Message: not enough computer space for iphone backup My iPhone 4s won't backup. I receive the message:

  not enough space on computer.

There is plenty of space on my mac, 220 gigabytes free.

I had this issue. It finally came down to backup software - in my case CrashPlan. I "slept" the backup for a few hours, restarted the backup, and it completed successfully. It seemed like CrashPlan would lock the file after the iTunes finished writing the file out right as it was renaming it from a temporary name to the permanent name.


How can i recreate my Partition Table What happened:

While i was tinkering around with my bootcamp partition something went terribly wrong. end of story is, i have no partitions left in my partition table

The current situation:
i can boot my mac into internet recovery but diskutil shows only one partition on my 500gb harddrive.

the previous partitions were:

1: mac partition - filevault (SHOULD BE RECOVERED):

was ~320 GB in size and the standard mac partition at the beginning, which got shrinked at the end to fit the bootcamp win partition (2). the mac partition uses filevault and runs as mentioned the yosemite public beta.

2: windows 8.1 bootcamp partition (CAN BE DELETED)

the question:

can i somehow recreate my partition table and make my mac partition bootable again?
if the windows partition is lost, so be it, as long the mac one is saved.

TestDisk looks promising as i assume i have to somehow scan my harddrive for partitions and recreate the partition table manually.

How should i continue? if you need any additional information just ask!
thanks in advance for any help!

UPDATE:

this is what test disk says, which is exactly my partition scheme from before the mess-up. How should i proceed? rewrite the table to contain only EFI and the unknown "macintosh HD" which is the one to be saved?

Ok i managed to boot my osx partition again.

To find the hidden partition i created a bootable OSX Mavericks installation on an external harddrive on which i installed TestDisk.

TestDisk scanned my builtin HDD for partitions and created the output seen in the question.

To restore the table gdisk with the given sectors gdisk was used.


How to get my networked drives to also work on Mountain Lion? I have a networked drive on the XP side of my MacBook. I use a VPN and then can login to the drive. Nothing too special going on. I believe the server uses Active Directory.

There isn't a ton of info I have to enter. The \\server.local.blah blah
and some IP info.

I have never been able to get these to mount or show up and authenticate on the Mac side. I can use the network connect to login to the VPN, but directory access has always been a no-go.

If the VPN is working and the same as on the Windows side, you should be able to enter the server details in the Go > Connect to Server (⌘K) dialog in Finder. If it's a standard Windows file share, just enter in smb://server.local.blah and it should connect.

However if that doesn't work, you'll need to provide more details on how your VPN and servers are set up.


Intermittent failure of certain keys to respond Came across the second MacBook Pro keyboard recently that exhibit very strange symptoms.
Certain keys seem to stop responding despite being clean and traveling very easily just the rest of the keys. Both of them went to the Genius bar for testing, one of them for the 'long run', and came back as "works normally". Of course, despite still intermittently showing symptoms.

The affected keys in both cases were confined to the top row of letter characters on a qwerty-layout like tyuiop. Not always the same keys, not alway all keys. Sometimes all of them really do work normally.

Searching around there are some similar problems reported, apparently mostly on Apple hardware.

First port of call should be this Keyboard key stuck or not being recognized; how to fix but that reads like a permanent physical/electrical problem. And the supposed fix is really just an inconvenient workaround that further would be quite impractical to implement on that many keys.

Searching some more similar symptoms are reported here
Keyboard Intermittently Non Responsive - Top row of Qwerty only (This issue was not really solved…)

qwerty row on macbook air won't work from time to time Also no solution but a lot of voodoo reasoning or observations.

shift key + qwerty row of keys not working To look at similar but non-fruity situation.

Keys qwer uiop Not Working, Rest Other keys Are Working Fine – Laptop, Desktop Linking the key failures to dirt.

Strange symptoms with strange solutions that indicate a keyboard for itself may be fine: Unresponsive Keyboard and Trackpad problem

Both keyboards I examined had no spill related damage, both were cleaned underneath the key caps (minimal dirt there before), one I disassembled completely to really clean it. There is no swollen battery, no strange matter inside the machines.

Two further peculiarities to observe:
Pressing multiple (unresponsive) keys at once seems to yield a temporary relieve and the problems seem to be get more severe when the machine heats up and less severe when running cooler.

What could be the cause of this? How to fix it?

If you have this problem, prepare yourself for a long session of searches and partial answers. I wish Apple would summarize all the different possibilities in one page.

In my case, out went the "p" and then the ENTER key. (Survival trick: use the Keyboard Viewer to enter ENTER or any other key. If you are logged out I was not able to figure out how to enter "p" in my password using and ALT-### format ...).

So ... I did all the recommended resets (PRAM,SMC,safe mode reboot,upgrading to High Sierra). I checked that no System Settings were incorrect, added other language keyboards, upgraded to High Sierra.

Finally, I decided to risk going with the tools for the first time into my keyboard, removed and cleaned the "p" with help of this YouTube video, the best among many I saw. (Note not all keys are created equal and that several articles say the control keys —SPACE, ENTER, SHIFT, ALT, OPTION— are harder to put back in as they have a pin).

And ... nothing.

One article (which I cannot find now) had very useful pictures of the transparent film under the keys, which explains why keys that are in the same row tend to fail together. This film has gold conductive paint that follows a horizontal serial path on one side, so if there is corrosion or a mechanical problem in one key, it is likely to affect (or start affecting) keys in the same row, like when a bulb fails in a Christmas light with only two cables.

As the problem is intermittent, I discovered by chance that closing the lid, and putting the laptop vertically and putting pressure on both ends fixes the "p" and ENTER problems temporarily. I think my problem is the battery, which is 2-3 years old and at some point I've read that they start swelling.


Bypassing Boot Camp to install Windows using a non-standard partition scheme My new Retina MacBook Pro is on its way, giving me time to contemplate setting it up. Good thing I got started—I had no idea how difficult it was going to be to install Windows and create an auxiliary data partition. I've been a Mac user for years, and have kept my files separate from the system disk since the days of System 7, but I haven't upgraded to a new Mac since Snow Leopard and built-in optical drives.

Boot Camp is Apple's solution for this, but it doesn't work on drives that have any non-standard partitions. Beyond whatever "user experience" logic Apple may have for this, there's a simple technical explanation: the MBR partitioning scheme used by Boot Camp supports a maximum of 4 partitions.

Originally, the Boot Camp engineers had no choice. They was forced into an ugly hack workaround involving the use of a hybrid GPT/MBR scheme (basically overlaying an MBR scheme on top of a GPT disk) since Windows used to be unable to boot from GPT disks.

That wasn't a problem on my old machine, where I had an optical drive and no OS X recovery partition. Partitioning the new one the way I want means 5 partitions. I find tons of guides and tutorials online that tell me how I can, with a bit of work, interrupt the Boot Camp process and repartition the drive, giving me almost what I want. Except every one that I've seen requires me to give up my recovery partition, since they remain hobbled by MBR's limitation of 4 partitions. I don't want to do that.

I'm wondering if I really have to compromise. Modern 64-bit version of Windows no longer have this limitation—they boot fine from GPT disks on EFI-based computers. Which are the only versions that are officially supported by the current version of Boot Camp, and the only versions that I care to run. So:

Is Boot Camp 5 (as provided with OS X Mavericks) still using the hybrid GPT/MBR scheme? Since it explicitly supports only 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and 8, it is possible that they've jettisoned this ugliness. That would be a good explanation for the lack of support for Windows XP and Vista as well as all 32-bit versions. I don't have a lot of confidence here, but maybe all the online tutorials are just old. Has anyone actually tried it?
If not, I don't want its grubby paws mucking up my disk. The obvious alternative is to just add a Windows partition manually in Disk Utility, install Windows, and then install the Boot Camp-provided drivers. If I do this, what do I stand to lose? What features/benefits does the Boot Camp Assistant and its associated setup process provide to me?

I have installed Windows 8.1 Pro via Boot Camp on my MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch mid-2015, with OS X Yosemite 10.10.4 and Boot Camp Assistant version 5.1.4. I can prove that this version of Boot Camp is no longer creating hybrid GPT/MBR partition scheme to install Windows 8 x64 on Intel-based Macs, and Windows is directly booted in EFI mode. Here are what I have tried:

Running Ubuntu on its installation flash drive, I ran sudo disk -l /dev/sda to check my local Mac SSD; results:
MBR: protective, BSD: not present, APM: not present, GPT: present Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT Therefore Windows is not booting from and running on a disk with hybrid GPT/MBR scheme.
In Windows, C:\Windows\panther\setupact.log has one entry: Callback_BootEnvironmentDetect: Detected boot environment: EFI How to tell if windows 7 installer boot in EFI or BIOS?

Therefore theoretically Boot Camp is not needed to install Windows 7/8 x64, which support booting from GPT disks on UEFI(that is EFI 2.x)-based systems. But still it's better to use Boot Camp to create the Windows Installation flash drive and download drivers for Windows. The guide: How to install Windows 8.1 on Mac without Boot Camp To sum it up:

Partition your disk as you wish in Disk Utility in OS X; just format your desired Windows OS and data partitions as FAT32.
Since Retina MacBook Pros do not come with a SuperDrive, you need to create a Windows Installation flash drive from the ISO file. Please do this in Boot Camp Assistant. I have tried run dd command on Mac's Terminal to copy the ISO, but the created flash drive is not bootable on UEFI Macs: the Apple boot manager simply does not recognize the flash disk.
Plug in the flash drive, restart the computer and hold option to open Apple boot manager. You will see a yellow drive called "EFI Boot", which is the Windows Installation. Continue the installation as normal, and format your Windows OS partition as NTFS when asked.
Whenever the computer restarts, you need to hold option key and select "Windows" drive on your local SSD to continue installation. Finally go into the system and drivers from Boot Camp will automatically install.

You should keep a Time Machine backup before these operations. Even if things really mess up, you can just create a OS X Yosemite installation flash drive, re-format the SSD to one partition and re-install OS X. How to make a bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite install driveThe newest version of Recovery HD partition will automatically come back. This worked successfully when I wrongly operated the disk in Ubuntu.

Hope this works!


Why doesn't "su - user -c defaults read" work? I'm writing a script to set a defaults preference for all users on a machine.

When I run it from a root shell, the defaults command runs as if it's been given incorrect arguments.

bash-3.2# su - mheath -c defaults read
Command line interface to a user's defaults.
Syntax:

'defaults' [-currentHost | -host <hostname>]
followed by one of the following:

read                                 shows all
...

I am assuming that using su is causing the arguments to end up in the wrong place and that defaults is hard coded to expect arguments in certain places. But I've no idea how to get around this.

You're correct about the su picking up the args incorrectly - you need to quote them together:

su - mheath -c "defaults read"


How to raise the brightness on a computer using terminal How would I raise the brightness on my computer using terminal? Ideally, it would be done without executing an apple script or downloading external software, but whatever works. Thanks!

Install Homebrew. (Bonus points for already having it installed)

Once that's all well and good, enter brew install brightness

Now, all you have to do is type in brightness <level> to change your laptop's brightness. Change level to your desired brightness on a scale of 0 to 1.

(example: enter brightness .27 for 27% brightness)

Some bonus tips:

entering brightness -lv will print some detailed info about your display, as well as your brightness level.
brightness -l will give you some information about your display, but considerably less than -lv. It still prints your current brightness.
The project is open-source on GitHub. Kudos to @nriley for making this project.


Write a comment or description for an image in Aperture I have a ton of new pictures in Aperture (from a vacation.) I am trying to figure out the most productive way for me to crank through them and add a comment or new title. What I have seen calls up a dialog box for each image which will take a long time. Thanks

@terrydev's answer is good if you want to set a lot of photos to the same caption/description.

If you want a faster way of entering individual captions, you can use the "Info" inspector panel (default shortcut is Ctrl+D or via menus: View / Inspector / Info). The drop-down menu at the top lets you choose which set of metadata to display, I think the default "General" one includes caption, version name and headline...

You can type data in any of those, tab between them as usual, and use Cmd+← or Cmd+→ to switch to the previous/next photo in sequence.

This can make it much faster than using the menu + pop-up window for each individual photo. The data will be retained in exported images (if you don't strip metadata on export), and will show up in Facebook/Flickr/etc based on these fields.


How do I delete iTunes from my MacBook Pro I no longer need iTunes on my MacBook Pro and want to remove both the application and the music stored locally.
How can I accomplish this on macOS 10.12 Sierra?

To delete iTunes Music:
Your iTunes Music is stored in a Music Library. The default location is in the Music Folder in Finder.
If you don't know where the Music folder is, open Finder and click Go > Home and open the folder Music.
You can delete this entire folder. It will offer to create a new blank Library next time you open iTunes. You will lose all the music, of course, when you delete this folder.
Music/iTunes Application
On macOS Sierra you can delete iTunes, but I'd recommend against it. You would likely have to disable security features. Remember that Music is just a few hundred megabytes - less than 0.08% of even the smallest hard drives.


How can I turn on the macOS firewall from a script I'm setting up a new Mac Mini and I am using a script assembled from commands that I've accumulated over the years to set defaults, create directory structures, install software, and otherwise customize my Macs the way I want them.  The first command--to turn on the firewall--is failing to do anything.  How is the firewall currently turned on, in Catalina?

The command I'm using is

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.alf globalstate -integer 1

This is the same thing I'm finding by Googling (or an alternate form with -int instead of -integer).

If it has not changed, what could be preventing it from working?

macOS now uses the pf firewall (from OpenBSD).  Since Mac OS X Lion (10.7) circa 2012, the firewall ipfw was deprecated in favor of pf

The command to disable the pf firewall is:

% sudo pfctl -d

For full command line options for pfctl see man pfctl.


modprobe: FATAL: Module wl not found.on Macbook Air running Kali Linux 4.3 trying to setup Wifi Trying to setup Wifi on Kali Linux 4.3 for Broadcom Limited BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:43a0] (rev 03)

I keep getting stumped with the 'modprobe: FATAL: Module wl not found.' error

Any help would be greatly appreciated !!! Details of steps and output below:

root@kali:~# cat /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/ jessie main contrib non-free
root@kali:~# uname -a
Linux kali 4.3.0-kali1-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.3.3-5kali4 (2016-01-13) x86_64 GNU/Linux
root@kali:~# id
uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root)
root@kali:~# lspci -nnn | grep Broadcom
02:00.0 Multimedia controller [0480]: Broadcom Limited 720p FaceTime HD Camera [14e4:1570]
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Limited BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:43a0] (rev 03)

root@kali:~# apt-get update
Ign:1 http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian jessie InRelease
Hit:2 http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian jessie Release
Reading package lists... Done
root@kali:~# apt-get install linux-image-$(uname -r|sed 's,[^-]*-[^-]*-,,') linux-headers-$(uname -r|sed 's,[^-]*-[^-]*-,,') broadcom-sta-dkms
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
linux-headers-amd64 is already the newest version (4.6+74+kali1).
broadcom-sta-dkms is already the newest version (6.30.223.271-3).
linux-image-amd64 is already the newest version (4.6+74+kali1).
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 20 not upgraded.
root@kali:~# modprobe -r b44 b43 b43legacy ssb brcmsmac
root@kali:~# modprobe wl
modprobe: FATAL: Module wl not found.

I've tried multiple iterations and continue to get stuck on this
modprobe: FATAL: Module wl not found.  error.

I was having the same problem, and finally found a way to fix it. Run this script that download the necessary headers the missing module.

https://gist.github.com/speeddragon/2d4ea420a8a53407cb8218fa28c2a74b

I didn't test the script, but it should work.

The issue is the following. Kali doesn't show available the 4.3.0 linux-headers and necessary packages (like kbuild) to build the module when you install "broadcom-sta-dkms".

After install the necessary things for 4.3.0 kernel, you install the "broadcom-sta-dkms" again and "modprobe wl" should work.


Can I force my MacBook to only charge from the USB-C device I select? Or forbid it from charging from devices I know to be unreliable? For some reason, my MacBook keeps trying to charge off of my external display's USB Type-C ("USB-C") link even though I have a more powerful source connected.

I care because the monitor is apparently unable to provide the 45W it reports, and after a few seconds the system switches to battery power, and then immediately back to AC power, over and over. This has the effect of flashing the screen on and off, and causing mouse / keyboard interactions with my remaining screens to momentarily pause. Overall, it makes the setup useless.

Here is what pmset -g ac has to say about the monitor when it is the only device connected:

# pmset -g ac
 Wattage = 45W
 Current = 2250mA
 Voltage = 20000mV

and the same for when my power source is the only one connected:

# pmset -g ac
 Wattage = 60W
 Current = 3000mA
 Voltage = 20000mV

When they are both connected, it reports 45W as though the monitor is the only device.

Log showing the endless loop. Initially I am truly on battery, and then I attach the monitor which triggers the first Now drawing from 'AC Power', everything else happens by itself after that:

# pmset -g pslog
Logging IORegisterForSystemPower sleep/wake messages
pmset is in logging mode now. Hit ctrl-c to exit.
2018-03-06 14:45:01 +0000 IOPSNotificationCreateRunLoopSource
Now drawing from 'Battery Power'
 -InternalBattery-0 (id=4128867)    94%; discharging; 6:10 remaining present: true
2018-03-06 14:45:08 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.timeremaining
2018-03-06 14:45:08 +0000 IOPSNotificationCreateRunLoopSource
Now drawing from 'AC Power'
 -InternalBattery-0 (id=4128867)    93%; AC attached; not charging present: true
2018-03-06 14:45:08 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.percent
2018-03-06 14:45:08 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.source
2018-03-06 14:45:08 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:08 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:09 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:10 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:25 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.timeremaining
2018-03-06 14:45:25 +0000 IOPSNotificationCreateRunLoopSource
 -InternalBattery-0 (id=4128867)    93%; charging; (no estimate) present: true
2018-03-06 14:45:25 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:31 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.timeremaining
2018-03-06 14:45:31 +0000 IOPSNotificationCreateRunLoopSource
Now drawing from 'Battery Power'
 -InternalBattery-0 (id=4128867)    93%; charging; 0:00 remaining present: true
2018-03-06 14:45:31 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.percent
2018-03-06 14:45:31 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.source
2018-03-06 14:45:31 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:32 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.timeremaining
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 IOPSNotificationCreateRunLoopSource
 -InternalBattery-0 (id=4128867)    93%; discharging; (no estimate) present: true
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.timeremaining
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 IOPSNotificationCreateRunLoopSource
Now drawing from 'AC Power'
 -InternalBattery-0 (id=4128867)    93%; AC attached; not charging present: true
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.percent
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.source
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:33 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:34 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources
2018-03-06 14:45:34 +0000 com.apple.system.powersources.timeremaining
2018-03-06 14:45:34 +0000 IOPSNotificationCreateRunLoopSource

So: Can I force my MacBook to only charge from the device I select? Or forbid it from charging from devices I know to be unreliable?

System: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) with 3.1 GHz Intel Core i7 and 16 GB RAM

Has this issue been resolved?  I have a couple ideas on this, perhaps not useful for the original poster but maybe for someone that sees this same behavior.
First thing though is that this is very odd behavior.  Apple documentation shows that the MacBook should take power from the larger power supply regardless of which is plugged in first.  This behavior may show that there is some deeper hardware or software problem.  The need to track this down is subjective.  The need to get back to work is likely a priority and so resolving this is likely the highest concern for anyone in this position.
The quickest way to resolve this is to simply remove the power connection from one supply or the other.  This can mean just not connecting the 60 watt power supply and running off the 45 watt supply from the monitor.  The 60 watt supply was chosen for inclusion with the MacBook in order to allow for charging the battery even when under high CPU load.  Normal use is rarely going to need all this power, especially if you are using this MacBook while it sits on a desk for hours at time.  The best part about this solution is it costs nothing to implement.  The bad part is it does nothing to determine if there is a deeper issue causing this behavior, as well as does nothing to resolve it.  If this gets you back to work then that may be all that concerns you, and this may be all that needs to be done until the computer is retired.  Or, the display is retired.  Or, you are retired.
Breaking the power connection from the monitor can be done with a different cable.  It sounds like the monitor is connected with a common USB-C to USB-C cable.  Presumably the monitor has a DisplayPort and/or mini-DisplayPort input to supply DisplayPort video in addition to the USB-C port.  An adapter cable from USB-C to DisplayPort will keep the DisplayPort video connection but break the power connection.  If there is only USB-C for DisplayPort input then a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter with a DisplayPort to USB-C cable will also break the power connection and keep the video connection.
Another option which might be attractive because it can solve other problems along with this odd behavior is to get a USB-C dock.  The dock will connect to the MacBook by a single USB-C port and split out the video, power, and USB.  This means the MacBook will only take power from your power brick, the video will be split out to a DisplayPort port, and then USB for mouse, keyboard, and whatever else.  The connection to the display can then be by a much less expensive DisplayPort cable, assuming it has a DisplayPort port in addition to the USB-C port.  If there is no DisplayPort input then a DisplayPort to USB-C cable should be able to connect the monitor and still break the power supply connection to the MacBook.
Try running the MacBook on the display power, it costs nothing to try.  If that leaves you with the battery running low too often for your comfort then look into the other two options.  Which of the two works for you at the lowest cost will depend on the ports available on the display and what else needs to be connected to the computer.
I found this problem interesting, I would like to know how it was resolved.


Updating my 3GS from iOS 4.1 to 6.1.6 Is there a way i can upgrade my iPhone 3GS from iOS 4.1 to 6.1.6 without using a computer?

In short, no.

OTA [Over the Air] updates are only available on devices that shipped with iOS 5 or later.
Your only alternative is a computer running iTunes.

Source: Wikipedia - iOS


How do I sync my music and video from iTunes to new iPhone 6? In trying to sync my music and video to my new iPhone 6, I noticed that all of the music and videos that I purchased downloaded to my new phone but all of the ones that I had ripped from CDs did not. Is there a way to sync all of my music and videos from iTunes to iPhone 6? Thank you.

Its simple.

Open iTunes.
Connect the iOS device to your computer using the
included USB cable.

After clicking on your iOS device, tabs appear on the left side of the iTunes window under Settings.
You can turn on syncing for Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, Books, Audiobooks, Tones, Photos, and Info. To turn on syncing, click the content type from the list under settings, then click the box next to Sync [content type]. If there's a check in the box already, syncing is turned on for that tab. To turn off syncing, uncheck the box.

Click the Sync button in the lower-right corner of the screen to sync your content. Only the information in the content list you've enabled syncing for will sync to your computer. If you made any changes to any of the settings, first click the apply button.


Is there a user-friendly app that can create an archive of system.log files and the like? Background

I have this command to create a temporary collection of selected log files –

sudo tar -czf $TMPDIR/archive\ of\ install.log\ and\ system.log\ files\ only.tgz --options='compression-level=9' /private/var/log/*install* /private/var/log/*system* && sudo chmod 666 $TMPDIR/archive\ of\ install.log\ and\ system.log\ files\ only.tgz && open $TMPDIR

– but it's usable only if the user at the command line is an administrator.

A Pacifist view of an archive produced by that command:

Question

For OS X, is there a user-friendly third party app that can create an archive of a comparable collection of log files?

The ideal app:

should work for normal users (and if so, must prompt for administrator credentials, which will be required to access some of the data)
may be relatively system-agnostic (not limited to Mountain Lion).

Approaches that I have ruled out

Console

It's great for many things, but not for collecting and archiving in the way outlined above.

Finder

It's user friendly but I'd prefer something that can perform the collection in a single step, or two – without browsing to the source directory. Moreover:

a normal user can not use Finder to compress the required files.

Apple sysdiagnose

It's powerful and fairly comprehensive, but can be unexpectedly time-consuming.

Only the most recent system.log file is archived.

Could you use an AppleScript like this?

do shell script "tar --disable-copyfile -cf ${TMPDIR}logs.tar /var/log/{system,install}.log*" with administrator privileges

It requires entering the username and password of an admin user though.


Adding a boarding pass to wallet None of the answers to this question have even vaguely answered it but have gone off on tangents instead.  It has nothing to do with the airline, whether it is accepted or not depends upon the airport, not the airline.  But that is besides the point, the question is how do you physically add a boarding pass to Apple Wallet.  American Airlines sends an email to you which contains a link to your boarding pass.  American further advises you to add the pass, that appears after you have followed that link, to your Apple Wallet. The procedure should be to open Wallet, click on the + sign in the top right corner and then position the boarding pass within the box in Wallet until Wallet clicks and records the boarding pass. Unfortunately, nothing seems to happen. You never get to that "click" and the question is why?  I agree with the person who posted this question earlier: it should be easy, so why isn't it?

After you make the check-in online (either via the app or the website), the American Airlines app allows you to add the boarding pass to you wallet from inside the app (it's in effect the last step of the check-in).

But if you have a "generic" boarding pass you can try with this site:

https://ahoy.io/getpassbook/


How to create a mp3-clip from an existing mp3? Is there a free audio tool where I can just grab a snippet from a mp3 file and save it as a new mp3?

Open it in QuickTime Player, click Edit → Trim… (⌘T), drag the yellow handles to truncate it to the snippet you want, and export the result.

Note that it will export in AAC (.m4a) format, so if you need MP3, you'll need to convert it afterwards.


Apple USB-C Multiport adapter bricked I purchased a USB-C Multiport adapter and plugged it into my new MacBook Pro.  Immediately I was told to upgrade the adapter, and I clicked okay and then right through the usual installer screens.  Installation finished, I clicked reboot and one of my Applications cancelled the restart.  I quit that app manually and then rebooted.  MacBook rebooted, but adapter doesn't work and the upgrade nag no longer shows up.

I understand now that it's important to plug the power into the slot on the adapter (rather than into your MacBook) when doing the upgrade, and it's a good idea to read the installer ReadMe, but this was not done.

Opening /System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware\ Updates/USB-C\ Multiport\ Adapter/adapterupdate1.pkg and trying to re-run the upgrader manually fails with the message: "This software is not supported on your system".

System Report seems to recognize the USB Multiport adapter, and see's version 2.33, however any devices plugged into the adapter (HDMI, USB) while they register in system report, don't actually work.

This is the second adapter that I did this too so I'm pretty sure the issue was related to not being plugged in during the upgrade, but surely there is some way to reset / re-image the damn thing, I'd rather not get a 4th one.

Your adapter is not bricked per se. I have two of them and have been unable to get them to work at all under Sierra 10.12.6 using HDMI. I was able to update them both and reboot successfully. They both show up under System Information as you describe, but no connection is ever established with the HDMI display.

Failing the reboot of the computer is not the problem. It's just that the reboot is needed before the system will recognize it. If you have rebooted since then, you have done all that you can do. I have thought about reaching out to Apple Support, but feel it is going to quickly become a wild goose chase with them.


Apps Crashing Due to Mishandling of Fetching Fonts I recently downloaded two apps from the Mac App Store, and I appear to be having the same problem with both applications. Both applications open, but as soon as I click on anything, they crash. The two apps are called “Tap Forms Organizer 5” and “Aktuell 3.” They are not made by the same developers.

I have contacted the developers for both apps. I provided both with the error reports generated upon crashing. Both indicated it was a problem fetching fonts.

I went into the FontBook and selected all fonts, then validated all fonts. All came back valid.

Then I went into System Profiler, and went down to “Fonts.” Here, I again confirmed all fonts are valid.

It was suggested that I download, install, and run “Font Doctor,” but this is a $69.99 application that I would not get much use out of.

I am on a 13” MacBook Pro with Retina, running El Capitan (10.11.6). Both apps are compatible with my rMBP (the correct versions of the apps have been installed, as there are multiple versions of each of the two apps). The installed fonts appear valid.

In your experience or research, have you come across such an issue and its resolution?

Thank you for your time.

I figured it out. I use an app called "TinkerTool" that allowed me to change the system font. I went into TinkerTool, and under "Fonts," I clicked "Restore to Defaults."

Problem solved.


Can old deleted iMessage threads be restored setting up a new Apple device? Just out of curiosity, was reading through old forums and came across this thread:

Q: How long does apple keep messages in imessage?

  I've established iMessage on a new device, did not restore from a backup, and many months of old iMessages were downloaded when I began a new conversation with a person with whom I'd had a past thread.

and,

  I was able to pull iMessages from old deleted message threads on a new device.

Is still something that occurs through Apple? Seems like a security issue if you can setup a new device with your iCloud and all your deleted old message history populates? Can you restore deleted iMessage history to a new device, or the same device set as new?

Has anyone tested this?

The thread you posted and information are from 2013. Old information relevant for older iOS versions. If you restore from an iCloud backup, messages are restored to the device.

With the latest iOS, you can also backup iMessages to iCloud separately from an iCloud backup. Now you can save iMessages to iCloud, but it's a feature that you have to enable separately through settings.

Go to Settings app → Apple ID → iCloud → Messages and enable the switch. You can also back up to iTunes to save/restore that kind of data. If you do not have the Messages in iCloud feature enabled and/or do not restore from an iTunes/iCloud backup, no iMessages will be restored to the device.

Here are a couple related Apple Support documents for reference:

Keep all your messages in iCloud
About backups for iOS devices


Mac Mail reducing image size making it unreadable to the recipient As per the title, when I send an email to someone with an image attached. Mail is reducing the image size making it barely legible.

The workaround is to add the image to a pdf.

I have looked around for a solution however I am unable to figure out where and how to tell mac mail not to nanny my images!

Any help, much appreciated!

Ok - I figured this out, there are actually a number of options:

If you are using inline images, when you add an image, there is actually a drop down menu just below the from address which states "image size", use that to size the image accordingly.
If you switch off inline images:

defaults write com.apple.mail DisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool YES

This will send the image in the current size.

Well, there we go!


Mountain Lion takes long time to shutdown The fix does not stay, guess I'll wait for Apple to releases a fix.

It usually shutdown in 2,3 seconds while I was on Lion. I upgraded to ML recently and this happened.

In launchd-shutdown log, I found this

20006079 com.apple.launchd                1        com.apple.securityd      17        Exit timeout elapsed (20 seconds). Killing
20008561 com.apple.launchd                1        com.apple.coreservices.appleevents 65        Exit timeout elapsed (20 seconds). Killing

Things I have tried but no luck:

I have reset PRAM
clear kext-cache. it works at first shutdown only though.

Any idea how to fix this!?

Take a look at the following threads:

https://discussions.apple.com///thread/4424200?start=0&tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4339540?start=0&tstart=0

http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-1414639.html

In short, it was recommended to: "removing items from Login Items for the user account and adding them back one at a time while testing restart/shutdown. Also, clearing out the ~/Library/Saved Application State folder and the System/Library/Caches folder and making sure your ML volume is selected as the volume to boot from in System Preferences / Startup Disk."

Also, maybe you have Dropbox/Google Drive/Software Update that runs in the background?

Another thing that mentioned was to uncheck "Reopen windows when logging" when shutting down for quick shutdown times.

Can you tell us which applications you think might cause problems?


How can I share AppStore 1Password Pro on my MacBook? The information on 1Password regarding using/sharing the application one purchased in AppStore is that it is possible. You are given a rundown on how to install on your other device. But it doesn't work because the menus that are mentioned don't exist in the Mac version.
Originally I bought the 1Password Pro App on my iPhone (7) and would like to synchronise the password information via Dropbox on my MacBook Pro. I never received a licence nor secret code by e-mail.
Is there someone who had/has this same problem? When replying please keep it simple as I'm not a computer genius

If your ultimate aim is to have access to 1Password and all your stored passwords, serial numbers, etc on both your iPhone and your Mac, you need to install 1Password on both devices.

Assuming you've done that, you have a number of options, but since you're wanting to use Dropbox then do as follows:

On your iPhone

Make sure you have synced your 1Password data to Dropbox. To do this:

Launch 1Password on your iPhone
Tap on the Settings icon at bottom right
Go to Vaults > Primary > Sync Service
Tap on Sync with Dropbox
Follow the prompts to finish the process

On your MacBook

Do as follows:

Start from scratch and install 1Password on your MacBook again (i.e. If it's already installed, delete it and then download/install it again)
Launch 1Password
Now, when it launches the first time you should see a screen similar to the one below:

Select the Sync using Dropbox option
Click on the Choose File... button
Navigate to Dropbox and select the 1Password data file (it'll have either a .agilekeychain or .opvault file extension)
Follow the prompts to finish the process

NOTES:

As mentioned above there are a number of ways you can sync data between iOS and macOS. If you still have problems, you may want to investigate other options (e.g. WLAN, iCloud, etc).
The AgileBits Support Forum is actively staffed, so it's a good place to go to seek direct support.


Icons of m4v files missing after El Capitan update After El Capitan update (from Yosemite) icons of m4v files (quicktime player icons) are missing. Instead of it they are blank.

Blank icon:

Must be:

Any suggestions how to fix?

There is a utility out there that does about all of the cleaning operations on a Mac O/S system, it's called Onyx and can be found on MacUpdate or thru your favorite search engine.

Go to the automate tab, check everything and let it run. Reboot when done. That should clean things up (caches, permissions, etc.) and is likely to fix this issue. It has for me.

Failing that my only other suggestion is to apply the latest combo update for El Capitan. Combo updates often fix a multitude of strange issues.


Manually deleting the Safari cookies on Yosemite is not working I am trying to manually delete the cookies for Safari on Mac OSX Yosemite 10.10.3.

I have done this with Chrome and FireFox before (you simply locate their cookie files and delete them). But I seem to fail when trying to do it with Safari.

My understanding is that Safari's cookie files are in

/Users/me/Library/Cookies

There are at least four files there:

HSTS.plist
com.apple.appstore.cookies
com.apple.ibooks.cookies
Cookies.binarycookies

I have closed Safari and emptied the folder. However, it doesn't seem to have worked because when I visit a website that uses cookies for user authentication, I am still logged in (which does not happen when I do it with Chrome or FireFox).

I don't understand the full interplay, but rebooting will fix cookie retention [presumably held in cache] - that is separate from login details remembered by Keychain & also Form Values etc.

If you really want a clean sweep, try OnyX (free/donationware) > Cleaning > Internet - choose what you need to delete from there…

Safari has its own simpler version, though I'm not certain quite what it does delete…


Connecting my devices with Mac as the "server" I have three devices : A MacBook Pro (i7, Retina, 2014 one), Xiomi mi4i, and Apple iPad (4th generation).

So my issue is every time I have to transfer and access files, owing to fact that only two are of the same ecosystem, it is quite a problem.

I recently tried using BitTorrent Sync (for about two weeks now). The problem is that it works only 30% of the time , and is other wise very laggy. In addition to this I have tried Share IT, Pushbullet , Instashare.

USB is an option, but my requirement is to use my Mac as a repository for the files, and access as I need. Is there a way I could set up a network between my three devices (by say smb or ftp) and then access files (like the BitTorrent way) ? I did try the share folders option, but I didn't quite understand it correctly.

If you share files from your Mac by checking the box next to 'File Sharing' in the 'Sharing' pane of 'System Preferences' then you need to connect to that share using a client app on your device (like the 'File Connect' app for iOS.) Apple File Protocol (AFP) and Microsoft compatible SMB are the two choices for sharing.

Bittorent is a peer-to-peer method of sharing files. AFP, SMB, and FTP are client/server methods of sharing files and work completely different from peer-to-peer. With a client/server method, you would access your files directly from your Mac.

For what it’s worth, if DropBox is not working out for you, the problem is likely on your end.


How to browse files for uncompleted iOS backup I have an old iOS backup but it is not a complete backup (I dismounted the phone while taking it and never made a new one.)
There are 15GB of files but since it is not a completed backup, the Backup software is not able to browse it.
How I can browse these files and get some data from it?
I used the backup tool from Finde.r

When you take an unencrypted backup using Finder, it will generate a random name for your files or photos and remove the extension, in this case, you can't know the file type but you can try preview it or open it so if this file is an image and you tried to open it with preview then you can see the image


Detect installed applications (software dev) on OS X Lion I'm a first time Mac user.

Aside from checking out the installed applications on my Applications folder, are there other ways to find out what applications have been installed on my OS X Lion?

When I tried out the Terminal, and then assumed that the IRB (Interactive Ruby) or Ruby was installed, so I typed "irb" and it did work.  It ran the Interactive Ruby and I was typing simple Ruby commands then!

I tried typing "python" too and the Python prompt then appeared.  I typed some basic Python commands like "print 'hello world'" and it worked too!

I was thinking if there was a way to find out just like the Add/Remove Programs that I was used to when I was still using Windows XP/7 back then.

Cheers!

Apple Menu > About This Mac >

In the resulting window: (More Info)

In the side bar of the resulting window: Software > Applications

Columns presented:

Application Name | Version | Last Modified

Click on a row to see more details:

Kind (architecture)
64 Bit
App Store
Get Info String
Location (in the file system)

I see Python this way (3 different versions actually) but not PHP or Ruby.


Move data from iPhone to windows I friend of mine has no space left on her iPhone, so we bought a external harddrive and try to transfer the photos and videos from the iPhone to the harddrive. I am using windows 10.

I unlocked the phone and connected it to the computer, it appears in the file explorer.

I was able to move all files appearing in there to the external harddrive (I was unable to delete the folders btw, I had to open each folder and delete all files there...)

I thought that was it, but if I open the iPhone and go to photos then there are still thousands of photos, even though the folder "Internal Storage" appearing on windows is empty.

There are also still photos and videos on the iPhone which are not on the external harddrive.

What is going on?

How can I move all media from the iPhone to the external harddrive?!

I also tried it via iTunes, but the "synchronize" field is grayed out even after restarting windows.

I also tried to transfer all the files from iCloud to the computer, but there is a limit of 1000 Photos.
So I installed iCloud for Windows, but the software does not work. The sync is not triggered at all.

Update: I figured out that I have to trigger the synch by clicking on the icon on the down right in the tray. Now I can synchronize the data between the computer and the iPhone

I have had success with simply mounting and using File Explorer to locate the DCIM directory and copying it out.  However, I found it easiest to delete the photos from within the Photos app on the phone itself, despite how tedious that is.

You have to go into the Photos app, select the camera roll album, press 'Select' at the top right, and drag to select the photos you want to delete.  I recommend deleting in batches instead of trying to select them all in one go.  Unfortunately, this doesn't actually delete the photos, it just moves them to the 'Recently Deleted' folder.  Go to that folder, click 'Select' then 'Delete All'.

Yes it's tedious, but it works every time and I've gotten pretty fast at doing it.


MAC OS X refuses to mount the main volume Macintosh HD, saying that there's an “Invalid content in journal” I have a problem with my MAC. Yesterday it got stuck while it was trying to connect to a Wi-Fi network, then, since it didn't respond I decided to turn it off using the power on/off button ('). When I restart it, MAC didn't mount my disk0s2 where OS X is installed (Macintosh HD) and where all my files and programs are stored, instead the OS X Utility appeared.

I tried to verify the disk using Disk Utility and the Terminal by running:

fsck_hfs -fy /dev/disk0s2
//(disk0s2 it's the device file for my Macintosh HD Volume, I have checked this with diskutil list)

but I got this message:

Invalid content in journal
** Checking Journaled HFS Plus Volume
Invalid record count
** The volume cannot be verified completely.

I thought I need to disable the journal on the volume, but even after this command:

/System/Library/Filesystems/hfs.fs/hfs.util -N /dev/disk0s2
disable_journaling: /dev/disk0s2 is not journaled.

If I run again fsck_hfs I get the previous error "Invalid content in journal" again and again.

If, using Disk Utils, I click on the "Repair Disk" button, I get this:

The disk cannot be repaired. Backup how much as possible files, format the disk and restore your files.

But I do not have a backup disk (I know I know, I should or better I must had one), but I don't. How can I backup how much as possible files if I cannot mount the disk and navigate through the file system?

Why I keep obtaining the journal error even if I have disable it with hfs.util?

Is there a way to access my data again using embedded tools and not using commercial solutions like Tech Tools or Disk Warrior (I have read about these two around in forums)?

Another thing I have noticed is this:
If I start the MAC in single user mode (command line interface) and I type "exit", I get the following error while the MAC is trying to boot:

hfs_mount: hfs_mountfs returned error=5 for device /dev/disk0s2

How should I interpret this error?

Please, if you came across this or a similar problem, post what you did in order to resolve this annoying problem (I also used and still use Linux (Ubuntu) and I never had such a problem when the system got stuck and I pressed the power off button in order to turn-off the hanged system).

Thanks for the attention.

Open error 5: youre I/O is corrupt. Hardisk is probably failing.


Is line level Bluetooth audio possible with iPhone? In my car i have a 3.5mm jack that I want to connect to my iPhone 5. I currently am just running a standard 3.5mm cable from my phone to the port, but that audio volume isn't that great. So I thought a neat way would be to get a Bluetooth module with a 3.5mm input - like this one and use that.

But I'm not sure if that would connect via a line level output from the phone.

Is is possible to do line level out without needing an expensive lighting to 30 pin cable -> 30 pin to 3.5mm cable into the car port?

OR is it possible to just go lighting cable to this, right into the 3.5mm jack, would it carry audio???

(there was a goo.gl link here but it led to a 404 or I removed it)

You'll want something like the Griffin BlueTrip Aux as it gets powered from a DC car jack (a.k.a cigarette lighter recepticle) and receives bluetooth music and sends it out a stereo analog connector to your car's AUX in / line in headphone jack.

There are many similar products that are cheaper and larger and the audio quality on some is not as good as Griffin's product, but you can shop around since there are several similar product on the market.

The part you list needs a USB cable and getting that out of a lightning port phone would be far more product than a simple BT receiver.


Crashed and now only white light blinking I plugged an iPhone into my MacBook Pro with iTunes open. After a moment, my MacBook got stuck and shut down by itself. Then, I tried to open the MacBook Pro again. But, nothing is happening except few things like the white light is blinking and fan is running. I tried a couple of times; nothing happens. How can I fix it? What is the problem?

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.


Bluetooth performance worse after Yosemite update I have a bluetooth trackpad and a pair of bluetooth headphones and ever since I upgraded  to Yosemite I've been having problems with both.

The trackpad fails to re-connect after the laptop wakes up more often that it before as do the headphones, on top of that the headphones are a lot choppier, to the point I can't listen. When connected to my phone they work flawlessly.

I'd unpaired & re-paired both devices & also removed them by deleting them from the .plist file directly, this improved things for a few days, but now it's back to the same problem.

This looks like a bug in Yosemite. I have this issue and other people have it also.

I think we can just wait until it is fixed or return to Mavericks. I have tried resetting SMC and some other "fixes" from the internet without success.

OS 10.10.1 Yosemite has Bluetooth Audio Delay (lag, latency)


How do you force OS X to re-detect displays? I use my MacBook at work and at home. Whenever I switch between work and home,  every now and again I get bug whereby the Mac thinks an external monitor is still plugged in, even if it's not.

This means when I go to plug in either my work or home monitors, one of them doesn't work as OS X still thinks there is a different monitor plugged in.

The only way I've been able to fix this is to restart, but I was hoping there was a quick way to fix this through a terminal command or something.

Note that System Preferences > Displays > Option + Detect Displays does not work.

Go into System Preferences->Displays and when there (doesn't matter which tab) press the 'Option/ALT' key and you'll see 'Detect Displays' where the 'Gather Windows' button is (on 10.13.x) or simply in the lower right on 10.14.x (as this page doesn't have a 'Gather Windows' button.)


No memory available on my iPhone 6? I don't understand why I can't save or take photo or video in my iPhone 6. I have 32GB and my photo gallery is empty. I did not install anything for example games and other app. When I record a video, appears a notice "full memory". I have just restart my iPhone 6 but it remains like before.

Go to Settings -> General -> Storage & iCloud Usage -> Manage Storage.

It will show you Used and Available Space on your iPhone.


Can I collapse content spread across two displays to a unique space for each display when the 2nd display is removed? I use two displays at work and then I unplug my 2nd display when I go on the road/home.  It's an incredible shortcoming that all my content on the 2nd display gets squished so it's mostly off screen when I unplug the second display and revert to just the Macbook display.  It's also cumbersome to always be dragging windows around.  Is there a way to use one "space" but spread across two displays when I have two available but then when there is only one available collapse the content that I have on the second display to a second "space"?

I have not tried that specifically, but after trying out pretty-much every window-position-remembering app out there, I found that only Stay actually did what I wanted.

It lets one save the window configuration for each display configuration, and seems to be Spaces-aware.

I have nothing to do with them, but thought they provided something useful.


MacBook Pro Retina 15 connecting a 4k monitor Just got a new MacBook Pro 15 Retina (mid 15). I have an Acer 4k-monitor which I'm looking to connect to the MacBook but I can't figure out how. The Apple website and FAQ's weren't helpful.

I want the monitor to run 60hz, so I figured out I must use the Thunderbolt/Mini-DP connection. Since only HDMI 2.0 supports 60hz-4k (and I couldn't find out which one the MBP has).

Can I buy a Mini-DP to Mini-DP cable or is it going to work with Apple's Thunderbolt-Thunderbolt cables?

An Apple store employee told me they no longer sell Mini-DP to Mini-DP cables because Thunderbolt cables can serve the same purpose, but this answer suggests she might have been lying.

I've seen a firmware revision reported for a Thunderbolt cable, which fits with the claim that a Thunderbolt cable includes a chip.

I've had good luck with DisplayPort to Mini-DP cables. If your monitor has a full size DisplayPort connector, connecting a cable to that might be your best bet. Cables for that purpose are easy to find on Amazon.

This answer confirms my experience, that a Mac HDMI port can't do UHD at 60 Hz.


Command+right/left stopped working On a couple occasions since I installed Lion, the keyboard shortcuts ⌘+→ and ⌘+← have stopped working to navigate to the beginning/end of a line inside text fields and such.  Any ideas what's going on?

Notes:

My computer doesn't beep when I hit these shortcuts.
Keyboard Viewer shows that when I hold down ⌘, pressing left/right doesn't do anything.
When I hold down both ⌘ and ⇧, the arrow keys work fine.
The left and right arrow keys still work by themselves.
⌘+↑ and ⌘+↓, and ⌥+arrows still work.
⌃+A and ⌃+E still work.
I don't have any particularly weird custom keyboard shortcuts set up.
If it matters, I use 4-finger swipes and ⌃+arrows for switching desktops, two- and three-finger swipes for navigation, and three-finger swipes for Mission Control & App Exposé.

No need to restart, these steps helped me:

Swipe 4 fingers up to show Mission Control
Select a full-screen app in the list of desktops
Swipe 4 fingers up to show Mission Control again
Select a text editor app on the main Desktop


Networking an external hard drive I want to buy a Seagate Backup Plus Desktop 4TB Thunderbolt drive, but I was wondering if it is possible to connect my external hard drive to a network. There are two options which might help:

we have a server, is it possible that I connect my external hard drive through my own macbook to the server that others could have access to it?
I might be able to construct a network and give access to the other computers to store their data on my external hard drive.

Many modern routers offer the ability to connect a hard disk directly to the router and make it visible on the network.  That might be another option to explore.


How can I stitch a set of images together? I have a set of images that are named foo-N.jpg, where N is a number from 0 to 100.

I'd like to stitch them together such that I have one long image, where foo-0.jpg is at the left and foo-100.jpg is at the right.

I can do this manually in Photoshop or Fireworks, but it'd take forever.

Is there a way to do this in bulk, like perhaps with Automator, Terminal, or an app?

You can do it with Imagemagick from a terminal. If you have Homebrew, installing it is as easy as:

brew install imagemagick

Once you have it, open the terminal and go to the folder where you have the pictures, then do:

convert foo* +append result.jpg

And there you have it, your 100 pictures in a row. You can also make a column with them, instead of +append use -append.


How do I sync apps that I have bought on the iPhone? I have bought a number of apps on my iPhone. When I try to set up syncing with iTunes it says that this will remove all of the apps.

How do I make iTunes not want to replace all of the apps and instead just make a backup of the existing ones?

I had this same issue after I recreated my iTunes library.  This may be totally off because it was about a month ago, but I think I did this:

canceled the sync
clicked on the iPod under devices or whatever (maybe I secondary clicked)
I think after I clicked (or secondary clicked) on it, there was an option to copy purchased items

Sorry this is so vague, it's been awhile :)

on edit:

I just tested this out by alt clicking iTunes, creating a new library, and connecting my iPod.  It's pretty much exactly how I described.

cancel the sync
secondary click the iPod on the left
click "transfer purchases"

Afterwards, you can sync, and everything will be erased and rewritten to the iPod.

I'm not sure why Apple makes this so confusing.  The only reason I can come up with is that they want people to have to repurchase stuff but that seems a little over the top even from Apple.


Powerline patched font not working on Terminal.app I am on Mac OS X 10.10.2 (14C2513).
I am using Inconsolata patched font from here. But I also tried to patch the font myself.
The result is the following:

I am able to see the glyphs but zsh (see the glyph next to the branch name develop for a git repository) and also vim fail to display them on Terminal.app

Am I missing any configuration step?

Update

Using Input Mono v1.100 I have the same problem:

Let me suggest you to install Input Mono font, comes with full support to powerline.

In order the following to work, Input Mono font must be version 1.1. You can check the font version by going to Font Book → View → Show Font Info, and look at the version number.

With Terminal.app works out of the box. Just select the font and you are ready.

With iTerm2, you have to modify a couple of things:

Go to Preferences → Profiles → Text and uncheck `Use a different font for non-ASCII text.
Just above, click on Change Font and select Input Mono. Additionally you have to change Character Spacing → Vertical to 110%. Seems that Terminal and iTerm2 render character spacing in a different way.


How do I redeem an App Gift from a different App Store? "This code is only valid for customers of the ___ Store." My friend has sent me a gift app from the Singapore App Store whilst I'm on the Australian App store.

I encounter the following:
"This code is only valid for customers of the Singapore Store."

How do I redeem this?

Related to this question.

And the answer is, gift cards and gift certificates are redeemable only on the iTunes Store for the country for which they were purchased.


How can I get my headset to work with my MacBook Air? (13-inch, Mid 2013) I would love to use my Sennheiser PC350SE headset with my MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013 model).

I recently purchased a Startech Headset Splitter hoping that this would allow me to use the headphones and microphone together. However the audio continues to play from the Mac, and only the Mac's internal microphone is being detected. I checked the Sound Preferences and found no entry for any external headset or external microphone.

Is it possible to use a headset with my MacBook Air? Microphone quality is important for me as I take part in a lot of online meetings and don't want the sound interference from other participants, system sounds or background music.

You can use the earphone portion of the headset by plugging the appropriate cable into the audio output jack on the Air. The Air does not support plug-in microphones as it only has 1 analog output jack. The boom and Startech splitter will not be of use in this configuration.

My recommendation would be to purchase a Mac-compatible stereo headphone + mic to USB adapter. That would enable you to enjoy both quality audio and benefit from the close-field mic boom on the headset. Alternatively, you can just use the headphone part for listening and the built-in mics for speaking.


My MacBook Pro touch bar 13" isn't starting My MacBook Pro touch bar 13" isn't starting and here's what I'm seeing:

1) No power - I can't hear blowers or any sound or see any activity on the backlight when I press the power button/touch ID
2) no keyboard light - neither the caps lock will illuminate nor will the touch bar light up

I mean it's like a laptop without battery nothing happening when I try to open the laptop, I'm sure that the battery wasn't low on charge when I shutdown it yesterday night.

My research shows that a SMC reset can fix issues when the power button isn't respongind but this reset did not work.

Unplug all USB connections - wait 15 seconds
Plug back in only the charger that was good yesterday - listen for charge chime - silence
Press the TouchID/Power - wait 15 seconds
press Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the built-in keyboard, then press the power button at the same time. Hold these keys and the power button for 10 seconds. Since I have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is also the power button.
Release all keys
Press the power button one time

Are there any tricks or other steps before I go to Apple store?

I used to have the same problem with my MBP. Just brought it to the appleStore in Oberhausen(Germany) it was a hardware trouble which could be fixed within 2 hours.

I didn’t need to pay for that. So if you want to get a quick solution you should go to the appleStore or a reseller.  It could be a bad cable, bad power adapter or something internal needing replacement or reseating a cable.

Hope that this helped you.


MacBook Air internal keyboard and trackpad freezing I have a MacBook Air a1369 running IOS 10.11.4 with a 1.7 ghz i5 processor. I use the Mac fine, but after about 30 to 40 minutes of usage, and I put it to sleep, after it wakes, the trackpad and keyboard are unresponsive. Only the power buttons work. However, if I connect an external keyboard and mouse, then work perfectly (I'm actually writing this question with my external keyboard. I also get a Bluetooth setup assistant pop up window asking me if I want to connect a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

additional information>
Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad:

  Product ID: 0x024c
  Vendor ID: 0x05ac  (Apple Inc.)
  Version: 2.09
  Speed: Up to 12 Mb/sec
  Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
  Location ID: 0xfa120000 / 3
  Current Available (mA): 1000
  Current Required (mA): 40
  Extra Operating Current (mA): 0
  Built-In: Yes

Some other findings:

The keys can sometimes wake the computer, but as soon as it wakes up they don't work.
They don't work at boot (i.e., cmd+R, cmd+V etc do not work).
I've reinstalled Mac OS (using net recovery, cmd+opt+R). I've also reset the SMC and PRAM.
Disconnecting Bluetooth and USB devices do not help.
The problem is uncorrelated with how warm the computer is (i.e., it's not an expanding battery problem).

I've gotten my keyboard changed and also put in a new battery but its not helping. I can obviously use it with the external mouse&keyboard, but it takes away the magic from using a Mac. Plus is not convenient as a I need to have these additional components connected to it.

Any help or guide would be appreciated.

MacBook Air, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

You pretty much covered all the troubleshooting bases.  Have you tried to wipe/reinstall OSX?

Next step would be to bring it back to the Apple store for diagnostics or further repair.  This is not normal.


How can I install themes for Terminal? I am rather new to Mac, but I am trying to get familiar with Terminal and I want to change its theme. I am a bit confused on how to go about installing Solarized themes I am seeing so much of around the net. I am able to get the theme installed for vim, but I want it for just my general terminal usage.

I see some suggesting to install SIMBL but then I read if you have Lion, SIMBL is not needed with the color support that it has.

And then I've seen a suggestion to just "double click" to install, I am not entirely sure what is meant to be double clicked, the Solarized Dark ansi.terminal file?

My concern is running something that I am not sure what it is going to do. So anyone who could shed some light on this process, that would be extremely helpful!

Just open up terminal, go to the preferences and select the theme (the .terminal file)


Shortcut for bullets/numbered formatting in Powerpoint for Mac The shortcuts page in the PowerPoint docs does not mention any shortcuts for formatting a paragraph as bullets/numbered - and how to then reset a paragraph back to normal/un-bulletted.

I am guessing such shortcuts do exist .. does anyone happen to know them?

Because PowerPoint brings up a dialog showing several options, it seems the best that can be done is to create a custom shortcut to the dialog then select the desired formatting.

To create a custom keyboard shortcut for PowerPoint:

Open the System Preferences either by searching Spotlight, clicking the  Menu, selecting from the dock or your favorite method of getting to it.

Select Keyboard in the settings (Typically on the second row of icons)
Select the Shortcuts tab
Select App Shortcuts from the list on the left
Click the + button at the bottom
Change the Applicaton: to Microsoft PowerPoint.app using the dropdown
type EXACTLY as the command appears in PowerPoint's Format Menu. In this case Bullets and Numbering… ← Note that is not 3 dots but an ellipsis.  Type ⌥+; or use the Character Viewer if needed to get it.
In the Keyboard Shortcut input type the desired shortcut.  As an example: ⌃⌥B

Now, back in PowerPoint select the paragraph and evoke the dialog with the shortcut.  Unfortunately, Microsoft does not allow (that I can find) keyboard navigation of this dialog to select the desired bullet style so one will have to use the mouse at this point.
EDIT: Note that one can change Full Keyboard Access in the Keyboard settings.  Changing to All Controls may allow navigating using the tab key in the bullets dialog box.

See illustration below.


Virtual Box and single user install I recently uninstalled a VirtualBox installation that was made available to all users using the provided tool. I went to re-install for a single user, but it will only let me install for all users, not single user or specific location. How can I resolve this problem?

I'm using a 2013 MacBook Pro with MacOS Sierra

You can't, I'm afraid. I filed a bug about this years ago, and it was closed as wontfix.


iTunes grayed-out menu I know this is not a new problem, but I haven't seen a solution to it so I figured I'd go ahead and see if anyone has come across a solution here:

Sometimes iTunes grays out menu bar options such as Quit iTunes and Add to Library. I never noticed any pattern about when this happens, but I've read that others experience it after editing tracks in their libraries. I've also checked for open dialog boxes somewhere, but I don't have any of those.

Anyone know why this is still happening (years after I first saw this), and if there is any solution yet? I am on OS X 10.7.5 and running whatever version of iTunes is the latest that is available via Software Update (the About iTunes option is grayed out as well so I can't check that right now). Any ideas would be much appreciated -- thanks!

One year later, this is happening to me as well. I'm on 10.8.5 and iTunes 11. I have used iTunes since it's inception and don't think I've had this problem until iTunes 11.

Most menu items are greyed out, like Quit and Preferences, but some work, like new Playlist and most items under the File menu. Otherwise iTunes still works, but to quit, I have to force quit or close down the Mac altogether. I see no open dialog boxes anywhere.


Make OS X Dashboard Widgets appear in Desktop Dashboard Widgets would be much more useful as MenuBar apps, but some aren't. Is there a way to force OS X to display active Widgets in the MenuBar or as application windows?

With WidgetRunner you can run OS X widgets as desktop apps, but not menu bar apps.


Does purchasing IAP from abroad increase the risk of getting my account disabled? So I'm outside USA , and I want to buy the kingdom rush frontiers IAP. Can I do this safely or do I risk getting my account disabled because i use to buy IAP from USA Apple ID outside USA ?

The answer is no.

As long as your account is registered in U.S., and has an active U.S. credit card linked to it, you can make purchase wherever and whenever you want with that account.

I should add though, you should have your account transferred to the country you live. If you're traveling, it's fine.


Air 11" i7 2011 fans come on, never turn off I bought a new MBA 11" i7, it's about two weeks old.

I've noticed that as soon as the fans come on, they Never turn off. If I watch a video, or do any slightly heavy lifting, the CPU hits 70C, the fans come on at +6000rpm and never turn off.

Even if the CPU load is less than 1% for an hour or more, the fans stay on full-blast and the CPU temp stays at ~67C and the case at ~35C.
The room is normal temperature, it's sitting on a desk.

The only way I've found of making the fans turn off is to make the Mac sleep for a while.

Is this a known issue? Are other people having similar problems? What can I do to resolve this?

The fans are controlled by the System Management Controller (SMC).

The first thing to try when troubleshooting a fan issue is resetting that SMC. In fact, Apple says this:

  After performing normal troubleshooting, these symptoms may indicate
  that an SMC reset may be necessary: [...] The computer's fans run at high speed although the computer is
  not experiencing heavy usage and is properly ventilated.

Apple has directions for all models, but I'll excerpt how to do it on your MacBook Air:

  Shut down the computer.
  Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to    the Mac if its not already connected.
  On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option    keys and the power button at the same time.
  Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
  Press the power button to turn on the computer.

One other thing you can try is the app smcFanControl, which claims to allow you to exercise some degree of control over your computer's fans.

This is about all you can do as a consumer; if there is still a problem you will need to take your computer to an Apple Store.


Unintentional nested list of POSIX paths in Applescript I am trying to pull a list of files with matching extensions from a directory with subfolders, to use in a terminal script.

The list items must be separated by vertical bars "|" to run through the command line app, and I need to remove the first item in the list.

on run
    set savedDelimiters to AppleScript's text item delimiters
    set AppleScript's text item delimiters to "|"
    set sourceFolder to choose folder with prompt "Please select directory."
    tell application "System Events"
        set itemList to (POSIX path of every disk item in folders of sourceFolder whose name extension is "VOB" as string)
        log itemList as string
    end tell
    set AppleScript's text item delimiters to savedDelimiters
end run

The problem is the resulting list actually a list within a list. Notice the double curly braces in the reply:

        get POSIX path of every disk item of every folder of alias "Macintosh HD:Users:USERNAME:Desktop:test2:" whose name extension = "VOB"
    --> {{"/Users/USERNAME/Desktop/test2/VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.VOB", "/Users/USERNAME/Desktop/test2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.VOB", "/Users/USERNAME/Desktop/test2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB", "/Users/USERNAME/Desktop/test2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_2.VOB", "/Users/USERNAME/Desktop/test2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_3.VOB", "/Users/USERNAME/Desktop/test2/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_4.VOB"}}

When I try to work with the list, such as:

log rest of itemList as string

It returns an empty string, since the list created has only one item.

Thinking I must be missing something obvious... thanks for taking a look!

Try:

set sourceFolderPath to POSIX path of (choose folder with prompt "Please select directory.")
if sourceFolderPath ends with "/" then set sourceFolderPath to text 1 thru -2 of sourceFolderPath
set findResultsList to paragraphs of (do shell script "find " & quoted form of sourceFolderPath & " -type f -flags nohidden -iname '*.VOB';")
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {"|"}
set findResultsText to findResultsList as text
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {""}
return findResultsText


Does Apple make a keyboard with a wide "return" key, and modifier keys with their symbols printed on them? I happened to notice in a picture that the Apple "German" keyboard had the modifier keys labeled with their symbols, e.g., the option key is labeled as "⌥".  (It's confusing as heck that the Apple's U.S. keyboards don't display that, but I'm not going to ask why they did that.)

But unfortunately for me, the German keyboard has a tall and skinny 'return' key, which I'm sure would be frustrating for me.  I looked through the keyboard pictures I could find, and the U.S. and Japanese keyboards are the only variants I could find with wide 'return' keys -- and they're also the only ones I found without the modifier symbols printed on them!

Does Apple make a keyboard, for any region, with both a wide 'return' key, and the modifier keys labeled as in the UI?

As far as I can tell the answer is "no".  This page shows graphics of the various keyboards made by Apple.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2841

Whether a 3rd party makes an ANSI version with symbols on the keys I don't know.


Moving photos to a new Mac from an old one - issues with permissions and iCloud OK here's the story. My wife's old Mac -- a late 2010 MacBook Air currently running Yosemite. We get a new Macbook Air (high end model) running Mojave.

I use the Migration Assistant to transfer the data, it takes a while but it appears all is well, until we get to the photo library.

"Could not repair permissions" it says.

OK then. We have some photos on there but not all; it's stuff that was in iCloud storage. I think well, why not put all the photos from the old Mac into icloud and download it to the new one.

So I try this - we upgrade to 50GB but it says it isn't enough (even though when we upgraded it said it should hold the whole library).

All righty then, I think, I will see if I can't repair permissions on the old Mac and try again.

But here is where I am confused. Apple's support says that if I delete anything from iCloud it is "Not available on any device" even if I store the originals on the old Mac -- thank God I did a Time Machine backup. Does this mean that when I upload photos to iCLoud I give Apple complete control, and that deleting them removes them from every device? How do I keep the originals then? What happens when I connect the old Mac to the Internet, do all my photos get erased?

Secondly, I want to just transfer the photo library once I fix the permissions on the old machine and I am unsure how to do that without doing the whole migration process again. If I have to do that fine, but I'd like to know if I can do photos only and save some time.

Thanks for your help, I hope this isn't too similar to what other people have asked, and if you answer pretend I am the dumbest person you ever met. :-)

I suggest that you use the export function of photos.

from the photos app

.. be sure you click on the photos tab

.. command+a to highlight all photos

.. click on file

.. click on export

.. export ...  [ you can pick either of the first two.  I don't know what you might want. If you have made photo edits in photos, you want the first one. ]

if you did't export the photos to an external drive, copy the photos to an external drive.
use the import function on the other machine.

My view, in short, is that placing you photos in iCloud is a method for loosing them. I recommend you get your photos out of the Apple ecosystem and store them as one photo per file on multiple external storage devices. For long term storage, don't rely on usb memory sticks nor external ssd drives.  LoC does not have data on the reliability of usb memory sticks.  Apple seems to be saying do not store photos on external ssd drives.  One device should be off site.  Using a cloud service is fine.  Remember a lot of cloud services are sync services.  That is should the file be deleted on the local device, the photo will be deleted in the cloud.  For this reason,  I never install the cloud service software on my computer.  I use only file upload.  For those who complain, my assessment is that the apple Eco-system doesn't match Library of Congress's requirements for digital archiving.

informative video:
http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/multimedia/videos/personalarchiving-photos.html

printed version
http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/photos.html

General information on digital preservation:
http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/


Change keyboard shortcut for {} and [] in German keyboard layout I'm new to Mac and using a Macbook Air with Lion and a German keyboard. From my PC I'm used to other keyboard shortcuts for {} and [].

Currently it's alt + 8,9 for {} and alt + 5,6 for []. Can I change this to the PC ones (cmd + 7,0 and cmd + 8,9)?

Try Ukulele. It's a keyboard layout editor for Mac OS X.


Is there a way to re-order a playlist? I have an existing playlist in iTunes, and I'd like to move some tracks to the top.  But when I drag them up, the cursor get a "+", and the tracks don't stay where I put them.  How can I move these tracks around in a playlist?

In case it matters, I'm using iTunes (v10.6.0.40) a Windows 7 PC.

You need to switch to list view to reorder songs in a playlist. To switch to list view click the list view button in the upper left hand side of the top of the iTunes windows:

Once you've switch to list view you need to make sure your items are sorted by track number (click the top of the the first column). Then you can drag tracks around in the playlist to reorder them. For example, I switch Planet Earth and The Valley in the playlist shown above by clicking on Planet Earth and dragging it up above The Valley and then releasing my mouse button:

Edit: I just tried this in iTunes on Windows and I think I see where you're getting the + from. It's actually okay -- just keep dragging. Apparently the + is the cursor icon Apple chose for a grab action on song (or a list of songs). I have no way to take a screen shot of what's happening, but I can definitely reorder songs in Windows by clicking and dragging when in list view. Same as on OS X.


New Notes Will Not Sync From Mac to iPhone or iCloud If I create a new note on my iMac (OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion), it will not appear on either iCloud or my iPhone 5 (updated with the latest iOS).  However, I CAN edit existing notes and those changes do sync to the cloud and to my iPhone.  Very Annoying.  I can create a new note on either cloud or iPhone and it all syncs.  I just CANNOT create a new note on the Mac and have it sync to the cloud.

Also, in case you wonder, I do not have this problem with either calendar entries or contacts.  I am able to create new contacts and events on my Mac and they all sync to the cloud and my iPhone.

I had the same problem, and found out how to solve it. The default account for notes on the mac is "On My Mac" you want it to be "iCloud".

How to make that happen:

open the notes app
click on notes in the notes.app menubar
set default account to "iCloud". (You can also click help and search for default account to find the option.)


how can I enable IOS6 tethering without jailbreaking my Sprint iphone 4s phone? I know that you can enable tethering for an IOS6 iphone by jail breaking it and then installing additional tethering software but how can I enable IOS6 thetering without jailbreaking my Sprint iphone 4s phone?
I am aware that you can pay extra to get the "Mobile Share Plan" but I am not interested in paying extra for this service since I am already paying for unlimited data.

You need to have the "Mobile Share Plan" enabled first from your phone service provider. To see if you have it, find Personal Hotspot. It should be in Settings -> General -> Network -> Cellular Data Network. Please see this article for more information.

Like I said, if you do not see the option for Personal Hotspot, confirm with your carrier that this feature is supported and your wireless plan is configured for Personal Hotspot.


MP3 player not able to play music (and not showing up in Finder or iTunes) I have a PoGo digital voice recorder. I'm trying to play the mp3s in iTunes. The device is not showing up in iTunes or in the Finder. Assuming that the cables are good, what else should I look for?

I believe that a voice recorder would be seen by Mac OS X as either an MP3 player or a flash drive. In that case, one of the last articles published by Apple on support for non-Apple music players in iTunes is here. It is not a recent list, but I have very little reason to believe that any other players are being added to it. In fact, it would seem reasonable that Apple has stopped support for most MP3 players other than iPods at this time.

The best bet for any non-Apple MP3 player drivers for Mac OS X would be to go directly to the website of PoGo. After running a few searches, I could not even find their website (pogo.com actually takes you to an Electronic Arts gaming site).

I am sorry to say that there may not be a way to access your device. I would think that Mac OS X would at least try and mount it as a USB flash drive, but since it didn't I am not sure what other options are out there for you.

Have you tried using that same USB cable and PoGo device on a Windows machine? At the very least, if Windows can mount it that would tell you that both the device and cable are okay. Windows does reasonably well with its generic drivers for things like cameras and flash drives.

For illustration's sake, let's say that Windows is the only way to have access to your device. If so, then a way to get to use your Mac with it would be with something like Parallels, VMware or Boot Camp. You could have Windows load the files and those files would be accessible to you from the Mac's Finder. You could then drag the files into iTunes. But it just feels like too much effort installing all of that. But then again, the PoGo might be a great voice recorder. Hope this helps and good luck.


Reformat Mac SSD drive so fast - did it really work? I followed the directions here for erasing my 500 GB SSD drive on a MacBook Pro:

How to reinstall macOS

I chose the strongest erasing option under the security options. I hit the erase button, and the process took about 3 seconds to complete. I tried again a few times because this seemed way to fast, but got the same result. Is it supposed to be this fast?

If the drive in question is an SSD then using the 7-pass erase option will not function the same way as on an HDD. On an HDD data is written by using a tiny, and very powerful magnet to flip the magnetic field's direction all over different parts of the disk, and smaller magnetic fields sometimes called "Ghosts" will be left after writing new data to the drive, allowing old data to be recovered by looking at what direction the magnetic field used to flow in. For this reason the 7-pass erase flips the field of the entire drive to the down position (or "0") from beginning to end 7 times in a row, to get rid of any lingering Ghosts. Plus on an HDD files are usually stored as a single stream of data, or in large chunks in only a couple of different places on the drive.

However, and SSD writes data by running a lot of electricity through narrow canals, causing the metal to heat up until the "bit" begins to melt. To stop all this excess heat from killing the drive an SSD writes each file in teeny-tiny chunks, scattered all over different parts of the drive, usually in a very random looking way. Since none of the files are actually intact as a single stream of data the way they are on HDDs, the only thing that allows the computer to figure out what files any of those tiny chunks of data belong to is the Partition Map, which is a record of where on the drive all the parts of a file are.

Basically, when you erase an SSD the only part of the drive that actually gets erased is the Partition Map, because without it to tell the computer where all the different parts of a file are the entire drive looks like a garbled mess of gibberish to the computer. This is why it takes so little time for your drive to secure erase 7 times over, the only part getting erased is that record of where files are, not the files themselves. Since that record is only a few hundred megabytes it only takes about as long to wipe it once as it would to copy a few hundred megabyte large file to another folder.

In the end you should also be careful when using multi-pass erase methods on an SSD, because the excess heat re-writing the same part of the drive that many times creates could be enough to damage it.


How to create a private distribution list [group mailing list] in Mail.app? I know I can make a group in Contacts, and send a message to the group. Is there a way to hide the list of recipients?

I have this setting in Mail prefs:

I don't know any other setting to tweak. This setting does not stop addresses being shown.

Send to yourself - some mailers won't send if there's no 'To' recipient
Mail.app actually will, so you could optionally leave the To field blank - though I'd test that your ISP allows it through as well, before relying on that.

Then send to the group as BCC
BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy, as opposed to CC which is just Carbon Copy
i.e. the recipients are hidden from each other.

Show/hide the BCC field from the View menu, or  Cmd ⌘   Opt ⌥   B

Then enter your Group name in the Bcc field; click the drop-menu or hit  Enter  once it's recognised.
The pref you mentioned - "when sending to a group, show all member addresses" - switches between showing the field as "my Group" or "Fred, Barney, Wilma" etc


Does leaving LTE on when LTE service is unavailable drain the battery faster? The iPhone 5-series phones all support LTE but if I only have a contract for 3G service will my iPhone battery drain faster because it's always trying to find an an LTE-capable signal? Can I stop it from even looking for LTE?

I know it's not specifically what you're asking, but you can disable LTE in settings.

Settings > Cellular > Enable LTE (switch to off)


Reinstalling X11 on Mac OS Lion So my X11 is completely messed up.

The problem started after using Octave/Gnuplot (installed through downloaded package, not MacPorts) to plot some data. After rebooting, when trying plotting again, X11 just failed to start. The icon jumped once, and then disappeared.

So I tried installing XQuartz, but I got the same problem. The Console says:

11/4/11 12:23:16.861 AM [0x0-0x272272].org.macosforge.xquartz.X11: /Applications/Utilities/XQuartz.app/Contents/MacOS/X11: line 3: dirname: command not found
11/4/11 12:23:16.938 AM [0x0-0x272272].org.macosforge.xquartz.X11: /Applications/Utilities/XQuartz.app/Contents/MacOS/X11: line 9: basename: command not found
11/4/11 12:23:16.938 AM [0x0-0x272272].org.macosforge.xquartz.X11: /Applications/Utilities/XQuartz.app/Contents/MacOS/X11: line 14: /X11.bin: No such file or directory
11/4/11 12:23:16.938 AM [0x0-0x272272].org.macosforge.xquartz.X11: /Applications/Utilities/XQuartz.app/Contents/MacOS/X11: line 14: exec: /X11.bin: cannot execute: No such file or directory
11/4/11 12:23:16.939 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501: ([0x0-0x272272].org.macosforge.xquartz.X11[65054]) Exited with code: 126

Then I thought that maybe I a good idea was to uninstall X11 and XQuartz completely and reinstall it from scratch (I have used a licensed copy of CleanMyMac to remove XQuartz and some Terminal commands to remove X11 related directories). Wrong. Now the installer keep saying that X11 is already installed, at a newer version and thus cannot be reinstalled.

Do you have any ideas of what's going on and how should I cope with this?

Thank you
Tunnuz

Did you delete the receipts for X11 and XQuartz?


Sharing Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse I know "teleport" will work between two Macs, but is there a way to share a keyboard and mouse between a Mac Mini and an older Dell PC? I'm asking because I received a Mac Mini and iPad for Christmas but still need the PC until I get familiar with the Apples and start tranfering stuff to them. I know just enough about computers to be dangerous, viz-- I just bought a Logitec MX 5500 Desktop with software for the PC with a USB Bluetooth dongle and it does work with the Mac Mini, but I didn't realize you cannot pair with more than one computer even if the other is off.

My son says I can do it with something called a Bluetooth KVM, is this true?

I can use the same monitor because it has both digital and analog inputs and is easily switchable.

If you have a local network you can use Synergy to share Bluetooth mice and keyboards with up to 5 computers.

  Synergy lets you easily share your mouse and keyboard between multiple
  computers on your desk, and it's Free and Open Source. Just move your
  mouse off the edge of one computer's screen on to another. You can
  even share all of your clipboards. All you need is a network
  connection. Synergy is cross-platform (works on Windows, Mac OS X and
  Linux).

Here is a good implementation for Mac and Linux: http://code.google.com/p/quicksynergy/


No cap after a period in Dragon Dictate 4 In Dragon Dictate 4, when I say "Hello world period this is a test period", it outputs:

  Hello world. this is a test."

There is no cap after the first period. Is there any way to fix it?

This issue affects most programs: Evernote, the default Mac OS X mail application, Safari, Latexian, etc. There is no such issue using Dragon's notepad or Google Chrome.

Obviously I don't want to have to say "Cap" after each period.

Considering it's not happening in every application (it works in the built-in Notepad and Google Chrome), I would think it's a bug. Have you reported this behavior to Dragon?


How to completely reinstall Mac OS X? I have a MacBook which OS was upgraded from Snow Leopard 10.6.3 to 10.6.8 and then to El Capitan 10.11.

I want to completely reinstall  El Capitan, to "factory state", in order to really "clean" the Mac. (However, I don't need to prevent data recovery.)

I started the MacBook holding down the "Alt" key and selected the partition for reinstalling, logged to Apple and the download of El Capitan was progressing.

Then, I moved away from the Mac for about two hours.
When I came back, the user account is unchanged, with previously installed apps. Seems like the installer decided in my absence to keep the user files.

Can I resintall El Capitan to "factory state" without wiping the whole drive?
Or should I create a new user and then delete existing one?

You almost got it right, but you didn’t wipe the disk first. You’ll want to wipe Macintosh HD in recovery mode first (choose Disk Utility) then repeat the steps you took to install El Capitan.


Can you stop marketing messages on an iPhone X (e-sim) On Android, to avoid the marketing popup messages from the SIM Toolkit, I need to force stop it, and everytime I reboot, I need to force stop it again.

On iPhone X, with the e-sim, what happens to the popup marketing messages? Is it possible to avoid them?

Update: I'm talking about this:
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/75761/how-to-prevent-phone-operator-from-opening-spam-popups

Sounds like you are posting about Flash messages.  Depending on the carrier there may be a code that you can enter to disable them, you would need to contact them or their support for help with this.

You can also check the device settings.  Settings>Phone>Sim Applications (you may or may not have this menu option depending on your carrier).  From there you may have many entries that you can select on the choose to start/stop or deactivate.  See this link for screen shots and more information.


Automator/Applescript using Tags I need an Automator/Applescript to move a file to a certain folder based on a specific tag it contains. The input would be the file. Anybody have any ideas?

TIA, Jake

This should do the trick:

property parentfolder : path to home folder
set theFiles to choose file default location (POSIX path of parentfolder) with multiple selections allowed
repeat with theFile in theFiles
    set the_tags to paragraphs of (do shell script "mdls -raw -name kMDItemUserTags " & quoted form of POSIX path of theFile & " |sed 's/[()]//g' | tr -d '\\n' | tr -d ' '| tr -d '\"' | sed 's/u\\\\U0308/ü/g'")
    if the_tags does not contain "null" then
        tell application "Finder"
            set parentfolder to folder of theFile as text
            if not (((parentfolder as text) & item 1 of the_tags) exists) then
                make new folder at parentfolder with properties {name:item 1 of the_tags}
            end if
            move theFile to (parentfolder & item 1 of the_tags)
        end tell
    end if
end repeat

This Script will move every file with a specific Tag to a folder with the same name as the tag. This can be changed with several if clauses before "move theFile".


'Operation not permitted' accessing SMB Share as root under Catalina I have a script that copies a file from our server to the local machine. Here is the script and output

+ date
Thu Jun 11 09:16:00 ACST 2020
+ id -un
root
+ pwd
/Volumes/Macintosh HD/backups
+ mkdir /Volumes/Server_auto
+ /sbin/mount_smbfs smb://User:password@Server/General  /Volumes/Server_auto
+ ls /Volumes
Macintosh HD
Server_auto
+ ls /Volumes/Server_auto
ls: Server_auto: Operation not permitted

Ultimately I want to

cp -f /Volumes/Server_auto/Backups/Web/db_6_1500.zip ./db.zip

but I think if I can at least get a directory listing, the copy will probably work.

I can sudo this script from the terminal and it runs without a hitch. It has been running for several years from cron without a hitch, it's only after updating to Catalina that the problems have started.

I have tried

adding cron, ls and mount_smbfs to the Full Disk Access list
moving the job to a plist file in the LaunchDaemons folder

Everything works just fine except for the copy operation. Behaviour is identical under cron or plist/launchd.

This is clearly a SIP issue. Before I added cron to the Privacy 'Full Disk Access' list, I was getting the same error message when the cron job started.
Now, it's entirely blocking the external SMB share, but I don't know why or what permission to grant to make it work.
The exact same sequence of operations, when run manually as root, succeed every time.

Any ideas?

I had the same problem and it was fixed by granting »Full disk access« to Terminal in System preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy and restarting Terminal.
Click the lock at the bottom left of the window in case the options are greyed out.