ERROR! MySQL server PID file could not be found! I have reinstalled macOS Sierra on my machine. After installing Oracle MySQL Community Server 5.7.15 (mysql-5.7.15-osx10.11) I tried to stop the MySQL server from the console. I got back the following error "ERROR! MySQL server PID file could not be found!".

I have done some research on my own but it did not manage to find a solution on my problem.

Any suggestions?

Starting and stopping the MySQL server via Preferences Pane/launchd and on the other hand via sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start/stop are not really compatible.

After choosing "Launchd Support" in the MySQL installer the launch daemon com.oracle.oss.mysql.mysqld will be created and the MySQL preferences pane uses the launchd mechanism to start and stop mysql. If you enable "Automatically Start MySQL Server on startup", mysqld is enabled automatically after starting your Mac.

The pid file's name created by the launch daemon is not compatible with the one created and expected by the mysql-server script.

The launch daemon's pid file name created while running is mysql.local.pid, the script expects a name based on your Mac's hostname, .local or computer name though.

So either use the MySQL pref pane/launchctl or the script to start and stop mysqld.

To some extent you can make both methods compatible by modifying the file com.oracle.oss.mysql.mysqld though:

After stopping mysql replace the array

<array>
    <string>/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqld</string>
    <string>--user=_mysql</string>
    <string>--basedir=/usr/local/mysql</string>
    <string>--datadir=/usr/local/mysql/data</string>
    <string>--plugin-dir=/usr/local/mysql/lib/plugin</string>
    <string>--log-error=/usr/local/mysql/data/mysql.local.err</string>
    <string>--pid-file=/usr/local/mysql/data/mysql.local.pid</string>
</array>

by

<array>
    <string>/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqld</string>
    <string>--user=_mysql</string>
    <string>--basedir=/usr/local/mysql</string>
    <string>--datadir=/usr/local/mysql/data</string>
    <string>--plugin-dir=/usr/local/mysql/lib/plugin</string>
    <string>--log-error=/usr/local/mysql/data/$name.err</string>
    <string>--pid-file=/usr/local/mysql/data/$name.pid</string>
</array>

with $name: either HostName (e.g. host.example.com), LocalHostName (e.g. host.local) or ComputerName (e.g. host). Probably the best is to use a hostname. You may get a hostname with hostname with scutil --get HostName or set it with sudo scutil --set HostName your_hostname.

You can also get the actually used mysql-server script pid's name - after stopping the launch daemon and starting mysqld with mysql-server start-  by checking mysql's data directory with sudo ls /usr/local/mysql/data. Use the name found there to adjust the plist's pid name.

You may have to convert the launch daemon file to xml to edit it. The app TextWrangler opens it as xml file immediately.

Reload the plist with launchctl afterwards.

Now should be able to start and stop with the MySQL pref pane and the mysql.server script.

If you have enabled "Automatically Start MySQL Server on Startup", you can't stop the server – even after modifying the plist – with the script because launchd overrides any stop command after a few seconds and launches mysqld again.


Does restoring my iPhone 6 remove my iTunes balance or phone number? I want to restore my iPhone 6 because I can't temper my restrictions passcode. Will restoring my iPhone also take away the money I have in my iTunes gift card? And will my phone number be deleted too?

The money in your iTunes account will remain as it is linked to your iTunes account (the Apple ID) rather than the specific device. Your phone number is obtained through the SIM card in the device, so this is not affected by restoring either.


How to use AppleScript to create a new Rich Text Format file from clipboard text? I have an Automator Service that takes the current text on the clipboard and writes it to a new .txt file. This is executed simply with the following piece of AppleScript code:

do shell script "pbpaste > /path/to/your/clipboard-file.txt"

This code is from the following Stack Overflow answer:

AppleScript to paste text from clipboard into a file

However, this code converts the clipboard contents to plain text, removing all of the text's formatting.

Is it possible to use AppleScript to write the clipboard contents to an .rtf or .rtfd file, while preserving the original formatting of the clipboard contents? By original formatting, I am referring to stylistic data such as typographical emphasis (bold, italics, underline), font size, and text color.

On a whim, I tried the following command:

do shell script "pbpaste > /path/to/your/clipboard-file.rtf"

But this command resulted in an .rtf file that my computer was unable to read or open.

This answer has been updated to reflect rubik's sphere's misunderstanding between what Rich Text is (what was originally asked about) and what's actually being worked with from Google Chrome, being HTML. (See comments moved to chat.)

I'm leaving the original answer as is, and below this new content, as it does technically answer the original question as asked. It also contains relevant information to the overall process of dealing with Clipboard content in the context of the original and modified question.

The code below is example code to be tested and run within (Apple) Script Editor, as aside from the first sentence in the question, no explicit and specific usage within Automator has, yet, been given. The code may need to be edited to work within the unknown usage in Automator. That said, as written, if the entire script below was placed by itself into a Run AppleScript action, by itself, in Automator... it works as is. If using only segments of the code, some changes to the existing code could need to be made.

The code below contains sufficient commenting so as to understand overall what the script is doing.

--        #
--        # Change the 'New RichText Filename.rtf' name to the wanted filename for the target file.
--        # Make sure you leave the double-quotes even if the filename does not contain spaces!
--        # Note that '(path to desktop as text)' can also be modified as needed, e.g. changed to,
--        # '(path to documents folder as text)' or the entire segment after 'set theRichTextFileName to'
--        # can be a fully qualified POSIX pathname, e.g.: set theRichTextFileName to "/path/to/filename.rtf"
--        #

set theRichTextFileName to POSIX path of (path to desktop as text) & "New RichText Filename.rtf"

--    #        THE REMAINING CODE SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE MODIFIED.
--    #
--    #     Note: This code, as is, works as written and intended when run from within (Apple) Script Editor.
--    #     Some AppleScript code when wrapped in Automator may not work the same as in (Apple) Script Editor.
--    #     In cases where is does not work from a Run AppleScript action in Automator, editing will be required.
--    #
--    #     This AppleScript code preforms the following actions, sans errors caught during File I/O operations.
--    #
--    # 1. See it the target file exists and prompts to be overwritten if it does. If yes is selected, it continues.
--    #
--    # 2. If the Clipboard contains RTF content, writes it to the target file using plain AppleScript.
--    #
--    # 3. If the Clipboard contains HTML content, writes it to the target file as RTF using a 'do shell script' command.
--    #
--    # 4. If the Clipboard does not contain any RTF/HTML content, notify the user.
--
--        #    Notes: The 'do shell script' makes use of the following:
--        #
--        #    'osascript' to get the HTML content from the Clipboard.
--        #    The content is a Hex stream within a data wrapper and
--        #    'awk' will be used to remove/replace the data wrapper.
--        #
--        #    'awk' to remove the data wrapper from 'osascript' output
--        #    replacing it with proper HTML opening/closing Tags to
--        #    ensure it actually gets processed by 'textutil' after 'xxd'.
--        #    Without the HTML opening/closing Tags 'textutil' does not
--        #    properly, within limits, convert the HTML Clipboard content to RTF.
--        #
--        #    'xxd' to convert the Hex data from 'osascript/awk' to ASCII text.
--        #
--        #    'textutil' to convert the ASCII text HTML from 'xxd' to RTF
--        #    formatted data and write it to the target file.

tell application "Finder"

    if exists theRichTextFileName as POSIX file then
        tell current application
            display dialog "The file \"" & theRichTextFileName & "\" already exists!" & "\n\n" & "Do you want to overwrite the file?" buttons {"No", "Yes"} default button 1 with title "File Already Exists..." with icon caution

            if the button returned of the result is "No" then
                return
            else
                tell application "Finder"
                    delete the file (theRichTextFileName as POSIX file)
                end tell
            end if
        end tell
    end if

    tell current application

        --    # Find out what class types are available for the Clipboard content
        --    # and use this information to determine which action will be taken.

        set cbInfo to get (clipboard info) as string

        if cbInfo contains "RTF" then

            try
                set richTextfromClipboard to get the clipboard as «class RTF »
            on error eStr number eNum
                display dialog eStr & " number " & eNum buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with icon caution
                return
            end try
            try
                set fileHandle to open for access theRichTextFileName with write permission
                write richTextfromClipboard to fileHandle
                close access fileHandle
            on error eStr number eNum
                display dialog eStr & " number " & eNum buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "File I/O Error..." with icon caution
                try
                    close access fileHandle
                end try
            end try

        else if cbInfo contains "HTML" then

            try
                do shell script "osascript -e 'try' -e 'get the clipboard as «class HTML»' -e 'end try' | awk '{sub(/«data HTML/, \"3C68746D6C3E\") sub(/»/, \"3C2F68746D6C3E\")} {print}' | xxd -r -p | textutil -convert rtf -stdin -stdout > " & quoted form of theRichTextFileName
            on error eStr number eNum
                display dialog eStr & " number " & eNum buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with icon caution
            end try

        else

            display dialog "The Clipboard does not contain\nany usable RTF/HTML content!" buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "No RTF/HTML Content on Clipboard..." with icon caution

        end if

    end tell

end tell

Original answer to the original question asked:

To get Rich Text content from the Clipboard into a file using AppleScript, it's a bit more complex then a simple do shell script command.

The example AppleScript code below will, if the target file doesn't already exist and if Rich Text content exists on the Clipboard, write it to a file. It will have all the attributes as the RichText content on the Clipboard has, as it did when copied to the Clipboard.

Open Script Editor and copy and paste the code below into a new Untitled document and then run it from Script Editor, reviewing the output in Events/Replies. Run it a couple of times, with and without Rich Text content on the Clipboard and with and without the existence of the file, on the hard drive, defined by set theRichTextFileName ... at the start of the script.

You'll see the code makes sure the file doesn't exist, so as not to overwrite an exiting file of the target name and location and if the Clipboard doesn't contain Rich Text content, it displays a message for that too.

Now if using this in an Automator Service e.g., where Service receives selected rich text, then the code can be modified not to trap for an error if Rich Text content isn't on the Clipboard as the service will not appear on the Services menu if Rich Text is not selected in a document.  Also if you want to overwrite the target file at its designated location the code around that can be removed too. I'll give those code examples as well.

Example code to paste into Script Editor for testing and review:

set theRichTextFileName to POSIX path of (path to documents folder as text) & "New RichText Filename.rtf"

tell application "Finder"
    if exists theRichTextFileName as POSIX file then
        tell current application
            display dialog "The file \"" & theRichTextFileName & "\" already exists!" buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "File Already Exists..." with icon caution
        end tell
    else
        tell current application
            try
                set richTextfromClipboard to get the clipboard as «class RTF »
            on error eStr number eNum
                display dialog eStr & " number " & eNum buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "No Rich Text Content on Clipboard..." with icon caution
                return
            end try
            try
                set fileHandle to open for access theRichTextFileName with write permission
                write richTextfromClipboard to fileHandle
                close access fileHandle
            on error eStr number eNum
                display dialog eStr & " number " & eNum buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "File I/O Error..." with icon caution
                try
                    close access fileHandle
                end try
                return
            end try
        end tell
    end if
end tell

Example code to use in an Automator Service e.g., where Service receives selected rich text:

set theRichTextFileName to POSIX path of (path to documents folder as text) & "New RichText Filename.rtf"

tell application "Finder"
    if exists theRichTextFileName as POSIX file then
        tell current application
            display dialog "The file \"" & theRichTextFileName & "\" already exists!" buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "File Already Exists..." with icon caution
        end tell
    else
        tell current application
            set richTextfromClipboard to get the clipboard as «class RTF »
            set fileHandle to open for access theRichTextFileName with write permission
            write richTextfromClipboard to fileHandle
            close access fileHandle
        end tell
    end if
end tell

Example code to use in an Automator Service e.g., where Service receives selected rich text and overwrites existing target file:

set theRichTextFileName to POSIX path of (path to documents folder as text) & "New RichText Filename.rtf"

tell current application
    set richTextfromClipboard to get the clipboard as «class RTF »
    set fileHandle to open for access theRichTextFileName with write permission
    write richTextfromClipboard to fileHandle
    close access fileHandle
end tell

The image below is of an example Automator Service that creates the New RichText Filename.rtf file from selected Rich Text from the Create Rich Text file from Clipboard service on the Services Context menu (by right-click) or Application_name > Services > menu, when Rich Text is selected in a document.

Now these are just examples and additional logic can be coded to tailor it to meet ones needs. As an example, code could be added to automatically increment an existing file's name so as not to overwrite it, or prompt for a new file name and complete the operation vs. aborting with a message that the file already exists, etc.

Update for use with a do shell script command:

If you really want to do it using a do shell script command, then use the following code while replacing /path/to/new rich text file.rtf with a valid path filename to a location you have write permissions. Note not to remove the \" before and after /path/to/new rich text file.rtf in the actual command as this handles the path filename if containing spaces. If the path filename does not contain spaces, then the \" before and after /path/to/new rich text file.rtf does not need to be used.

do shell script "osascript -e 'try' -e 'get the clipboard as «class RTF »' -e 'end try' | awk '{print substr($0, 12, length($0)-13)}' | xxd -r -p > \"/path/to/new rich text file.rtf\""

Here's the command line showing as wrapped text, for easier viewing:

do shell script "osascript -e 'try' -e 'get the clipboard as «class RTF »' -e 'end try' | awk '{print substr($0, 12, length($0)-13)}' | xxd -r -p > \"/path/to/new rich text file.rtf\""

While one can copy and paste (recommend) the code, nonetheless here's how to type the Double Angle Quotation Marks, which are also available under Parentheses in (Special) Characters, e.g. optioncommandT in TextEdit.

Note: Keep in mind the spacing in «class RTF » is meant to be offset in this use case.

Typing Double Angle Quotation Marks

« Left Double Angle Quotation Mark, press: option\
» Right Double Angle Quotation Mark, press: shiftoption\

Note that, as written, this do shell script command overwrites the output file if it already exists, without prompting! It will either be a zero length file if the Clipboard does not contain any Rich Text content, otherwise the file will be of necessary length to contain the Rich Text content from the Clipboard. Obviously, additional logic could be coded into the osascript command however if you need more complexity then this you're better off using the method first presented in this answer. Or using an external script being called by do shell script command that handles all the necessary logic and error handling based on the complexity of the overall conditions this will be applied under.

Why such complexity vs. do shell script "pbpaste > /path/to/clipboard-file.rtf"?

That's a good question and while pbpaste does have the -Prefer {txt | rtf | ps} option, nonetheless pbpaste -Prefer rtf may not output Rich Text even if it exists on the Clipboard. Or what it does output, if not ASCII Text, will not be a form of Rich Text that is understood, by e.g TextEdit, and or will not contain all the Rich Text attributes if any, that the Clipboard content contains.

This makes it necessary to get the Rich Text content on Clipboard in a different manner and why get the clipboard as «class RTF » is being used instead. When using a do shell script command with this, it requires additional processing to utilize the data returned, as it's in a data wrapper when returned and not immediately usable, thus requires further processing.

As an example, Hello World! in Rich Text on the Clipboard can look like this in ASCII Text:

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf1187\cocoasubrtf400
{\fonttbl\f0\fnil\fcharset0 ComicSansMS;}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;}
\pard\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\pardirnatural

\f0\b\fs36 \cf0 Hello World!}

The above format unfortunately is not easily usable, if at all, in AppleScript and I believe that's why being grabbed as Hex encoded data is required.

I'm basing this on the fact that even though the get clipboard info command for the Clipboard content in this example returns {«class RTF », 265} among the info returned, nonetheless while the ASCII Text form of this Rich Text content is 265 bytes long it is returned in Hex format at over twice the bytes with the data wrapper.  The fact that it's returned in Hex by get the clipboard as «class RTF » in both the Script Editor or using osascript support this supposition.

Here's the same Hello World! in Rich Text on the Clipboard in Hex:

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

However, what's returned by get the clipboard as «class RTF » for the Hello World! example above is:

«data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»

The Hex encoded string is in a «data RTF » wrapper which needs to be removed before converting the Hex encoded content to ASCII Text to be written to a disk file by the use of I/O Redirection, e.g.>, in the do shell script command example above.

So, the output of osascript -e 'try' -e ' get the clipboard as «class RTF »' -e 'end try' gets piped (|) to awk where it creates a substring, printing only the Hex encoded content itself, not the data wrapper portion, as that would not be processed properly by xxd in the next step of the process.

It then has to be piped (|) to xxd for conversion to ASCII Text to be written to a disk file using I/O Redirection, e.g.>, to the target path filename.

The image below is of Clipboard Viewer toggling between ASCII Text and Hex encoding views, showing Hello World! copied from a Rich Text Document, the one used in this example.

I hope this provides a better understanding of how AppleScript works with Rich Text content on the Clipboard, as either way conversion from a Hex encoded string to ASCII Text has to take place and this is being done transparently in the original example code while requiring additional processing outside of AppleScript code being processed by osascript when using the do shell script command in this context.


Restrict a specific app to run only on MDM provisioned devices We have a scenario in our current iPhone app development project.

We need to restrict our app to run only in our Maas360 MDM provisioned devices. Ours is an in-house app for our certain employees.

If somebody got the IPA and tried to run the app in a private device (not provisioned by MDM), app should fail to start. Our app use a Prod distribution certificate and a prod profile to prepare the IPA. Is it possible to link the certificate and profile to the MDM? If that happens, can somebody manage to get the MDM related profile and run the app in their private device? Please share your knowledge and thoughts for this scenario.

There is an option specify device info along with provisioning profile. we cannot do that as there will be new devices provisioned through MDM. we need all control through the single point - our MDM.

Have you considered using Managed App Configuration to 'signal' to your app that it is running on a managed device?

Here's how you might implement:

Add a Managed App Configuration item to MAAS360. In it, configure a specific key with a 'secret' value. The key and value themselves don't matter, as long as they are unique and only you know them.
In your app, implement a check for the Managed App Configuration key in NSUserDefaults. Pull the key and check that it is the secret value that you configured in step #1. If not, the app throws an error / exits / whatever.

The Managed App Configuration will only be sent to the device and made available to the app if it has been installed as a Managed App from the MAAS360 App Store. If the app is installed unmanaged or from the Apple AppStore, it won't receive it. If the MAAS360 MDM profile is removed, the app can be removed with it (although this may be depend on your MDM settings).

Note this should only be considered a somewhat secure solution as it relies on security-by-obscurity and it would be fairly trivial for a determined hacker to reverse-engineer your IPA and extract the expected key/value pair.

More information on Managed App Configuration here:

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/samplecode/sc2279/Introduction/Intro.html


Cannot share clipboard when using Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection to Windows7 I use Remote Desktop Connection on my 10.6.2 to connect to Windows XP and Windows7. I can share clipboard between mac and Windows XP but Windows7.

Any idea how to make it work for Windows 7?

It seems to me that it work sometimes. Not sure when and why.

You should try to make sure the process rdpclip.exe is running in your Windows 7 box.
If it is, try killing it and restarting it.

This process transfers the clipboard contents over RDP.


Can I install 64 bit software on a 32 bit OS X - 10.5.8 - Leopard? Can I install 64 bit software on a 32 bit OS X?
Or could I "update" my 32 bit OS X to 64 bit OS X?

This is what I get when I put uname -a  in a terminal:

Darwin gaukhar-alibayevas-macbook.local 9.8.0 Darwin Kernel Version 9.8.0:
Wed Jul 15   16:55:01 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.15.4~1/RELEASE_I386 i386

Short answer: if your model of MacBook has a 64-bit capable CPU, you can run 64-bit apps under 10.5.8. You can check the CPU with the command sysctl hw.cpu64bit_capable (0 means no, 1 means yes) or by looking up the model (if it has a "Core Solo" or "Core Duo" CPU it's 32-bit only; if it's a "Core 2 Duo" -- note the "2" -- it's 64-bit).

Long answer: OS X doesn't have 32-bit and 64-bit versions; it uses a universal binary format which allows programs, system components, etc to be installed with both 32- and 64-bit code, and the system simply picks the "best" one to use based on the CPU you're on. Over different versions of OS X, what comes with the OS has gradually migrated from 32-bit-only (through 10.2) to having minimal support for background-only 64-bit apps (10.3 and 10.4), to full support for 64-bit Cocoa apps (10.5), to a full 32/64 OS including the kernel (10.6) to actually starting to drop support for 32-bit mode (10.7 shipped with many 64-bit-only system apps, and will not run on a 32-bit-only CPU).

The 64-bit-capable kernel that was added in 10.6 is cool, but basically irrelevant to user applications. OS X is unusual in that it can transparently run 64-bit apps under a 32-bit kernel as well as 32-bit apps under a 64-bit kernel. Since 10.5 has full support for 64-bit Cocoa apps, upgrading to 10.6 is not necessary.

Adendum: even if you do upgrade to 10.6, the kernel may not actually run in 64-bit mode -- Apple configured it to boot in 32-bit mode on most models by default. If your model uses 64-bit EFI firmware, you can configure 10.6 to boot in 64-bit mode, but if it's an older one that uses 32-bit EFI, even that's not possible. But again, it doesn't really matter, since 64-bit apps work fine either way.


Compatible SSD for Macbook Pro (replace HDD)? Any special compatibility concerns when replacing the HDD on a MBP with an SSD? I am running Parallels with XP Pro and Ubuntu and have been disk bound for some time. Not too concerned about size, 100GB is probably enough. Hoping to get the absolute fastest IO I can with reliability being a close second. Below are specs in case they are needed.

Hardware Overview:

  Model Name:   MacBook Pro
  Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,4
  Processor Name:   Intel Core 2 Duo
  Processor Speed:  2.53 GHz
  Number Of Processors: 1
  Total Number Of Cores:    2
  L2 Cache: 3 MB
  Memory:   4 GB
  Bus Speed:    1.07 GHz
  Boot ROM Version: MBP53.00AC.B03
  SMC Version (system): 1.49f2

Help me oh wise ones. Thanks ahead of time!

I don't think there is compatibility concerns, SSDs are pretty safe nowadays. Your model has SATAII, therefore the best SSD you can get is the Mercury Extreme Pro 3G from OWC (macsales.com). You can get a 115 Gb for roughly 200$, and your experience with your MB Pro will improve considerably.

I would not choose a smaller capacity though, as all SSDs with a capacity below 110/120 Gb are much slower, no idea why. And OWC's are the absolute best around, with a 3-year warranty.

Not only that, SSDs require a firmware upgrade from time to time, and OWC is the only company with a native Mac OS X updater. Much better experience in my opinion.

Enjoy the speed! :-)


iCal allows 25,000 events on iCloud. How do I get more? iCal allows 25,000 event entries to be backed up on iCloud. I need more. Is there a way to go over this limit, or segment the iCal file into years, and only activate locally (on my desktop Mac) the years I need at that time? I only need the last 12 months for my iPhone and iPad, but I need the last 10 years of iCal on my desktop. Any solutions? Note: A good solution for me would be to only back up to iCloud my desktop iCal events going back 12 months, and leave my desktop iCal untouched. The problem appears to be when I go online, and iCal attempts to sync with iCloud, and can't - because the desktop iCal has over 25,000 entries.

Why not take the last 9 years of calendar entries, export them as an iCal Archive, then create a new calendar, import those entries, but do not sync to iCal. You can then delete those entries from your daily calendar, while maintaining history in your archive calendar. You can sync this archive calendar to your iPhone via iTunes, rather than iCloud. Of course, you can do this with your 10 years of entries as well, but you will not get the nice benefits from iCloud on your daily calendar.


MacBook Pro with two external monitors : one is flickering I have a MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) version 10.14.5.

A first monitor (DELL P2719HC) is connected through thunderbolt 3 while a second monitor (DELL E2313H) is connected through a VGA adapter. The latter is the one flickering!

Flickering stops when I disconnect the first monitor. Thus, it's not a problem of the adapter, nor the screen. I am guessing this is due to my laptop not being able to give enough fps to both screens (they both require a 60Hz refresh rate at minimum, which I cannot change event with some command line tools).

I tried to reset VRAM and SMC, but it did not work.

What else can I do?

This problem is not due to the computer not being able to serve the necessary amount of "fps". Instead this is a hardware problem.

VGA is an analog signal. If the signal is distorted or interfered with, it could problems such as flickering. The flickering stops when you disconnect the first monitor - which indicates that this monitor (and cable) is the source of interference.

I would suggest replacing the VGA cable with one with a ferrite bead instead. Another option is to replace the VGA adapter with a DVI adapter and connect to the monitor using a DVI cable.

If possible you could also try to the cables seperate from each other physically (i.e. get distance between them) - but it is difficult as they need to plug in to the computer very near each other.


Directory with correct permissions is not writable I installed high sierra on a new machine and then copied over some  directories inside my home from my time machine external disk.

The backup was created with another machine and os version from a user having the same name of the one recently created on the new installation.

90% of the things went ok.

For unknown reasons some subdirectories of my home (copied from the backup) are not writable.

I have tried every possible combination of chmod commands, and in theory everything should work correctly:

cmd+i, general:

item not locked
item not shared

cmd+i, sharing and permission:

myuser: Read and Write
staff: Read Only
everyone: Read Only

stat shows:

Access: (0755/drwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (  501/     myuser)   Gid: (   20/   staff)
501 is the correct id my current user

I think it's not a unix permission problem as the permissions should work as is.

I've also tried chflags nouchg my_folder with no luck.

Not sure what could cause this.

Write permission could be blocked by file/folder modes, user flags, non-ownership, Access Control Lists (ACLs) and/or extended attributes.  Below are some commands which can fix these types of errors.

  Note: I assume my_folder does not contain any symbolic links. If there are symbolic links, then these commands may need to be modified.

You can recursively change the folders mode to 755 (drwxr-xr-x) by using the command given below.

find my_folder -type d -execdir chmod 755 {} \;

You can recursively change the regular files mode to 644 (-rw-r--r--) by using the command given below.

find my_folder -type f -execdir chmod 644 {} \;

You can recursively remove user flags by using the command given below.

sudo chflags -R nouchg,nohidden,noopaque,dump,nouappnd my_folder

You can recursively change user ownership of the files and folders by using the command given below.

sudo chown -R $USER my_folder

You can recursively change the group of the files and folders to staff by using the command given below.

sudo chgrp -R staff my_folder

You can recursively remove any Access Control Lists (ACLs) by using the command given below.

chmod -RN my_folder

You can recursively remove any extended attributes by using the command given below.

xattr -rc my_folder

Often searching for locked files and/or folders can be useful. Below is a command for this.

find my_folder -flags +uchg -exec ls -dF {} \;


See private browsing history in High Sierra I was on private browsing mode (on a MacBook Pro / High Sierra) and searched and found websites that I need for my work. Unfortunately I did not realize it and now I don't even know how to retrieve my history of private browsing to see the exact websites I visited. Is there any possible way?

The purpose of private browsing is to not store a persistent record of website data. It's not possible to find a history for a private browsing tab once you've closed the tab.


setting JAVA correctly on MAC I am new to mac (coming from the windows world). I did some reading on how and where JAVA HOME is set on a mac machine. I have some assumptions listed below, would be great if someone could go through and provide some feedback on the same.

/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines is where i see jdk 1.7 and jdk 1.8 installed. Going forward if i install any more JDK versions i presume they will be installed in this path.
I see that /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/ has 1.6.0.jdk installed. I am assuming this is Apple's Java 6 which came installed with my mac by default? Also, what's the difference between installing a JDK in /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines vs /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/.
/usr/libexec/java_home -V is a utility that lists all the jvm;s on the machine. I rightly see JVM 1.6 (x86, i386), 1.7 and 1.8. I have added "export JAVA_HOME=/usr/libexec/java_home" in my .bash_profile to set my java_home to JDK 1.8.
/System/Library/Frameworks contains a bunch of shortcuts within it. I really dont want to spend time understanding frameworks at this point, but this seems to be some kind of redirection layer to decide which JVM to use. There is a folder called /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions which contain's bunch of shortcuts (1.4, 1.6, 1.6.0 etc) that point to CurrentJDK. CurrentJDK is a shortcut to jdk 1.6 (/System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents)

What implication does this have? What happens if JAVA_HOME is pointing to JDK 1.8 and /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/CurrentJDK points to jdk 1.6.

Does this mean when we change JAVA_HOME, we must change /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/CurrentJDK too?

There is another folder called /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/Current/ which is a shortcut to /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/A. Now, i read in some post that

  The java executables in >/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/Current/Commands/java are >not the executables that just run the java compiler etc. They are wrappers that >use /usr/libexec/java_home to find the executables.

  I am assuming if programs get the latest java from /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/Current/ and if /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/Current/ uses /usr/libexec/java_home to find the executables then it would end up using jdk 1.8 in my case. Is this assumption correct?

So, there seem to be 4 variable's here,, where $JAVA_HOME is pointing to, where /usr/libexec/java_home takes you,, where does /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/CurrentJDK point to and finally where does /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/Current point to. Would be great if someone could comment on the correct way to setup JAVA_HOME so that all app's, terminal windows etc use the same JVM version.

The only one that matters if running via /usr/bin/java is the value of JAVA_HOME and can be set for all terminals etc e.g. to get latest 1.7 add to your startup shell script (e.g. ~/.bashrc)

export JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home -v '1.7*'

Unfortunately apps (ie GUI installed as OS X Application bundles e.g. Eclipse) access the java that is set up in their package information (Which can be a fullpath to one in /Library or /System/Library or could be /usr/bin/java) so they need to be looked at at a case by case basis.

The difference between installing a JDK in /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines vs /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/ is that the latter is installed by Apple as part of the OS and the other is by a third party

The CurrentJDK is the way Apple versions OS X frameworks - in Java's case I don't think it matters now (in pre 1.7 days it might have been how the old Java preference tab worked but that is a guess)


Photos Having Trouble Accessing Files I have a fairly large Photos library (35,000+ photos, 75+ GB), which was originally converted from an iPhoto library that I've been maintaining for many years.  Many of the older photos are experiencing an odd problem, which is preventing syncing them to iCloud as well as exporting them from Photos.

When the problem manifests, the symptoms are such that...

I double-click the photo to open it, and am presented with the message:

  Allow Photos to Access Your Media?

  Some of the photos and videos are stored outside of the Photos library.  Photos needs permissions to access this media.  Please choose the folder named "ddonahue" at the path "Macintosh HD/Users/".

I click "OK" and am presented with a folder selection dialog, where I select my home directory as requested.
I am presented with another dialog:

  Could not find the original file "dcpa_1457.jpg" in the selected folder.  Would you like to try to locate it again?

(Or whatever the file name is for that particular photo.)

Naturally, the photo files are in the Photos Library in the home directory's Pictures folder.  Buried in the package's folder structure.  I can inspect the package contents and manually find the file.

I thought that perhaps I could manually drill down to the package contents folder which contains the file and specifically select that one.  However, the folder selection dialog doesn't allow drilling into the Photos Library package contents.  (The library file is greyed out.)

Is there some way to correct this?  Even to include directly editing some library XML file(s) somewhere?  (Which I could write code to automate, so that would be good given the volume of files.)

I would try to repair your Photos library. Make sure you have a backup, then…

Quit Photos.
Hold ⌥ alt/option⌘ cmd and open Photos.
Click Repair.

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21366


set remote sharing prefs in terminal I am admin for department and I want to batch change the "show remote management status in menu bar" so that I don't have to log in to each machine and set it.

I have ARD so I can run a terminal command across all machines I just can't seem to find out how to set that option through the terminal

Could anyone tell me how to do that ? or if it's even possible ?

The easiest tool to set these settings programatically is the kickstart script that Apple ships:

  sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/Resources/kickstart -help

Do read the help since, it warns This script can be used to grant very permissive incoming access permissions.  Do not use the -activate and -configure features unless
you know exactly what you're doing.

That being said, you will want to set a variable $ObserveUser for each user that should be shown a menu indication that screen observation is in progress:

  sudo kickstart -configure -access -on -privs -ShowObserve -users $ObserveUser


Does the iPod touch have a GPS? Does the iPod touch have a GPS? If not how, does it know where it is and how dependable is it?

The iPod touch does not have a GPS. Finding your iPod Touch through MobileMe requires that your iPod Touch has Wi-Fi turned on and connected. It uses Wi-Fi triangulation to find it.

It is not as accurate as a GPS, but if your iPod touch is around many Wi-Fi access points accuracy will go up.


Downgrading to iOS 4 on my iPod Touch from iOS 5 I installed iOS 5 on my iPod Touch 3rd Generation, but it slows everything down. I want to put it back to iOS 4. How can I do this?

Redmond pie have a good walkthrough on how to do this.

Due to the security checks that Apple has implemented over the years, it’s just not possible to install an old version of iOS once a new version is out to public on a device without a workaround. In order for this to work, you must have previously backed up SHSH blobs for the version of iOS you’re trying to downgrade to. If you’re still on an old version of iOS, we recommend you run a tool such as iFaith before you upgrade in order to back-up your blobs.

Once you’re sure you have what you need just follow the easy steps below.

Step 1: If you haven’t already, download the version of the iOS firmware you’re planning to downgrade to, which should be in the form of an IPSW file. For your convenience, we have placed the relevant download links below:

iOS 4.3.5
iOS 4.3.4
iOS 4.3.3
Step 2: Put your device into DFU mode – this will allow you to make some necessary changes in order to downgrade the system. In order to do this, turn your device completely off, press and hold the Power and Home buttons (simultaneously) for 10 seconds, then release the Power button but keep holding the Home button for 10 more seconds. If you’ve entered DFU mode successfully, your screen should now be blank (it shouldn’t display the iTunes logo), otherwise just repeat this step. It might take several tries to get it right.

Step 3: We now must trick iTunes into accepting an old firmware by preventing it from connecting to Apple’s servers. In order to do this, launch Explorer (on Windows) or Finder (on OS X) and navigate to \Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ on Windows and /etc/ on the Mac. Locate a file named hosts and open it with your favorite text editor. Remember that you’re advised to back it up before making any changes.

Add the following line to the hosts file and save it, as shown below:

74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com

Step 4: Launch iTunes, select your device from the program’s sidebar and restore your device to the old firmware you’ve selected earlier. In order to do this, hold the Alt key (if you’re using OS X) or Shift (if you’re on Windows) on your keyboard, press the "Restore" button on iTunes and navigate to the desired firmware file.

Note: You might get a 1013 error during this process, which is entirely normal, throwing your device into recovery mode.

In order to get out of this, download TinyUmbrella (Windows, Mac) or Fix Recovery (Windows, Mac). From either one of them, select "Exit Recovery" to go back to normal mode.

You’re done!


How can I force iOS Mail to download the entire email every time? I have a Wifi-only new iPad, which uses an Exchange-type account for my Gmail. It connects just fine when I'm at home. But the last time I was out and about, I found I had a new email, but only the title and sender appeared in the Mail app. I had to connect the iPad to a public Wifi network to download the whole email.

How can I force the iPad to always download the whole email message (attachments can wait) so I can read the whole message when I have time?

Exchange ActiveSync 12.1 (introduced with Exchange Server 2007 SP1, released on Nov 29 2007) added a policy called mail body truncation size (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange_ActiveSync#Exchange_ActiveSync_12.1).

This is a server-side policy that can be enforced for a group of users, as stated in the Microsoft Exchange documentation (see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/office/exchange-server-2007/bb123484(v=exchg.80)):

  Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policies let you apply a common set of policy or security settings to a user or group of users.

  (...)

  Maximum HTML e-mail body truncation size

  This setting specifies the size beyond which HTML-formatted e-mail
  messages are truncated when they are synchronized to the device. The
  value is specified in kilobytes (KB).

  (...)

  Maximum e-mail body truncation size

  This setting specifies the size beyond which e-mail messages are
  truncated when they are synchronized to the device. The value is
  specified in kilobytes (KB).

HCL Traveler (formerly IBM Lotus Notes Traveler) supports ActiveSync and has a similar setting in Default Preferences > Filter Settings, which is enabled by default and limits the downloadable body to 5000 characters (see Table 2 in https://help.hcltechsw.com/traveler/11.0.0/Server_synchronized_settings.html?hl=traveler%2Ctruncate):

  Email Body Truncation

  Enables email body truncation. Characters beyond the default character
  value in the email body are truncated from the email body.

So it looks like it is a bandwidth-saving setting on the server and you basically can't do anything about it.


MacBook Air 7.1 (early 2015) freezes for five to ten minutes after login Recently, my MacBook Air 7.1 (early 2015) has been very slow on startup. That is, the system boots quickly, and then I'm able to login, and the desktop begins to load. Initially, I have control and can open one or two applications, but after about thirty seconds, the desktop freezes. Typically, this lasts around five to ten minutes.

I checked login items under the Users & Groups menu, and there were only two applications listed. I disabled them, but the problem persists.

I was able to view the system.log before the slowdown began, and the last entry with which the log was populated was

(com.apple.imfoundation.IMRemoteURLConnectionAgent): Unknown key for integer: _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit

Later, once I regained control, I could see that this entry appears in the log a large number of times, about ten to fifty1 more times during the next ten seconds, and then not again until about five minutes later, when I regain control. My understanding is that this is just recording the fact that the system is running out of RAM, and has to being paging, which would be consistent with the slowdown / loss of control.

The questions are two. First:

What is causing the system to hang and how do I fix it?

However, I appreciate that that's a difficult question to answer, and, in any case, I would really prefer to know:

How do I figure out what's going wrong?

That is, what other steps do I need to take to understand what's causing the slowdown? It would be nice if I could use htop or something similar to log memory usage during that period, but I'm not sure how to start it running in time. Similarly, I have tried to look through system.log during the same period, including using

cat /private/var/system.log | cut -d: -f4- | uniq -c

to identify the most common messages, but nothing, other than _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit, jumps out.

1: Since repeat messages are logged as ---last message repeated N times--- it's hard to count exactly.

This is going back to the basics.

Try a safe boot.
    Shutdown your machine.  Hold down the shift key.  Poweron.  The boot up will take longer than normal because the filesystem on the startup drive is being checked and repaired as needed.   All about safe mode including what features and apps safe boot leaves out.  Safe boot uses a software driver instead of using your machines video hardware.

  [http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455][1]

Secondly,

I'd run etrecheck. Your proprietary stuff gets filtered.

-- Download etrecheck.  The download link is at the bottom of the screen.
http://etrecheck.com/

-- Run etrecheck.   The first five runs are free.

-- How to install, run and report output for the EtreCheck Application
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000632

-- Explanation of EtreCheck  output by etresoft, the author
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-11591

How to report etrecheck data.

When the report is done, click on the export icon.

click on "Copy report" to copy to the clipboard

Get back in your web browser and access your discussion. Paste you etrecheck output into the code {} block.

which results in...

Robert


Mac laptop to TV issue: mirror display doesn't work? I can get the laptop display onto the screen but when I click Mirror Display it doesn't work and loses the signal. I have a MacBook Pro and the TV is a Samsung. I'm connecting via an HDMI cable. Any ideas? After all the videos I have watched when I click mirror display it should work.

It seems to me that the frequency you have your laptop configured at is not supported by your TV.

When using mirror displays, it usually mirrors your main screen (resolution & frequency). Your main screen would be the one where you have the Dock and Menu bar.

Can I ask why would you want to mirror display on your TV? Is this for watching videos?
If so, I would recommend you to do the following:

Connect your HDMI cable
Click on detect displays, disable mirroring
Install VLC player

With VLC you can use your second screen on full screen mode without the need of mirroring.


Need help with bash script to delete El Capitan Installer I've been given the below plist which points to a bash script.

The script is supposed to delete the installer (El capitan.app) after it has been downloaded to prevent people from upgrading to it.

It is not working and I am not sure what needs changing/tweaking, if anything, to the script. It fails to delete the downloaded installer.

I have placed the script in the location /usr/local/bin, filename blockelcapitan.sh and can also confirm that the launch dameon (stored in /Library/LaunchDaemons) is loaded as confirmed by using the command:

sudo launchctl list | grep net.

which shows a result of:

-    78 net.ORG.blockelcapitan

I need help with the script, I have no idea if it is correct or what needs adding/removing/changing.

#!/bin/bash
Version=$(sw_vers | grep ProductVersion | tail -c 7 | cut -d . -f 2)
if [[ $Version -ge 11 ]]
then
    sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.ORG.blockelcapitan.plist
    sudo rm -rf /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.ORG.blockelcapitan.plist
    sudo rm -rf /var/ORG/ElCapitan/
    sudo rm -rf /var/db/receipts/net.ORG.pkg.BlockElCapitanLaunchDaemon.bom
    sudo rm -rf /var/db/receipts/net.ORG.pkg.BlockElCapitanLaunchDaemon.plist
    exit 0
fi
rm -rf /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/
osascript -e 'display dialog "OS X El Capitan is not allowed on ORG computers at this time." with title "ORG Technology Notice" buttons {"OK"}     default button "OK" giving up after 30'

Post-flight for installer PKG (you’ll want to use something like Packages     for Mac to build a deployable .pkg):

#!/bin/bash

launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.ORG.blockelcapitan.plist

Version=$(sw_vers | grep ProductVersion | tail -c 7 | cut -d . -f 2)

if [[ $Version -ge 11 ]]
then
    sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.ORG.blockelcapitan.plist
    sudo rm -rf /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.ORG.blockelcapitan.plist
    sudo rm -rf /var/ORG/ElCapitan/
    sudo rm -rf /var/db/receipts/net.ORG.pkg.BlockElCapitanLaunchDaemon.bom
    sudo rm -rf /var/db/receipts/net.ORG.pkg.BlockElCapitanLaunchDaemon.plist
    exit 0
fi

Here is the actual launchdaemon itself:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com    /DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Label</key>
<string>net.ORG.blockelcapitan</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
    <string>/usr/local/bin/blockelcapitan.sh</string>
</array>
<key>KeepAlive</key>
<dict>
    <key>PathState</key>
    <dict>
        <key>/Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/</key>
        <true/>
    </dict>
</dict>
<key>OnDemand</key>
<true/>
</dict>
</plist>

If you didn't install any BlockElCapitanLaunchDaemon.pkg previously, but just got the content of the plist and the shell script you will get this working by removing some useless lines and bogus commands:

A working version is:

#!/bin/bash

Version=$(sw_vers | grep ProductVersion | tail -c 7 | cut -d . -f 2)

if [[ $Version -ge 11 ]]
then
    launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.company_name.blockelcapitan.plist
    rm -f /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.company_name.blockelcapitan.plist
    rm -f /usr/local/bin/blockelcapitan.sh
    exit 0
else
    rm -rf /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/
fi

The Variable Version can be simplified to:

Version=$(sw_vers -productVersion | cut -d . -f 2 )

The related launch daemon plist net.company_name.blockelcapitan.plist added to your question is properly formatted and working after changing the line      <string>net.ORG.blockelcapitan</string> to    <string>net.company_name.blockelcapitan</string>.

The files ought to have the following permissions:

blockelcapitan.sh: root:wheel 755
net.company_name.blockelcapitan.plist: root:wheel 644

The script does the following:

Version=$(sw_vers | grep ProductVersion | tail -c 7 | cut -d . -f 2) or Version=$(sw_vers -productVersion | cut -d . -f 2 ):
Get the major release number of the current system version (e.g. 9: Mavericks, 10: Yosemite, 11: El Capitan etc.)
if [[ $Version -ge 11 ]]:
if the major version of the booted system is equal or greater than 11
then...
(if El Capitan or newer is installed) unload and remove the launch daemon and the shell script
else...
(if Yosemite or older is installed) remove El Capitan installer app

None of the preceding sudos is needed, because the shell script started by the launch daemon already runs as root. The -r option in the first rm commands is not needed because none of the objects is a directory. The files and folder in /var don't exist if you haven't installed anything (except the plist and the shell script file).

As far as I can tell, the osascript doesn't work like that, so I ignored it. I'll try to find a solution.


How do I change the default local hard drive free space when using iCloud on OSX? I'm using iCloud to add additional storage to my Macbook. I'm trying to upload some or external hard drives, but it's a slow process since I can't extend the free space.
Is there a way to change the default free space on my local harddrive that way I can force more storage onto the cloud?

It appears at this time, that if the concept of "default free local hard drive space" exists, it is not accessible through any known interface. Not the user interface or terminal.


WiFi problems on Yosemite I've seen a few posts around wifi problems with Yosemite, especially after an update from Mavericks. I've only started seeing WiFi problems about 3 days ago (update was 3-6 months ago), and my issues are happening on a number of routers.

Looking on the console, I see a number of the following messages:

> 06/06/2015 17:07:03.691 com.apple.xpc.launchd[1]: (com.apple.imfoundation.IMRemoteURLConnectionAgent) The _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit key is not available on this platform.
> 06/06/2015 17:07:04.443 com.apple.xpc.launchd[1]: (com.apple.imfoundation.IMRemoteURLConnectionAgent) The _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit key is not available on this platform.
> 06/06/2015 17:07:07.277 com.apple.WebKit.WebContent[2260]: dnssd_clientstub write_all(16) failed -1/64 32 Broken pipe
> 06/06/2015 17:07:07.277 com.apple.WebKit.WebContent[2260]: dnssd_clientstub write_all(16) failed -1/28 32 Broken pipe
> 06/06/2015 17:07:19.113 discoveryd[2360]: Basic DNSResolver UDNS Send(): UDP Sendto() failed to DNSNameServer 8.8.8.8 Port 53 errno 65, fd 53, ErrLogCount 1 ResolverIntf:0
> 06/06/2015 17:07:19.114 discoveryd[2360]: Basic DNSResolver UDNS Send(): UDP Sendto() failed to DNSNameServer 8.8.8.8 Port 53 errno 65, fd 51, ErrLogCount 2 ResolverIntf:0
> 06/06/2015 17:07:19.477 discoveryd[2360]: Basic DNSResolver UDNS Send(): UDP Sendto() failed to DNSNameServer 8.8.4.4 Port 53 errno 65, fd 52, ErrLogCount 3 ResolverIntf:0
> 06/06/2015 17:07:20.177 discoveryd[2360]: Basic DNSResolver UDNS Send(): UDP Sendto() failed to DNSNameServer 8.8.4.4 Port 53 errno 65, fd 37, ErrLogCount 4 ResolverIntf:0
> 06/06/2015 17:07:20.178 discoveryd[2360]: Basic DNSResolver UDNS Send(): UDP Sendto() failed to DNSNameServer 8.8.4.4 Port 53 errno 65, fd 37, ErrLogCount 5 ResolverIntf:0

WiFi otherwise "appears" normal (wifi symbol in the status bar shows no error, and network config says I'm still connected); however, no connectivity (not even through ping).

I can at this point disconnect and reconnect to the wifi, which will work for about 1 minute before disconnecting again.

Only long-term solution is to reboot. Unsure what triggers it!

I've tried, but no luck with,
- restart discoveryd
- clear safari cache
- change dns servers

Help would be appreciated - I'd rather avoid having to fresh-install the OS!

The latest OS X 10.10.4 public beta, build 14E26a, totally gets rid of discoveryd. Go to this Apple link and sign up for the public beta program, where you'll be given a link to download a piece of software that'll get the App Store to pick up beta updates. Take a backup of everything, install Beta Access Utility, and then install and enjoy a discoveryd-free Yosemite!


How can I save a vertical (not horizontal) multiple display arrangement? I have two displays. Mac OS X frequently "forgets" the digital arrangement of the monitors and defaults them to a horizontal side-by-side arrangement. This does not correspond to the physical arrangement of the monitors.

In this arrangement, my desktop is extended upwards, not to the left or right.

How can I save the arrangement?

Stay is a pretty cheap app who's primary purpose is to save default positions for applications of screen, and automatically be able to rearrange them to this default state.

However, it has multiple display support, and as a side effect, it can be used to restore previously used display arrangements.


How can I use emoji on my Mac as easily as I can on my iPhone? Is there any easy way for me to add emoji to a document or email when I’m using my Mac?

I know I can set up up an emoji viewer in the menu bar via Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard, but I find this very clumsy to use.

A keyboard shortcut would be fantastic, but when I checked the Mac Keyboard Shortcuts https://support.apple.com/HT201236 page on Apple’s website I didn’t see any emoji shortcuts listed.

What’s the easiest way for me to insert emoji on a Mac (one without a Touch Bar)?

You can use the Mac Emoji keyboard. All you need to do is press the command + control + spacebar keys and this brings up the following:

Once the Emoji keyboard appears, just click on the emoji you want to insert!

NOTE: - For the emoji to actually insert, your cursor needs to be located within a text document, text field, search field, etc. Basically anywhere you could normally type text.


What casues macOS sidebar to drop "favorites" (shortcuts to linked files/directories), other than macOS updates? How to prevent? Every month or so my Macs drops all the favorites I have in the Finder windows (which also appear in Save/Open system dialogue windows). I takes time to redo them, and it is frustrating.
I know that there are questions here and on other forums about this happening after macOS updates, but I find it happens without warning -- even without doing a User logout and login it can happen, especially links to pCloud files (which uses a virtual drive system extensions.) Links to directories on external and mounted volumes disappear as well!
I've tried using symlinks in Terminal and they suffer the same fate. The only other thing I can think of is an Applescript routine to save the aliases to a list in a file and another routine to reinstall the links as "Favorites".
This has occurred in many past versions of macOS for as long as I can remember.  My Mac is currently on Mojave (internal boot partition) and Catalina (external drive boot partition.)
Does anybody have any viable solutions and/or remedies I should consider?

I do not know what's causing you to loose the customizations you've made to items under Favorites in the Sidebar of Finder or how to prevent it, however here is a backup and restore solution for when it does happen. This should certainly be easier then manually having to restore all the lost items under Favorites in the Sidebar of Finder.
At one time, items under Favorites in the Sidebar of Finder were stored in the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist file and then the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist file.
However, they are now stored in:
~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/com.apple.LSSharedFileList.FavoriteItems.sfl2

Which version of macOS it was changed to the later I'm not sure, however certainly in macOS Mojave and later it is in com.apple.LSSharedFileList.FavoriteItems.sfl2 file.
In at least macOS Mojave and later, to backup this file after the items you always want to be under Favorites in the Sidebar of Finder, to then later restore as needed, first do the following in Terminal:
cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/
cp com.apple.LSSharedFileList.FavoriteItems.sfl2 com.apple.LSSharedFileList.FavoriteItems.sfl2.Custom

With that done, if and when the items under Favorites in the Sidebar of Finder get reset and your customizations are lost, then do the following to restore them:
In Terminal:
cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/
cp com.apple.LSSharedFileList.FavoriteItems.sfl2.Custom com.apple.LSSharedFileList.FavoriteItems.sfl2

Then immediately press ⇧⌘Q and then Enter to Log Out.
Once the log out is complete, you can log in and the Favorites in the Sidebar of Finder will be back to your customized settings.

Note: You may have to give Full Disk Access to Terminal in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy in order to run the aforementioned commands.


Applescript for specific System Preferences pane I'm trying to write an applescript to get me to a specific section of the system preferences - Keyboard > Shortcuts > Services and hopefully to a specific service as well. I've gotten a part of the way with this:

tell application "System Preferences"
    activate
    reveal anchor "shortcutsTab" of pane id "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell

This gets me to the Shortcuts portion of the Keyboard prefs pane but I'd like to drill down further into the correct selection. Is there a way to select a specific service in this prefs pane? Ultimately I'm wanting to direct the end user to change a keyboard shortcut for a service previously installed.

Here's a script I just wrote that'll do it. This will get you to the shortcuts tab of the Keyboard preference pane, and select a row from the left and right columns:
tell application "System Preferences"
    activate
    reveal anchor "shortcutsTab" of pane id "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
    tell application process "System Preferences"
        repeat until (window 1 exists)
        end repeat
        tell window 1
            #modify these to specify a row in the left column, or the right column, respectively

            repeat until (row 3 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1 exists)
            end repeat

            select row 3 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1

            repeat until (row 1 of outline 1 of scroll area 2 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1 exists)
            end repeat

            select row 1 of outline 1 of scroll area 2 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1
        end tell
    end tell
end tell

Here's the version you can use which identifies the rows by name. Sort of hacky, but it should work well.
tell application "System Preferences"
    activate
    reveal anchor "shortcutsTab" of pane id "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
    tell application process "System Preferences"
        repeat until (window 1 exists)
        end repeat
        tell window 1
            #modify these to specify a row in the left column, or the right column, respectively

            repeat until (rows of table 1 of scroll area 1 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1 exists)
            end repeat

            select (first row of table 1 of scroll area 1 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1 whose value of static text 1 is equal to "Services")

            repeat until (rows of outline 1 of scroll area 2 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1 exists)
            end repeat

            select (first row of outline 1 of scroll area 2 of splitter group 1 of tab group 1 whose name of UI element 2 is equal to "Open URL")
        end tell
    end tell
end tell


Which social network profile pic appears in my contacts app on Mac OS X The individual contacts in my Contacts app have numerous social networks associated with them e.g. a Facebook profile and a Linkedin profile. They have a different pic for each social network.

How do I select which social network photo is used as the photo in the Calendar app?

Click the existing photo or the blank 'add photo' icon.

You can pick a picture from the list of choices - or even just drag any image to that icon instead of clicking.
You then get a pan & zoom page to tweak how it will appear for the contact.

I think otherwise it just picks the first one it finds - some of my contacts have a map of their home location… hardly what I'd have chosen myself…


Is it possible to find out whether iPhone has MLC or TLC NAND by serial or batch number? Is there any way to check whether the phone has MLC or TLC, just by serial number or batch number?

I will be buying iPhone 6, Space Grey, 64GB. From what I have read, 64GB version could be TLC or MLC.

You can't figure out the type of NAND from the serial number.
However, Apple is dropping TLC NAND, so it most likely has MLC NAND (however, I can't tell you for sure without you buying it.)


Change font size for PDF Text Annotation in Preview This should be dead simple: how to customize the font including face, style and modifications. But those configurations are nowhere to be seen.

So ... where is this hidden Preview/pdf toolbar / icon, whatever that allows setting the font ?

Here is what I see on the menu.

Right clicking on the textbox itself brings up the following - note that no way to change any text font/size. This is absurd.

In Yosemite, click the toolbox icon.  The tool bar will show all the editing and annotation tools.  One of them is the font configuration.


Create Backup Image of OS X Lion Before Upgrading to Mavericks I am running Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 and am planning on upgrading to OS X Mavericks.

However, before I do that - I would like to create a backup of my current OS (OS X Lion), so that if things go wrong or if I want/need to, I can restore my MacBook (13-inch, Early 2011) back to OS X Lion. That's my reason for wanting to back up my OS X (image?).

How do I do this?

Before you start, I would strongly recommend MacWorld's excellent series of articles on upgrading to Mavericks.

For taking a copy of your internal disk Carbon Copy Cloner is the best way to go. SuperDuper! is good too, but it's not compatible with Mavericks which might cause you problems if you want to back out.  You can use CCC to create a separate bootable external disk (or even an internal partition).  Try to use a USB 3 or FireWire disk as USB 2 is painfully slow to boot from.

Once you have taken your copy, upgrade your internal disk to Mavericks.  If you don't like Mavericks you can undo your work by booting off your external disk and from there overwrite your internal disk using CCC.


HTML5/CSS3 text editor for OS X? I am looking for a text editor that supports HTML5 and CSS3, allowing you to add/edit new properties, like rounded corners and so.

It doesn't have to be a visual editor but it has to have support for CSS3 and other new stuff like rounded corners.

There are two all-in-one solutions specialised for web development: Coda from Panic and Espresso from MacRabbit. Both have their pros and cons, just try them out and see which fits better for your needs. Hype is going through the news recently, but is more tool to create interactive and flashy HTML5 sites (as far as I understood it).


iTunesU course with PDFs for personal use I have a bunch of mp4's and PDF's as a part of a Spanish learning course downloaded off the Internet. I am trying to add the package to my iTunesU library so that it stays better organized and easy to study.

I know a way to add media to iTunes is via the "Automatically Add to iTunes" folder. For example, I need to add a video to iTunesU or Home Videos section, I just need to copy it into the "Automatically Add to iTunes" folder and iTunes automatically adds it to the Movies library from where one can change it's "Get Info" panel to move it to the appropriate category. Works fine for multimedia, but this method isn't working for PDFs.

I don't want to build a course and publish it to iTunes because I am not the author. I simply want to organize it under the iTunesU section of my iTunes app for strictly personal use.

You can't do this — courses with additional documentation such as PDFs can't be constructed in this way for personal use only.

Additional course materials need to be added to a course using iTunes U Course Manager. You need the iTunes U Course Manager to create such courses — setting the media type in iTunes doesn't work for this.

If you really want to make a course, you can use Course Manager and create a private course:

  private course
  An iTunes U Course Manager course available only to students invited by the instructor (no more than 50 students per course). By default, all courses created in Course Manager are private.

For more information regarding adding course materials to a course using Course Manager, see:

https://itunesu.itunes.apple.com/help/#itu71ED26AD-D083-40D4-8C6E-AB4DB846CA75


Is there an app that can save dual-display window states and automatically save/restore them when I disconnect/reconnect the dual display? I have a dual-display setup, and I have many open windows on each of my displays. When I disconnect the display and reconnect it, all the windows are positioned on my native display in an unordered fashion.

To avoid having to continually redistribute my open windows among my two displays after disconnecting the external one, I'd like to have two "profiles," one for when the display isn't connected and one for when it is, such that all windows have a state associated to one profile and they are automatically changed back to that state when that profile becomes active.

Does anyone know of an app that can do this?

Note: I'm looking for an alternative to Stay; it didn't work properly for me.

I do use Stay and am happy with it :)

But I also use another app that I really like called Slate ( https://github.com/jigish/slate ). Slate is open source (and free), and does allow to define things like Stay (profiles: layouts of windows - which I think will fit your needs), but also allow move windows with keys combinations, and many other interesting things...

I also have dual display setups and managed to get things working fine with Stay. I have 3 setups two in dual display and one without external display and it works just fine, restoring the windows to their positions when I connect a particular profile (I previously configured... I had to create some simple rules). I use Slate for moving windows around with the keyboard... I think it is a good combination :p

Cheers!


Can I install downloaded app even if it's not available on the App Store I have few app that was downloaded to my Mac, now there are not available on the iOS App Store anymore, so can I install them when I get a new phone even those app are not available on the App Store?

Yes. You can synchronise them by connecting your iPhone to iTunes on your Mac. It will synchronise all the apps that are in your iTunes library with your new iPhone.

That's why it's handy to download apps in iTunes as well. Also updates and keeping older versions from the app around. So you can go back to an older version when there is a bug introduced in the newer version.


Location services incorrectly reporting location to app I am using a third party financial app on my iPhone 6, and for some technical reason my iPhone is unable to provide the app the exact location. It always shows that I am not in the UK, because in order to run the App the location must be United Kingdom.

I reset my router and tried with a different Wi-Fi but it's still not working.

Firstly, geolocation is not related to the WiFi you are using.

Then, check in your iPhone settings if the Location Services (inside Privacy) are On (therefore enabled) for your particular App.


What is a typical transfer rate for a Time Machine backup over FireWire? I am doing a TM backup for the first time to a portable disk from my macbook Pro(mid 2010) over a firewire connection (both ends).
The disk only contained a folder of around 20GB of manually backed up stuff before I decided to TM to it (left the folder). Now it's only done exactly 580MB in 30 mins (around 19.33Mb/min) is this normal?

Turns out that the problem was that the disk wasn't empty. Formatting the disk and starting again solved the problem.


Why don't changes in the bashrc file work on a new terminal window? I'm trying to add an alias to the bashrc file. Since I'm not good at this, Im' going to write all the steps I took

nano ~/.bashrc

The file had this in it

export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.rvm/bin" # Add RVM to PATH for scripting

On top of that I added my alias

dropUpload(){
~/drop.sh upload $1 $2
}
alias dropU=dropUpload

Saved the file and then sourced it with . ~/.bashrc

In the same window I tried using the code dropU first/url second/url and it worked. I closed the terminal window and opened a new one, the code no longer works. The error I get is

  -bash: dropU: command not found

If I nano back to the file my new code is there. If I re-source the file, the code works. How can I get this to persist?

in my ~/.bash_profile have this code

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

@Mark have a greate answer here.

I found a link that clear that case at Unix FAQ for OSX.

It wrote

  Bash Startup Files

  When a "login shell" starts up, it reads the file "/etc/profile" and then "~/.bash_profile" or "~/.bash_login" or "~/.profile" (whichever one exists - it only reads one of these, checking for them in the order mentioned).

  When a "non-login shell" starts up, it reads the file "/etc/bashrc" and then the file "~/.bashrc".

  Note that when bash is invoked with the name "sh", it tries to mimic the startup sequence of the Bourne shell ("sh"). In particular, a non-login shell invoked as "sh" does not read any dot files by default. See the bash man page for details.


Is the internal calendar or clock something an app is allowed to change? In iOS 7/8 is it "allowed" for an app to change the internal clock?

I want to write an app that would automate th process of going to settings>general>date & time then turning off "automatically set time"  and changing the date to tomorrow. Then later turning back on "automatically set date and time".

Is this kind of tinkering allowed in iOS 7 or 8?

No.

Source: This Stack Overflow answer.

Makes sense. Apple hardly allows apps to modify system-level stuff. It's easy to guess that the heavy sandboxing also means they cannot touch something as crucial as system time. Many things depend on the system time and even if Apple allowed apps to do that, it would take a lot of effort to make sure it worked without messing up other processes.


Can't get wrong sender name from appearing -- only when sending from iphone I have several email accounts that I send and receive from -- either on my iPhone 6s or on my laptop. One email account is for business & one is for personal. When an email from the business email account is sent from my phone, the wrong name is listed as the sender (my former assistant's name) -- but only when sent from my business email account on my phone.  When I email from my business email on my laptop, it is listed as from my business name (which is how I want it).

Also, strangely enough, when I send an email on the phone from the business email to my personal email and open it in my personal email account ON MY PHONE, it appears correctly as from my business name (that's the only time it looks right when sent from the phone business email account). BUT if I open this same email in personal email account on my laptop, it's wrong. And anyone else who gets something from the business email, it is wrong (again, only if sent from my phone).

When I do a search on the phone in contacts app under the business email address, the business name correctly comes up. When I do a search under the former assistant's name, it comes up empty.  I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get her name off as the sender!  I use an iPhone 6S, most recent iOS version (11-something, I think), and I have a plan with Verizon. I access my email via google gmail.

Any ideas???

Maybe I'm missing something or misunderstand the question, but it seems to me the reason for this has nothing to do with your iPhone. Instead, it's most likely related to where the email address is recorded in the contacts on your laptop and on devices belonging to other people.

I'll try and clarify my answer with an example scenario:

Let's say an email address is used by Fred Flintsone. You and others add Fred Flintstone to your various Contact lists on your various devices and add the email address to that contact.
Fred Flintstone retires and then Pebbles Flintstone takes over and assumes the same email address. She uses an iPhone and adds the email account to her settings and uses her name. So now the email address, on her iPhone, appears with her name.
However, Pebbles also uses the laptop that Fred used previously. In this laptop the email address is still listed under Fred's details in the contacts. So, if an email comes into the inbox on this laptop, it appears as though it's come from Fred Flintstone because that's who the email is associated with.
Likewise, if anyone else still has that email address associated with Fred Flintstone in their contact lists, the same thing will happen.

Assuming that your scenario is something like the above, then the answer is to ensure that the email address is associated only with you, not with your former assistant and not with both you and the former assistant on their contact lists.

NOTE: This scenario does not apply in all scenarios (e.g. with a MS Exchange account, etc) but does apply in most situations.


Blocking Ads in Safari on iPhone 5 I have an iPhone 5 with iOS 10, which does not support Safari Content Blockers (like Purify, Peace, or 1Blocker) because of its 32-bit chip. Is there a way to block ads in the native Safari browser without using Content Blockers?

One potential strategy I thought up is using iPhone's Web Restrictions features (accessible via General -> Restrictions -> Websites) to block content from certain sites (i.e. Taboola ads) from loading. I've tried doing this by adding taboola.com to the Never Allow list, but I have had no luck.

Is there a way to block ads in Safari on the iPhone 5?

There is no way to block ads using Web Restrictions, so far as I know.

You do have two options for blocking ads, though, which I will explain below.

Note: if you do have an iPhone 5S or newer, you should stop reading and just use Content Blockers, which are by far the most desirable option. However, if you do still sport an iPhone with a 32-bit chip (iPhone 5 or earlier), here are two ways to block ads:

Using a VPN

You can use an app like Opera's new free VPN to block ads and trackers in any app, including Safari. Basically, once you set up their VPN (which is actually free and has no restrictions), all of your internet traffic will be routed through one of their servers, where they remove ad-related content and send the rest to your phone.

Advantages of Opera's VPN:

Ads are blocked in all apps, including Safari.
No cost
Also anonymizes your IP address and secures you on insecure Wifi networks.

Disadvantages of Opera's VPN:

Internet speeds may be slowed considerably (in my experience from 75mbps to 9mbps at its slowest)
Opera can spy on everything your doing, but they're a fairly trustworthy company and probably aren't doing that.

Using a different browser

Your other choice for blocking ads in web browsing is downloading a separate browser app that has ad-blocking built-in. This is the one I would choose, simply because of all the disadvantages of using a VPN. I have used Brave Browser a lot: it's a simple browser that replaces Safari but works just as well (it remembers passwords for you, blocks ads, increases security with HTTPS Everywhere, and works with password managers like 1Password). It's entirely open-source, and made by the engineer who co-founded Mozilla.

Advantages of Brave Browser:

Ads are blocked
No cost
Uses HTTPS Everywhere to increase your security
Can't spy on all your other internet traffic
Works great as a day-to-day browser
Doesn't slow your internet speed like a VPN does

Disadvantages of Brave Browser:

Doesn't block ads in your other apps
Doesn't make Safari ad-free

I hope this guide has helped you, if you have any questions please leave a comment below and I'll comment back.


Cannot uninstall git - git clone broken I cannot clone any repository on my mac anymore. I don't know since when exactly it got broken.

$ which git
/usr/local/bin/git

$ git clone git@bitbucket.org:myaccount/myrep.git
Cloning into 'myrep'...
conq: repository does not exist.
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.

The thing is my ssh id_rsa key is still the same. I recreated it anyway, updated it in my BitBucket account's ssh keys, and the same error shows up when I try to clone my repository. I tried the very same procedure on another machine (redhat) and git clone worked. So there is something happening with my version of git.

I thought about reinstalling git. So I first tried uninstalling it:

$ brew uninstall git
Uninstalling /usr/local/Cellar/git/2.9.0... (1,424 files, 31.3M)

but it seems to be several versions of git installed:

$ git
# displays the usage here

$ which git
/usr/bin/git

So I retried using this version:

$ git clone git@bitbucket.org:myaccount/myrep.git
Cloning into 'myrep'...
conq: repository does not exist.
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.

Still not working. I tried removing those git files:

$ rm -f /usr/bin/git*
rm: /usr/bin/git: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-cvsserver: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-receive-pack: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-shell: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-upload-archive: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-upload-pack: Operation not permitted

$ sudo rm -f /usr/bin/git*
Password:
rm: /usr/bin/git: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-cvsserver: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-receive-pack: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-shell: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-upload-archive: Operation not permitted
rm: /usr/bin/git-upload-pack: Operation not permitted

Even with sudo I cannot remove them, why? Do you think my git clone issue might come from that? I have no idea what to do anymore. I need to use git on that computer so badly I have been very stuck.

$ ls -a /usr/bin/git
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    18K May  5 08:05 /usr/bin/git*

Problem solved. It wasn't obvious to me but itwas about global configuration. I played a bit with the command git config --global which set a hidden git config file in my home folder. There was the information regarding another remote I set back then. This remote pointed to a repository which I deleted so git clone tried to fetch information from that deleted repo first. I just deleted that git global configuration file.


How to make an application to be on top at startup instead of Finder in Yosemite? On Yosemite I would like to have an application show up as the top running application (it takes over the screen and hides the menu bar).

When you set up an application for startup in the user account under Yosemite, the application starts but finder always comes up on top of it and any applications set for startup behind it.

Just make sure your finder isn't set to run on startup. Thats the easiest work around. You could do a lot of things like Automator, AppleScript etc, but just set your Finder menu to not populate on start up.

I can't duplicate your error.

Note : Finder will always take precedence when it's open the first time.

Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items and make sure Finder isn't there. If it is delete it. Also, Relaunch Finder, could be in there. If it is, delete it.
Make sure none of the applications that you want to display are set to hidden.
If neither are there its an OS glitch.

Open Application> Utilities> Disk Utility> Select Macintosh HD> First Aid> Verify Disk Permissions> (when done) Repair Disk Permissions
Restart your system

Additionally, when you restart or shutdown if the box below is checked and Finder window is currently open then it will naturally reopen upon restart. Make sure all windows are closed or the box is not checked if necessary.

If that does not work a clean OS install would correct your issue.

If your asking how to make an application show on log in and show Finder window on login too but make the application fullscreen you can not do that without some scripting or automator process.


Need to perform multiple clicks in MacBook Pro 2011 running OS X Lion I have noticed that I need to perform clicks multiple times if I want to close some window e.g. Firefox or even to close a tab. It happens frequently but not all the time. When I use the Eclipse IDE, if I select attributes options from property explorer, a few button/drop-downs are click-able, whereas for others I click on the buttons but there's no response.

Is this a bug in OS X Lion?

Example of clicking on Eclipse IDE fails to respond, even I have pressed the dropdown button.

This is not a known but to my knowledge. Have you tried running a test OS from an external volume that has a fresh install of Lion (with all updates) to see if the issue still remains? Is your system able to run 10.6.8? If so try a known good volume with Snow Leopard and test again.
It might be of use to try those OSs out to help narrow it down. Best of luck.


How do I use a keyboard shortcut to execute a shell script I wrote, passing the file selected in Finder as an arg? I suppose you could have it pass in whatever was selected in general in any app (such as text highlighted in a web browser).

Use Automator. Generate a .app. A keyboard shortcut can launch the app, and Automator knows how to grab the Finder selections, which it can then pass to the shell script.


Does iTunes sync Volume Adjustment and other per song settings? Does iTunes sync per song settings like Volume Adjustment, EQ, and Start-Stop times?

Start and stop times do sync, as well as volume adjustments.

EQ settings sync as well. However, they only work under the following conditions:

You used a preset in iTunes (not custom EQ settings); and
You have EQ disabled on the phone.

As backwards as that second one sounds, if you EQ enabled on the phone, it uses that EQ setting and overrides the per-song EQ settings. If you have EQ disabled on the phone, it uses the per-song EQ settings.


SSD on Macbook mid2010 I've just installed a new SSD on my old Macbook mid2010 in the CD unit, so i took away the cds, to upgrade to this new extra Hard drive.
On the other side, I replace my old HD for a new 1tb HD so I can save my Multimedia data on it, without taking place of the space the SSD has for opperational use.
It works great, because I start over with the finder and it runs great booting from the SSD. But I still have the question if it would be better, if I plugged the SSD in the old HD slot. The question came to after i did the whole upgrade.

Should be better the other way around?

As johnfinn68 answered in this Apple Discussions post:

  To determine [the bus speed of HDD and SuperDrive slots], go to the apple icon, about this mac, more info,select Serial ATA, then look at the (on mine) Nvidia AHCI and see the Link Speed and Negotiated Link speed.  The default one shown is the HDD, you need to click on the other AHCI channel to see the optical drive specs.  This will help you determine where to put the SSD.


Inner/Outer (Inside/Outside) margin in Pages Is there any way to set inner/ outer margin in Pages? I'm going to print my thesis both side and as I can see in the Document tab under Document Margins there is only Left and Right margin. If it's the only setting how can I achieve it? I've got more than 60 pages in my document.

I think it was fixed in newer version of Pages. When I asked this question more than 2 years ago I switched to Word because I couldn't make this work.

Solution in Pages 10.0 (6748):

Go to Document Settings and under Document Margins select Facing Pages. Now Left/Right margin will change to Inside/Outside. Result of setting inside to 2cm and outside to 5cm:


App Store wants to install Public Beta 3 but I’m no longer in the Beta Program? I used to be in the beta program before Sierra came out, but I have since un-enrolled.

I don’t have the beta profile in my App Store settings as mentioned here but the App Store still wants to update me to 10.12.2 Public Beta 3. I am currently on 10.12.1 (stable).

Does anyone know how I can prevent the App Store from showing beta updates?

After you uninstall the Beta Profile, you need to reboot your device for the change to take effect.


iPhone 4S shutting down 20-30 % - battery already replaced I've had my iPhone 4S for 3 years and it now runs iOS 7.1

Battery was performing badly so I decided to replace it.

I bought a spare battery online by duracell direct (average quality good!)
Replaced battery by myself (easy!)
First 2 running cycles are OK

Now, the iPhone shuts off at 30 % (sometimes at 20%). I can even reboot it and use sometines below 10 %, but experience is awful. Tried to do 2-3 calibrations but no luck.

I checked real battery status with iBackupbot, seems ok.

Here follows a log frm iBackupBot:

Info da iBackupBot il 30/12/2014
Battery

 CycleCount: 5
 DesignCapacity: 1430
 FullChargeCapacity: 1393
 Status: Success
 BatteryCurrentCapacity: 67
 BatteryIsCharging: true
 ExternalChargeCapable: true
 ExternalConnected: true
 FullyCharged: false
 GasGaugeCapability: true

Any ideas?

Few ideas:

Have you tried a full blown factory restore?
Are you SURE everything internally on your phone is secured and exactly as it was when you first opened it? Might be worth it to open it up again and double check.
Have you contacted the battery seller? I've personally never heard of 'em, but then again I've never been in the market for a new iPhone battery. I would contact them and let them know about the issue. It very well could be that you were sent a dud.
Last resort: Get it replaced. Not sure what would've gone wrong with the battery replacement, but there ya go. Contact your cell phone service provider or an Apple Store and see if you can either get it fixed by them or get a replacement.


How to use several languages with the built-in dictionary without changing the interface language? I'm frequently reading texts in english and french on my iPad. I really don't mind if the language of the interface is english or french. Is there a way to look up words independently of the interface language ? So far I'm switching the language in the settings when I need to.

This  is basically this question: Multiple languages for dictionary Look up in Spotlight, but for iPad.

On iOS7: the dictionary can be selected from the definition screen.

On iOS6:
From my experience, switching the keyboard language is enough to change the dictionary language.

First you'll have to add the keyboards you need (this is a one-time operation):

Go to Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> Keyboards -> Add New Keyboard.
Select all the languages you're interested in.

Now you can use the key that is located to the left of the space bar in order to use a different keyboard (a list is displayed on long press).


Send short message to another Mac on the LAN I am looking for an OS X application that will allow me to send a short message (URL, etc.) to another Mac running on the same LAN or WiFi.

I have two Macs at work, my company iMac and personal MacBook Pro, sitting side-by-side. Sometimes I read something on one and want to send the URL to the other. I have Instapaper, but that is overkill for this simple task.

Any ideas?

Messages app on Lion or Mountain Lion supports Bonjour discovery which lets computers discover other devices using Messages app on your local network without needing a central server setup.

Bonjour is not on by default, but you can find the option under Preferences, or simply ⌘+, to open up the panel. Select the account page, and you will find Bonjour in the sidebar.

Turn it on and you're good to go.

Now to retrieve the list of people on your local network, simply ⌘+1 to bring up the buddy list, it is also available under the Windows menu item.


Can I reset Home button sensitivity? I don't have a problem with the button itself, it seems that I need to push deeper to make it work.  I don't have to push harder... just deeper.

I remember someone talking about the "fact" you can reset sensitivity for the Home button of the iPhone.

Does this software sensitivity reset really exists ?

No, wrong. The home button is no sensor in the meaning of a pressure sensor.

For reference see this.


Speaker on when headset plugged in I would like to keep my headset plugged into my iPhone 5S but have the ringer audible from the phone when I don't have the earbuds in my ears.  is this possible?   I don't like to have to hurry up and plug in my headset when a call comes in and I sometimes miss calls when it is plugged in and I don't have the earbuds in my ears.

Yes indeed it is possible. Turn off the silent mode of your iPhone (toggle on the left) then set your ringtone to be audible and voilà! Your iPhone will ring even with the earphones plugged in.


Is it possible to "restore" an itunes iphone backup to an ipad? Is it possible to "restore" an iphone backup to an ipad, or an ipod touch?

Obviously there are iphone specific apps etc. but can you get most of your data (like passwords f.ex.) into an ipad/ipod touch from an itunes backup of an iphone?

Yes, the backups are interchangeable between device types.


DNS settings different between Chrome and Firefox I have an odd issue that I hope someone can help on. I recently switched hosting providers for a subdomain on our website (the main domain is still at the old host). The DNS settings for this subdomain are set with a custom A record which points to the new server's IP address.
I have done a DNS lookup and the A record for this subdomain lists the correct IP.
In Firefox, the subdomain resolves correctly to the new host. However, in both Chrome (and Safari), the subdomain still goes to the old host.
I did a local OS level DNS flush (using sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder) but that seems to not have done anything. Clearing Chrome's cache does nothing. I even tried clearing Chrome's DNS cache. Again, no luck. I am on Mojave.

They use different DNS servers. A similar question was asked on the 'Super User' site of Stack Exchange. The answer explains why there is a difference and how to handle the DNS settings. The question can be found here.


Win 8 on Macbook Air I tried to install win 8 on mac using new bootcamp. the problem is that bootcamp formats the drive as Fat 32, and the installation does not start because it needs NTFS format. when format bootcamp drive as NTFS manually and install the win 8, win 8 does not start up. i get the beginning black screen with no change. Can anybody help me here?

Thanks

You may need to go through a firmware update. Apple noted the issue here.