element in the menuExtras Array as a String holding the pathname of the item.

Note that the information above was gathered under macOS 10.13.5.

10.14 (Mojave) and up

The script menu has been upgraded into a full-fledged application, instead of a .menu file. It is now located at /System/Library/CoreServices/Script Menu.app.

To activate it on 10.14+, the terminal/shell command changes to:

open '/System/Library/CoreServices/Script Menu.app'


Command + Tab won't restore a minimised app

While holding ⌘ and tapping ⇥ to cycle apps, when you get to an app with a minimised window, instead of just releasing ⌘, before releasing ⌘ hold ⌥alt to restore minimised windows.

  the minimised app won't open

This is a bit of a misnomer. The app itself is opened (the macOS term is ‘activated’), as shown by the menu bar changing to display the menus for the newly activated app. It is more accurate to say that the minimised window is not opened (restored).

The distinction is important because I use this feature constantly (it really is a feature!). If I minimise a window, that doesn't mean I no longer want to interact with the app in other ways. For example, a common workflow for me is:

Open Finder and work in a Finder window.
Minimise the Finder window since I won't be needing it for a while, but want to keep my assortment of tabs etc.
Work on something else for a bit.
Now I want a Finder window for what I'm working on now. I don't want to restore the Finder window from being minimised, so I'll ⌘⇥ to Finder to activate the application and not restore the window, then ⌘N for a new window.

If you want to switch between apps as a whole, consider taking action on the app rather than a specific window: use the Hide functionality with ⌘H to hide all windows of an app. Then, when ⌘⇥ activates the app, the Show action is performed for you and the windows appear again.

You can always restore minimised windows by holding ⌥ when ⌘⇥.


Is is possible to add tag, notes or labels to backups made by Time Machine?

No, it's not possible to tag any specific revision in TimeMachine.


This is all very anecdotal, but the 'best' number of cores to assign for maximum performance is 'the actual number of cores, excluding virtual cores'. In your case 8. You could probably get away with giving it more RAM too. 8GB is safe out of 16, though you might get away with 12.
You'll never get a VM to compile as fast as a hardware install, if all else is like for like. Compiling is always going to work the machine hard - or it's not going as fast as it can. The trick of using all the 'real' cores is that you leave yourself enough breathing room to still be able to work without hinderance on the Mac side at the same time.


How to open a app in fullscreen via terminal in bash code

Here's the AppleScript you can use to launch the app and then go to fullscreen mode.

on run argv
    if (count of argv) > 0 then
        set result to item 1 of argv
    else
        set result to text returned of (display dialog "Enter the name of the app to launch" default answer "")
    end if

    set appName to result

    tell application appName
        activate
        delay 3

        tell application "System Events" to tell process appName
            set value of attribute "AXFullScreen" of window 1 to true
        end tell

    end tell
end run

Paste that to Script Editor.app, save it as a script (run only). Give osascript access to accessibility functions in Preferences->Privacy->Accessibility (click + and locate /usr/bin/osascript).

With that you can run something like osascript fullscreen.scpt Photos.


Are Apple Watch step counts saved to Health.app on iPhone

As long as you give it permission to access and change data in Health, it's all (steps, walking & running distance, heart rate, active calories, etc.) right there in Health. I know this first-hand, as a proud Apple Watch owner since April 24.


Maximize current window completely to hide background in Macbook

I found this app BetterTouchTool. It lets me define a keyboard shortcut to maximize a window fully, without leaving black spaces on either sides.

Download app and open preferences by clicking its icon (boxed index finger) in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
Select 'Keyboard' tab
Select 'Global' in Applications on right
Finally choose Keyboard shortcut and Predefined Action.

I chose the following keyboard shortcuts, which I found safest and non overlapping:

Control ↑ Maximize Window
Control ← Maximize Window Left
Control → Maximize Window Right
Control ↓ Maximize window to bottom half


When I run into this kind of problem, I first identify the device with:

diskutil list

(e.g., /dev/disk3 -- BE SURE TO GET THE CORRECT DEVICE OR YOU WILL HAVE DATA LOSS)

Then I use the dd command to zero it out.

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/disk3 bs=8M

I hardly ever wait to completion, rather just a few seconds (maybe 10-15) and then press Control-C to stop it. This is just enough to wipe out everything at the start of the device that tells how it's formatted.

At that point, I go back into Disk Utility, insert the device, and repartition it, putting on a new formatted filesystem.


How can I tell if my Mac Wifi adapter supports "ap mode"

As far as I know all Macs sold within the last many years support AP mode.
I doubt that your problem is that your WiFi card does not support AP mode, rather it is the fact that you're operating on a virtual network interface inside VirtualBox or Docker - and that doesn't allow exposing such features to the guest OS.
Instead remove the WiFi interface from the host (i.e. it should not "grab" it over USB/PCIe or whatever - it should not load its drivers). Then expose it to the guest as a USB/PCIe device, and let it grab it.


Does an app downloaded on one device automatically show up another device using the same Apple ID?

If two devices have the same AppleID (typically what would happen if you have an iPhone and an iPad), then if an app is download on one device, it will change the icon in the App Store to show a cloud with an arrow rather then the "Get" or price button.

Additionally, depending on the iTunes & App Store settings in the Settings app, the apps may automatically download to the other device.


Can't delete apps that are no longer available in App Store

The apps didn't have .ipa files in my system, which may have been part of the problem. What I ended up doing was a search in iTunes (the global search at the upper right corner of the app) for each one. In the results, there is an icon with three dots, clicking on that icon brings up a contextual menu with the option to delete.

That error message I was getting before no longer appears after that.


Monkey sees monkey does :)

Assuming you are the Administrator (open system preferences- users and groups check under your profile name that says Admin.
Now this is bit surgical, but just follow the steps (you will remove any web sites blocking)

Open Terminal app located in your utility folder (it looks like funny screen with only text in it.

To get started, Copy and paste the following code in Terminal:

sudo /bin/cp /etc/hosts /etc/hosts-original

Terminal will ask for your password. (same password that you use to log in to computer)

Now we can start editing the hosts file.

Copy and paste this code in Terminal (all one line):

sudo /Applications/TextEdit.app/Contents/MacOS/TextEdit /etc/hosts

The hosts file will open in new window called TextEdit.

Notice the following lines and do not delete them under any circumstances:

127.0.0.1 localhost

255.255.255.255 broadcasthost

::1 localhost

fe80::1%lo0 localhost

You should not have any further lines after those.

If you do! just delete them. (those are the ones preventing you from accessing other websites)

When you’re done, quit TextEdit and save the hosts file when prompted.

Restart your computer.


iMessage in iOS5 is a great alternative to email as you don't have to mess with a subject and it pushes the link quite rapidly to another iOS device.

Settings -> Messages -> iMessage (On)


How to create certain two-character items with the Unicode Hex keyboard?

In my TextEdit in 10.13, I can get the French flag, which is 1f1eb 1f1f7, by typing the utf-16 for each of these separately with the option key held down, and they do combine:

D83CDDEB D83CDDF7

(To find out character components of glyphs that display as a unit you can use the app UnicodeChecker)


Newbie Mac user - how to start over with Mac mini that has Windows installed

The easiest way to tackle this is to treat the Mac mini as if it had a blank drive and you needed to (re)install macOS from Internet Recovery.

Install OS on iMac with blank hard drive is a post that has all of the steps involved in getting a "factory fresh" install of macOS on your machine
Your late 2012 mini already supports Internet Recovery
If all else fails, you can use your iMac to create a USB Installer of macOS


If you have .dic and .aff files, just put them Library/Spelling or Home/Library/Spelling, making the folder if necessary.  Apple's instructions are in the setup area of system prefs/keyboard/text/spelling.

I have not seen such files for Japanese, but they may exist somewhere.  MS Word has Japanese Proofing Tools usable with that app.

Some info on how to make spellcheck dictionaries is here.

If you need reference and translation dictionaries, Apple provides those in the Dictionary App:


How can I remove cmd+shift+left/right shortcut in Finder?

In System Preferences select Keyboard, then the Shortcuts tab. Click App Shortcuts in the left column, then the + button. Next you will change the Application to Finder, Menu Title to Show Next Tab, and the Keyboard Shortcut to whatever new you'd like.

Keyboard Shortcut can be anything you want, but I might recommend controlshifttab (for Show Previous Tab) and controltab (for Show Next Tab).

Repeat the steps but change the Menu Title to Show Previous Tab for the other shortcut


OS X: Always have an app open at specific location in the Dock, without permanently keeping it in the Dock?

No. Apps that are not kept in dock when opened will be positioned at the end of the dock.


How to unload a disk in mac os x Mavericks so that you can partition? (failed to unload disk)

Try booting form external disk:

Create it first with your OS X version.

Attach the USB **boot** drive to the Mac and reboot
Hold down the OPTION key during boot, then select the attached boot drive (typically has an orange icon at the boot menu)
At the boot menu, choose “Disk Utility” (if using an Installer disk, pull down the “Utilities” menu to access Disk Utility)
Go to “First Aid” and verify the disk, then repair if needed
--> Now perform the original task that threw the “Couldn’t Unmount” error


£# key binding changed after El Capitan update

It seems that after upgrading my keyboard settings have been changed from US to UK. To fix the key binding issue described above I needed to go to:

System preferences -> Keyboard -> Input sources and click the + button to add UK as my input source, then delete the US input source in the menu of the LHS. Thanks very much for Mark for getting me to check this.


How to Install and Run Yosemite in Parallels?

Yes - I've gotten installs of Yosemite to work on Parallels - but on a Mac Pro. I installed Yosemite fairly seamlessly from a Recovery HD - so you would want to install Yosemite onto an external drive (or SD media if your mac has one equipped) and then virtualize from the Recovery HD if you can't test well enough on a second install of OS X.


How can I convert an AI file to a CDR file?

What version of CorelDRAW? What's the workflow?

.CDR is a proprietary format, so I'm not aware of any proper supported exporters. The sK1 project reverse-engineered the format, and claims to have the best support. But since recent versions of CorelDRAW can import Adobe Illustrator CS4 files, I think you would get the best results to just save it as .ai and import it into CorelDRAW.


Adding an Apple TV to the Home app in tvOS 11.4

Was the Apple TV your home hub? If so then you can check and see if you see Homekit as Connected:

On your Apple TV, go to Settings > Accounts > iCloud and make sure that your Apple TV shows HomeKit as Connected. If you don’t see HomeKit, then your Apple TV isn't connected as a home hub.

Set up Apple TV as a home hub

On your iOS device or Mac, set up two-factor authentication for your
Apple ID. Then go to iCloud and make sure that you have iCloud
Keychain turned on.
On your Apple TV, go to Settings > Accounts and make sure that
you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID as your iOS
device.
After you sign in to iCloud, your Apple TV automatically sets itself
up as a home hub. To check the status of your home hub, go to
Settings > Accounts > iCloud and look under HomeKit to see if your
home hub is connected. Learn what to do if you don’t see HomeKit.


How to rename a bluetooth device in OSX Lion?

System Preferences > Bluetooth

Select (click) the device you wish to rename

Click the gear icon at the bottom of the list and Rename is one of the actions you can take on each paired device.


Is it possible to create sub-menus for Services?

There is no API to perform this currently.

Items in the Services Menu

The items in the Services menu are commands categorized by what type of data they operate on. The application icon of the application providing a service appears to the left of the service’s name in the menu. If two or more applications provide a service with an identical name, the name of the application providing each one is appended in parentheses after the name of the service in the menu.
The Services menu is populated when the menu is opened.

I suppose you could hack the OS (assuming SIP is not enabled) to add that functionality, but it's not something that's publicly available or documented widely that a private API exists to do what you ask.


Screen captures of windows larger than screen

You can take screenshots of entire windows, even those that extend beyond the bounds of the screen, by pressing ⌘⇧4, then space, then clicking the window.


Does downgrading Lion to Snow Leopard also downgrade firmware?

No. Firmware is outside the scope of traditional OS updates (e.g., 10.7.2). On Macs, there is actually no way to revert a firmware update (even if you download a prior revision).


Data still syncing with separate apple IDs

If I get what you mean, you would probably like Family Sharing. It allows you to share data with another Apple ID, but keep thing separate (e.g your mom can download iTunes things from your account and you can download things from her account, but she can't read your iMessage and you can't read hers).


How do you restore the OS without restoration disks?

No, you do not have to purchase OS X more than once.
If you are referring to OS X Lion and Mountain Lion, both of which were distributed from the App Store, one purchase is enough for every Mac that you own or control.  (see Apple's EULA for this) Additionally, Lion and Mountain Lion have Internet Recovery, which means that a drive that fails or any new drive installed without OS X will be automatically connected to the Internet and installed with a fresh copy of your respective OS.
Additionally, Apple has their own Recovery Disk Assistant for making USB drives for physical media recovery solutions, or you can use LionDiskMaker. Make sure to read LionDiskMaker's FAQ (in the link provided),  as this answers crucial questions concerning the application's usage.


Install High Sierra using Screen Sharing

I've tested this by screen sharing a VM and it seems to work great!

Using macOS screen sharing app, connect as an administrator and be the only user logged in to the machine at the moment. If, on connecting, you get a message that another user is logged in and whether you want to share session or create a new session, cancel and log in as the correct user. The update will proceed correctly regardless of whether you do this, however you won't be able to see the progress of the update, as other sessions are disconnected immediately.

I'm not aware of any macOS update which has ever required input outside a user account. The setup assistant (‘Sign in to iCloud’, etc) happens after you log in to your user account again, which is usual screen sharing.

Upon starting the update, the user is logged out but the progress bar is still a standard macOS application. Screen sharing continues to work fine at this point.

Once the ‘progress bar’ stage of the installation is complete, the machine reboots, and screen sharing is disconnected. macOS screen sharing app shows ‘reconnecting’ and eventually the connection is resumed. If your Mac takes a while to reboot, screen sharing may time out, so wait a while and manually reconnect.

If you have Little Snitch installed, it should be fine, but might also be worth choosing ‘Silent Mode — Allow Connections’ just in case for the duration of the update.


Is there a way to turn off email notifications with find my iPhone?

Currently, it's not possible to disable security notifications from iCloud services.


Is it possible to first enter a command and then choose "run in Terminal" in Quicksilver?

First, you'll need to install the Terminal Plugin.

Run any command from Quicksilver? Just enter text mode (by pressing .), enter your command and choose either the "Run Text Command in Terminal" action (opens a new terminal window and runs the command) or the "Run Command in Shell" action (runs the command in the background and returns the results to Quicksilver)
Run a script? Just browse to the script and choose the "Run" or "Run in Terminal [...]" actions.


Will a virtualised copy of Mountain Lion on recent hardware run the Adobe CS5 Suite with comparable performance to an Early 2009 iMac?

This is difficult, at best, to tell without the specs on the current Mac and what Mac you are planning on getting. Even then determining how well the Adobe apps in question will run is entirely subjective. How "well" something will run depends on how the person using the virtualized macOS perceives it to run.
That said, you should likely not purchase an entry level model of Mac (EG cheapest, iMac, cheapest MacBook, cheapest Mac mini, etc) with base level storage and RAM.
That said Parallels (and for that matter VMware Fusion) will both allow you to virtualize macOS on macOS and provide the ability to run those Adobe Apps that your father uses.
Note that transplanting an image of the old Mac's drive to use in the virtualization software might be more problematic than just installing a fresh copy of Mountain Lion in your virtualization environment, updating it and then using Migration Assistant to copy over his settings and apps. However other people may have better advice on that front.


There's no such "install" function in Xcode.

If your program needs a library in order to run, you'll need to either bundle the library with the program or create an installer that copies the library and your application into place.

You can bundle the library with the program by statically linking (effectively not having a library at runtime) - or by embedding. Embedded is explained by Apple here:

https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/technotes/tn2435/_index.html

Usually on development machines, you install internal dependencies such as libraries through the use of build scripts or build steps addded in Xcode. You could simply add a new Build Phase (named "Copy Library" or similar) - and then add a Copy Files step, where you copy your .dylib (or .so or whatever) to the intended destination.


Execute a custom script when OS X 10.8 is in Power nap?

As far as I know, it's not possible.

The reason is that Power Nap doesn't have an API that 3rd party apps can hook into (so apps could trigger a wake event or be notified when one occurs).

Whether this will remain like that in the future depends upon Apple. It would be interesting to see if there's a simple way to detect when one is in power nap mode, but doesn't seem to be available afaik.

If you leave a script that pulls from git every minute, in theory, since Power Nap is really a power on without graphics and audio state, maybe it would get executed (if it was running before). untested.

More info: https://stackoverflow.com/a/11692367/2684


These could be some temporary files - usually, after a restart they get deleted freeing precious space.

When you connect iOS device to iTunes, these often show as "other" in Summary tab.


Is there a way to cap the temperature so my wrist are not burning?

Try SMCFanControl for Mac.

It's what I use when my Mac gets too hot, it increases fan speed to cool the CPU and other components down pretty quickly.

You can set custom fan speeds by clicking the application's view on the menu bar (it will say something like 99°F 1199rpm) and clicking Preferences or Active Setting.


What is the length of a frame in Final Cut Pro in seconds? Possible to specify it?

The length of a frame is proportional to the frames per second of your clip.

Professional films, and HD television are typically set with a base frame rate of 23.98fps.  So 1 frame will be 1/23.98th of a second.

Further details on specifying and adjusting the base frame rate in Final Cut Pro can be read indepth here:  https://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=D%26section=4%26tasks=true


This isn't directly related to what @fsb suggests because this issue is caused by the fact the machine needs a firmware update, this is part of the usual install process of High Sierra, but if you've been using images it won't have the Firmware update.

There are some steps to try on this website which I myself am trying now...

https://www.amsys.co.uk/deploying-firmware-updates-imaging/


Why would my external USB3 drive (a Drobo) keep getting disconnected?

Are you using the USB cable that came with the Drobo? I know I got a bad one with my Drobo 5D that Drobo had to replace. I also recall some discussion a few years back about issues with Drobos sometimes disconnecting when the host went to sleep. Is your Mini set to never sleeps do not to sleep the connected drives?

I’m using a Thunderbolt connection with my 2012 Mini so my only USB/Drobo experience is a 5D with Windows 10.


New Airport Time capsule on dorm network

Since you only have 1 IP address from the school, you need to make sure that your airport is setup in NAT mode, and not in bridged mode.  You'll need to make sure it's giving out DHCP addresses as well, and you may want to make sure it's not in a range used elsewhere on campus so that you don't run afoul of weird routing issues.

I suggest the 172.16 range since it's rarely used by institutions in my experience, YMMV.

Let me know if this is helpful!


Spilled stuff on my iPod, USB cable port doesn't work

If it's still under warranty, absolutely take it into an Apple Store (not an authorized Apple repair shop) and talk to one of the Geniuses. Tell them the story, and above all be completely honest with them.

I've had my iPhone 4 replaced for a faulty home button, but couldn't reproduce the symptoms. My friend, the same deal (we really did try with his, but just couldn't reproduce the issue). My other friend dropped her iPhone 4 from a truck, smashed the glass. They happily gave her a new one, no hassle. My brother, same exact deal (although he did not drop it from a truck, but rather it fell from his pocket).

Some Geniuses tell you they charge $299 for a replacement, but will often waive that fee the first time. Other's will smile and make your day.

I encourage everyone I know to put Apple's legendary customer service to the test.

Now if it's not under warranty, cleaning it before it sits on there too long and likely corrodes the connectors is an excellent idea. You want to grab a q-tip (cotton swab) and some isopropyl alcohol (try to grab 99.9% pure if you can). Do not use anything else, it will harm the connectors. And again, I strongly suggest you do this soon.


Best app to edit text in PDF files on OS X?

Honestly, if you can stomach the investment, go with apps from the Adobe suite.  I'm a graphic designer and I find it easier to use InDesign and Illustrator than those other less established apps.  If you have a little bit of time to learn them, they're pretty easy to use for basic tasks.


Try this: http://cydia.saurik.com/package/org.thebigboss.ios6completetheme/

I'm not yet jailbroken but plan on doing it soon so I can't garuntee this works


Temporarily put OS X notifications in "do not disturb" mode?

You can option click on the notification center icon in the menu to quickly enable or disable alerts and banners.

(Notifications are temporarily disabled and will be automatically reenabled the next day)


I added your coordinates Apple Maps, I don't know if the place is correct,

anyway, after finding the correct location on the map, tap and hold if there is no pin to drop one, and then tap on the pin to show options.

You can create a new contact or add to an existing one from there.


How do I make an iMovie 11 project into a DVD without iDVD?

Apple has just issued an update to iDVD to make it more stable, and help with importing from iPhoto. With any luck, it will solve this. Get it through Software Update, or from here.


Disable Active Noise Cancelling on Powerbeats3

Powerbeats3 do not have active noise cancellation.
They only have passive noise cancellation and there's been no published plans to add ANC to them in the future.
There's nothing for you to enable/disable for these headphones.


Is there a way to get iTunes to transfer my apps on an offline machine?

You can transfer from iPad to Laptop using Internet and iTunes.

Now use a cross-over Ethernet cable, and transfer from Laptop to PC.

There is no Internet involved here, just the cable.

How to use cross over cable set up.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/connect-laptop-pc-via-ethernet-cable-56523.html

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/connect-two-computers-crossover-cable#1TC=windows-7

All above also works in reverse.

Get the crossover ethernet cable.

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-CAT5E-Crossover-Cable-feet-Red/dp/B000067RFT


How to get list of users connected to file sharing?

You can open Activity Monitor and the right-most column of the displayed data is Users. Click on users to sort the data by user. You can then see who all is on the computer. This method was explained in the OSX Daily article found here.


Cannot log in to apps or websites on iPad 1

Try to enter to your iCloud account on another browser or laptop and look for your old iPad and try to reset it. Another thing that you can do is in Settings app look for your app store login problems.


How to export downloaded PDFs from iBooks on iOS to a computer?

You will need to use iFunbox as your iOS tool to manage PDF files on iOS. This iOS tool makes it quick and easy to export PDF files from iPad and iPhone to Windows and Mac computers. Make sure you download and install this app on your computer before proceeding.

Once you have downloaded and installed iFunbox, connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac/ PC and then start the app. Once the devices are connected, you will detect a file list on the right-hand side of the iFunbox. When you click on the File Browser button, you will see the iBooks option. Click the iBooks list so that you can see all the PDF files and books on your iPhone or iPad. Now you can choose the PDF files you wish to backup. To do this, hold or drag shift and click to choose the PDF files to back up. You will then need to right-click on the PDF files and select copy to Mac/ PC to save the PDF files on your computer.

Disclaimer: I am a satisfied user of this application iFunbox, and have no financial or other ties to the developer of this application.


Adjust delay for activating Full Screen Mode toolbar

Try
defaults write -g NSWindowResizeTime -float 0.001

or
defaults delete -g NSWindowResizeTime

to revert it.  Taken from http://www.defaults-write.com/disable-full-screen-animation-of-os-x/.


Need AirPlay and a network drive - is having two devices my only option?

I believe that most of the features offered by the Express would be redundant with the AirPort Extreme, so perhaps the Apple TV would be a more appealing option. Since the Apple TV is exclusively a media device, you gain a remote control and video streaming.  The Apple TV will only output audio over HDMI or Optical, so you would need to ensure that your current sound system is compatible. The AirPort Express outputs audio over standard 3.5 mm as well as 1/8" TOSLINK optical.

An alternative would be to replace your current sound system's receiver with one that features AirPlay streaming: http://usa.denon.com/us/Airplayus/index.html
This would be significantly more expensive than an Apple TV or an Airport Express, but would cut down on the number of devices involved in your set up.


How does Keynote decide which display to appear on?

More recent versions of keynote don't have that preference.
Instead: start the presentation. On the presenter notes screen you'll see these icons:

Click on the one that's second from the right (that looks like 2 screens being switched :-)


What is the iPhone's standby policy regarding WiFi and 3G?

As you've noticed, the iPhone switches off WiFi when it sleeps and uses 3G. This is by design. The 3G radio consumes less battery power.

  When does the iPhone switch back to 3G even if it has WiFi signal?

As soon as you wake the phone it will being re-enabling sleep-disabled services like the WiFi radio. If you were previously joined to a wireless network that is still within range your phone should re-join that network a few seconds after you wake it up. Here is where problems can crop up - a burp in your router or temporary interference can prevent the WiFi from rejoining and if your data coverage is fast enough, you may not notice you are now on paid 3G data. Especially if you are streaming video or playing a game and the menu bar is hidden.

If will switch back to 3G if you tell it to forget the current Wi-Fi network it's joined to and have it set to no auto-join any other known network in range. Or shortly after you put it back to sleep.

  Can I modify this behavior somewhere?

All of the Wi-Fi behaviour is set using the Settings app, under the Wi-Fi menu.

You can turn the Wi-Fi radio off completely here. This will stop the phone from searching for wireless networks altogether and you'll be running completely on cellular data services. (See #1 in screen shot)

You can set what the phone does if the Wi-Fi radio is on, networks are detected, but it is not currently joined to any of them. In this circumstance the phone can prompt you to join a network or do nothing and let you manually join a network if you so desire. (See #2 in the screen shot).

You can also manually chose a network here. And, if you're currently joined to a network, you can click the > arrow next to its name to get the details and, if you want to, "forget" the network and disconnect from it.


Menus overlap/hide Menu Extras. How to access?

I've searched far and wide for a way to do the same thing. The best I can come up with is an app called AccessMenuBarApps.


The short answer to this is YES.

I have done this exact thing in my iMac and it works perfectly.  You don't have to "uninstall" the Fusion drive.  Once you remove the HDD, you would have effectively destroyed the Fusion drive requiring the original (128GB) SSD to be reformatted.

I personally opted to create a new Fusion drive of the 128GB and 1TB Fusion drive for a 1.128TB drive, but you for format them and use them independently as well.


Removing account from iCal to which I have lost access

I tried Kvass's solution, it wasn't easy to click the "accounts" in the split second after closing the error window, but I did it.

I then disabled each of my ical accounts and the error window went away.

Then I went back through activating each account one by one until the error message appeared again, narrowing down which account was the culprit.

I then disabled that account permanently and re-added the calendar events from that account to my good one. So far it's been 20 mins and it's working.

Not the most time efficient or technical solution, but I finally have relief!


Will iOS upgrade require me to enter iCloud password?

Looks like this answers my question:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/ios

Quote:

  Apple ID

  You'll be asked for your account name and password after updating.


How to remove iCloud account from used iPhone?

Take it back to the shop. Only the original owner can disable it, or Apple, if you can prove ownership & sale by its original owner [which is harder than you think].

See How can I bypass Activation Lock?

If you can contact the original owner, then point them to this Apple web page -
What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

…see about halfway down, how they can do it after they already sold the phone.
Once they have removed it from their iCloud account, it will unlock & you can set up as a new device.


On iOS, is there any way to see what the “Documents & Sync” system service is using cellular data for?

Take a look at "Wi-Fi Assist", which is found at Settings --> Cellular --> right near the bottom of the list.  This setting uses your cellular data when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor.

This may account for cell usage even when you have iCloud Drive turned off.


Can I run iOS 5 Apps on my iOS 3.1.3 iPod touch?

You can't run applications made for newer versions of iOS on 3.1.3.  They rely on features, APIs, and potentially even hardware that do not exist on your old iPod.

Here is further discussion on why this is generally not possible - even when you jailbreak an iOS device.


View individual artists in compilation albums?

I've written “Various Artists” in the Album Artist field, and ticked the Compilations box. It works fine for me in iTunes, on my iPad, iPhone, iPod nano and my ATV. So my suggestion is to try write something in the Album Artist field.


yes performance is excellent with hardware virtualisation. Ableton, pro tools, cubase all run great on i5.


I forgot the password for my me.com account. how can I get it?

Go to https://iforgot.apple.com and follow the instructions there.


How can I restrict access to certain Preference Panes?

Parental controls looks like a good answer for my needs.

However, what my work has used for restricting accounts is MCX policies applied through Workgroup Manager.


TextWrangler always comes to front when switching monitors

Quitting TextWrangler and re-opening it fixed the problem.


How can I boot my MBP into normal mode despite shift key being broken (and on)?

Did you try holding the option key through the power-on?  On my MacBook Pro, the combination of option + shift seems to boot normally; while, just shift goes to safe mode as expected.


IOS 9.2: My "General> Profiles and Device management" is gone?

This option will not be displayed if you do not have an installed profile. You don't actually install profiles from the settings. Profiles can be installed through different channels, whether it be an email invitation or a website. The only reason profiles show up in settings is so you can manage/delete them easily. Before I had profiles, I didn't have the settings option to manage them.


If you don't see Unicode data in right-hand sidebar, under your chosen glyph's Name, then you need to add Unicode to your list of categories on the left sidebar.

At the top left, click the Gear icon [it always looks greyed-out until you click it]
Select Customise List…
Scroll down the Select Categories list, open Code Tables & check Unicode.

[I've composited this picture, you won't really see both menus at once]

Click Done & click any other glyph to make your new information display.


Here is a repost of my suggestion from a similar thread, expanding on nelson's response. The advantage is that you do not need to disable iCloud Keychain globally to resolve this issue:

I too was facing this problem and came up with a slightly more elegant workaround.

In the end, I deleted all of the relevant Wi-Fi networks from iCloud Keychain and used configuration profiles to install the network credentials on the desired devices instead.

I have written a step by step guide for those not familiar with creating and installing .mobileconfig files for OSX & iOS.

We're going to create a config profile for each SSID and password combination and install those selectively on our devices.

Install Apple Configurator (free) from the Mac App Store.
Launch Configurator, proceed past first run screens.
Select the Supervise tab from top toolbar of the main application window.
Under All Devices > Settings > Profiles, click the '+' icon to create a new profile.
Under the General tab, give the profile a name, I suggest the same as your first Wi-Fi SSID.
On the left select Wi-Fi, click Configure.
Enter the SSID in the SSID field. From Security Type, select Any (Personal).
Enter the Wi-Fi password into the Password field.
Click Save.
Repeat steps 4-8 for your second and any other SSIDs.
Select each of your profiles one by one and click the share icon to export the profiles.

Now that this is done, delete your SSID settings from iCloud keychain, e.g. on your Mac go to System Preferences > Network > Wi-Fi > Advanced and forget any of the SSIDs in question by selecting their names and clicking the '-' icon.

Keychain sync should forget these networks across the board, but you may need to repeat this step on your iOS devices by selecting 'Forget this network' from the SSID settings if it auto-connects undesirably. YMMV.

You are now ready to install the profiles by double clicking, or by opening from an email attachment on any iOS devices, accepting all security warnings.


Faster command+tab switching support number choice?

Manico is a App
Using Option + Number key to launch or switch to the target app in an extremely fast speed!

Feature List:

Beautiful OS X Style interface
Easy to call and easy to hide
Support using shortcuts to switch between running apps (Faster than ⌘
Tab)
Support customizing apps and shortcuts (Faster than Dock)
Support hiding the status icon to make menu bar clean


Sort files according to kind in Office for Mac save dialog

The answer is covered in this microsoft forum discussion, but in essence what you need to do is

switch to list view in the file dialog
be sure "Kind" is one of the columns shown

if it isn't, hold "control" and click on the bar with column names
select "Kind" to show that row

then you can click on the "Kind" header to sort, and all folders will be together.

This doesn't put folders at the top though. If you really want to do that, you can read the solution someone devised there. The labelled every folder, then sort in list view not by kind, but by label.


On macOS High Sierra, there is a standard key sequence and Apple menu item to lock your screen.

Control-Command-Q or ^+⌘+Q

For older OS, ⇧+⌃+⏏ puts the display (only the display, not the whole computer) to sleep and will then prompt you for a password if you have enabled Require password [amount of time] after sleep or screen saver begins under System Preferences > Security.

If your Mac does not have an ⏏ (eject) key, you can use ⇧+⌃+⌽ (power).


How to navigate google search results in Safari 8 with keyboard?

Here's an extension that will let you do it in Google Chrome: https://github.com/nqzero/knogs

At the bottom of that page is a link to do the same thing in Safari (I can't link to it directly from here because I don't have the reputation for it).

I haven't tried either version though.

Personally, I use Mafuyu (http://wakabamac.blog95.fc2.com/blog-entry-1013.html). Instead of using J and K to navigate and return to open the result, you use 1-9 or 0 to open the result directly.


Deleting image from Camera Roll and Photo Stream at the same time?

The iCloud FAQ states that:

  Copies of Photo Stream photos you have saved to your Camera Roll on an iOS device, or imported into events in your iPhoto or Aperture library, will not be deleted when you delete photos from Photo Stream.

I guess it cant be done, at least officially.

Pictures in Photo Stream will be deleted after 30 days, though.


Aura Pro X SSD Macbook Pro Retina 2015 issues

I also recently purchased an Aura Pro X and it has the red LED on as well. Got in touch with their tech support and they informed me that the LED is expected and normal per their engineers. To clarify, this LED is part of the OWC SSD itself (right next to the screw).

Kind of annoying that it's on all the time, but at least it's not a bad thing.

I haven't experienced any of your other issues, but I have yet to use my MacBook Pro extensively since installing it.


Apple Support Document HT1352 states:

  Use a secure password that contains both numerals and letters in the
  first eight characters.

I assume from this statement that OF ignores the 9th and succeeding characters in the chosen password, but I haven't tested to see if this is the case. Further down in the document, an image of the Firmware Password Utility window states unambiguously that passwords composed of letters and numbers only should be entered:


It's not an iMovie problem.
It's a YouTube problem.
You say that you are exporting as an .mp4 file. You also state that the video looks great while previewing it on your local machine. This rules out any iMovie problem.
The only thing left is either

YouTube problem
Connection problem

I am reasonably sure it's a YouTube problem - I don't know much about YouTube. You might have to get some kind of 'Premium' account to upload high-quality stuff.
If you say it uploads fine to YouTube, that rules out a connection issue, unless YouTube does some kind of upload speed test to determine what quality to upload. Highly unlikely in my opinion.


USB to Serial on macOS Sierra not working

Install libusb >1.0 (actual 1.0.20) from homebrew or MacPorts, since this one provides access for controlling data transfer to and from USB devices in UNIX/non-UNIX systems, without the need for kernel-mode drivers.

As for a free application, try CoolTerm.

I used this combination with Cortex-M4 microcontrollers.


How to make facetime volume off and normally watch video in Macbook?

Individual Application sound control is only really possible using a 3rd party solution, such as Rogue Amoeba's SoundSource ($35)

There's also their more comprehensive, but at double the price, Audio Hijack, but I think that would be overkill.


Connecting two monitors to MacBook Pro 2017 while charging it

One solution for the problem here is to use a Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter. It is available on Apple Retail Stores and Apple Online Store for $69.00.

Product Description:

Here's a summary of the product description as obtained from the Apple Online Store web-page:

  The USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter lets you connect your USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) enabled Mac to an HDMI display, while also connecting a standard USB device and a USB-C charging cable.


How do I uninstall or downgrade from OS X Lion Server?

Since the server component changes files and preferences, you can't easily undo those changes other than by a back up. There is no uninstall - and there are in general no way to undo any patch or upgrade - even between major revisions like 10.6.7 to 10.6.8.

The only sure way is to restore those settings and files that get changed from a backup or set things up after a totally clean installation.

Boot into recovery, erase the volume and install Lion (without the server component) and you will have a correct and complete non server Lion. You can migrate data in from external drives, time machine (at any point in time) or make the set up new by hand.

Lion will not allow a simple re-install to "undo" the server changes as it's not programmed to do all that work in reverse.


Bizarre password request while modifying keychain

This request comes because you have enabled Keychain for the first time with that account on this device. In order to get a copy of the current Keychain stored in the cloud, you need to authenticate yourself as the "owner" of that Keychain.

So in order to unlock the contents of your old Keychain, you need to verify that you're the same person that once uploaded that Keychain, by entering the unlock password you used on that old computer.

There's really nothing bizarre about it, nor it is any sign of a problem. It doesn't mean that your old computer is linked to your Apple-account as a device anymore - it simply means that the old Keychain data is encrypted, and you'll need the unlock password you used at the time, to get to the data.


Is it a bad idea to daisy chain to an internet router through an external drive?

No, there will be no significant performance loss, if any. The reason is that Thunderbolt is a low-latency, 10Gb/s (minimum) connection, which is far faster than the gigabit speeds you get from the adapter. Thunderbolt will have to wait for your ethernet adapter, not the other way around, which is exactly what you want.

If you're worried about the hard drive taking up some of the performance, keep in mind that the first iteration of Thunderbolt (the one you have) was designed with two lanes. Each device will utilize one of those lanes, and have complete access to dedicated 10Gb/s performance.


Downgrade from iOS 11 (beta) to iOS 10.3.2 and restore iOS 11 backup

You can't restore a backup from a newer iOS version to an older iOS version.

You should have an iTunes backup from before you updated iOS. If not, you will have to manually extract the data from your iOS 11 backup and add it back to your device after setting up your iPhone as new with iOS 10.3. How you do this depends on the individual app — many use iCloud such as iCloud backup in WhatsApp which will help you do this automatically, but otherwise it will be a case of manually editing a fresh backup of your iOS 10.3 device with an app such as iBackupBot. For things which are incompatible with older iOS such as your messages history, this will be unable to be restored to the older iOS.

Unfortunately all I can say is that you are warned of the perils of installing beta iOS prior to acceptance of the beta program. My suggestion is to put up with iOS 11 and keep updating to the latest beta as it becomes available, which will fix many of the bugs. You'll be updating to iOS 11 anyway in the future.


Try TotalTerminal (http://totalterminal.binaryage.com/). It's by the author of Visor, but doesn't require SIMBL to function. And it works flawlessly on Lion.


Applescript add coma between list item and return as text

Found the answer using text delimiters

set saveTID to text item delimiters
set text item delimiters to ", "
set Final to rarOrder as text
set text item delimiters to saveTID

set the clipboard to Final


Has anyone actually gotten AT&T to unlock an iPhone?

Yes, I've unlocked 4 myself and helped family members and friends unlock another dozen.

The web interface is nice, but I also call them after 2 days if the unlock isn't done since most of the unlock requests are either processed rapidly or hung due to an error or mis-typing/missing entirely a digit or two. Once I get someone on the phone, the unlock usually is done the next day but I also follow their procedure and submit the web form first before bugging AT&T in person.

So, the process is straightforward andbutyou'll do well to triple check your IMEI and account details before submitting your unlock request. I've not had any issues by following the guide as published by AT&T - even when we purchased an AT&T phone second hand for a gift / spare phone while traveling internationally or for a young child to use as an iPod and occasional unlocked phone.

Here is AT&T's knowledge base on their current unlock policy:

What are the eligibility requirements for unlocking iPhone?


Share with 'Start at' tag in YouTube iOS app

copy the link and append ?=tXs to it, with X being the number of seconds into the video you want to share at. It's also possible to specify minutes, using ?=tXmYs, where X is minutes and Y is seconds.
I don't think there's an easy way of selecting the time, you have to work it out manually.


Once I’ve lost Icon data stored in Resource Fork saving to NTFS, can those files be repaired?

Repairing would mean you have a backup of the data that was lost. The resource data is gone if the size of the file is 0 bytes.

Look for backup copies of the apps or installers / download the apps / folders icons from a file system where that data was encoded correctly or support data and resource forks natively.


Do these horizontal lines on MacBook screen signify logic board or graphics card failure?

MacBook support USB target disk mode so you should still be able to boot and back up the data from the storage and/or pay for just labor when it goes in for hardware repair.

It might be hard to see what’s up, but most times this is GPU / cabling when you have those glitches - it’s less likely just the screen based on the image.

You might even be able to connect the Time Machine drive or navigate carefully and set up Time Machine and let it run overnight to get a backup still. That will also let you know the GPU / graphics is the only failure and not the core processing and storage.

Since the MacBook has a unified storage / logic board / GPU - it won’t matter so much what fault is as 95% of the repairs will be to swap out that assembly entirely and send that part back to get refurbished in the factory. A mail in repair for this would be covered under AppleCare or warranty in all likelyhood and if you paid for an official repair, expect less than $350 for parts and labor and shipping and testing in the US.