Drives and dmg's mounting okay but not appearing in the Finder sidebar

In Finder you can show or hide the disks and other devices

Go to the sidebar and mouse over DEVICES you get to the right text that says Show or Hide. Click on that word to toggle the display of the devices.


How to change mc (midnight command) bash prompt on OS X?

The issue is that .bash_login files are only read when bash is run as the login shell. mc probably just calls a new shell which will read its startup from ~/.bashrc See bash documentation for details.

To make the shell run in a common way it is often suggested that you call .bashrc from .bash_login e.g.

if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
   source ~/.bashrc
fi


Newly installed programs always appear with external drives in Finder

When you download an application, it often comes inside a "Disk image" (a .dmg file). This is a virtual volume, which appears just like other disks on your Desktop, once you've launched it.

You have to copy the application from there into your /Applications folder. (Disk images often contain an alias to your Applications folder, so you can easily drop the app onto the folder.
Or, if the image contains an installer app or package, you have to run the installer app.

Once you have done this, you can eject the disk image and trash the .dmg file. If you haven't copied the app or installed it, then you need to make sure this is done first.


Purchased video on iTunes rather than gifting, can this be corrected?

bckbck is correct in terms of the letter of the law. All sales are final. However, your friend may have some luck contacting iTunes customer service and explaining the situation. They're aware that mistakes happen, and are sometimes happy to rectify them for you - though they are not obliged to do so.

All iTunes customer service is carried out via email. Here's a link to an email page your friend can use to explain the issue to iTunes customer service.


How can I play a song purchased from Google Play on my iPod?

Install this app(Google Play Music) on your iPod. You should be able to sign-in with your Google-ID, download the songs you own, and play them.

I don't know the application, nor do I use Google Play Music, but I expect this to work.


How can I change the icon of Recent Folder that I drag to dock on Mac

I assume you mean the recents view from the side-bar: once you have this in the dock, then if you right click on the Recents "folder" in the dock and select the View as Folder option the Recents item will get an icon that looks like a file drawer rather than the standard folder icon–as per image below.


Have a look at iosnoop or possibly fs_usage. Although what you want isn't easy to accomplish without major filtering, because "file transfers" can be a lot of different things at syscall level:

mv on the same mount point will move a file
mv across mount points will create a new file at the destination and unlink the original
Other tools will do even more complex things, for example if you're downloading a file with a browser it will create an empty file and then append to it over time.

Both above tools rely on DTrace, which is a very powerful tracing framework and can probably be scripted to filter down to most of what you want, but it'll take some work. There are example scripts in /usr/bin/*.d (e.g. /usr/bin/iofile.d) and documentation can be found at Oracle (OS X DTrace is a port of the original Solaris version).


How to change Sound device without visiting System Preferences?

To enable the sound icon on the top menu bar, only once you have to go to System Preferences-> Sound-> Show volume in menu bar

alt/option + click on the Sound icon on the menu bar to get this dropdown and select the desired output or input device


View printers from Windows Print Server on a Mac

Here are the steps to setup the shared printer on a  Windows 10 Pro (Version 1803) Machine.

  Note: To get a better view of an image, either click on the image or open the image in a new window.

Open the "Control Panel".

Next, select "Network and Sharing Center"

Next, select "Change advanced sharing settings", then "Private
(current Profile)". Make sure the you have the setting shown below.
If necessary, click on the "Save changes" button.

Next, select "All Networks". Make sure the you have the radio button
"Turn off password protected sharing" selected. If necessary, click
on the "Save changes" button.

Next, return to the "Control Panel" and select "Devices and
    Printers". Right click on a desired printer to share and select
    "Printer properties".

Click on the "Sharing" tab. Make sure the "Share this printer" box
is checked off, then click on the "OK" button.

Here are the steps to select the shared printer on a Mac running High Sierra (macOS 10.13.6).

Open the "Printer and Scanners" pane of the "System Preferences"
    application.

Click on the "+" button. If neccessary, select "Add printer or
    scanner...". Next, click on the icon labeled "Windows"

Select the computer ("herring" in this case), then select the
    "Guest" radio button and finally click on the "Connect" button.

Select the printer and choose a driver, then click on the "Add"
    button.

The added printer is shown below.

When print to this shared printer, you may get the dialog box shown
below. Enter the name "guest", then click on the "OK" button. You
should not need a password.

A few final thoughts.

Both Windows and macOS were clean installs with all the default settings. Your workplace may have setup your computers with additional security that I did not have to deal with.
Users of the Windows machine should check to make sure any shared folders require a password to allow access over the internet.
I already had the driver for the example printer installed on the Mac. You may have not have this luxury.


rsync -a preserves permissions as far as your current computer/account is concerned. Accessing files from a different user/different account is controlled by a lot of parameters outside of rsync's influence (mainly by the access protocoll and its options used when mounting the drive).


Encrypt Documents folder without using Filevault in Catalina

I like making an encrypted disk image to store documents. Step 6 covers the choice of encryption. The guide has a selector at the top for Catalina version of macOS.

https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/create-a-disk-image-dskutl11888/mac

If you’re not sure which type of image, I recommend starting with a sparse image and avoiding sparse bundle or Read+Write.


iTunes Wi-Fi Sync stopped working with iOS 11.2

I was able to get it to work by syncing once over USB. iTunes put up a "Trust this computer?" dialog as if I hadn't ever synced before. After that everything worked as before.


Partition Mac hard drive and install two copies of macOS to segregate home and work usage

It is easily possible to partition the drive and perform two (or even more) separate installations of macOS to keep home and work use separate.

No license violations whatsoever are involved in this act.

However, this approach is generally taken, only when you wish to run two or more different versions of macOS on a single machine at the same time. (For e.g. to run or develop an app on different major versions of macOS).

In your scenario, a highly recommended approach would be to create two separate user accounts instead of performing two different installations of the exact same operating system.

The following is a discussion listing drawbacks of the original approach (which could be entirely avoided by taking the aforementioned recommended approach):

Wasted disk space: Partitioning and installing two copies of the same operating system will unnecessarily end up eating precious hard disk space. Almost all the operating system and app installation data would be duplicated and twice the amount of storage will be used.
Management cost: You will have to separately update and manage two copies of the same operating system and installed apps. This is a repetitive and time-consuming process.
Context switching: To switch context between work and home profile will require you to perform a full restart. You'll have to close the open apps and files in one profile even if you want to switch to the other profile momentarily for a small task. With 2 user accounts, the context switch is very easy, quick and won't require you to quit any running apps or close any files.
3rd party software license: Some 3rd party software license may not allow such multi-user use and may require purchasing a separate license. While in the recommended case, only a single copy of the app can be installed and shared between the two accounts. (this can again vary from app to app depending on how it is licensed, but you'll be better off in most cases.)
Difficulty in sharing data: It may be difficult to share user data (if required) across profiles, especially if you opt to encrypt the contents of the drive. However, with the recommended approach, you can have a shared folder and seamlessly share data between the two accounts.
Limit of scalability: If a similar need for further segregation arises in future, the process will be really cumbersome involving taking backups, creating multiple partitions, installing more copies of the OS and apps and restoring data, which could soon go out of hand. On the other hand, with the recommended approach, you can simply add/delete a new user account within a few seconds.

All the above hassles can be avoided simply by creating two separate user accounts one each for work and home use. The data is kept segregated along with any OS and app level configurations. Any app will need to be installed only once and will be automatically available in other user accounts (any app-specific data and configuration will be kept segregated). You will also have the option of keeping an app private to a user by installing in ~/Applications directory instead of /Applications directory.

You can choose to make all the user accounts as Administrators and they will have access to all the system level settings. Each account can even be configured with a separate Apple ID. Each account can in effect act as a standalone macOS installation, remaining ignorant of the existence of the other user.

This setup can accomplish your desired goal in a highly manageable and scalable manner.

If you have other concerns and priorities where the aforementioned limitations don't apply, it is perfectly fine and easy to partition your hard drive into 2 (or more) partitions and have more than one simultaneous installations of macOS.


Can Mountain Lion's Preview.app be configured to use Lion's highlighting colours?

You can reinstall and use the version of Preview.app from Lion.

Instructions are here (start with post #8 and move forward from there)
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1412516

Here are some of the salient parts, in case the link breaks. I'm just quoting text from the poster on the linked thread:

  The Lion Preview.app seems to be blacklisted in ML through the "Bundle
  version=719.25" entry in the Info.plist. So I changed it to something
  higher (760 in this case - 765 is the version-number from ML
  Preview.app). Now the app fails to start, because modifying the
  plist-file apparently broke the signing. Then I resigned it using this
  command:

codesign --force --sign - Preview.app/Contents/MacOS/Preview

The linked post also contains a link to a downloadable version of Lion Preview that has presumably been modified as described. I have downloaded it and it works perfectly.


Can an Automator workflow generate an Application?

So from the edits to my post, I was on the right track.  But I forgot that the final script needs to have quotes around the content being passed in!  This is the code snippet that ultimately worked:
set sms_address to "sms_address"
set sms_body to "sms_body"
set filename to "filename"
set savePath to (path to desktop as text) & filename & ".scpt"

set code to "osacompile -e '
tell application \"Messages\"
    set imessageservice to 1st service whose service type = iMessage
    set iMessageBuddy to buddy \"sms_address\" of imessageservice
    send \"sms_body\" to iMessageBuddy
end tell' -o " & quoted form of POSIX path of savePath

do shell script code

So I was on the right path all along, just needed to excape those double quotes.


Changing the title of an ssh connection without modifying remote machines

The best way (IMO) is to set the necessary variables in your bash_profile of your remote machine.  I understand you don't want to modify anything on your remote but it's important to note that what you are doing is setting the environment variable PROMPT_COMMAND
When logged in to your remote, issue the command echo $HOSTNAME and echo $PROMPT_COMMAND.  More than likely, you will get the hostname of your machine and the second will come up blank meaning that it's unset.
Setting the Title
Edit your .bash_profile found in your home directory on the remote. This is your file and will not affect the rest of the system.  Add the following line:
PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${HOSTNAME}\007"'

The \033]0; (Esc 0;) is the escape code to set the title.  The ${HOSTNAME} is the name of your machine.
Save your profile, log out and log back in and your title bar should now reflect your hostname.
Connecting via hostname vs IP
There are two ways to do this:

Set the hostname in DNS
modify your local /etc/hosts file

I prefer to set this in DNS so that the name will be available to all computers across your network.  Going under the assumption that you have a "consumer grade" router (like Linksys or Netgear), you just have to add the hostname to your DHCP static lease (see your router documentation for specifics)
If you're on a corporate network, the Network Admin can add a record to the DNS server pointing to your host.
If those two options aren't available, you can simply edit your local /etc/hosts file (need root permissions.  Below is my /etc/hosts used as an example:
127.0.0.1       localhost
255.255.255.255 broadcasthost
::1             localhost
192.168.10.22   fatjoe

I added the hostname fatjoe to the end of the hosts file.  When I save and exit, if I type ping fatjoe it immediately begins to ping the correct IP - the change is immediate.


The easiest and most reliable way is to get an AppleTV.

Unfortunately, most "Smart" TVs look to the Android OS to implement their smart functions and as such, they natively support Chromecast where you can share virtually everything between an Android phone and the TV.

Personally, I've looked for Apps that would allow me to cast to either my Sony Bravia or LG TV's with no success whatsoever.   The few apps I did find were a) sketchy to say the least b) poor quality and c) abandoned within a year or so.  I finally gave in a bought an AppleTV (32GB, smallest size).  Doing so, it allowed me to easily cast my content from any Apple device to my big screen.

And to be perfectly candid, I would welcome it if a manufacturer would simply make a really high quality, but "dumb" TV (no apps whatsoever) and let me choose what smart technology (i.e. an AppleTV) I'd like to use.


(macOS) Two windows side by side: is there a way to allow stretching one window to minimum width?

You can do this with Applescript. Set the boundaries for the front window to be a certain width. Then after clicking on the window you want to shrink, run your Applescript. Name your script something like narrow_front_window.sc.  The script could look something like:
tell application "Finder" to set the bounds of the front Finder window to {36, 115, 511, 674}
Just run the script after bringing window to the front.  The widows do have a minimum size.


How can I customize the Touch Bar interfaces for my tremor?

Many of us have difficulties with aspects of UI design, both in hardware and software. Look past the frustration and think around the problem.

A simple fix for me was to attach an external keyboard, wired at first, but then wireless using a Matias 101-key keyboard with the number pad on the right, a design I've been using since the DEC VT220 terminal keyboard came out a few decades ago. I also use Apple's wireless trackpad, which is larger, and sits where it should be - next to the keyboard.

I see Matias now has a backlit model! How cool!

Be well. Take a deep breath and center yourself.


how to set afplay as default media player for wma files in mac OS

You can only associate file types to GUI apps. You should be able to make an Automator app that is a wrapper for the afplay command, and that will have minimal "overhead".


First of all, are you sure you need to clear this data? iPhones manage the "Others" category alone and should "release" the cache when space is low.

  If the mentioned options are the only ones I have, what would you advise me to do and why?

I would choose the backup & reset option so you don't have to dig into the files and the cache will be the smallest possible.


Listing all opened documents across all open visible apps in AppleScript

I’ve been trying to do this myself. I have concluded that there is no standard, guaranteed way to get the open documents of a running application.

What you tried is the best method. For apps that use the Cocoa document architecture (the majority), there is automatic AppleScript support for getting all the open NSDocument objects and querying certain properties of those objects. The mapping between the AppleScript properties and the Objective-C properties is shown below.

AppleScript property => Objective-C getter:

path => fileName
modified => isDocumentEdited
name => lastComponentOfFileName

What you want is the path property. Like tell application "Preview" to set documentsList to path of documents.

Unfortunately, this automatic AppleScript support is only available for apps that use the Cocoa document architecture and have AppleScript enabled (via the NSAppleScriptEnabled Info.plist key). Therefore, this method will not work on some apps. For example, CodeRunner does not have AppleScript enabled. And TextMate does not use the Cocoa document architecture.


The following example AppleScript code assumes that the macOS default of images opening in Preview is still in play.

set theImages to quoted form of POSIX path of ¬
    ((path to home folder as string) & "ownCloud:Bilder_neu:Einzelbilder")

set articleNumber to text returned of ¬
    (display dialog "Please enter article number:" default answer ¬
        "" with icon note buttons {"Cancel", "Continue"} default button "Continue")

do shell script "find " & theImages & " -type f -iname '" & articleNumber & "-*.JPG' -exec open {} +"

If Preview is not the default handler for image files, then change the do shell script command to:

do shell script "open -a Preview $(find " & theImages & " -type f -iname '" & articleNumber & "-*.JPG')"

Note that "pure AppleScript" is not required!

Note: The example AppleScript code is just that and does not employ any error handling and is meant only to show one of many ways accomplish a task. The onus is always upon the User to add/use appropriate error handling as needed/wanted.


Is the iPhone's eSim for the home or roaming carrier?

The eSim can be used both for home and roaming as indicated by Apple's Website:

  Here are a few of the many ways you can use Dual SIM:

  Use one number for business and another number for personal calls.
  Add a local data plan when you travel outside of the country or region.
  Have separate voice and data plans.


How to fix stuck/'disabled' zooming on trackpad?

All you need to do is go to system preferences > trackpad > scroll and zoom >  uncheck  Zoom in or out and then check it again.


Did Apple remove the "AppleScript handler" option in macOS High Sierra?

Yes, Apple DID remove that feature in 10.13.4. I actually opened a case on this with Apple Support (I even referenced this page) and they got back to me today and informed me that it really has been removed from Messages.  The Apple representative suggested going to http://www.apple.com/feedback/ if I wanted to express my displeasure, but that was all he could do.


Replace hard drive whilst saving installed software

I'd say you'd need to clone it.

Clones survive with all pre-registered software still intact. I've been doing this for years across several Macs precisely for this reason.

I'd recommend Carbon Copy Cloner [just because it's the one I'm used to] which is capable of cloning to any drive large enough to fit all the data on; it will be bootable & it will offer to make a new Recovery Partition as part of the process.

On a single-drive laptop, you'd need to be able to get the new drive into an external enclosure before starting. You can also test the new clone is bootable from the external before committing to the final disk swap.


If you haven't already, go to Logitech support. Search for and download the support software for your specific model of mouse. Afterwards you should have a preference pane under System Preferences for Logitech which you can use to adjust the tracking speed of that peripheral.


How to switch straight to a keyboard in mac

One easy thing you can do is to setup a shortcut that cycles forward and backwards through all input sources you have on your Mac.

So assuming you have them setup in this order: Japanese, English, Chinese and Japanese is currently active, pressing the keyboard shortcut will move to English and if you press it again to Chinese and then back to Japanese after a third press. With the second shortcut you can cycle backwards at any time.

Alternatively you can set an unused F-key in the top row of your keyboard (on mine F5 and F6 is free and on a full-size keyboard you have F13-F19 unused too) to be your shortcut, so pressing those will cycle through your options.

As far as I know there is no solution straight from OS X that will allow you to pick a specific language just by pressing an F-key. What might be an option is to setup an Apple Script inside System Preference that is being triggered by an F-key which sets your input source to a specific language. I might read into that and post it here, if the previous option doesn't meet your needs.

How to set it up

Go to System Preferences (see Apple Logo at the top if it's not in the Dock)
Go to Keyboard
Select the tab "Shortcuts"
Pick "Input Sources" from the list on the left
Activate the shortcuts you would like to use and then click on the right to define the shortcut by pressing the desired combination or F-key.
Close System Preferences and try it out

I hope this was helpful to you.


Instapaper freezing on startup due to problematic article

force quite the Instapaper app again
login into your Instapaper account on instapaper.com
remove offending article
restart Instapaper app


Firstly, check your $PATH (run echo $PATH)
If /bin isn't there, then run export PATH=/bin:$PATH

After that run which date and you should see /bin/date

If you still don't have any output, check if date isn't alias (run alias date)
It should say bash: alias: date: not found.

But in your case it may be alias date='some-command'
If it is, run unalias date and it should fix the problem.

Thanks Allan for the comments with answer.


What's the minimum SDK version for new iOS apps?

The Apple Developer news feed is where Apple announces all hard deadlines on SDK requirements that are not enforced when you submit an app. Watching here, you can prepare for future requirements before they are enforced.

https://developer.apple.com/news/

Today (October 2020) it’s the iOS 13 SDK and iOS 14 was announced as the mandatory minimum in April 2021.

Starting April 2021, all iOS and iPadOS apps submitted to the App Store must be built with Xcode 12 and the iOS 14 SDK.


What is the "maybe" caller id suggestion in the call log based on?

iOS scans your email for contact info.  If the phone number is not in your Address Book, for matches, it looks to your email to see if anyone with this number sent you email.  If it finds the phone number associated with a contact from your email, it will show you "Maybe:" with its guess of the person's name.

You can disable this feature, if you want, by:

Go to Settings --> Mail, Contacts, Calendars
Under Contacts, toggle the switch labeled Contacts Found in Mail to the OFF position


How can I search within documents from the Finder?

There is a free app, EasyFind, that will let you search files. Its available from the app store. It has a fast search engine and you can select where to search. Click the setting button on the top left to select which file extension to search in.


Outlook 2011, Where are the mails stored?

According to Microsoft's support site:

  Outlook stores only the indices in the Database (with a capital “D”) file and stores the data records as a series of files nested within folders. The Database file and its folders are located here:

~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identities/Main Identity/Database
~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identities/Main Identity/Data Records


Use external WiFi adapter instead of internal

You need a proper driver to run your external Wi-Fi adapter.

Check this page, choose Product Category -> Indoor Wireless, Product Model -> AWUS036NH, Type of file -> driver and solve a captcha to get to the download page.

Download the driver for Mac OS X 10.9 and try to install it. If this driver doesn't work with Yosemite you probably have to contact the support there.


Yes, you can safely delete log files. In the case of an application needing to write a new entry and the file not being found, it will be re-created automatically.

Just bear in mind that these ASL (Apple System Log) files may contain some useful information to trace or debug any issues you could be experimenting with your computer, which, of course, will be lost with the deletion of the files.

So, in case you might want to take a look at these files before deleting them, you could use the syslog command as follows: syslog -f /private/var/log/asl/nameOfTheFile.asl


Shortcut to rename multiple files in the Finder

As I don't need so many files renamed simultaneously I simply added this few shortcuts for different numbers

To do this open Preferences > Keyboard > App Shortcuts > + and add Finder with exact Rename 2 Items... menu title and so on)

There is more complex solution via automator, which I don't like it as it resets Rename Menu state each time you open it.


Emails to iCloud from my server show 'This message has no content'

It turns out the issue has to do with the content headers and how the email clients are interpreting them.

Originally, the HEADER was set to Content-Type: multipart/related; and the body was structured as

multipart/alternative
    text/plain
    text/html

It seems the iOS and apple clients weren't able to parse multipart/related correctly.

I solved it by changing the header to Content-Type: multipart/alternative; and then structured the body as

    text/plain
    text/html

Here is the mail library I was using https://github.com/opencart/opencart/blob/1.5.5.1/upload/system/library/mail.php

Similar discussion here https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19497672/multipart-messages-including-multiple-attachments-attachment-and-inline-wi

And here https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7766943/mime-multipart-related-structure-and-apple-mail-is-it-a-bug


Deleting Photos From "Photos" App Does Not Delete Them From Local Drive

Photos app stores the pictures in a database. There will be an original copy of the image, a copy of the image if you edit it in any way as well as proxy / thumbnail photos so that various functions are fast.

These files are all stored and managed via the application and default are stored as a directory or folder on the filesystem that is shown as one icon. Look in your Pictures folder in your home folder. (Shift Command H in Finder to short cut to your specific home folder).

Any photos stored outside that location can be deleted using finder, search tools, etc.. and using Photos won't help manage them. Any photos stored inside the photo library should not be deleted, so they are generally hidden from search to prevent people from breaking the library database.

Most people don't ever have more than one Photos library, but here are documentation for those that prefer to know how things are stored.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201517 Explains how to move your photos library - you could move yours to an external drive and then delete it. Then you'll know all the searchable photos can be deleted, saving your library to be moved back once you are done cleaning.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204414 Explains the system library and how to select alternate libraries when you start up Photos app by holding the option key.


How can I disable the eject key on my mac keyboard?

I created an app, PowerKey, that allows you to remap the Power and Eject keys on Mac keyboards.

Pick a key replacement such as Forward Delete, or use No Action to disable the key entirely.

You can also launch Apple Scripts or bash scripts via the key.

https://github.com/pkamb/PowerKey

https://github.com/pkamb/PowerKey


Display resolution options disappeared after upgrade to Sierra

I purchase a new MacPro (the little black trash can) and shortly after, chose to install the Sierra update. Upon restart, it would not recognize my Apple Cinema's high res settings. After 3 hours with Apple tech support, they filed a report to Apple engineering who solved my problem with this solution:

Shut down your machine
Unplug all of your monitor's connections (in my case, 2 USB and 1 Thunderbolt) and reconnect using only the ports on the RIGHT side of the Mac.
Voila! They said they are aware of the glitch, are attempting to fix it, and until now, this should work.


Housekeeping before upgrading to new OSX

It is certainly possible to backup your drive with Time Machine (or SuperDuper or whatever) wipe it and start fresh. This is something that is commonly done with Windows PCs as they continue to be subject to "bit rot" or the inevitable slowdown of a Windows system after a few years of use.

I, personally, have been just upgrading in place since back when the Macintosh Operating System was called "System #" and have rarely found that a clean install did much except take up a bunch of time. However other folks may have different experiences. It all depends on what you use your Mac for and what is installed on it.

If you have a nice fast USB 3 or Thunderbolt drive you could try installing the OS fresh on that and see if you see any real change (not attributable to it being an external device) in performance when booted from that fresh install.

Note that USB 2 drives will be slower and depending on the chipset and drive used in the USB 3 or Thunderbolt enclosure there will already be a performance hit, so take any results with a grain of salt.

Me, if I had to do a clean install, I would image my boot drive to an external drive. Wipe the partition and install the OS and apps fresh. Then use Migration Assistant to bring over your user settings/documents, leaving the apps installed on the old boot drive behind for the fresh installs on the fresh install of the OS. And allowing Migration Assistant to only bring over your settings and files.


Install Windows 7 on MacBook Pro via USB?

Having exactly the same problem. It took a long time, and a lot of trail/error/forum reading to get to where you did (editing info.plist). I removed my 'useless' superdrive also.

Refit has a utility to rebuld partition info as Mac likes it (after using gparted, in my case to grow the bootcamp partition as I made it too small), but after that nothing wants to boot into my windows boot usb key to run the final step which is the repair of the windows install/boot config.

Maybe osx adds some boot info immediately after you commence creating the bootcamp environment with Boot Camp Assistant. I remember it always booted into windows until you finish setting windows up... either by 'Option' selecting OSX on boot, then rebooting from system prefs, boot disk page. Or rebooting from Windows bootcamp tools. This worked also into windows setup if your USB was in. Once you have done that though, nothing wants to boot off your Windows install USB. Not even refit.

Unfortunately for me, that's where the windows repair utility lives which will complete the fix of my partition resize.

Obviously recreating the bootcamp partition would do it. But that defeats the purpose of trying to grow it without reinstalling windows in the first place.

Bloody hell, I already had to open my MBP up as the windows installer likes to fail if you have a HD attached to your Super Drive Sata port.

Might have to wipe, disconnect OSX and reinstall windows all over. Paragon Boot Tune is supposed to be able to resize Boot camp, but the damn thing requires a superdrive to burn a boot disc to!

Only other thing I can think of is that refit ruined something. But I don't think so. FYI I also removed refit and can select the Win Boot Camp partition or Boot USB Key but they fail that way  also.

Anyone reading this... make sure your Bootcamp partition/drive is at least 30gb. Windows takes 15-25 (if you include room to move for temp files, caches and updates etc. Then you got apps on top of that.


Got app approved and "pending contract", but no buttons appear in Bank, Tax information

Ok, this is ridiculous, but I accidentally found the solution: when clicking the "Request" button in the Taxes/Contracts module a form popped up displaying my address data. No agreement, contract texts, however.
Then I clicked "Save" to confirm this address data. Nothing happened, the form stayed.
Then I clicked "Save" again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
After the 5th time of clicking "Save" in a row - suddenly the agreement and contract window appeared!!!

Apple, you must be kidding! Really! I can reproduce this weird mechanic anytime. For anyone stumbling onto the same problem - make sure you DON'T click on "Cancel", or you will never see the requested agreement.


Revoke an applications access to keychain passwords

security is a command-line program which can access/manipulate the keychains.  The following command will output a long stream of text, but it contains the info you're looking for.  You just need to know how to look for it.

security dump-keychain -a login.keychain

This is an example of a keychain entry without any specific access controls:

access: 2 entries
    entry 0:
        authorizations (1): any
        don't-require-password
        description: <NULL>
        applications: <null>
    entry 1:
        authorizations (1): change_acl
        don't-require-password
        description: <NULL>
        applications: <null>

This is an example of an item that only iChat has permission to access:

access: 3 entries
    entry 0:
        authorizations (1): encrypt
        don't-require-password
        description: <key>
        applications: <null>
    entry 1:
        authorizations (6): decrypt derive export_clear export_wrapped mac sign
        don't-require-password
        description: <key>
        applications (1):            0: /Applications/iChat.app (OK)
    entry 2:
        authorizations (1): change_acl
        don't-require-password
        description: <key>
        applications (0):

If you only want to search for a specific application, then it is probably easiest to just send the output of the above command to a file, and read through it manually to search for your application string to find out what items it has permission to use.


Limited FaceBook friends show up in Contacts app in Mavericks or Yosemite

It is possible that only the contacts that have provided useful contact information to Facebook are showing up in your OS X Contacts app. This article suggests that Facebook would be no longer adding contacts with no contact info to to your address book: Facebook aims to declutter the iOS Contacts app by no longer syncing friends without useful contact info


Why is extracting this tgz throwing an error on my Mac but not on Linux?

This should help identify what is going on in Johnny's answer, as well as answer the question of why this works on Linux but not Mac.

The problem lies in the fact that Mac OS X uses bsdtar, whereas most Linux systems use gnutar.

You can install gnutar on a Mac with Homebrew, using brew install gnu-tar, which will symlink gnutar into /usr/local/bin as gtar.

If you install gnutar, then you can reproduce the problem using the steps in Johnny's answer.

$ brew install gnu-tar
==> Downloading https://homebrew.bintray.com/bottles/gnu-tar-1.28.yosemite.bottle.2.tar.gz
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Pouring gnu-tar-1.28.yosemite.bottle.2.tar.gz
==> Caveats
gnu-tar has been installed as "gtar".

If you really need to use it as "tar", you can add a "gnubin" directory
to your PATH from your bashrc like:

    PATH="/usr/local/opt/gnu-tar/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"
==> Summary
  /usr/local/Cellar/gnu-tar/1.28: 13 files, 1.6M
$ mkdir test
$ touch test/a test/b
$ gtar -zcvf test.tar.gz test test/a # make the archive with gnutar
test/
test/a
test/b
test/a
$ gtar -ztvf test.tar.gz
drwxr-xr-x adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 22:41 test/
-rw-r--r-- adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 22:41 test/a
-rw-r--r-- adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 22:41 test/b
hrw-r--r-- adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 22:41 test/a link to test/a
$ rm -r test
$ tar -xvf test.tar.gz # try to unpack the archive with bsdtar
x test/
x test/a
x test/b
x test/a: Can't create 'test/a'
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors.
$ echo $?
1

So obviously gnutar archives things differently in a way that causes bsdtar to choke on duplicates. The fact that gtar -ztvf test.tar.gz indciates that the second instance of test/a is archived as a link to test/a is relevant. As Johnny points out in the comments, gnutar will store duplicates as hard links rather than the actual file, which can be disabled with --hard-dereference.

That is, you could do the following:

$ mkdir test
$ touch test/a test/b
$ gtar -zcvf test.tar.gz test test/a --hard-dereference
test/
test/a
test/b
test/a
$ gtar -ztvf test.tar.gz test
drwxr-xr-x adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 23:49 test/
-rw-r--r-- adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 23:49 test/a
-rw-r--r-- adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 23:49 test/b
-rw-r--r-- adamliter/staff   0 2015-07-28 23:49 test/a # note that this is no longer a link
$ rm -r test
$ tar -xvf test.tar.gz # unpack with bsdtar
x test/
x test/a
x test/b
x test/a
$ echo $?
0
$ ls test/
a b

However, in this case, you obviously don't control the creation of the tarball, so --hard-dereference is not an option. Luckily, based on the OP's answer, it seems that this problem has been fixed by upstream.

Nonetheless, if anybody else runs into this problem in the future and is in need of a quick fix or has an unresponsive upstream maintainer, there is a workaround.

Once you identify what the duplicate file is, you can use the --fast-read option of bsdtar (note that this option is only part of bsdtar, not gnutar):

 -q (--fast-read)
         (x and t mode only) Extract or list only the first archive entry that matches each pattern or filename operand.  Exit as soon as each specified pat-
         tern or filename has been matched.  By default, the archive is always read to the very end, since there can be multiple entries with the same name
         and, by convention, later entries overwrite earlier entries.  This option is provided as a performance optimization.

So, in the toy example that I've created following the toy example in Johnny's answer, the duplicate file is test/a. Thus, you could avoid this problem by doing the following:

# this set of commands picks up from the first set of commands
# i.e., the following assumes a tarball that was *not* made with
# the --hard-dereference option, although this will work just as well
# with one that was
$ tar -xvqf test.tar.gz test/a # unarchive the first instance of test/a
x test/a
$ tar -xvf test.tar.gz --exclude test/a # unarchive everything except test/a
x test/
x test/b
$ echo $?
0
$ ls test/
a b

Note, moreover, that gnutar is perfectly happy to unpack an archive with duplicates that was created by itself, even when the --hard-dereference option was not used:

$ rm -r test
$ gtar -xvf test.tar.gz
test/
test/a
test/b
test/a
$ echo $?
0
$ ls test/
a b

So this answers your question of why an error is thrown on Mac but not Linux. (Most) Linux distros ship with gnutar, and since the tarball was presumably packaged with gnutar, there will be no error when unpacking with gnutar, but there will be an error when unpacking with bsdtar.

For further reading and reference, one might want to look at What are the differences between bsdtar and GNU tar? on Unix.SE.


How can I store edited pictures with iPhoto for iPhone?

You can create albums directly on the iPhone.

Go into Camera Roll
Click the share icon in the upper right corner
Select all the photos you'd like to add to a new album
Select "Add To" and then "New Album"

When it comes to edited images I guess it depends on how you edit them. Most programs offer to save a new copy of the image and thus keep the original and new one. I guess it's possible that some programs also offer to replace the original. Regardless, when you create new albums just choose the edit image.


preview merges pdf and result in huge file size?

I can't really answer as to why it's so inefficient, but i've had the same problem, and i got around it by using free Quartz filters from Jerome Colas.

This post on the Apple discussion boards has the details, but the link is broken, an extra * on the end breaks it, it should be https://public.me.com/jcolas.

Download, unzip, and add the "Filters" folder to your Library folder.

To use, open a PDF in Preview, click File > Save As, then select Quartz Filter, and the level of compression.

I believe that Jerome is exposing something that already exists in OSX, but certainly, it's a good solution that works well for me, allowing me to get a good balance between quality and filesize.


Why does my iphone 6s not wake up for a phone call?

I don't think that I've ever gotten a call on my iPhone 6s while it was charging before, but I can say that some of the little things about the iPhone 6s are buggy, like how some system sounds don't always play.

All that I could recommend is to update to iOS 9.1, as my iPhone 6s is noticeably less buggy on 9.1 than it was on any earlier iOS 9 release.


If the update was pending when it was deleted or something similar, then the various lists of what is installed or needs to be undated may have gotten out of wack.

Perhaps reinstalling it, updating it, and when there are no updates pending, then deleting it, might be effective.


Suspend some mail notification correponding to a sender

Try to set the notifications prefs in Mail > Preferences > General
You'll see 2 settings to set the behaviour of the notifications.
You'll can set the notification for all emails, only for your contacts or only for the VIP senders you've defined.

Depends of the OS X version you have, this settings can be there or not.


Make preferences changes take effect immediately from CLI

Send the System Preferences process a signal called the 'hang-up' or HUP, also known as signal number 1 as defined somewhere in a system signals.h header file. POSIX convention, I believe.

The quick and dirty:

sudo pkill -1 'System Preferences'

Replace System Preferences with Finder, or the PID of a relevant process.  Another quick and dirty:

for STALE in Finder Preferences locationd ; do sudo pkill -1 $( pgrep ${STALE} ) ; done

What a HUP signal should effectuate in the receiving process is an internal halt and re-evaluation, which usually includes a re-reading of any relevant config files. The process will not terminate, only 'refresh' itself.

Hope this helps.

F.


How do I force iOS to check for updates?

To check for it manually, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update.

Your device will then check with Apple's servers and let you update if there is newer software available, otherwise it will show you the current version and tell you that you're already up to date.


Can someone jailbreak someone else's iPhone to see everything they do?

Based on what you mentioned about her using your phone, it is very doubtful that the ex of your friend has access to her iPhone, via a jailbreak or other means. If anything, the ex likely has access to the email account that is linked to all these other services.

I would check her email settings to make sure the ex is not linked as a recovery account. If there is nobody linked as a recovery account, start by changing the email password. If the ex has access to the email account, they can use security notification emails from various accounts to change those passwords again.

Make sure to use strong, unique passwords for each service. Never reuse old passwords. A password manager would be helpful here.

Then, it would be highly recommended to enable 2-step authentication. Google has some info about that here, but this will be different for other email services. This prevents people from logging into your account, even if they know the password.

I would then change passwords and enable 2-step authentication on other accounts.


Magic Mouse 2 - Do I need to raise my finger?

Try going into mouse preferences and enabling Secondary Click:


Can I create a custom iMovie transition?

Your best bet is reverse engineering the existing Transitions if you investment in time costs less than the $50 for Motion which is the official tool for making custom transition effects.

Look in /Applications/iMovie.app/Contents/PlugIns/MediaProviders/MotionEffect.fxp/Contents/Resources/Templates.localized/Transitions.localized and the transition file is simply an xml file with the .motr file extension:

$ head Pan\ Down\ Slow.motr
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE ozxmlscene>
<ozml version="5.5">

<displayversion>5.0.5</displayversion>

<factory id="1" uuid="046e7c74fd734809885d35e99ac9eeb2">
    <description>Channel</description>
    <manufacturer>Apple</manufacturer>
    <version>1</version>

Also, you could hire someone that has paid for Motion to make a trivial transition and test that it works for your needs. That wouldn't help if your true goal is to engineer how it works and understand the tool, though.


brew openvpn-connect on macos fails to upgrade or remove

I also have this issue yesterday and try a lot times today. Here it goes:
rm -r /usr/local/Caskroom/openvpn-connect
brew update-reset && brew update
brew install --cask openvpn-connect

if successfully installed, you can try uninstall to ensure that.
brew uninstall openvpn-connect

Hope it works for you.


Install and run Linux on partition of external HD?

I think it is possible but you must partition/erase that partition as bootable.


Create a Smart Folder based on an EXIF keyword?

Note this works for .jpg images (not .png).

Open a Finder window
New Smart Folder
Click the Plus icon
Change Name to Other
Search Raw
Click Raw query and OK
Next to Raw Query type "kMDItemKeywords = Mango"
Click Save
Name the saved search and save it in the default location (~/Library/Saved Searches)
Click the Mango Smart Folder in the Sidebar and see your result

Thanks @patrix


Convert a plain disk "legacy image" so that it can be mounted

This worked on High Sierra. This is from an ancient DC42 image format from a 512Ke system disk.

Todds-MBP-7:$ hdiutil convert Utilities1.image -format UDRO -o Converted
Preparing imaging engine…
Reading whole disk (Apple_HFS : 0)
.........................................................
(CRC32 $7335686D: whole disk (Apple_HFS : 0))
Adding resources
Elapsed Time:   2.822ms
File size: 729282 bytes, Checksum: CRC32 $E4490B5F
Sectors processed: 1600, 1417 copied
Speed: 245.2Mbytes/sec
Savings: 11.0%
created: /Users/WFN32919/Downloads/converted.dmg


As far as I know Find My iPhone has always been sending out e-mails as confirmation to the user with the linked Apple ID that their device has been found. At least, I've always received confirmation by e-mail after using it.

If this was not the case for you or propably more users with the same question:
-it has been changed to send e-mails more frequently after the iCloud-hack which was like a month ago.


How much of 32-bit support is dropped in macOS Catalina?

netkas has experimented with this here.  It seems like Apple has not removed 32-bit capability from the Darwin kernel itself, but merely disabled it as well as removing all the 32-bit libraries from the system.

To re-enable 32-bit processing from the kernel, just disable Apple's disabling function by adding no32exec=0 to your boot-args (sudo nvram boot-args="no32exec=0" if SIP is disabled, if not run the same command from Recovery mode).

To get the 32-bit libraries back, just copy them from Mojave

Sources: Bringing back 32-bit apps to life


Garageband Drum Question - half measures

Here's what I did

Use an empty 1/2 measure to make the drum fill sound right (even though it's in the wrong place)
Create a midi track just below your drum track, and set the midi instrument to the same one that the drum is using
Copy/paste the drum track into the midi track and now mute the drum track (note: opt-drag doesn't work here, has to be copy/paste)
Now edit the midi track as needed: drag left to close the empty 1/2 measure in the midi track


If you just need file access but don't need to be able to log in as that user you could just change the file permissions of the nutty users home folder.

Logged in as admin navigate in the Finder to the nutty user's home folder.

Select a folder you would like to be able to access (Desktop... Documents etc) and Get Info on it (Command + I).

In the resulting Info window in the "Sharing & Permissions" section hit the plus button and select the group "Administrators" (or a named user if you prefer) and give this group (or named user) "Read only" access (or Read & Write if you prefer).   Then under the little gear select "Apply to enclosed items"

Repeat for each folder you want to access.


How to copy data from harddrive to time capsule over USB connection via OSX terminal?

Keep in mind that the data flow is "drive -> TC -> Mac -> TC", using the same USB wire both ways. If you want to speed it up, connect the harddrive directly to the Mac.


For what it's worth, iTunes is probably exactly the most bloated and slow software that Apple includes on a Mac, as it's pretty much the only built in app that isn't 64 bit, and until very recently it wasn't even using Cocoa but Carbon APIs which Apple have been telling people not to use for years now.

Having said that, the largest bottleneck is the speed of the USB transfer along with the ability of the iphone to process the update and write to its flash memory and validate it etc, so really I wouldn't expect to see a massive difference.


Change spotlight's calculator to degrees?

Simply add a d to the trigonometric function and it should work.

Example: sin(x) > sind(x). sin(1)=0.8414... sind(1)=0.0174...


Virus Scan Windows 8 Bootcamp Partition from OS X?

Two problems:

I am not sure of any good Mac solution that will have the coverage of Windows viruses that Windows tools such as Security Essentials do. ClamAV may have pretty good signatures, but I can't vouch for whether it does or does not have a comparable scan and fix ability to a commercial product. Mac virus scan programs may be better, but again, they would probably have more focus on Mac viruses.
By default, NTFS partitions are not writable on Mac OS X. You therefore could detect, but not fix or remove, viruses from your Windows partition. The only way around this is to purchase a commercial product such as Paragon NTFS, or go through some interesting challenges to get open-source drivers to mount the partition read-write.

If you use Microsoft's offline version of Security essentials (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline) and your Mac is reasonably new, you should be able to make a bootable USB drive that will work - just insert it and hold down Option as you power on your Mac.


Creating A Folder From Any Number Of Selected Items In Finder?

Two ways to achieve this:

Select the files, compress them into a zip, and then uncompress them into a folder that will be named whatever you named the zip in the first place.

Select the items you want in the Finder, right-click (or two-finger tap) on them to bring up OS X's contextual menu, and choose the first option: New Folder with Selection (shown in the gif below). The Finder will then create a new folder with those items stored safely inside, removing at least one step from the process for you automatically.


Why do I have to install CLT when Xcode is installed?

You have to install them because, starting with version 4.3, Xcode is released as a sandboxed, single app bundle.

Before that, Xcode was distributed as an installer called Install Xcode.app. The installer had access to the whole filesystem and created a /Developer directory, where frameworks and additional tools where placed, and installed the command line tools in /usr/bin.

This is no longer the case. Apple chose to make XCode a standard Mac App Store app that installs in /Applications and requires user intervention to install any additional components outside the bundle container.


How to fix Users & Groups / Other Users?

Updating macOS High Sierra to version 10.13.2 (17C88) fixed the issue.


Crashed and now only white light blinking

Have you tried holding down the power button until the light goes out completely (10 seconds or longer)?  Then push the power button again and see if it boots.

You can try to reset the NVRAM (holding down CommandOption P and R at boot-up) and the SMC (if NVRAM doesn't work).

See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063 and https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295.


Yes, you can use Time Machine to restore iPhoto app and also the iPhoto library before the conversion of Photos app.

You have to navigate through Time Machine backups and folder via Finder.
Now go to Applications and restore the iPhoto.app.
After that navigate to the folder containing your iPhoto library and restore it where you want without overwrite the converted Photos library.
Exit from Time Machine.
Open iPhoto and open the iPhoto library.


Can I speed up the auto-dismissal of Notification Center banners?

Although I never usually have any luck finding them, I used MacWorld's guide, "How to find hidden preference settings", and I was able to find the hidden preference:

defaults write com.apple.notificationcenterui bannerTime <SECONDS>

Type the above into Terminal, replacing <seconds> with the number of seconds you want the banner to last for, and press return. Then, log out and log back in to reload Notification Center.


How to mount HFS+ rEFInd partition as boot in Arch Linux

For those that might have similar questions/problems. You have to explicitly disable journaling using diskutil on the command line. Using Disk Utility.app does not work properly.


Is there any difference between the 2016 and 2017 iPhone SE?

There are no differences apart from storage.

  Apple today introduced an iPhone SE with larger storage capacities of 32GB and 128GB of storage, doubling the capacity of the 16GB and 64GB models

  Other than a bump in built-in storage, the iPhone SE’s other features remain identical

http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/3/21/14998660/apple-iphone-se-128gb-announced-pricing-release-date


Adding "Delete" and/or "Mark as read" to mail notifications in Mavericks

There is a free app called Herald which does have a Mark As Read button which I have used for a bit now and I can recommend as a stop-gap.

I dug around some plist files to see if anything related to this already exists. No luck, sadly. I also sent feedback to Apple using the link grgarside provided, if others do the same it may actually result in something!


Keyboard shortcut to select Application "quit unexpectedly" dialog

Those windows are shown by the UserNotificationCenter process, so you can focus them by opening UserNotificationCenter with Alfred or Launchbar.

It is also possible to disable the crash report dialogs completely:

defaults write com.apple.CrashReporter DialogType none

This script can also be used to focus other windows shown by background processes:

tell application "System Events"
    repeat with p in {"UserNotificationCenter", "SecurityAgent", "CoreServicesUIAgent"}
        if exists process p then
            tell process p
                if windows is not {} then
                    set frontmost to true
                    exit repeat
                end if
            end tell
        end if
    end repeat
end tell

SecurityAgent shows password dialogs and CoreServicesUIAgent shows Gatekeeper and quarantine dialogs.


My Apple ID and phone number are being used on a new phone -- what does this mean?

This may mean that someone is logged under your AppleID on some other phone. Change your AppleID password and security questions as soon as you can.

Changing the password will log everyone out of the AppleID, but changing the password will not allow the other iPhone back onto the AppleID.


Are there two separate network systems on a Mac? One that is controlled through the GUI in OS X, and one that is controlled through the Terminal?

There is only one set of network interfaces on any Mac. But they have two different interfaces to manage them with different level of functions:

a CLI (Command Line Interface),
a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

Moreover, all the network interfaces are named differently through the 2 managment interfaces. Ex.: en0 / CLI = Ethernet / GUI

The GUI is for all users, from beginners to advanced GUI users. The GUI achieve a correct locking mechanism when you use different interfaces or other System Preferences which have to interact with any netwok interface
(for ex.: Internet Sharing).
This is an interface with a simplified set of "clickdrome windows". This GUI doesn't give you access to all the interfaces functions.
This GUI maintains its own database (a set of plist files).
This GUI doesn't manage correctly every change you can do at the CLI level.
The CLI will make direct use of system calls provided by the underlying operating system (which is a Unix) but won't make any update to the GUI database.

On the other hand, the CLI is for network engineers or system admins who are at ease with pfctl, ifconfig, netstat, traceroute….

My personnal experience is: be cautious when you use CLI that can modify details which are not visible within the GUI but are maintained within the GUI database.


Can I share Ethernet internet connection through Thunderbolt cable?

You need to enable the DHCP server service included in macOS. Do this on the side that acts like a router (sharing side).

DHCP is what gives an IP address, DNS servers to user etc. to connected devices.


need to move videos from iphoto to Lacie external hard drive

You nailed the problem when you tried to export to your desktop instead of the external drive. It's the export process that's broken.

You could pursue two avenues:

Dig into the video format of one specific file and work through that here.
Contact Apple support since your version of Photos is likely new enough to get support (or free support on twitter would get you the Apple KB that lists what video formats are supported for export.


How about leveraging a better search engine to accomplish the same task?

Use Google Advanced Search

Hit Advanced Search button and you get this:

Or directly type this in Google search bar:

monopoly -bingo site:itunes.apple.com

I'm not sure if doing a Web search will take into account the keywords associated with the app as supplied by the developer (as you may be intending to include/exclude them).

Note: No affiliation whatsoever with Google. Find it to be a decent enough Web search engine and recommend it for use (best used in incognito mode, without logging in).


When setting up nine displays some kind of monitor stand/s that can manage that many displays will be handy, unless you want a sprawl of monitors. Something such as a 9 monitor stand/mount  will be helpful to keep the displays in a usable area of space that fits on one desk. VESA display mounts and stands will be your friend to make this process flow nicely.  Regardless of which stand or wall mount option you get just make sure your displays support VESA mounting before ordering them.

Also pay attention to size and weight requirements for the mounts and stands making sure it will support the size and weight of the displays you want to use. For example a typical 9 monitor stand may only supports up to 19" displays. So be sure to coordinate what you purchasing so that it will all work together, fit, and remain safely standing.

For max monitors it depends on your Mac pro. According to the EveryMac specs the maximum number of displays for 2010 Mac pros is 6 displays. 2006 - 2009 Mac Pros are noted as 8.

According to Apple's specs for the Macs that have 2 PCI Express X16 slots the other 2 are X4 but can accept an X16 card, which means that you can install 2 other X16 cards but they will run at  X4 speeds and hence be a little slower than the other cards, same is true for Mac Pros with only one X16 slot hence why Apple/EveryMac has 2009 and prior Macs listed as eight displays max by using 4 cards.

For some reason Apple will only sell you 2 graphics cards for a 2010 Mac Pro as a BTO option, hence why the 6 display limit is noted on the Mac Pro technical specifications and on EveryMac.

After further observation it appears that the reason why only two cards is that the Apple ATI Radeon HD 5770 is a double height card., more than two will simply not fit in the case (see picture below).

Since all of the current Mac PCI express graphics cards that support 3 displays are double height, you really can only use one of them in a Mac Pro to achieve the goal of 9 displays.

If you use two 3 port video cards such as the Apple ATI Radeon HD 5770, then you you can add one additional single height card (if the 1 single height card does fit) for a setup of 3+3+2 setup, keeping power demands in mind too.

One way to achieve 9 displays is with one three-display card and three single height dual-display capable graphics cards such as the Apple Nvidia Geforce GT 120.  So a 3+2+2+2 should be possible with the current 2010 (Mac Pro 5,1). It looks like the 2008 and 2009  Mac Pros also allow for double height graphics with out the card blocking the other slots, if the double height card is installed in the bottom PCI express slot. Using a ATI Radeon HD 5770 in the bottom slot, and then adding three single height dual-display capable cards in the above PCI express slots, specifically the Apple Nvidia Geforce GT 120 (as pictured below) it all should work and also be within the maximum power limitations for the Mac Pro's PCI express slots, at about 225W which is less than 300Watts.

So when you choose your array of graphics cards keep in mind the power limitations of the Mac Pro. As noted in the Mac Pro 2010 User Guide, the combined draw for all the installed PCI express cards must not exceed 300W.**

For reference the Watts per card for the mentioned /available cards (Note that for the AMD cards the Watts may very since the specs may not be for the Apple OEM cards):

1 x Apple Nvidia Geforce GT 120 - 50 Watts

1 x AMD ATI Radeon HD 5770 ~ 75Watts

1 x AMD ATI Radeon HD 5870 ~ 150W


l2tp/ipsec is equivalent to l2tp over ipsec. The / in technical English is often spoken as the word over.

You can find L2TP over IPSec in the Network System Preference settings:

Launch System Preferences
Select Network
Select +
Select Interface VPN
Select VPN Type L2TP over IPSec


How do i autorun .command files from a USB drive when I plug it in?

A launchd service supports the WatchPaths option, which launches a program when the contents of a folder are changed:

  WatchPaths <array of strings>
       This optional key causes the job to be started if any one of the listed paths are modified.

By watching /Volumes, a shell script can be created which would check whether your external disk is mounted or not° and run the appropriate commands°°.

° The simplest way would be checking for the presence of a /Volumes/disk-name/ folder, but it would also be the simplest to fool with by renaming the partition or having another one with the same name, causing the mount point to be modified.

°° It would be appropriate to use a temporary file storing the result of the last execution to avoid killing the Finder if another disk was to be [un]mounted.


How do I connect a bass guitar to my iPad to use with Garage Band

Hope this will help?
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/6-easy-ways-to-connect-your-guitar-to-your-iphone-ipad-or-ipod-touch-516544
Or even more specific:
https://gigaom.com/2013/02/09/four-ways-to-connect-your-instrument-to-garageband/
Or you meant something different?


Saving Calendar entries when deleting exchange account

I am basing this on something I have done in earlier versions of Calendar, like when it was called "iCal" so YMMV.

You should be able to select the specific calendar in calendar.app and then export it to an .ical file. Then delete your exchange account (did it sync Address Books as well?) and then if it just deleted the calendar you can re-import it.


How to install Xcode from downloaded package

The latest Xcode (4.3) does in fact come in its own stand-alone package, so it will run independently of whatever you have in /Developer. Once installed it lives in Applications like every other app on your system. You will probably find (or have found) that it requests permission to install other parts of itself as required.

If it is not in /Applications, just drag it there - simple as installing any other app. This is a big change from the bad old days of having it in /Developer and having to be careful about removing versions with

sudo /Developer/Library/uninstall-devtools –mode=all

(Once you have no need for the old Xcode you can get rid of it like that, and you should do that rather than just putting it in the trash or rm'ing.)

Once the basic Xcode app is available in Applications you can drag it into the dock, again just like any other app. The support applications, like Instruments or FileMerge or OpenGL ES Performance Detective used to live with Xcode in /Developer but now they can be found under the Open Developer Tool > option in the menu bar's Xcode menu.

Some people like to have these frequently-used apps available in the dock; FileMerge for one is useful at times other than when you're running Xcode. You can find them all in the Xcode app bundle, if you navigate to it in the finder and use Show Package Contents in the right-click contextual menu. The stand-alone tools live under Xcode/Contents/Applications and you can drag them into the dock like any app.

Now the basic install of Xcode does not include everything you might need. You should also take a look in Xcode Preferences under the Downloads tab, and at a minimum install the command line tools - it's a smallish download and doing it immediately will save you waiting later. Under Documentation you will find the option to download Documentation bundles for various APIs. If you don't do this then Xcode will go and fetch documents from the web as you require them. It is much faster to have them installed locally.

Xcode is improving rapidly and this change to the way Xcode installs is really helping to simplify updates and moving Xcode to the status of a "normal" app that installs and interacts with the system the way we are used to apps behaving. The last update with this new scheme was a simple 80MB download initiated from the Mac App Store - compare with previous versions where an upgrade meant downloading 4GB and replacing everything!


What can I do with an iPad Bluetooth-paired to a Mac?

I recently gave a presentation using Keynote on my MacBook and keynote remote on my ipad. This is a really cool solution that allows you to control slide movement on the MacBook while seeing both slides and presenter notes on the ipad.


Adding Line Break to Email Body Content of Mail.app Message Generated in AppleScript

If you interactively type the message, then your shell should allow you to continue a string on a newline, as long as you don't close the quote.

For example, type this and the outgoing message will have three lines.

osascript /Users/dwm8/Desktop/email.scpt "Test" "dwm8:test.pdf" "Test
> Message
> Here"

You can do the same thing in a .sh script,

#!/bin/sh
osascript /Users/dwm8/Desktop/email.scpt "Test" "dwm8:test.pdf" "Test
Message
Here"


Can wiping and reinstalling OS damage the SSD?

You would have to do that at least a couple hundred times to even remotely becoming an issue.

There was an article on hardware.info where these guys put some SSDs through some torture tests and ended up "writing" what equated to about 22 years of data.

The bottom line is that the drive's reliability will outlast your ability to fill it up and buy a newer bigger one.


Need to get rid of disk image after Bootcamp

Quit Disk Utility. View the disk images in the Finder. Grab them with the cursor, and drag them to the Trash. Empty the Trash.


Is there an app to quickly download and install a list of non-App Store apps?

One solution could be to use Dropbox. Instead of installing your applications to the Applications folder, you can install them to the Dropbox folder instead. The only drawback is that some of the applications data may not be copied over unless you mess around with the settings and folders the data is stored in. However, this may not be an issue with applications that don't have many settings, such as VLC.


Think about your exact requirements, and check whether they would also allow using a synchronization tool that is not file-oriented. Bittorrent Sync or its open source cousin SyncThing should fit your use case fine, if I imagine all your requirements correctly.


Keyboard needs to be setup on every boot up

Repair permissions: Run Disk Utility; select your (main) disk; click Repair Disk Permissions

Viewing logs: Run Console


idle power consumption of MagSafe 2 45 W A1436 Power Supply

I have measured the consumed energy of an Apple MagSafe 2 60 W Power Adapter over a period of three weeks while idle.

The energy consumption drops to 0.00001 kWh per day after less than 30 minutes since the last usage.

I am confident that the MagSafe 2 45 W Power Adapter will behave the same.

Note: Other power supplies I have do consume a measurable amount energy with no devices attached. So Apple seems to have done a really great job building these power supplies.


Importing Google Calendar Reminders to mac Apps

Calendar → preferences → accounts → click on the + button, and add your Google account.


Help my MacBook Pro keeps crashing and I have no Idea why

The reason for the crash is listed at the top of those reports:

  zalloc: zone map exhausted while allocating from zone buf.8192, likely due to memory leak in zone kalloc.256 (620851200 total bytes, 2420408 elements allocated)"@/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/xnu/xnu-3248.40.184/osfmk/kern/zalloc.c:2628

And this one:

  zalloc: zone map exhausted while allocating from zone ksyn_waitq_element, likely due to memory leak in zone kalloc.256 (733364224 total bytes, 2864697 elements allocated)"@/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/xnu/xnu-3248.40.184/osfmk/kern/zalloc.c:2628

It looks like a memory leak.  Further down the report is this:

  Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
           com.razer.common.razerhid(15.38)[26748FCF-9967-378F-9E4D-4A77D1938E18]@0xffffff7f9ac6c000->0xffffff7f9ac86fff

It looks like it's being caused by a third-party driver, maybe a mouse or keyboard.  Check to see if there's any updated drivers.


Name: Tags: Where: image frozen on my Mac Air desktop

It's been about 1/2 hour since I did the above actions to clear the frozen icon.  I just opened my Mac and the image is gone!!!


How to disable phone calls and text messages in iOS / on iPhone?

Some carrier can provide sim card that cellular data only.
Mainly used  for iPad notebook and IoT device .
You can use it for your iPhone to get the results you want.


Is the Lightning connector 8-pins or 8+1 ground pins?

If you count the shield on USB 3.0, the "9 pin" version actually requires 10 pins, as the shield, while typically grounded, is not actually used as the signal-ground (and it cannot be used as such).

As such, if the lightning connector indeed has only 8 pins, there is no way it can support USB 3.0 while properly complying with the USB spec.

I would guess that if it supports USB 3.0, it would be with non-standard USB extension, much as many of apple's other USB addons (like their high-current charging facilities).

I'd like to further note that, from an electrical engineering standpoint, using the casing (which is called the shield) for anything but, well, shielding is considered very bad practice.

The entire point of shielding is to basically absorb any interference before it can each the inner conductors. If you are relying on the shield for carrying a meaningful signal (and ground is indeed a meaningful signal), it is no longer effective as a shield.

If it does support USB 3.0, I would hope they open the connector mechanical design up for wider adoption, as the current USB 3.0 micro connector is horribly designed mechanically.


Compatibility of oldish iPhones, Apple's policy, future perspective

Here's the list of iPhones that currently support iOS 11:

iPhone 5S
6
6 Plus
6S
6S Plus
SE
7
7 Plus
8
8 Plus
iPhone X

With the exception of the last 3, you can find reasonably inexpensive (probably not 'cheap') used iPhones that should last for another 1-3 years.  Apple doesn't post roadmaps as to upcoming devices or the iOS versions that support.


How to locate the Power Pads on a MacBook Pro A1398

I managed to do this shortly after posting the question. Shorting PIN 5 of the keyboard connector (5th from right with the batteries at the top) with GROUND works. However I could only get it to work with the screen opened.


The closest thing to a generic solution is the CLI package contacts by Shane Celis. The source can be found on GitHub, and is also available as a formulae on Homebrew. The homebrew package can be installed using  with the following command:

  brew install contacts

There are other options that may also work for you. Contacts just stores info in a sqlite database so you can access it with the sqlite command. You could create a custom script to accomplish a particular task if you want.

Scott Stevenson had a tool called abtool up that was popular for a while, so you could try searching through the source on GitHub. In particular, since the app by Shane Celis appears unmaintained (while still functioning well), there are some who are building replacements.


MacBook Air sleep with external monitor attached

You have to disconnect it from power. Then it will sleep.
Seems like no other solution is found yet.

And your question seems to be a duplicate — How to disable Clamshell mode in Yosemite?


Automator: Using Cmd F in a "watch me do" and trying to make decisions based on the results

Automator's "Watch Me Do" functionality is pretty limited, as you've discovered. Additionally, imitating how a user might go about something isn't always the best way to automate things — for example, the computer doesn't need to open up a browser window and use the find panel to search the text of a webpage, it can just download the data and search it without need for any of the GUI niceties.

Automator Email Notifications for Matching Text on a Site

Add a Get Specified URLs action. Add to it the address of the page you want to check.
Add a Get Text from Webpage action and make sure the dropdown is set to plain text.
Add a Run Shell Script action, with the shell set to /bin/bash and the input setting to to stdin. Enter the following text, replacing search term with the text you want to match (be sure to keep the quotes if the string has spaces):

grep -o "search term" | wc -l | tr -d " "

Note that the search is case sensitive.
Add a Run AppleScript action, and insert the following text, replacing me@example.com as appropriate:

on run {input, parameters}
    if input > 0 then
        tell application "Mail"
            set theNewMessage to make new outgoing message with properties {subject:"Found Matches", content:"Found " & input & " matches", visible:false}
            tell theNewMessage
                make new to recipient at end of to recipients with properties {address:"me@example.com"}
                send
            end tell
        end tell
    end if
end run

You can replace the subject and content, but be sure to properly format them as AppleScript strings (I'll leave this as an exercise to the reader, it's fairly easy to figure out, Google if necessary).

That will send an email if there are any matches for the string on the site. The AppleScript is used instead of Automator's email actions because Automator doesn't offer any conditional (i.e. if statements) means of performing actions, and we only want to send an email if a match was found. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.


What is the software to move screen/laptop to apple TV screen

This is called AirPlay Mirroring.
How to use it on a second generation Apple TV or higher can be found on Apple's site here and here


How can I change Terminal so that I don't have to press ESC every time I want to type a meta-modified key?

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to get ESC-f to repeat and it has something to do with ESC. Here's one solution that will work:

Currently, Terminal.app is using ESC as META. You can change this to ⌥ (option) like this.

Visit Terminal -> Preferences ( ⌘-, ).
Select the Keyboard Tab on the right
Check the "Use option as meta key" box at the bottom of the Keyboard pane

Now enjoy repeating commands that involve meta by using the option key instead of ESC.


From Apple's Photo Stream FAQ:

How long are My Photo Stream photos stored in iCloud?
The photos you upload to My Photo Stream are stored in iCloud for 30 days to give your devices plenty of time to connect and download them.
How many photos are stored in My Photo Stream on my devices and computers?
iCloud pushes all your photos to the My Photo Stream album on your devices and computers, and manages them efficiently, so you don’t run out of storage space.
Your iOS devices keep a rolling collection of your last 1000 photos in the My Photo Stream album. From there, you can browse your recent photos or move the ones you like to your Camera Roll or another album to keep them on your device forever.

So, you'll have to sync them in from iPhoto using iTunes, since Apple only keeps your photos for 30 days on their servers.
You could also find another app on the App Store like Documents by Readdle and copy the photos onto your phone over Wi-Fi (bypassing iTunes as you wanted) but I realize that's less than ideal.


How can I turn off the screen on the macbook when I have an external monitor set up?

Turn on your MacBook without the external display connected.

Close the lid and it will go to sleep.

Connect your external monitor and an external keyboard via USB.

Now wake it up by typing on the external keyboard. If you don't have a USB keyboard (you might be using a BT keyboard and mouse) you can use the Apple Remote to wake up a MacBook when its lid is closed.

The MacBook should wake up with the external monitor as its one and only monitor.


What's the best way to remotely access an iPad mini?

Without a jailbreak : Not possible.

For the software update, since iOS 7 there done automatically by the system when connected to a wifi network.


Make iMac remember monitor positions after restart

The obvious thing would be if the preference for your user that stores the setting is corrupt.

To test this, turn off auto login, make a new user, log in to that user  and arrange the monitors as you like. Log out of the test user, restart the Mac and log into the test user. This will let you know if the system problem or if it's a user problem.


Are there reliable VNC client to access from Windows 10 connecting to macOS Sierra?

Try TeamViewer. It has an ID for your computer that's tied to your account and can be used to control your computer from anywhere. I've used it to control OSX from Windows 10 and vice versa.


Is the Lightning connector safe for my children?

Whilst this is usually totally safe, there's a few caveats. I realise this isn't electrical engineering SE, but you asked for sound answers so I'll attempt to elaborate.

As others have stated the most important thing isn't the cable but what it's plugged in to. Lighting is a USB standard so we have 5V there, usually up to 2A.
Under the best case scenario this will come from a battery pack, forming a closed circuit, you might get a very small tingle but nothing too dramatic as the potential isn't enough to go through human tissue and cause and real damage. You can test this with a standard 9V battery on your tounge, it tickles but doesn't hurt, although I wouldn't recommend long term exposure due to DC bias, but that's another story.
If however were talking about a mains power supply, then that is the most important part. A good quality power supply will isolate the low voltage side from the mains voltage, as well as actively regulating the current and voltage passed. In this case it is still safe because earth/ground does not form a complete circuit. In the event of a faulty/low quality power supply however there may not be the electrical isolation between the mains and low voltage sides. This means that although the voltage between + and - is only 5V, there could be mains voltage between the low voltage side and earth/ground or any conductive materials connected to it (appliances etc). As there isn't the isolation, this could result in a nasty mains voltage shock.

That's not the end of the story though, whilst you may get a shock from a faulty/low quality power supply, and it will probably hurt, there are still other devices to protect you. I'll have to just speak for the UK here as I don't know the regulations elsewhere well enough, but all modern domestic circuits have RCD protection. These devises measure the current flowing out vs the current flowing back (simplified) and if there is a difference, i.e. the current is flowing through you instead, they turn the power off. These are calibrated so normally they trip quicker and at a lower current than is required to cause the body issues, but only after the initial painful shock (I speak from personal experience).

In summary, whilst lightening is exposed and there are better, less exposed connectors, if your using a good quality power supply from a reputable manufacturer on an RCD protected circuit, I'd say the risks are minimal.


How can I turn a iMovie video into a "proper" DVD?

Burn should still work.
There's also the old Apple iDVD & though I haven't tested burning anything with it, it still appears to work on Mojave.
It appears to also still be available from Apple - https://support.apple.com/downloads/iDVD

Macworld did an article on it a few years ago & came to similar conclusions - How to burn movies to disc in an iDVD-less world

They also mentioned Roxio Toast (now up to v17) as a paid alternative

BTW, I can't properly test any of this, as I have no DVD drive except in the Mac. I have to rip bought DVDs to even be able to watch them on the TV ;)


Pages and Numbers have generic app icon in Dock

1)  In a Finder window Go to Applications.

2)  Locate the application's icon and do a Get Info.

3)  In the top left corner of the Get Info window the correct non-generic application icon should be displayed.

4)  Select that icon using the mouse.

5)  Do an Edit->Copy on the icon in the top left corner of the window.

6)  Do an Edit->Paste on the icon in the top left corner of the window.

7)  You may have to provide an administrator password.


Mix n match RAM memory in iMac with (potentially) an empty slot remaining

There are multiple iMac models, but in general, look in the apple menu
and select 'About this Mac', then (in the window that opens) click on
the 'Memory' selection.  This will show your memory arrangement
and offer "Memory upgrade instructions" if the computer is internet connected.

If the memory arrangement recognizes all the memory you have installed, it's
working (though matched pairs are often preferred).


It's not a bug, it's poorly written documentation. The -f option for chown states:

  Don't report any failure to change file owner or group, nor modify the exit status to reflect such failures.

This means the -f option is only applicable if the target file exists and there was an error in changing the owner or group of the file, which of course you can't do on a nonexistent file as in the OP example under macOS.

To show that the -f option actually works as intended, use the following compound command in Terminal while not doing so as root or using sudo:

touch ${TMPDIR}testfile; chown root ${TMPDIR}testfile; echo $?; rm ${TMPDIR}testfile

The output will be, e.g.:

chown: /var/folders/7l/lcvbc47n3sd7jcztdhc9c_pw0000gn/T/testfile: Operation not permitted
1

In this first form, without the -f option it fails, exits >0, because the chown command is trying to set the owner of ${TMPDIR}testfile to root while being executed not as root and not using sudo.

Now execute with the -f option:

touch ${TMPDIR}testfile; chown -f root ${TMPDIR}testfile; echo $?; rm ${TMPDIR}testfile

The output will be:

0

In this second form, with the -f option, it succeeds, exits with 0 without having made any change, because it was done not as root and not using sudo, which is necessary to change the owner of a file to root.

Note that each OSes chown is not equal in all functionality to each other. In other words, while I don't have Red Hat, as mentioned in the OP, I do have Linux Mint to compare to, and the man page in Linux Mint -f option for chown states:

  suppress most error messages

As you see most is the keyword, so it doesn't suppress all error messages in Linux Mint nor is the description of what -f does with chown under Linux Mint as detailed and explicit as under macOS.

So while in Linux Mint, not as root or using sudo, chown -f root non_existant_filename will not output an error, however, its exit code is 1, not 0 as it is with the macOS chown example above using -f within its defined context.


How can a Mac mini drive 3440 pixels wide display instead of 1920?

Yes. The limitation is in the adapter cable. The one you listed should work well and there are many others now like the cable matters one linked below.

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/HHLY2ZM/B/belkin-4k-mini-displayport-to-hdmi-cable-2-m-65-ft?fnode=8b
http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Compatible/dp/B00K0UDJFI


Can I run migration assistant multiple times for multiple computers?

Without the source or the full functionnal specification from Apple it is impossible to give you an answer with no risk.

To clarify your question let's say your 3 Macs are named A, B and C.
A being the oldest one, then B, and C the younger one.

Your question is "can I run Migration Assistant this way":

A → C
and then
B → C

I am convinced that Apple didn't take into consideration such a scheme of migration which might lead to data loss or corruption.

On the other hand, if you want to run Migration Assistant this way:

A → B
and then
B → C

I am convinced that the integration process will work correctly on B and then on C.
In this case, make a full backup of B before starting.


List all keys added to keychain using `security add-generic-password`

This did it for me

security dump-keychain | grep 0x00000007 | awk -F= '{print $2}'

I used it for this blog post: https://www.aria.ai/blog/posts/storing-secrets-with-keychain.html


Yosemite install app won't download after being corrupted

Well as it usually goes I figured it out shortly after posting. I previously hid it from my purchases and going into my account settings (Store > View My Account) and un-hiding it did the trick.


Watch youtube moview on a Mac using QuickTime

There’re a couple of Safari extensions that will do this. ClickToPlugin and ClickToFlash.

http://hoyois.github.com/safariextensions/clicktoplugin/

Both versions will swap out the Youtube Player for a standard HTML5 player. The extension also allows you to download the Youtube video.


How do I acquire SDKs to build target pre-8.0 iOS?

You don't need previous SDK to build for iOS7. Change Deployment Target in Xcode.

Here are differences between Deployment Target and Base SDK: http://www.raywenderlich.com/42591/supporting-multiple-ios-versions-and-devices

  Base SDK refers to the newest version of iOS that is capable of running your app. To check which base SDK you are building your app against, simply open your project file in Xcode and check the setting under Build Settings -> Architecture(...)

  Deployment Target refers to the oldest version of iOS that is capable of running your project. To change your deployment target, open up your project file in Xcode and check the setting under Build Settings -> Deployment(...)

Base SDK can be changed here:

Deployment target can be changed here:

Check this answer to add earlier devices support.


Homebrew running service shows error, how to debug this?

Look at the log file in /usr/local/var/log/elasticsearch.log.
TL;DR
If you look at the formula definition with:
brew edit elasticsearch@6

You will find the content of the plist file used for this service, which define the output log as:
#{var}/log/elasticsearch.log

According to the documentation:

#var ⇒ Object
The directory where the formula's variable files should be installed. This directory is not inside the HOMEBREW_CELLAR so it persists across upgrades.

According to the source code:
def var
  HOMEBREW_PREFIX/"var"
end

You can find the HOMEBREW_PREFIX with:
brew --prefix

It is most likely /usr/local. So you will find your log file in /usr/local/var/log/elasticsearch.log.


AppleScript App to start a Slideshow in Finder

I figured it out and wrote a simple script, that does this: 1) opens the selected folder in Finder 2) selects all files in that folder 3) starts slideshow. Can be saved as an App and then put in the toolbar of Finder. Works on Big Sur/M1, however you have to allow Script Editor and this App 'Accessibility' and 'Automation' in System Preferences/Security&Privacy.
Any improvements are highly welcome! Especially I couldn't figure out how to make the Script close the selected/opened Folder again and go one level up again. Key code for that would be "key code 126 using {command down}" (for COMMAND+ARROW UP); however, don't know how to integrate that into the script so that it actually works.
tell application "Finder"
    activate
    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "Finder"
            key code 31 using {command down}
        end tell
    end tell

    activate
    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "Finder"
            key code 0 using {command down}
        end tell
    end tell

    activate
    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "Finder"
            key code 49 using {option down}
        end tell
    end tell
end tell


Mac automatically restarts after shutdown

I used to work as an Apple technician and I'v had several Macs that describe your issue, but they were only laptops. The issue with them was liquid damaged. Now you thinking how the h'll can an iMac get liquid damaged, but I can tell you, I'v actually seen it myself. So it's possible but maybe not in your case.

I recommend to let an Apple technician look at it. Water damage causes a fault in the circuitry, but the same fault can happen from other causes or just rare breakage.


IOS 8.0.2 Calendar on iPhone 5 not syncing with MS Exchange properly

Try Settings; Mail, Contacts, Calendars; Default Calendar.
Make certain that your Exchange server calendar is the default calendar.


MacBook Pro doesn't detect boot drive if turned off for ~5-10 minutes

This sounds like a failing NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) chip - it's not holding the boot values.
When you do an NVRAM reset, it clears the pre-boot environment forcing your Mac to search for bootable volumes which it then writes to NVRAM.  After you shut it off, power is removed from the NVRAM chip and as the voltage dissipates, it loses or corrupts the contents of it's memory.  It could be the chip itself or the associated circuitry that supports it - without putting hands on, it's impossible to know.
You have to take it in for service.  There are board level repair shops that can replace the actual chip(s), or you may need to replace the entire logic board.


Intermittent Active Directory login issues on Lion

I think we ran down the culpert -- said CEO upgraded himself to Lion without our knowledge and consent. And turned on the wifi to an AP that can't resolve our domain controllers. Sometimes, when logging back in, he reached out on the wrong connection and it got a bit confused.


Why can't I see the three dots when someone with a iPhone is texting me back?

The 3 dots only show when someone is using iMessage. If someone is texting you via SMS you won't see the typing awareness indicator.


Can mac receive messages when iCloud keeps asking for password?

If there was a problem with your iCloud account, and it was requesting your password, no, they shouldn't be able to read your messages.

However, to be sure, I would check with the current owner.

Always follow this guide before giving away your Mac.


Why do some apps only Airplay the audio?

The developers of those apps have blocked AirPlay video. Though the default is to allow video streaming, individual developers can make that call for their app. Older apps (before iOS 5) will all do it, as well many released after iOS 5 came out.

See the developer documentation, specifically "allowsAirPlayVideo" here.


Arrow keys output numbers when connecting to Ubuntu VirtualBox guest on Windows 7 host via remote desktop connection

The problem is that the NumLock state gets stuck to On inside the RDP client. Tools like numlockx don't help - the client returns the state back to On. It's not just the allow keys that stop working - Ins, Del, Home, End, PgUp and PgDown are affected as well. The solution I found is to remove all references to keypad keys affected by NumLock from the xmodmap settings. To do that, run on the guest

xmodmap -pke | sed 's/KP_\([^ ]*\) KP_.*/\1/' > $HOME/.xmodmap

.xmodmap will be loaded on the next login. To load it immediately, run

xmodmap $HOME/.xmodmap

Alternatively, use the newer version of the RDP client (Microsoft Remote Desktop 10). It fixes the arrows. It's a full rewrite of Microsoft Remote Desktop, it has its own issues with the Insert key and middle mouse button.


To Install Latin Modern Math font in OS X

I've also noticed The Latin Modern fonts are not installed to OS X with the MacTeX2015 distibution.

The LM fonts (also the math font) are installed in the tex distribution under:
/usr/local/texlive/2015/texmf-dist/fonts/opentype/public/lm
and /usr/local/texlive/2015/texmf-dist/fonts/opentype/public/lm-math

To use these font's throughout OS X there is no need to reinstall them, you can link these fonts to your Fonts in OS X as follows:

ln -s /usr/local/texlive/2015/texmf-dist/fonts/opentype/public/lm/ '/Library/Fonts/Latin Modern'
ln -s /usr/local/texlive/2015/texmf-dist/fonts/opentype/public/lm-math/ '/Library/Fonts/Latin Modern Math'

Note: This was inspired by the comments on this question.


Can't use Wi-Fi and LAN at the same time

You can change the priority for Wi-Fi over LAN connection. By default machines have LAN connection at top priority. You choose Wi-Fi at top and try again.

Step to change the priority of connection;

Go to System Preference -> Network, in network section at left-below side you have three icons +,-,(icon for setting).
Click on setting icon and you will get multiple option.
Select "Set Service Order..."
Then you will be prompt to a new window with all network option.
Select Wi-Fi and drag it to top.

It should help you to get your internet connection back. Please let me know if it works.


Screenshot of selected area with shadow?

Grab doesn't generate the shadow when a Window is copied, it copies the shadow that the OS has already applied to each window.

However, If you want to apply a shadow to your screen shots it can be done with extra steps using other applications.

If you have Keynote or Pages installed, you can replicate it with a few steps.

Open Keynote or Pages (instructions same after this point)
Select a template.  The background does not matter but white shows your work better
Drag or paste in your screenshot.  Note: Using control+⌘+shift+4 you can send your screenshot directly to the clipboard.
Apply a drop shadow to your image
Select and copy just the image and paste it into your email or desired location.

See images below:

Original Screenshot:

Keynote modification:

Result:


Buy a drive caddy for $22.00 (USB3).
Take all your old Firewire drives apart pull each disk out, and slip them into your modern caddy. Plug the caddy into USB and pull your data off as needed.

Don't toss the drives. You can use them for backup media etc. through the caddy.
Be sure you do a modern reformat on the drives, and run Disk First Aid.


The reason for this is that the Synergy server doesn't have an OS X frontend. I have the same issue with my Logitech mouse configuration -- I want to have a different scroll speed for Synergy because when I have acceleration enabled, the remote computer doesn't scroll properly. So I'd like to disable acceleration only when using synergy.

The solution would be to package synergys as an OS X app which, when you move your mouse to the remote computer, brings itself to the front (so that the menu bar contains only the Apple menu and a "Synergy" menu). I have planned for a long time to create such a wrapper which would accomplish this but just haven't had the time.

I didn't realize others would be interested in the same idea... If I ever complete that project I'll be sure to let you know! Or, maybe we should file a feature request with the synergy project? :-)