10/9    Is there a chat program for OS X that allows me to chat with
        people on AIM, MSN messenger, and yahoo? Thanks.
        \_ Adium. http://www.adiumx.com
           \_ Adium is best. Trillian Astra works as web client and
              they are porting as a native app as well but i still
              like adium more than astra -shac

8/31    original macintosh user manual:
        http://www.peterme.com/?p=583
        \_ "...... every photo shows a preppy white male using the
           computer. ...  (The dude in Chapter 4 even has a *sweater* around
           his shoulders!!!)"
           Was a sweater a White thing in the '80s?

8/29    Planet Formation Mystery Solved - Yahoo! News:
        http://www.csua.org/u/jex
        \_ We know God made the universe approx. 6000 years ago.
           \_ With all the same faith and fervor, I believe that all people
              who believe that are deluded.

8/22    For all you Mac fans, a description of Apple's current offerings (from
        http://www.aftermath-technologies.blogspot.com
                "As for the macrophilliacs out there. I am so sorry you
                 spent a stupid amount of money for a crippled *nix box
                 in a shiny package. But face it, you are running an
                 expensive,poserific,drm loving piece of enviromentally
                 damaging,disposable, x86 crap."
        \_ Nobody ever asked you to buy a Mac. It's interesting that
           anti-Mac people are far more vocal than Mac fans are.
           \_ no they're not
              \_ And in this one thread, you have an anti-Mac and
                 anti-Mac-user blog posted on the motd and anti-Mac
                 people aren't more vocal? Mac people aren't trying
                 to pick fights with you. The anti-Mac people, on
                 the other hand, are.
        \_ If crippling *nix is what allows average person to use it,
           that's not a problem, x86-ness irrelevant to users, and I
           don't know about DRM-loving.  BUT, I do agree that Apple
           products are environmentally damaging to some degree.
           \_ All computers are environmentally damaging.  If you want to
              save the environment, bring your computer, ipod, stereo, home
              theatre, vehicle (yes your prius too), and the rest of your
              western techo frills to an environmentally sound waste disposal
              site and be done with it.
              \_ That would be stupid.  Most of those devices are undamaging
                 in regular usage.  The vast majority of the damage cause in
                 production.  So if you want to save the environment stop
                 buying new toys, keep the ones you have and treat them well
                 so they last a long time.  Don't throw what you have away,
                 that's just adding more toxic crap to landfills.
        \_ Uh huh. -dans
        \_ I dislike Macs as much as anyone, but this guy's blog is really
           stupid.
           \- what is there to dislike about macs except for the price?
              [and the still crappy power connectors, but that boils down
              to price too]
              \_ the users
                 \_ Spoken like a true BOFH zealot.  Have fun storming the
                    castle. -dans
                    \_ "storming the castle?" I *am* the motherfucking castle.

8/13    I have a 50 MB .FLV file that I wish to break into smaller
        chunks (let's say 10 MB chunks) and have each chunk be
        separately playable. Is there a tool for Mac or UNIX/Linux
        that can do this? I found a few Windows-based tools, but I don't
        have a Windows box.
        \_ On a related note, how do I play .FLV files on Windows in general?
           Thanks.
           \_ Riva player?  it's not open-source, but it's free
        \_ ffmpeg
        \_ can someone help me capture this flash animation file?
           http://langephoto.com/video/video_flipbook_12_26_06.html

7/19    For NetTrek fans - MacTrek, a Native NetTrek implementation for
        OS X (its a UB as well):
        http://mactrek.sourceforge.net/About%20MacTrek.html
        \_ Wow.  It's been a long time since I played (like over a decade).
           Does anyone here know the origin of the term "ogging" to be a
           massive suicide assault?
           \_ Yes.  Terence Chang (Exxon Valdez) started playing here at
              Berkeley, and then went to grad school at CMU and started
              a server there.  The CMU guys are all weenies, so he played
              much more aggressively than they did, and there was one
              particular game where the server was full, and Terence joined
              as an Orion in one of the extra slots (Og) and started
              dooshing people with armies.  One of the weenies, I forget
              which one (probably Rick) started messaging that Og kept
              coming after him, he was being Oggggggged.
              "Doosh" was a Berkeley term, coined by annoyed CS60C students
              to describe the noises made by Buen (Freeman) while he played
              netrek.   -tom
              \_ Were you actually there for that game tom?  As much as I
                 disagree with your politics, hearing nettrek games in the Web
                 or Evans 2nd floor are some of my fondest memories of 1991-2.
                 -emarkp
                 \_ I certainly heard Buen going "doosh doosh" a lot.  The
                    term kind of got coined in the GRIPES file, which was
                    a world-writable file in the c60c directory that
                    students could write stuff in.  After a bunch of
                    complaints, games were "banned" with a couple weeks to
                    go in the semester.
                    After the semester, a bunch of us (me, kube, oj spring
                    to mind) had a game where we started up DOOSH DOOSH
                    characters, and dooshed everyone in site, which is what
                    brought the term into the lexicon.  -tom
                    \_ Awesome.  I don't know if anything will match the
                       fun/frustration of playing nettrek on diskless Suns.
                       -emarkp
                       \_ Trying to write papers on those self-same machines
                          while roy and others were constantly renicing,
                          xroaching, or meltdowning your machine probably comes
                          close in the frustration category. --erikred
                       \_ It used to take 45 minutes to compile out big ass
                       \_ It used to take 45 minutes to compile our big ass
                          app on a single Sun machine.  Then we changed the
                          compile process to distribute the compiles across
                          both the web and the E260 machines, and it compiled
                          in 5 minutes.  The best part was watching the netrek
                          players start cursing and yelling "LAGGGG!!!" when
                          2 or 3 of our compile processes hit their machines.
                          \_ in the age of xtrek/RIP routing, the real lag was
                             caused by "out of band" bttacks like routing the
                             packets through MIT.
                    \_ My memories are a little bit fuzzy but I was a CS60C
                       grader at that point and I vaguely remember a message,
                       it could have been from the gripes file or an e-mail,
                       complaining about a "dorky guy with a ponytail
                       constantly yelling out 'doosh doosh' in the computer
                       lab" -eric
                       \_ Exactly.  -tom
           \_ http://www.netrek.org/about/akira-history-of-ogg.php

6/6     Looking for a decent [free] webcam broadcast program, one with sound
        and video. Yahoo IM and MSN Messenger kind of suck. Any suggestion?
        \_ I heard Skype has the best audio quality.
        \_ Free 1-1 chat/conference program or webcast of sorts?  If you're
           looking for webcasting, Darwin Streamin Server (OS version of
           Apple's QT Streaming Server) is available for OSX, linux, and
           Windows:
           http://developer.apple.com/opensource/server/streaming/index.html
           There are some minor tweaks you need to make if you need it to be
           near-real-time (by default, clients will buffer and be about 5-10
           second delay.)  You can search Apple's discussion board for the
           tweak.

3/31    Hack to get Full OS X installed on AppleTV:
        http://www.appletvhacks.net/2007/04/01/mac-os-x-running-on-apple-tv

3/7     What's a free (or cheap) utility to do simple editing on mp3's in
        OS X? I want to split one of my songs into a few different pieces.
        It appears that neither iTunes nor GarageBand can do this. Thanks.
        \_ Audacity or SuperCollider could do this. -scottyg
        \_ You can abuse iTunes to do this for you. If you want to split
           a song do the following:
           1. Click your song and then select File->Get Info
           2. In the Options tab set the start time and/or stop time
              to where you want to split the song and click Okay
           3. With the song still selected, selected Advanced->Convert
              Selection To XXX [ this uses whatever the default import
              format you have selected ]

2/16    Emacs keybindings for Word on Mac:
        http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070215034801484

10/30   Anyone have recommendations for a reasonably stable filesystem that
        I can use on large (~150GB) external USB drives, that's read/
        writeable by XP, MacOS and possibly FreeBSD/Linux?  -John
        \_ If you want write access from all three, I think you're stuck with
           fat32.
           \_ Which BTW limits you to files of 4GB or less, so don't think you
              can make DVD images.
              \_ And I think 130GB partitions, that's my problem.  -John
                 \_ That limit is supposedly only for creating/checking from
                    a Windows system.  Unix tools will let you format larger
                    partitions, after which newer Windows can mount rw.
                    \_ That's what I thought, but I just tested it on a W2K
                       box and no dice.  For some reason it pukes on large
                       file copies, and when the data mount exceeds ~half the
                       drive size.  Funny enough MacOS also crapped out on
                       a FAT32 drive formatted...on my Mac.  -John
                       \_ Just curious, why isn't 130GB large enough and why
                          does it have to be r/w across multiple unrelated OS?
                          \_ 130 would be plenty except I haven't gotten it
                             to work.  It's the drive I ended up putting all
                             my backup game ISOs, ripped music and DVD rips
                             on while in S. America (they're on a raid5
                             array on a FreeBSD box serving samba at home) and
                             I'd like to be able to read/write from both my
                             Mac and my PC while abroad.  -John
        \_ vxfs
           \_ vxfs does not support windows xp, mac osx, or freebsd
              \_ interesting.  there is a veritas foundation for windows
                 product but it only supports the windows file systems but
                 otherwise looks very much like their vxfs based unix product.
                 \_ The project to port VxFS to Windows got canned because
                    Microsoft opposed it, so Storage Foundation on Windows
                    is just Volume Manager.

10/26   I'm considering upgrading from a 14" 1.33 GHz iBook G4 to a 2 GHz
        white MacBook. How much hotter will the MacBook be? And, is now a
        good time to buy a MacBook, or are there kinks that will be worked
        out in the next version?
        \_ With Apple just releasing new MBP with Merom CPUs, Macbook update
           may or may not be far away, so if you can wait, I'd suggest waiting
           a bit.  As far as heat goes, check out smcFanControl software.
           Works well with my MBP.
        \_ My cousin's MB is hot enough that he can't put it on his lap.
           If you are okay using it on a desk, then you will be okay. I
           also agree that you should wait b/c the MB may be updated in
           MWSF.
          \|_ Thanks. I'll wait for the next version!

10/26   I'm considering upgrading from a 14" iBook G4 1.33 MHz to a 2.0 GHz
        white MacBook. How much hotter will the MacBook be?

10/23   best mac ad:
        http://static.flickr.com/108/274432721_51076bc536_o.jpg

10/6    I love Macintosh, I've had a G4 and other Apple related products
        but I've returned my MacBook Pro v.1 for the following reasons:
        - 7 pounds!!!
        - When idling on single proc, it is very hot
        - When idling on single proc, it only runs 1.5 hour. Slightly more
          when the LCD is turned off for the entire 1.6 hour
        - When running, it can boil water or scald your lap
        - Rather than dealing with the heat, Apple decided to replace all
          occurences of "laptop" with "portable computer" with big
          heat disclaimers on every single piece of MacBook related
          articles they've written (who says lawyers can't solve problems?)
        - By default it goes to dual core, and even if you set it to single
          proc, it defaults back to dual after you reboot. The setting is
          not sticky.
        - Suspend works as well as PC (slow and unresponsive and sometimes
          gets stuck, just like the PC).
        I'm sure many of these well known problems will be resolved in the
        next version of MacBook Pro (v.2). In the mean time, I have an advice
        for everyone: don't be the first one to try out v.1 on any product!
        Wait for v.2 when well known problems are resolved. I'm sure
        MacBook Pro v.2 will be good just like all the other Apple
        products, but frankly, v.1 is a pretty looking piece of shit.
        \_ You know a lot of these problems sound just like the issue
           that earlier adopters had w/ the first TiBook. Anyway, I'm
           also an Apple fan boi, but I generally avoid all rev 1 Apple
           products b/c they never have all the bugs worked out.
           \_ Third fan boi here. I personally would rather buy all of my
              Mac products refurbished: they're cheaper that way, and they're
              put through very rigorous testing.

10/2    Anyone play online poker for money? Which site provides safest/stable
        gameplay on OSX?
        \_ You've got a week or two before online gambling is made illegal in
           the US.  Enjoy it.

9/25    Urgent help. I have a MacBook Pro and compared to the predecessor
        G4 it is a total piece of shit and I regret getting it. At any
        rate, I upgraded from itunes 6 to itunes 7, and now itunes 7
        crashes every 5 minutes. I deleted it and tried to install itunes 6
        again, but now the itunes 6 GUI keeps saying "Custom Install
        on Mac HD, Package Name iTunes-- Skip". I can't make it install
        at all. What's going on?                -really frustrated
        \_ I played with a MacBook Pro laptop for 2 weeks and it seemed nice
           compared to my old G4-based Powerbook laptop. What problems
           have you had?
           \_ Gayness.
              \_ That's a feature, not a bug.
                 \_ It's *Fabulous*!
                    \- apple -> lemon
                       FYI: i think most of the problems i had on my old
                       g4 powerbook titanium were due to some software
                       install not being atomic. i have an MBP too and
                       it seems pretty stable. if anything, i had trouble
                       with the old machine not waking up sometimes. the main
                       win of the MPB is the better wifi reception.
        \_ Your machine should still be under warranty. Take it back.

9/7     Dress like 'Mac':
        http://www.lifeclever.com/2006/09/07/how-to-dress-like-a-mac

8/31    its that time of year again.  i would like to buy
        a reliable mac laptop.  i dont need blazing ass speed.
        i would like light and reliable.  i dont need a gigantic
        display.  i would like to haul it to cafes and look cool.
        what should i get?  a new one?  a slightly used one?
        are they all intel now?  do they all have battery problems?
        \_ Wait until the problem with the white MacBook palm rests
           gets solved, and get one of those. (they are intel)
        \_ Since Intel just released the mobile Core2 Duo (Merom), expect an
           update to Apple's laptop line soon.
           \_ Do you know if there are any plans for a 12" one?  I am
              loving my 12" PB, and may look at a MacBook next year.  -John
                \_ All signs point to 13 inches being the new 12 inches.
                   I miss the smaller size too.
                   \_ obthatswhatshesaid
                   \_ obthatswhathesaid

8/31    Windows SSH to a Mac Xserve, would like display pop-up error messages
        generated on Mac onto Windows.
        \_ Can't be done via SSH.  VNC, perhaps.  -tom
        \_ Get a windows X server, such as Exceed, run it, configure the SSH
           to do X forwarding (putty can do this), or find some other way to
           set the DISPLAY environment variable to point back to the windows
           -ERic
           \_ That doesn't work for Mac OS dialog boxes.  -tom
             \_ didnt know they were non-X -ERic
                \_ Unfortunately, 'tis so.  -tom

8/21    Does anyone know how to set up a web browser (any browser) to only
        be able to go to a few select pages?  None of the popular browsers
        seem to have this type of whitelisting built in.  This is for a
        library.
        \_ A typical approach is to setup a proxy server that all web
           traffics are required to go through and do the filtering on the
           proxy server.
           \_ Seconded. Try DansGuardian: http://dansguardian.org
              \_ soda needs a danh guardian
                 \_ Your pocket protector isn't doing the job?
                 \_ If someone makes a proxy server that automatically
                    generates rules to block all URLs that danh walls, it'll
                    make billions!
              \_ it'll protect us from dans?
                 \_ ob you're either with us or against us
        \_ I don't know the answer, but maybe you can ask a library that
           already has something like this.  Hayward Public Library provides
           web surfing using IE.
        \_ I think i need to be more specific.  In this case, the browsers
           should only be able to go to 1 site.  It's a computer
           specifically for looking up auto repair information on a site the
           library has a subscription to.  DansGaurdian seems like overkill.
           -op
           \_ Disable your DNS and place the auto repair site in your hosts
              file.
              \_ In windows.  (Where is the hosts file in windows?)
                 \_ What windows version?  (hint, google will tell you)
                 \_ %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc
        \_ Google for kiosk mode for the browser you'd like to use.
        \_ I needed the same thing a couple of months ago. After looking
           into the options, I just ended up writing my own Mac web browser
           using the WebKit (what Safari uses). The browser and URL filtering
           code takes up about 20 lines. I also capture the display so the
           user can't switch to other apps or access the desktop -- that adds
           another 80 lines. I can send you code if you want. - ciyer

8/20    RocketDock - An OS X style dock for Windows:
        http://tinyurl.com/judnu (downloadsquad.com)
        \_ What's so great about the OS X Dock anyway?
        \_ 9.4M is a "small memory footprint"?
           \_ Hey it's half the size of Firefox on my PC.
        \_ Even better: expose for windows! http://www.winplosion.com
           Too bad it's not free.

8/17    http://www.geekcruises.com
        Keywords: cruise cruises geek unix photoshop linux macmania mac mania
        http://www.scifi-cruises.com
        Keywords: Startrek cruise scifi cruise
        Category: Humor Funny cruise ship

8/17    Tim Bray switches back:
        http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2006/08/16/Back-to-the-Mac

8/11    When I try to cut and paste from Firefox to Termminal.app on my
        mac, I have problems with " and some other special characters.
        Any advice on how to fix the cut and paste problem?
        \_ what's the problem?  (Terminal.app sucks, probably).  -tom

7/31    flickr only lets me create 3 sets before charging. I don't use
        Blogspot because the site is pretty annoying. What other
        sites are good?
        \_ link:www.picasaweb.google.com
           \_ If you install Picasa, this is clearly the easiest thing I've
              ever seen. The difference is like AOL mail and gmail, where
              flickr and blogspot are as complicated and unintuitive as
              AOL mail and Picasa is as easy to use and understand as
              gmail. Although this is only a beta site, it clearly has
              all the Google signatures on it.
           \_ Windows-only can bite me.  -tom
              \_ It can be web-only accessible just like any other web sites
                 although you'll lose some advanced features. For example if
                 you use Picasa it'll automatically resize pictures for you
                 before it uploads to the web sites. Most pictures today are
                 taken using 4-7MP and take a long time to do HTTP upload
                 raw. It took me 6 hours to teach my grandma to use flickr
                 (they use lame terminologies like sets, and organizing and
                 other features are really complicated). But it only took her
                 30 min to learn Picasaweb.
                 \_ http://picasa.google.com/linux
                    \_ They need an OS X version to replace that POS iPhoto.
                        Plus there's F-Spot (http://f-spot.org/Main_Page which is
                        totally open-source if you still like flickr. F-Spot can
                        also export webpages so that the below suggestion
                        (~/public_html) is easy enough. --michener
        \_ http://www.csua.berkeley.edu
        \_ http://www.jenniferwalcott.com  -proud American

7/26    Are there any good solutions for multiple simultaneous remote logins
        to a Mac? I'm currently using OSXVnc's recommended method, which is
        to run a separate VNC instance for each user and have everyone logged
        in through fast user switching, but that's both a nuisance to set up
        and a drain on resources. I'm looking for a better option.
        \_ If you needed multiple remote logins to a Mac, then Steve(tm) would
           have provided you with multiple remote logins to a Mac.
           \_ This sounds alot like NT circa 1996 when Citrix first became
              popular. Now it's built in for server os's. -shac
              \_ When Steve(tm) says you're ready for it, you'll get it and
                 not one minute sooner.
                 \_ "One remote login ought to be enough for anybody."
        \_ Apple Remote Desktop?
        \_ SSH?
           \_ I need a graphical login (for Safari). -gm, op
              \_ Invoke a browser over a forwarded X11 connection?

7/19    Is there any way to use smartmontools (software) on a SMART capable
        drive in a firewire external enclosure? If so, which enclosure would
        you recommend? I would like to be able to remoteley monitor an
        external hard drive.
        \_ I don't think so, but I believe you can do so with a Serial ATA
           drive+enclosure.
           \_ darn, I don't think my Mac Mini does SATA  -op.
              \_ External enclosure+firewire/USB?  -John
                 \_ Right, but those don't to SMART.
                    \_ There are some.  I'm poking around now.  -John

7/7     1980s:
        Mac: ...
        PC: .....
        Atari: ...
        Apple ][: ..
        C64/128/Amiga: .
        ______
        1990s:
        Mac: ..
        Windows: .........
        Linux:  ..
        BSD: ....
        GEOS: .
        _______
        Today?
        PC Windows: ........
        PC Linux/BSD: .....
        Mac: .
        Mac+Windows: .
        \_ I guess Mac users don't answer stupid polls, but they do a pretty
           good job of answering motd questions.
           \_ Maybe there's only one Mac user?
                \_ there are multiple signed posts by mac users in this
                   file alone.

7/6     I just got my macbook. Anyone have any experience using Parallels?
        Is it fast (compared to say, bootcamp)?
        \_ It won't be as fast as bootcamp -- the VM has a single CPU,
           not the dual core you get native -- but I've been using it
           and so far it's pretty snappy, particularly in full-screen
           mode.  And it's much more convenient -- lets you set up
           a shared folder to move files between the VM and the Mac.
           Two thumbs up. --dpassage
        \_ Bootcamp is wickedly fast on my Mini.  Parallel is a bit
           slower, but still feels very fast compared to VirtualPC
           (VPC for Windows is slower than Parallels).  One complaint
           I have is that on a MacBook, to suspend the VM, the swapping
           to hard disk takes quite some time when I have around 600MB
           to swap to hard disk.

7/6     I just got my macbook. Anyone have any luck using Parallels?

7/5     Is there a good way in OS X Tiger to create a directory on an
        external (firewire) disk that is owned by root? When I try to
        do this, it becomes owned by "unknown"..
        \_ goto get info, uncheck "ignore permissions on this volume"

7/1     So my new MacBook Pro is hot hot hot! And I mean, it is so hot that
        it is unbearable to put on my laptop, even when it is idling.
        In addition the battery lasts only 2 hours at max, when only
        5% of the CPU is used. In contrast, my 1.5GHz Pentium M is
        pretty cool, and lasts 2.5 hours with a smaller battery. My G4
        is also really really cool and lasts almost 4 hours. What the
        hell is going on? I'm very very unhappy with the MacBook Pro.
        \_ Hello I'm the op, and I've followed tom's link, disassembled
           my MacBook Pro and was dismayed at how much paste was used on
           it. Basically the processor, chipset, and something else had so
           much paste that they acted like insulators which created extremely
           hot spots on the top portion of the laptop. I took out all the
           thermal paste (it was incredibly thick) and reapplied a thin
           layer. Yesterday my laptop had a few scalding burning hot spots,
           but today I'm proud to say that it is simply running as hot as
           McDonald's coffee. I'm glad I took the risk to make the laptop run
           better.
             It is amazing how Apple has chosen to ignore this problem
           instead of trying to solve it. I guess as a company gets bigger
           and bigger it cares less and less about the quality of products and
           instead more about making the shareholders happy.
        \_ http://www.tuaw.com/2006/05/04/macbook-pro-heat-problem-heats-up
            -tom
            \_ Wow, what a brilliant solution to a heat problem - reduce
               the heat flow from the chips to the chassis by removing
               thermal paste. Absolutely brilliant. They should just
               remove the fans while they're at it. Don't know why
               Apple never thaught of that.
               \_ Ummm.. You know thermal paste isn't some sort of magical
                  heat eliminator right?  You realize that too much can
                  cause heat problems right?  You realize they aren't
                  suggesting not using any, but cleaning it off and
                  replacing it with a smaller amount.. right?  I don't
                  know if this is the actual cause of the heat problems,
                  but it certainly is a possibility.
        \_ Being "hot" is the reason you got it right? ;)
        \_ I seem to recall something about Apple very quietly releasing a
           firmware upgrade that makes it turn on the fan more readily.  Result
           is much lower operating temperatures, but more tendancy to have fan
           noise.

6/14    I am thinking of getting a 17" Macbook Pro to replace my 17"
        Powerbook G4. I haven't been following CPUs lately. Is there any
        reason to wait (i.e. something better is just around the corner)?
        \_ merom is supposed to be released around september.  it will be
           64 bit and use less power than the current chip.  if you can wait
           that long, you might as well.
           \_ Do you think that is when Intel will be shipping the chips or
              the chips will be shipping in products?
              \_ that's when intel will release merom.
              \_ that's when intel will ship merom.
              \_ in an OEM world, yes.  by the time a chip is shipped in
                 retail, many products will be shipping with chip in it.
                 Rather Mac has such deal with Intel or not is another story.
                 Rather you are willing to pay hundreds of dollars of premium
                 for a new chip is another story.  And no, I don't see what is
                 the big deal of having 64bit CPU when OS and applications and
                 device drivers are all 32 bits.        knharv
           \_ merom?  Looks pretty similar to 'yermom'
           \_ Don't you think Apple might take a little longer to put the new
              revision of MBPs out?  The new chip isn't massively better than
              the old so I'd expect them to put it in a regular product refresh
              \_ Sounds like it might be a while. Will it be true 64 bit?
                 If so, does that mean there will be a 64 bit version of
                 MacOS X for Intel?
                 \_ http://tinyurl.com/kf27l
                    If it's true it looks like it should be a pretty simple
                    drop in replacement.

6/7     What, if any, is the best way to "convert" a PDF document to either
        a text file or a Word document? I tried copying/pasting the text
        (after highlighting it), but the document formatting is lost. I can
        manually enter carriage returns, but it's a long document (~50 pages)
        The entire document is just paragraphs of text. This is on a OS X
        machine. Thanks.
        \_ Open it in Adobe Acrobat (not Reader).  -tom
           \_ Or Distiller or use pdftotext on soda.
        \_ there is used to be an unix command line called "ps2txt" or
           something like that.

6/2     Some of my Mac OSX application windows (e.g. Firefox) don't extend to the
        far right side of my screen when I try to maximize the window. Is
        there a reason for this or a way to fix it? I'm using a 12" iBook.
        Thanks.
        \_ Dunno, but please post if you figure it out.  -John
        \_ There are different interpretations about the semantics of
           clicking a window's green button.  Some apps treat it as
           "maximize", while others understand the command as "enlarge the
           window to fit the contents of the window".  I assume FF is
           doing the latter.

6/1     I just deleted Palm Desk from my OS X machine, but my computer
        refuses to delete a file named "User Data", saying it's still
        in use. How can I get rid of it? Thanks.
        \_ On http://sysinternals.com, there is a tool (it could be Process Explorer,
           but I don't remember, have a look around) that's sort of a
           graphical lsof.  -John
           \_ sysinternals has tools for Mac OS X?
              \_ probably not, but then you could just get lsof for OS X

5/23    Hey does Mac OSX's version of locate have
        the "-i" option?  As in "ignore case"?  - danh
        \_ No.  -tom

5/20    VMware is looking for people interested in doing Mac OS X
        programming who know Objective C and Cocoa.  See
        /csua/pub/jobs/vmware or ask me for details. --jameslin

5/12    Have you used WinXP in Parallels on a new Intel Mac? How is it?

4/5     There's no discussion on Apple being able to run MS Windows??
        \_ I'm honestly not sure if it's a good idea or not.  Now when wonky
           incompatibilities come up, (Such as MS powerpoint conflicts between
           Mac and XP) Mac users may be expected to fix it themselves.  Which
           leads to greater hassle, which leads to more windows use, etc.
           \_ Mac's being capable of running windows is one thing, M$
              supporting this configuration is an entirelly different story.
              \_ I'm not sure how this relates to what I said. -pp
        \_ How does it work?  A Mac with an Intel CPU is still not a PC.  I'd
           think that the BIOS, bus architecture, etc. are still different from
           what's in the PC architecture.  How does XP for x86 run on that?
           \_ Product is called "Boot Camp" if you want to search the web.
              \_ See below. I posted a link to the d/l site at http://apple.com
                 this morning.
                 Re How does this work: Apple uses EFI which is like bios
                 w/ some of the nicer bits of OF thrown in. The Intel chip
                 set that Apple is currently using is sufficiently similar
                 to PC chipsets that it is possible to get XP running. Note
                 that Bootcamp provides many of the necessary drivers to
                 get XP running properly.
                 Re Is this a good thing: HELL YES. I can finally play HL2,
                 KOTOR2 and Pirates on my mac, which means that I can chuck
                 my crappy PC. Dual booting isn't that nice, but I used to
                 do it in the OS 9/OS X days to play games, so its not that
                 bad.
                 BTW, 1st BSOD on a iMac:
                 http://images.dealcatcher.com/products/1stbluescreen.jpg

4/4     BootCamp for x86 Macs:
        http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp
        Now you can easily install XP on your x86 Mac.
        [ Why was this deleted? ]
          \_ Maybe it was deemed insufficiently political and of too much
             technical value for the Political Science Undergraduate
             Association motd. -dans
             \_ -4 hp for weak trolling
                \_ Nah, I have +4 armour against troll-slaying weapons. -dans
        \_ This is awesome!  I'm really glad Apple is supporting this.

3/30    Is there a way in Mac OS X to get the total packet count sent/received
        for a particular network interface?
        \_ $ netstat -I [interface] | tail -1
           Col 5 (Ipkts) is the recv'd pkts, Col 7 (Opkts) is the sent pkts.
           \_ Excellent! Thanks.
        \_ Looks like Activity Monitor shows all network activity combined.

3/18    Were any sodans involved in the apple hacking (getting XP to run on
        a Mac) project?
        \_ why you want to do that?  don't you want to do other way around?
           running OSx86 on a cheap laptop such as a Dell instead?

3/6     arstechnica review of the mac mini:
        http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/macmini.ars/1
        Conclusion: "The minis are across the board superior to their G4
        predecessors. ... [B]etter specs all around make the mini's tiny
        footprint even more enticing than it was 14 months ago."
        \_ Are you going to believe arstechnica or tom@sodashardware?
           \_ gee, a site that rates everything six or higher gave it an
              eight.  I'll go out and buy one right now!  -tom
        \_ I'm not sure I understand why anyone is hot n bothered by this
           whole thing.  The box either does what it is supposed to at a price
           buyers find competitive with attractive looks or it just won't sell.
           What is the issue?
           \_ forget your kool-aid this morning?  -tom
              \_ what?  how does "I don't get it" have anything to do with
                 being a kool-aid drinker?  --baffled
                 \_ Kool-aid drinkers are hot and bothered that someone
                    is suggesting that $600 for a slow-ass machine without
                    a monitor, keyboard, or mouse, isn't a good deal.  -tom
                    \_ uhm ok, well I never got hot n bothered and dont even
                       own a mac so sure, I guess I didn't drink mine this
                       morning....
           \_ I completely agree. The new mini will have to sink or swim
              in the mkt place. I posted the review, so that those interested
              could read it and make up their own minds. [ I will admit that
              that I chose to highlight the conclusion b/c I like the mini
              (both PPC and x86) and think they are nice little machines. ]
              -minifan

3/2     For those interested in the new x86 Mac Mini, some more info:
        1. The x86 CPU is on a socket, so you might be able to
           upgrade in the future:
           http://www.reezle.com/imgs/reezle-100001-5410-1280.jpg
        2. Here is some xbench info for the core duo mac mini v.
           the old 1.5GHz PPC mini:
           http://db.xbench.com/merge.xhtml?doc1=158732&doc2=146457

2/25    Looking for a commandline Unix/Mac util to convert Real Media (RM)
        video to .mov (first choice), .mpeg (second), or .avi (third).
        I would like to watch a series of MIT Physics lectures on my DVD
        player rather than on my computer. Lectures here:
        http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html (Click on Physics, then Fall '99, Lewin)
        You've been good to me in the past, motd. TIA. --erikred
            \- Why dont you just read KLEPPNER&KOLENKOW and APFRENCH?
               \_ Because Lewin's lecture style is similar to Alex Filippenko's
        \_ Given that your ultimate goal is to put it on a DVD, it's strange
           that .mov is your first choice and not MPEG2. (Or do people really
           store MPEG2 video in QuickTime containers?)
           \_ I'm working on a Mac, and I know I can create DVDs from .mov
              files using Toast (which I have). But I'm open to suggestions.
              \_ But it'll probably reencode it, which you don't want.
                 I think ffmpeg will read RM and will certainly output MPEG2.
                 If not, check mencoder.  I know ffmpeg has an OS X GUI
                 frontend called something like ffmpegX  --dbushong
              \_ It looks like ffmpegX can do exactly what you want, but
                 you have to install a separate real media library:
                 http://homepage.mac.com/major4/download.html
                 Scroll down to the optional install part.
                 \_ ffmpegx does indeed promise to do precisely what I'm
                    looking for, though I'm having some difficulties getting
                    it to behave. There's a non-GUI version as well (called
                    ffmpeg) available from SourceForge, but it complained
                    mightily when I tried to make it. Thank you all for your
                    suggestions. --erikred
                    \_ Eureka! Problem solved and video's encoding now. For
                       those who want to do the same thing: Go to the http://mac.com
                       URL above and download the program. Instead of going to
                       Helix, however, download the stable build of the reallib
                       files. Run ffmpegx to create the Library folders in your
                       root tree, then quit, copy the reallib folder into the
                       ffmpegx Library folder, chown everything to root:admin,
                       and away you go. Thank you all for your help. --erikred
                    \_ Re ffmpeg: Try building it using darwinports, that
                       worked perfectly for me.
        \_ I am *VERY* curious on how you do this thing.  Unix doesn't have
           unified codec architecture, no?  This kind of thing is the reason
           why I am still use Windows today.  I do similar things, converting
           lectures from Real Media to .avi file so I can watch it on my
           Treo 650, using free softwares (Real7ime, xvid/PCM ).
helo

2/16    I just read the csua minutes. CSUA is running out of money and
        has no new members. There's a solution to this. GET WOMEN INVOLVED!!
        And I'm not talking about ugly SWE women, but real women.
        Team up with the busadm people. Tell them they'll learn
        the software engineering process that'll help them gain
        experience|wealth|connections|CASH|etc. When hot busadm women
        show up, so will horny alumni and students.
        \_ Thanks, Paolo.
        \_ Including yourself?
        \_ considering os X is now *nix based, I would presume mac users would
           be a good student base to draw on.  There are a lot of Mac users I
           know who would love to learn more command-line tools and how to
           do things in the shell, but don't know where to start.
        \_ Outsource some of the current operations to India to shave costs.

2/15    I know this has probably been asked before, but I can't find it
        in the archives:  is there a (Windows) tool to change metadata
        (date & time taken) of a large number of JPG photos?  I just realized
        that my camera's 12 hours off.  -John
        \_ http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/jhead  --dbushong
           \_ Many thanks.  -John

1/29    On OS X 10.4.3, I can ssh -Y and start Xapps on a linux server using local X11.
        When I try the same thing with localhost, or another Mac OS X box, it freaks
        out.  I've modified /private/etc/ssh_config and sshd_config to ForwardX11 yes.
        This only happens when running X11 on 10.4.3.  10.3 ssh -X works fine to both
        10.4 and 10.3 servers.
        \_ On a related note.  I couldn't ssh to some of my linux boxes with
           the ssh on 10.4.3.  I eventually gave up and installed the ports
           version, which works just fine.

1/27    Can anyone recommend a good open-source PDF creator for
        os x? Thanks.
        \_ File -> Print -> PDF -> Save as PDF?
                \_ Oops, sorry. I mean SERVER-SIDE PDF creator.
                   I need to create PDF documents for users of our
                   web site. -op
                   \_ Create them from what?  You can generate PDF directly
                      in perl with perl-PDF.  Or you can use htmlpdf to
                      convert HTML to PDF.  -tom
        \_ Create a CUPS printer with a PDF driver.
           On the Mac OS X machine go to <DEAD>localhost:631<DEAD>
        \_ If you don't have to produce too many documents, you could do this
           with AppleScript.  The performance is ass, but fine if your not
           trying to pump out many documents a minute.
                \_ I won't (I only need approx 1 document/day). How do I use
                   Applescript? I've never used it before. Thanks. -op

1/21    I'm setting up my mac on a subnet @ school.  It doesn't recognize the
        other computers on the subnet without typing in the full address.
        How do I enable that?
        \_ that's a function of dns or whatever naming service you're using.
           it has nothing to do with machines being on the same subnet.
           for dns, if macos uses /etc/resolv.conf, edit that, or do the equiv.
           \_ equiv is to use System Preferences->Network, click on ethernet
              and type in the nameserver in the DNS Servers text box.

1/21    How does one usually write a log file from a multi-threaded
        server?  Is there a way to avoid using locks around the file
        writes?  Relying on some kind of low-level atmoic writes and
        fsync() or something?
        \_ I would create a class to act as the single point of access
           to the log file. Have the other threads go through the logger
           singleton to write the info into a ring buffer and signal
           a separate thread to actually write to the file. - ciyer
           \_ Well you will need a lock to write into the ring buffer, and once
              one thread has that lock then if the buffer is getting full you
              can have that thread write the buffer and flush the output stream
              right? -!op
              \_ That should work too. I work with audio and parts of my
                 code run in realtime threads which should not block, so
                 I've implemented a lockless ring buffer (using
                 CompareAndSwap on OS X) so the thread writing into the log
                 never takes a lock and can't access the disk

1/15    I've got a mac G4 laptop and a dell box that I want to play kernel
        hacker  with, but I don't want to keep a bulky monitor around.  Is
        it possible to get a terminal connection from the dell box to the
        laptop?  The dell has USB, serial, PS/2, and VGA (no firewire).
        Any suggestions appreciate, thanks.
        \_ VNC over ethernet.
        \_ ssh?
          \_ I'm talking about getting a console before the networking
             stack is initialized.
        \_ if you can get a hold of one, <DEAD>realweasel.com<DEAD>
        \_ uh, ssh?
           \_ thanks, good tip.  I'd still need a usb<->serial converter
              and probably some sort of OSX terminal app.  Any ideas?
        \_ a $20 2-port KVM?
           \_ The laptop screen doesn't take video in.
        \_ The realweasel, while nice is wholly unnecessary.  Turn on serial
           ttys on the Dell, get a USB to serial adapter from Keyspan for your
           Mac, and use zterm or tip for a terminal application.  Either of:
           http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA19W
           http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA28x
           Should work.  I have a USA28x, and use it all the time with my
           PowerBook. -dans

1/12    Stupid Mac question:  Is there a way to cycle not just between
        apps but between individual windows within applications, similar
        to alt-tab?  -John
        \_ Try Alt-`.  It works for Terminal, at least.
           \_ No joy.  I'm kind of looking for the same as "application
              windows", but including minimized windows.  -John
              \_ I use Alt-` or Expose F10, but minimized windows don't
                 appear ein either of those.
        \_ There was some third party freebie that did this but my mind
           is blanking.

1/11    Listen to this with headphones, it's pretty cool.
        http://www.holophonic.ch/archivio/testaudio/Cereni%20-%20Holophonic.mp3
        \_ damn. that was awesome. it gave me multiple chills down my spine,
           and tickled, even.
           \_ Do you have a Mac? I'm working on some similar software.
              I can post a link to it when it's done, if there is interest.

1/7     Can anyone give me a hint on the easiest way to rip/copy a DVD
        to a Mac and watch it?  The OSX player bitches about no copy
        protection being present.  -John
        \_ Why is it that you are not using Mplayer?
        \- Why is it that you are not using Mplayer? ok tnx.
           \_ I am now, thanks :-)  -John
        \_ MacTheRipper. A very respectable backup program.

12/20   I'm trying to determine the cause of an curious behavior: When
        I login to a Linux box from my Mac (rxvt in X11), there is
        some lag on the text output during the printing of multiple
        lines of output. When I login to a FreeBSD box from my Mac,
        there is no lag. Curiously, when I login to either the FreeBSD
        box or the Linux box from my Linux laptop, there is no lag
        either. Any ideas what differences between the network
        settings could cause this. Could it be buffered I/O or minimum
        packet size? It happens with telnet and ssh.
        \_ Are your TERM settings the same on both?
           \_ yep TERM=xterm
        \_ Have you tried this on multiple Linux boxes or just the one?
           \_ yep, tried it on about 4 debian boxes.
        \_ perhaps you might try some other telnet programs on your mac?

12/14   Does anyone know of a free tool to convert a wmv into a mpeg2?
        (Preferably for OSX, but Windows/Linux is okay)
        \_ MPEG2 is patent-encumbered and doesn't really allow for free
           encoders.  That said, look for QuEnc. --jameslin
        \_ AviSynth + QuEnc.  http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/quenc.htm
           --jameslin
        \_ ffmpegX

11/30   I have one of those tiny Sandisk keychain harddrives, and it shows
        it as being nearly full (~500 of 512megs), under OS X, where it
        also shows the drive as having no files on it. But when I plug the
        drive into my PC, it shows a .Trashes file which has all the
        files I've deleted off of it, ever. What is this .Trashes file and
        how can I delete it under OS X (I can delete it with Windows)?
        Thanks.
        \_ Uh, empty trash?
        \_ .Trashes is the trashcan created by OSX.  You can empty the trash
           or just remove it using command line.

11/29   Does anyone use a Thawte personal email certificate for S/MIME?
        http://www.thawte.com/secure-email/personal-email-certificates/index.html
        Any problems w/ OS X? Any alternatives?

11/27   I have an annoying ass problem with MS Powerpoint in OS X, where I
        can make and save any changes I want, except font changes. If I
        change the font, save the document, close powerpoint, and then
        open the document again, the font is still the old font. WTF?!
        Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
        \_ No, but my Powerpoint under OS X doesn't do this.
                \_ Oh, it doesn't behave like this all the time, just with
                   this one ppt file (that was created with a PC). -op
                   \_ you might want to install MS core font on your Mac
                      so it doesn't try to substitute fonts.

11/21   Is there a way to install Mac OS 8.5 on a totally empty disk?
        It seems as though the installer has no way to format the disk,
        but I'm thinking there must be some way to start from a zeroed disk.

11/23   Are there any alternatives to QuickBooks for Mac?
        \_ try MyOB.

11/21   I've noticed that the OS X Terminal.app and xterm etc are all
        slower than xterm / rxvt on Linux/x86. Even a 500 MHz P2 has
        quicker response than a 1.33 Ghz G4 when you are logged
        into a server via SSH. I'm wondering what could be the cause
        of this lag. Is it something that can be adjusted? I find the
        sluggishness the only think holding me back from using a Mac
        for Everything.  Any ideas, suggestions?
        \_ X is in emulation on OS X, and Terminal sucks.  You could
           try one of the Terminal replacements like iTerm, if text speed
           is really that important to you.  -tom
           \_ I just tried iTerm, it seems slower than Terminal.
              Why can't a Mac running OS X be as snappy as on old
              linux box running at 500 Mhz? If I ran linux on my G4,
              would it be more responsive in X?
              \_ gee, maybe because the system isn't optimized for
                 displaying text in terminal windows quickly.  Running
                 linux on a G4 is a dumb idea.  -tom
                 \_ How fast of a Mac would I have to get to match the
                    text displaying quickness of a P2 500 MHz linux box.
                    \_ look, the mac is just too good for you, so get with
                       it and stop being a twink.  obviously "text display
                       in a terminal window" is a difficult and unsolved
                       problem.  when apple solves this feat, the world will
                       be ready for it.  until then, youll use your one button
                       and like it!  go away, kid, shoo!
                        \_ Do you like Mac OS X?
                           \_ Of course!  Nothing is better than Mac OS X.
                              It is flawless!  The Mac is flawless!  Anything
                              it can't do you shouldn't want to do anyway,
                              because we have a better way.
              \_ Re Linux on the G4 - It has been a few years and yellow
                 dog may have improved, but Linux on PowerMac was always
                 a big hassle. It was not worth the trouble. Besides,
                 why would you switch to Linux from OS X? I mean OS X
                 has iTunes, Word, Excel, OmniGraffle, Photoshop, VPC,
                 Toast, Acrobat, &c. and it is basically *nix underneath.
                 If you don't use any of that stuff, why would you get
                 an iBook, when you can get a pc laptop much cheaper
                 and just install linux on it?
        \_ What else the Mac running? Are you comparing to a P2 running
           linux w/ no X11 and no other users?
           I haven't really seen this problem w/ my OSX systems, but some
           terminal tips you might be interested in trying are turn off the
           unlimited scrollback buffer, rewrap lines on resize, disable
           blinking text and disable anti-aliasing.
           \_ The P2 is running Linux 2.4, XFree86, fvwm2, and rxvt. The
              Mac is Tiger, Aqua, X11, fvwm2, rxvt. Thanks for the tips
              for Terminal.app.  I've tried those but they didn't change the
              behavior. I was wrong about the P2. It is 232 MHz, not 500.
              \_ I don't think I understand your problem. Is it:
                 1. When you ssh into your mac the response is slow? OR
                 2. When you ssh from your mac into a different system
                    the terminal is slow?
                 I'm wondering if this is a ssh config issue rather than
                 a terminal issue. A couple of other questions:
                 \_ (2). 768MB 1.33GHz G4 iBook.
                 1. How much memory does your mac have? Running X11 and
                    fvwm on top of aqua can use up a lot of ram and OS X
                    quite the ram hog.
                 2. Are you using color ls? I've noticed that color
                    anything in the terminal slows it down considerably.
                    \_ Turned off color, behavior still exists. Booted
                       into text mode http://hacks.oreilly.com/pub/h/348
                       (no-aqua, no X1) behavior still exists.
                    \_ Turned off color, behavior still exists. Is there
                       a way to boot into text mode and run ssh from the
                       command line, ruling out aqua display issues.
                       (no-aqua, no X1) behavior still exists. Wow!
                       \_ You might want to try GLterm:
                          http://www.pollet.net/GLterm
                          It is ugly as all get out but it does seem
                          much faster than terminal/xterm/rxvt on my
                          g5.
                          \_ Not any faster on my G4.
                             \_ I have no idea, maybe this is a problem
                                w/ the cipher or key negotiation in ssh?
                                I wish I could have helped you. sorry.

11/20   Is there an easy way to map the left "alt" key to "meta" key in
        Mac OS X Tiger,  X11 (in full-screen mode).
        \_ Try: defaults write com.apple.x11 swap_alt_meta -bool true
           \_ Sweet . That did it!   Here's another question:
              Is there a similarily elegant way to have Command N
              launch a new rxvt window instead of an xterm?
              \_ 1. X11.app: Applications Menu->Customize Menu
                 2. Change xterm to /usr/local/bin/rxvt (or whatever).
                 \_ Thanks again! Is there a similar way to make the
                    delete key do "backspace" in X11?
           \_ Unless I'm doing something wrong, that command doesn't do
              the trick.  Any way to debug that?
              How to get Command N to launch a new rxvt instead of xterm?
                 \_ Thanks again! How about this: is there a way
                    to set the "z" key (or some othe easily reachable
                    left-hand key) to be a "back" function in either
                    Safari or Firefox?
                    \_ Or better yet, could you just do it all for me?
                        \_ I put in my time searching the web and trying
                           all sorts of different things. Then asking the
                           friendly folks on motd, the best solutions are
                           offered in a few minutes. -op
                    \_ Try: stty erase '^H' OR stty erase '^?'
                       If this is an emacs question, put this in your
                       .emacs:
                       (keyboard-translate ?\C-h ?\C-?)
                        \_ Thanks again. I appreciate your assistance! -op
                           \_ Are you the Little Chinese?

11/15   What's a good freeware tool to draw network diagrams with? I used
        to use Visio years ago. I just need to do this once, so I don't
        want to buy a package. I have Powerpoint. Can it do it? Xfig is
        a little primitive? Anything else? Can be UNIX, Mac, or Windows-based.
        \_ OpenOffice has a drawing tool that is pretty lame but
           functional.  -tom
        \_ dia
        \_ LaTEX
        \_ xfig!
        \_ Maybe consider omnigraffle on OS X. There is a free version,
           but it is limited. Personally I think that it is completely
           worth paying for.
           \_ Seconded, plus it does Visio file formats.  -John
        \_ I think M$ Word XP or later has okay diagram tool, I use Word 2000
           and the diagram tool is lame.
           \_ Yeah I think it's called "Visio" :-)  -John
              \_ No, Visio is more powerful than the tool within Word XP.

11/13   In UNIX/OSX, is there a way to find out what files have been modified
        other than checking the time stamp of files within a certain period of
        time?
        \_ command-f in the finder gives several "find" options including
           "last modified" (with several options there).
        \_ What do you mean "have been modified" if not in the context of
           "since time X"  Since installation of the OS?  Since installation
           of a package/application?

11/9    What do you do when the OSX disk utility (booted from CD) fails
        to repair your primary startup disk and gives you the error:
        "Invalid B-tree node size"? This is an iMac G5 and it cannot boot
        from the Macintosh HD. Any recommendations for data recovery?
        \_ DiskWarrior
           \_ Thanks.

11/3    Are there any good free browsers for Mac OS 8/9?

11/2    Buy a copy protected CD from Sony, get a rootkit installed for free!
        http://tinyurl.com/auyjl

11/1    What's the best tool for Mac OS X that can tell me what other
        wifi access points (including non ESSID ones) are in the area,
        and what channel they are on?

10/23   Guys, I would like to fetch the 'opensolaris' logo from the website
        http://www.opensolaris.org
        What tools can I use to do that?  I am on WiFi.  And I want to fetch
        the logo just because they are making it hard to do so.
        \_ Uh, Firefox?  Any other web browser?  wget?  Why does it matter
           that you're using WiFi?
           \_ Have you looked at the html source?  i wouldn't considered this
              as a "class A" dumb question... and etheral doesn't work with
              wifi...
              \_ so use tcpdump - this doesn't even require that much fu (see
                 below).
              \_ Uh, are we talking about the same Ethereal?  You might want
                 to specify that Ethereal (or any sniffers) on Windows don't
                 work with wifi, due to ndis.  Ethereal on a Real OS works
                 just fine with wireless cards.  Or you could just use
                 Auditor/Kismet/Wellenreiter.  -John
        \_ Which one?  http://www.opensolaris.org/images/header.png ,
           http://www.opensolaris.org/os/open-final3.png or
           http://www.opensolaris.org/os/about/buttons/get_os_ribbon_03.gif ?
           Your magic fu is weak.  -John
           \_ header.png  and may I ask how did you do that?  When I use
              firefox + "view rendered source" extension, all I can see
              is an empty <div> that marked as "header"  I can fetch all the
              graphics, but the header.png was particularly difficult, and
              please shed some light.  Thanks
              \_ Try right-clicking on the image, or just drag it to the
                 desktop.  -tom
                 \_ Doesn't work.  It's loaded by a stylesheet.  Look at
                    source, you'll see /css/screen.css.  Load that, and you'll
                    see all the other css it loads, then just go through those
                    and look for pngs/jpgs/gifs.  -John
                    \_ Try a Mac.  (Worked for me in Firefox).  -tom
                       \_ This is on a Mac, with both Firefox 1.0.7 and Safari.
                          Dragging it to desktop just saves a link.  He means
                          the orange/blue "opensolaris" logo at the top left
                          of the page, not the multilanguage one.  -John
        \_ Here's what I did to get header.png (in Firefox on mac w/ no
           extensions)
           1. Get page source for http://www.opensolaris.org
           2. This says that the style sheet is /css/screen.css and
              that you are looking for MastheadLogo
           3. Get the page http://www.opensolaris.org/css/screen.css
           4. This gives you a list of several style sheets to choose
              from: layout.css, presentation.css, &c. As it turns out
              MastheadLogo is in presentaion.css, which you should be
              able to figure out by fetching each one in turn.
           5. Get the page http://www.opensolaris.org/css/presentation.css
           6. Look for MastheadLogo, which tells you that the image is
              located at ../images/header.png
           7. Get the img from
              http://www.opensolaris.org/css/../images/header.png OR
              http://www.opensolaris.org/images/header.png
           I agree w/ John, your FU is VERY WEAK.
           \_ LOL at you. You got pwned by the poster below.
              \_ Page Info hangs (comes up w/ empty window) for
                 me on Mac (1.5b2).
                 \_ come on now, don't be a poor sport.
                    \_ It works fine in 1.0.7 though. Does safari
                       have the same feature (other than via view
                       activity)?
        \_ Pshaw. You guys are all weak sauce. Tools | Page Info | Media
           in firefox.
           \_ Bingo. --Guy who thought this was a dumb question.

10/14   Is there a way in OS X to see what computers are joining my
        home wireless network? Thanks.
        \_ Do you have the Airport Management Tools installed? If so,
           The AirPort Management Utility will let you see what is
           connected to your ABS, AEBS or AE.

9/27    Invisibility cloak:
        http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1860
        \_ fake!  it looks nothing like a +1 cloak!  :-)
        \_ what's the big deal? he's projecting an image of the background
           on a retro-reflective mac. it only makes you invisible in a very
           controlled environment.
        \_ A better link:
           http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/oc.html
        \_ Yeah, that's been on slashdot.  It's a complete hoax.  There is
           nothing in any of the videos that can't be done with a green screen.
           -emarkp
           \_ is the following a hoax as well?
              projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/images/mirror.mpg
              \_ Of course it is.  The front of the "mirror" is a green screen
                 over a stationary background which was filmed as a still and
                 placed on the green bit in post production (or possibly live).
                 Note in this movie:
    http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/images/oc-wired.mpg
                 there are discontinuities in the video screen as the person
                 moves around, which can't be explained by the claimed
                 technology, but is entirely consistent with a pre-recorded
                 loop that was imperfectly put in the video sequence. -emarkp
                 \_ emarkp, I understand that you believe that you have an
                    alternate explanation for how they achieved the effect,
                    but your ability to posit such an explanation does not
                    necessarily make it a hoax; please provide an in-depth
                    examination of the supposed discontinuities, preferably
                    on a website so the laypeople can judge for themselves.
                    \_ I /do/ have an alternate explanation which doesn't
                       multiply entities.  You know, Occam's razor?  Nothing in
                       the videos is even hard with a green screen.  Why accept
                       the extremely difficult claim of an invisibility cloak
                       then?  I'm not willing to invest the time to smash this
                       right now, because it /should be obvious/.  Look at the
                       "wired" video at the 9 second mark (the guy wearing
                       the hood) and as he moves side to side watch the people
                       in the video on the screen behind him.  If you don't see
                       the discontinuities, you're blind. -emarkp
                       \_ I'm blind! That explains everything! ...except why
                          I can see that you're shouting louder rather than
                          contributing constructively. Perhaps I'll see your
                          explanation on http://snopes.com.

9/26    With the recent screenies of MS Vista, I think the main technology
        update has been:  How to keep the icons/text non-tiny for 1600x1200
        displays.  (Ob also copying OS X 3D effects)

9/22    Help. The NFS on my Mac OSX is sick and I can't find /etc/init.d
        or any /etc/rc.X to do nfs restart. I can't even do init 2 or
        other things. How do I do this on the Mac? Thanks.

<what's up with the censorship?>
        \_ Use kill, the way God and Bill intended. You might be able
           to (re)start NFS using the following script:
           /System/Library/StartupItems/NFS/NFS

<what's up with the censorship?>

9/9     Any recommendation for an GUI SCP client for Mac OS X?
        \_ Fugu for free, transmit if you want to pay
           \_ Great Thanks! -op

9/9     Pocket computer with C compiler in year 1989!
        http://www.rskey.org/detail.asp?manufacturer=Casio&model=PB-2000C

9/9/    Any recommendation for an GUI SCP client for Mac OS X?
        \_ Fugu for free, transmit if you want to pay
           \_ Great Thanks! -op

9/9     Does OSX gcc still not support weak symbol definitions?  ie, I
        can't redefine malloc or new? (In this case actually I'm defining
        something as weak, either with #pragma weak or
        __attribute__((weak)) but OSX doesn't seem to support either!)
        -jrleek
        \- hello, have you tried __attribute__((weak_import)). what gcc
           version. i dont have access to my gcc 4/10.4 machine right now.
           i dont think this will work on gcc 2.9x either. who are you?
           \_ probably your other personality?
           \_ I'm trying weak_import right now.  So far it seems to be
              working, but I'll update when the build finishes and I can
              test it.  (Yes, it takes that long.)  The only problem with
              weak_import is that now I'm going to have to throw in an
              #ifdef DARWIN or something.  -jrleek
              \- there are a fair number of hacks to gcc/darwin, so
                 get used it it. i am supporting a bunch of mathematical
                 codes and recently added osX and now with tiger/10.4/gcc4/
                 xcode2 and osX-old, there's lots of #ifdefing to be done.
                 there is some adequate documentation on various
                 http://developer.apple.com WEEB sites. there is also  a code
                 snippet i can send you that give you some info on what
                 options are supported. ok tnx.
                 \_ Hmm..  weak_import didn't work for me, I still get
                    "ld: multiple definitions of symbol
                    _Hello_World__rmicast"  I hear another alternitive is
                    upgrading to 10.4 and gcc4.  That's supposed to
                    support full weak linking through gcc.  Another option
                    is to call ld straight, not through gcc. :(
                    Yes, please send me that code snippit.  Right now I'm
                    using OSX v10.3.9 and gcc3.3, but I guess I can
                    upgrade. -jrleek
                    \- you may not be specifying correct linker options
                       i have to go to dolores park now,
                       \- Leek Weak Advisory: see ~psb/MOTD/weaktest.{c,sh}

9/1     In mysql, can I share data/* (database directories) from one machine
        to another? Say I'm using a Linux and a Mac, can I just copy those
        files and assume they'll work? It seems to work but I'm not sure
        if I'll get into trouble later. Thanks!
        \_ dump the tables and scheme to a file (there are commands
           for this), move file to new machine, import the data

8/23    Anyone know of a good way to convert from tex to decent looking HTML?
        \_ Um, latex2html does a fairly good job. Is this a troll?
           \_ Is latex2html-2002-2-1.tar.gz the best version?
              see http://saftsack.fs.uni-bayreuth.de/~latex2ht/current
              Its over 3 yrs old. I'm just wonder if there isn't something
              newer b/c it didn't work properly on OS X.
              \_ I use 2002-2-1 as part of fink on OS X. Works fine. --pp

8/19    Looking for news feeder/reader on the web. I'd like to use a browser
        so that I can keep up while I switch between a Mac and a PC.
        \_ an RSS reader or a NNTP reader?
        \_ i use jwz's portalizer [http://www.jwz.org/cheesegrater/]

8/19    Apple: Free speech? Pshaw!
        http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1238
        \_ The 1st amd provides a right, but rights can be waived.
           By signing an NDA, the people who recv'd the dev kit
           gave up their right to talk about it. They can't get
           this right back. The NDA also bound them to prevent
           the dev kit from getting into the hands of those not
           covered by NDA. While it is arguable that the posters
           never agreed to the NDA thus are not bound by it,
           the possession of the dev kit is comparable to the
           knowing possession of stolen goods and should be
           treated as such.

7/27    Cool yo-yo moves:
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN1AMICKY-YOSEN.wmv <- amazingly fast
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN5A1stPON-SAMA.wmv <- 2nd guy tripped
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN5A2ndNAKAMURA.wmv
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN5A3rdNUMA.wmv  <-- good style
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN2A1stFUJII.wmv <-- double yoyo COOL
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN3A1stTANAMI.wmv
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN4AFUKUZAWA.wmv <--- UNIQUE, COOL!!!
        http://yoyomovie.dip.jp/YET/2005JN3ATANAMIYOSEN.wmv
        |_ is this what people do when they can't get laid?
        \_ REALLY awsome. They all have 2 things in common-- they're really
           good at yoyo, and they all look like losers. You get a skinny
           wimp, a nerd, a fat kid... don't they have better looking
           contestants?
        \_ Was anyone able to play with with mplayer on Linux?
           \_ Couldn't get them to play under mplay on either OS X
              or Debian. WMP on OS X worked.
           \_ Worked fine w/ mplayer on FreeBSD:
             Selected video codec: [wmv9dmo] vfm:dmo (Windows Media Video 9 DMO)

7/26    My wife uses NJStar on Windoze, but is thinking of changing to the
        Mac;however, entering text in traditional chinese is a pain. Is
        there an input method for OS X that is similar to that used by
        NJStar? tia.
        \_ yes.  OSX comes w/ builtin language support for typing chinese.
           i know you can do the pinyin method of input.  i'm know there are
           others.
           \_ thx for the reply. the default input method seemed very slow
              and painful on my G5 in comparison to NJStar on windows using
              pinyin. However, using the translation feature from simple to
              traditional wasn't too awful, though, we couldn't do the whole
              document at once. Any plugins that are faster and/or more
              intuitive than the defaults? TIA.
              \_ i only know of the defaults.  the input seems relatively
                 speedy to me.  NJStar is definitely more polished, but i
                 haven't had any problems inputing chinese (1.5G of RAM).  you
                 might try http://www.yale.edu/chinesemac to see if they have
                 any more details.
                 \_ thx. saw this site before, but didn't have a clue to which
                    plugin might be good. I think we may get her mac this
                    weekend. :-)
                        \_ I use a Tablet PC to write Chinese. Nothing is more
                           nature than writing Chinese and having it converted
                           with over 99% recognition rate. It's amazing.
                           \_ way cool!

7/14    what is some OCR software for OSX that doesn't suck? - danh
        \_ I hear the super-expensive Acrobat is good, but if you find
           a cheaper quality alternative, please let me know. -brett
        \_ I've used Photoshop + Acrobat to OCR magazine articles and
           papers and found that it works pretty well. If you want to
           save some money buy a copy of Acrobat v6. --ranga

7/13    Does gmail crash Safari in OSX 10.3.9 for anyone else?  This behavior
        seems to have appeared just today, and is repeateable - Safari
                I parsed this, as "post signed by safari@csua"  _/
        immediately exits after you login.

7/10    Does anyone use a m-audio 2496 audio card for recording on OS X
        (10.4)? I just got this card and I'm trying to use it to record from
        my tape deck but I'm running into 2 problems: (1) I can't get the
        audio pass thru functionality to work and (2) anything I record is
        extremely noisy and choppy (I've tried both audacity and cd spin
        doctor).
        I'm pretty sure the problem is not w/ the tape deck b/c when I
        record using line in I don't have these problems.
        Any ideas about what I should do? tia.

7/7     Any recommendations for Mac OS X (TIger) chinese word processor
        software? Ideally for professional use and cross-platform.
        Previously used NJStar on windows. Thanks.
        \_ MacOS X has Chinese input built in.  You don't need a separate
           Chinese word processor -- just use Microsoft Word, or whatever
           word processor you prefer.  The same is true for Windows 2000
           and above.
           \_ thx! -op

7/6     For OS X users, TextWrangler 2.1 is out:
        http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11009

7/1     Need recommendations on a graphics cards for new G5 PowerMacs.  Ideally,
        the video card would support 3+ monitors, and be able to support one
        monitor @ 10-bit resolution.  If no card does both, recommendations
        for good cards that do either is also appreciated. -nivra
        \_ All the mac video cards I've seen only support dual displays.
           I have a 9600 and it can handle 2 20" or 23" displays w/o any
           problems. If you want to drive a bigger display I think you
           need to go w/ either a X850 XT or a GeForce 6800.
           For the additional monitors you'll need to get a PCI video
           card. I think the Radeon 9200 is the only one you can still
           buy new (~ $130).  I think it supports dual displays but I'm
           not 100% sure.  --ranga
           \_ you mean in addition to the 9600/X850... essentially running
              two graphics cards, with support for up to 4 monitors? -nivra
              \_ Yes. You would have to run 2 monitors from the AGP card
                 (9600, x850 or 6800) and 2 monitors from the PCI card.
                 Re the 10-bit DAC, according to ATI's release notes
                 in the latest release, everything newer than a 7000
                 should have support enabled in the driver.
                 \_ woo... for mac? do you have a url for this? thx. -nivra
                    \_ Maybe I'm wrong but take a look at:
                       http://www.princeton.edu/~bdsinger/Radeon10BitGamma
                       http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17529
                       Supposedly the 9200 has dual 10bit Dacs as well:
                http://www.ati.com/products/radeon9200/radeon9200me/specs.html
                \_ yes, this confirms the 10-bit DAC, and gives me hope that
                   the driver support is also there.  The princeton link
                   confirms 10bit ATI driver support for Windows.  My under-
                   standing(somewhat confirmed by princeton url) is that OS 9
                   had 10-bit driver support under certain configs, but I've
                   yet to confirm that in OS X.  Also, I've seen conflicting
                   sources say that there's 10-bit support, but only 8-bit
                   input per channel of the CLUT, which is somewhat confusing
                   to me.  I presume it refers to 10-bit display capability,
                   but only 8-bit color configuration at a time without
                   setting a new CLUT; ie. display allows 10bits in each color,
                   but there are only 256(8-bit) colors available to show
                   at any one time without updating the CLUT. Although that
                   but there are only 256(8-bit) color differentiation within
                   at any one frame (8 bit CLUT, 1 CLUT/frame). Although that
                   makes even less sense since there are more than 256 colors
                   in any one picture(maybe it's just continuous CLUT updating?)
                   http://csua.org/u/ckw (yahoo groups) -nivra
        \_ I've done a bit more research re: 10-bit cards.  It seems ATI 9800
           supports 10-bit DAC, and X850 _should_ (not confirmed).  However,
           driver support for 10-bit input into the graphical card is sketchy.
           Additionally, OpenGL on OS X 10-bit specification into the driver
           (via the CLUT?) may also be in question.  Thus, despite a 10-bit
           DAC on the hardware, the software side may limit the effective
           pixel resolution to 8 bits per channel. Any thoughts, urls, further
           explanations into how the whole CLUT/driver/OpenGL/graphics card
           system works would be appreciated.  -nivra

6/27    For anyone who's owned a G5 running OS X (10.3 or 10.4), how often do
        you need to reboot if it's being used as a workstation?
        \_ Occasionally you will run into the Windows NT syndrome of the system
           needing a reboot for a system software patch - I'd say about once
           every couple of months on a stable release, and once or twice a
           month on a new one.  Other than that, I have never seen a piece of
           software completely bring down an OSX machine to the point where it
           needs to be rebooted - that's not to say it doesn't happen.
           \_ Ha! I have! Even Safari and IE can do it with the wrong
              web site! I really like OS X, but it's about as stable as
              Win2K or XP, which is to say fairly stable but nothing like
              most *NIX.
        \_ Specifically, I'm wondering about rebooting due to general OS
           slowdown. -op
           \_ I've never had to reboot due to general OS slowdown.  I've also
              never had to reboot due to my browser.  I had some physical
              hard disk issues, but other than that pretty much all my
              reboots have been software installs.  It is disappointing how
              much Apple hasn't gotten away from the "one person logged in
              on console" paradigm.  But OS X on a G5 is far more stable than
              any Windows box I've used.  -tom
              \_ I'd also argue that its more stable than most Linux boxes
                 I've dealt with, although that's probably more due to the
                 tightly coupled nature of Mac hardware and operation system.

6/22    When I burn an iso image using the "Disk Utility" in OS X (Tiger)
        and I then use readcd on a linux box to verify the md5sum of the
        burned cd, the md5sum of the CD doesn't match the md5sum of the
        origional iso file. Is OS X modifying the iso image before it
        burns it or something? Seems strange.
        \_ Does this match on any of your other burned-CDs vs. ISO files?
           \_ Yeah, if I burn the same image on my linux box using
              cdrecord and then read it back with readcd, the md5sum is
              the same, the file size is the same. identical. I'm testing
              another tiger mac to see if it does the same thing.
              Wierdest is that the cd that mac burns makes a smaller image.
              Confirmed on an iMac G5 and an iBook G4 both running tiger.
              I'd love to know what part of the CD is getting changed.

6/22    Has apple made a statement on how long they will continue providing
        security updates for Mac OS X 10.3?
        \_ As far as I can tell, Apple has no written policy on EOL for
           their software.  -tom

6/7     http://s94009834.onlinehome.us/xyz/move.html
        Nifty Javascript. Doesn't work well on OSX Firefox but pretty
        well on OSX IE and OSX Safari

6/7     Why Intel? why not AMD?  They both run on notebooks(unlike the G5)
        Also, does this pave the groundwork for porting OS X to all PC
        machines?
        \_ You know, you guys are trying to find good technical reasons
           for the move. I think it's actually simpler than that. Economics.
           IBM can't produce their chips cheaper than Intel, which we all
           know is kicking TI and other microprocessor fabs. IBM simply can't
           sell their chips to Apple at competitive market rate. The
           mundane technology of integration is driven by business, not
           technology.
        \_ Intel has the best laptop chips and once Apple has made the
           transition it'll be easy to move to AMD if they want to.
        \_ PC BIOS is a fundamentally different architecture than the Mac.
           \_ I wonder.  Macs these days use mostly commodity hardware.
              What differences will remain?  The BIOS?  Motherboard type?
              \_ PC's have a BIOS.  Macs have real firmware. -dans
                 \_ Alas, not on Intel:
                        http://csua.org/u/cae (adc)
                    See "Specific Scenarios->Open Firmware" - ciyer
              \_ Each Mac will come standard with a little slice from the ego
                 of Steve Jobs.
                 \_ Which is where they get the hot air to blow out the back.
        \_ Intel has good support for DRM. (Why delete this MOTD censor?)
           \_ It does?  Cite?
        \_ Apple may not want to limit itself to x86.
        \_ Apple is trying to get away from a marginal chipset, why replace
           it with another one?
           I haven't seen enough discussion to know about the larger
           implications; will OS X be able to run on Dells?  There's a
           lot of risk for Apple either way.  -tom
        \_ In the short/mid term, Apple is unlikely to let other PC vendors
           sell OS X (of course, the hackers will make it possible). NeXT
           took about two years to solve all the driver problems that affects
           most users of generic x86 hardware and peripherals. However, moving
           to x86 would let Apple open OS X up to Dell & other select vendors
           in the future if they wanted to do so. However, not likely... one
           of Jobs' first things he did when he came back to Apple was to end
           the Clone Wars.
        \_ This is all about laptops and Athlon 64 can't compete in that
           space in the foreseeable future.  Also Apple probably wants to
           get at the pentium risc[?] core w/o the x86 microcode at some
           point in the future.
           OS X will probably never run on a non apple branded machine
           legally. While the x86 mac's will have a bios (so Windows might
           be installable on them), they will likely have a special apple
           boot rom (the dev machines supposedly have this already) which
           is needed in order to boot OS X. Unless you own an apple x86
           system you can't get a legal copy of the rom so no legal OS X
           on dells.
           The bigger question is WHY you would want to run OS X on a dell
           anyway?  Is OS X that much more compelling than Windows/Linux?
           \_ OS X is much more compelling than Windows/Linux.  And you'd
              want to run it on a Dell because Dell makes inexpensive hardware.
              I would also run it on my Sharp laptop in a second, if it were
              possible.  -tom
              \_ I run OS X on a daily basis and I still don't see why
                 it is more compelling than Windows/Linux. I agree that
                 it is nice and all but most of what I like about Macs
                 has less to do w/ OS X and a lot to do w/ the hardware:
                 ADC (w/ OSD of my monitors controls), deep sleep, power
                 on from the kbd, low noise, multiple firewire ports, &c.
                 I could easily buy a Dell but I don't b/c I can't get
                 these hardware features from any vendor other than Apple.
                 NOTE: I might not "get" it b/c I used to buy Macs for
                       purpose of running LinuxPPC b/c I liked Mac hardware
                       better than PC/Sun hardware (though the SS20 was
                       a NICE system, too bad there was no IDE support).
                 \_ Interesting. I am less enamored with Apple's hardware.
                    I do like my G4 Powerbook's sleek form factor and large
                    17" screen, though. What makes Apple interesting to me
                    again is OS X. UNIX-like and also runs applications
                    like Office and Photoshop. It's the best melding of
                    Windows and Linux. In fact, I run VMWare on a
                    Windows/Linux box to achieve the same things I get
                    with OS X. The Intel h/w is superior to Apple's, IMO.
                    I don't even care about any of the 'advantages' you
                    mentioned. --dim
           \_ Yes, it is.  However, part of its beauty is its tight
              integration with the hardware and the lack of all the misery
              generic x86 hardware and peripherals imposes on its users with
              little incompatibilities.  The "OSX on Dell" idea is kind
              of a cruel joke.

6/6     No Macs suck / Macs rule flames going today? What happened to the
        Mac/PC wars of the 80's and the futile wars of the 90's?
        \_ Most PC fanatics have used Macs or UNIX based OS and have grown up
        \_ Most Mac fanatics have used PCs or UNIX based OS and have grown up

6/1     Update on notetaking software.  After trying all the different
        freeware and shareware programs, I settled on Microsoft OneNote 2003.
        It's a big program like most MS products.  But it has the right
        user interface and integration with the rest of the MS Office apps
        that we all use.
        \_ I use OneNote as well. It comes with my TabletPC which is really
           awesome. I use it to take notes the exact same way I use regular
           paper. The character recognition is pretty good as well. And if
           I want to input something really fast I can always ditch my pen
           and use the keyboard. OneNote works well with a tablet pen.
           \_ what kind of tablet pc do you use?
        \_ Notebook and Notetaker are both popular(?) Mac apps.
        \_ By the way did you ever fix your notebook networking problem, where
           after you unplug your notebook it becomes really slow? What was
           the root-cause and how did you fix it?

5/26    How hard is the Mac OS X Support Essentials exam?
        Is a $1500 class really necessary to learn the stuff, or is
        there a book somewhere that covers the same info.
        \ you mean $150
          \_ No, I mean $1500. The class is $1500, the test is $150.
             \_ I haven't taken it, but I know some good people who've
                failed it.  It's not a rubber-stamp certification like
                you'd get from Dell.  -tom
                \_ Cool. Thanks for the info. -op

5/25    I recorded some family reel to reel onto my computer so that I could
        archive it digitally.  Unfortunately it was recorded at 1 7/8 in/min and
        I could only play it back at 3 1/4 in/min.  The AIFF file I have is
        therefore at double time.  Can't I just change the sampling rate and
        it will run normally?  If so, how would I do this in OS X?  -scottyg
        \_ Audacity has what I'm looking for.  Thanks -Scottyg
        \_ Most sample-rate converter programs are careful to preserve the
           pitch and duration and work by interpolation.  You could use
           an audio-editing package which offers speed and pitch control, or
           there may be some simple flags in AIFF you can change, but I
           wouldn't know about that.
           \_Yes, I'd like to just change the sampling rate, as recorded on the
             file itself.
             \_ Looking at http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/tech/aiff.htm
                It looks like starting at the 17th byte (data[16]) of the
                Common Chunk "COMM" there is
                an 80-bit, big-endian IEEE 754 floating-point number for the
                sample rate.  Good luck
                (As a hint, floating-point numbers can be divided by 2 by
                 subtracting 1 from the exponent)
        \_ Just curious.  What media records at 1 7/8 inch/minute?  That seems
           very slow mechanically to me.
           \_ Uhh...reel to reel, that's the slowest speed.
              \_ ITYM in/sec.
                \_Ooops..my bad. -scottyg
        \_ I think that 'Amazing Slow Downer' will probably do what you want:
           http://www.ronimusic.com/amsldox.htm

5/20    Reading tech support stories.  This page is by far the funniest
        I've seen yet.
        http://rinkworks.com/stupid/cs_smoke.shtml
        \_ Heh.
          * Customer: "Hi. I have a Macintosh. I had a disk that I wanted to
            put in the computer, but it wouldn't go, so I pushed harder, and
            it wouldn't go, so I pushed REALLY hard, and now it's making funny
            noises. I think there was a disk in there already."
          * Tech Support: "Unplug the computer, now."
          * Customer: "I don't want to lose my paper!"
          * Tech Support: "Unplug the computer right now. Your paper is lost.
            Your floppy drive is lost. If you're lucky the Mac will be OK.
            Unplug it now."
          * Customer: "But I don't want to lose my paper!"

        After a few more repetitions of this, I heard someone, presumably the
        client's roommate, scream. Then I heard the dorm fire alarm go off in
        the background. Those things are awful loud, but she didn't seem
        interested in unplugging the computer, fleeing the fire in her room,
        or anything else other than arguing with me. Figuring I was doing her
        a favor, I hung up.

5/12    How can I extract a jpg that's embedded in a Mac OS X powerpoint file?
        Thanks.

5/6     Does Mac OS X have a destructive badblocks test on the install media?
        \_ Yes, both for the HD and the install cd.  -scottyg
            \_ Great! Where?
                \_ run hdutils?
                       \_ hdutils: command not found

05/05   What's your favorite free sound recording program for Mac OS X?
        \_ It's way, way overkill for this task, but I generally use
           SuperCollider http://sourceforge.net/projects/supercollider
        \_ I use SparkME, but I'm not sure you can get it anymore.
           CD Spin Doctor (comes w/ Toast) is okay as well.
        \_ Have you checked out Audacity?  Supports OSX, Win32, Linux, among
           others...
           http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity

05/01   I've been trying to convert some old vhs tapes into dvds on my
        mac using the AlchemyTV DVR card.  I started out by capturing
        the video as MPEG4 but the quality doesn't look that great when
        I import the result into iMovie. There are several other QT codecs
        available in the AlchemyTV software, are any of them better for
        vhs conversion than MPEG4, or should I get the MPEG2 QT codec
        in order to get better quality?
        Also I can't seem to figure out how to get iMovie to let me edit
        out the edges which have bright green lines. Is there some other
        free program that can do this, or do I have to buy Final Cut? tia.
        \_ Don't capture in MPEG4.  You're capturing in one lossy format and
           then re-encoding it into another lossy format.
           \_ Okay. Some of my other choices are 'Component Video',
              'DV NTSC', 'Motion JPEG A/B', 'Apple Pixlet', 'Video'
              and 'None.'  Any of these better than MPEG4?
              \_ Use DV or MJPEG.
              \_ DV is probably your best option; it's what most videocameras
                 these days used.  MJPEG may be okay; but it depends on the
                 fps.
                 \_ fps shouldn't be relevant; it's orthogonal to the
                    encoder.  Assumably any of the formats he chooses would
                    match the FPS of the source material (29.97 fps for NTSC).

4/30    I'm thinking about getting my mom a mac mini. Right now I've got
        her hooked up on a Celeron in a small form factor, but I think
        Windows is too complicated for her. She's used to Macs from her
        Adult School, so I figure she'd be much more comfortable using
        it. The only thing is that I usually hack the firmware on these
        machines because she likes to watch foreign DVDs. Is it possible
        to do this either through hardware or software on the mac mini?
        I was thinking you could just watch it by compiling one of the
        Linux viewers on it that ignores dvd encoding or perhaps there
        is a similar product like anydvd for it? Also, has anyone
        upgraded the ram manually on these things? What sort of putty
        knife do I need to get?
        \_ Cracking open the machines is fairly easy - I've done it
           once without using the putty knife trick but by bending the
           shell just enough so that the notches don't latch on. I
           forgot how to do it so you'll just have to figure it out.
           As for the DVDs, the ability to play foreign DVDs, I thought,
           was based on the DVD drive itself. They're usually programmed
           to region 1 (U.S.) and if you put a foreign disc, it will
           ask you if you want to switch the region of the drive (at
           least OS X will do this) but you can only do this 4 or 5
           times  before it's permanent.
           \_ No, you can reflash the firmware on the DVD to use RPC1
              if there is a hacked firmware, or you can bypass the DVD
              region checking with the right player. See original post.
        \_ I don't know about the region code stuff, but I know some
           people who have put in their own 1 gb dimm. Its not too
           bad, but you might scuff the enclosure if you are not
           careful. Take a look at OWC's DIY videos:
           http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini
           Personally, I just ordered mine w/ a 512 MB DIMM b/c it
           wasn't that much more than buying one from Fry's.
        \_ If you can afford it, might think about an iMac G5.
        \_ how about VLC ? it has a Mac OSX port, no? it has buitl-in
           DeCSS.
        \_ Don't bother opening it.  There's a program called Region X which
           lets you reset the number of region changes you have left.
           \_ Could you just run that on startup?  Or does it take a long
              time?
        \_ Related (sort of) topic:  would motd recommend a Mac mini or a
           Mini-ITX box for a quiet, small "media PC" sitting in the living
           room hooked up to a stereo & projector?  I seem to recall that there
           are DV-out cards for the Mac Mini.  -John
           \_ Huh? There are zero expansion slots in the Mac Mini, where
              would you stick the card? I think you need some sort of
              USB solution for this.
           \_ I am pleased w/ a Shuttle XPC athlon 64 PC I got to "colo"
              at a friend's on another continent. Very small and quiet
              with room for 2-3 drives, 1 PCI card and 1 AGP card, and
              built-in USB2, firewire, basic VGA w/ s-video out, audio,
              SATA controller, etc.  I would think expansion matters
              as soon as you decide to make it a DVR too.
              \_ Thx for the advice--no DVR; our TV program sucks and I don't
                 watch anyway.  As for the Mac expansion, I was told once
                 there was a slot--thanks for pointing that out.  -John

4/29    Anybody know why MacOSX started ignoring /etc/hosts since
        upgrading to tiger? Any way to fix that? Thanks.
        \_ Make sure FFAgent is in your Netinfo LookupOrder list.
        \_ On a related note, is there a way to repartition a hd in OS X
           w/o removing the existing files?

4/21    Dumb Q, how do you change the default open action on the Mac?
        \_ Control-[mouse button 1] or just mouse button 2. Then go to
           "Open with"

4/19    Is there anyway to open up a jpeg in Powerpoint, modify it with
        the built-in drawing tools, and then save it as a jpeg again (with
        modifications)? I'm wondering because I need a program on OS X to
        do simple drawing with (using tools similar to what powerpoint
        offers: lines, boxes, etc.). I have photoshop, but it doesn't
        have drawing tools. If powerpoint doesn't allow this, does anyone
        have recommendations for a free/cheap drawing program for OS X?
        Thanks.
        \_ i think most recent macs come with omnigraffle.  would that be
           sufficient?
                \_ I do have omnigraffle, but I can't even open jpegs.
                   does your omnigraffle open jpegs? -op
                   \_ File->Place Image...
                      Works w/ jpegs and pngs in OmniGraffle 3.2.1
                      (at least w/ the licensed version)
        \_ jpeg is lossy. Don't save a drawing as a jpeg.
           save the drawing as PNG. it will look a while lot better.
                \_ well the images are already in jpeg, so I'd prefer
                   to keep them that way. -op
                   \_ IIRC, each time you save em, they get more lossy.
                      who/what program created them in the first place?
        \_ Photoshop doesn't have drawing tools?  Eh?  Exactly what are
           are you trying to do?
                \_ photoshop is a paint program, so it doesn't have drawing
                  tools like a line tool, circle tool, etc. -op
                \_ I just want to add several lines and circles to an image
                   to point out certain parts. Pretty simple stuff. Photoshop
                   makes simple stuff like that difficult to accomplish.
        \_ Why don't you just import the JPEG into your PP presentation
           and draw on top of it using the PP drawing tools?

4/18    I'm thinking about getting a TV Tuner/Video input card for my Mac,
        specifically this one (AlchemyDVR ~ $120):
        http://miglia.com/products/video/alchemytvdvr/index.html
        Does anyone have experience w/ this card (or alternatives)? I'm mostly
        looking to convert VHS/8mm tapes into DVDs.
        \_ If you want to make DVDs, then you eventually have to encode
           to mpeg-2. The original instructions, as I recall, recommended
           that you either capture in mpeg-4 or MJPEG. MJPEG takes huge
           amounts of disk space. I have the alchemy, but I also have the
           eyetv200. The eyetv has better software, encodes using mpeg-2,
           and the built-in editor is pretty good. EyeTV also works well
           with toast and popcorn since the founder of roxio also founded
           the eyetv company. The alchemytv is pretty decent for the bucks,
           but if you have the bucks, the eyetv is way better.
           \_ So my plan was to play the tape and then use iMovie to
              capture and edit the video and then use iDVD to burn a
              DVD. Is the software that comes w/ EyeTV better/easier
              than this solution?
              \_ I haven't used those programs to do what you are trying to
                 do. However, I was under the impression that Apple's tools
                 work with DV. If that's correct, then DV takes up a lot of
                 space which is one thing to consider. I did hear that the
                 iMovie editor is kinda nice. It may be better than the eyetv
                 editor, especially if you can cut to an individual frame,
                 and do final cut pro style edits. The nice thing about
                 importing directly into eyetv is that the file is in mpeg-2
                 (smaller file sizes), and the quality presets are pretty
                 good (highest quality is about 3GB per hour, standard
                 about 2GB per hour, etc.). You will probably have nicer
                 DVDs using iDVD (nice themes, compared to toasting them).
                 I've been using eyetv to import videos, cut with FCP, and
                 then using DVDSP3 to build a DVD on the hard drive. Then
                 use popcorn to burn the disk if I go over 4.39GB.
                 \_ I think you are right re Apple's tools and DV however
                    I'm not that worried about disk space b/c I have a 250
                    gb drive w/ 100 gb free and I'm going to pick up another
                    one when fry's has them on sale. I'll think about the
                    eyeTV but for what I'm trying to do I'm not sure the
                    extra $100 or more is really worth it. Thanks.

4/12    OS X Tiger release date announced: 2005-04-29

4/11    What's the best way to transfer files between Macs and PCs? I don't
        want to install NFS (too heavy weight), there must be another way.
        Like, I don't want to use SCP because it doesn't do recursive copy...
            \_ my problem with WinSCP is that it doesn't like to copy file
               names with foreign letters (accented e, Ooo, etc). What other
               alternatives are there besides WinSCP which I like a lot?
               \_ You were given the correct answer and deleted it.  go away.
            \_ scp doesn't do recursive copy? have you tried scp -r?
        \_ scp -r.  windows scp clients do this too.  fool
        \_ samba on the Mac.  -tom
        \_ Why not just connect to the PC from the Mac? OS X has a built-in
           SMB client or you can just enable Windows Sharing on OS X for
           the opposite direction.
            \_ my problem with WinSCP is that it doesn't like to copy file
               names with foreign letters (accented e, Ooo, etc). What other
               alternatives are there besides WinSCP which I like a lot?
               \_ You were given the correct answer and deleted it.  go away.
            \_ scp doesn't do recursive copy? have you tried scp -r?
        \_ USB2.0/IEEE1394 hard drive enclosure
           \_ Why was this deleted?
        \_ rsync over ssh.
        \_ car full of cdrs!
           \_ Only if copied and driven by a hot naked chick, who you have sex
              with during the copying.
           \_ Only if the data is lisp code.
        \_ 4" floppy disk
        \_ smb share + net.
           \_ seconded. If you have OpenSSH installed on your Win* box,
              then you can even use ssh tunneling.

3/29    anyone know of any (hopefully opensource) libraries out there
        that I could use to manipulate mp3's? I'm thinking of like
        appending one onto another, merging one on top of another w/
        adjusted volumes, etc. thanks                   - rory
        \_ I don't know about libraries, but Audacity is open-source and on
           sourceforge.  It can do everything you need except I'm not sure
           how to call it as a library.  I believe it requires you to have an
           MP3 codec already installed on your machine, which shouldn't be a
           big hurdle. see http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity
        \_ you can concatenate and adjust the volume of your mp3s by
           converting them to WAV with sox.  it's probably easier
           just to use audacity, it's kind of like a cheap version
           of ProTools without a lot of the features you will never use.
           there's a program out there I think called normalize that
           will take a bunch of WAV files and determine an average
           loudness and adjust the volume of all of them. - danh
        \_ I think foobar2000 has extensions to do a lot of this
           (built-in replaygain written to the tags for volume adjustment,
           which is great)
        \_ ecasound http://www.eca.cx/ecasound
           \_ this is fantastic. thank you.     - rory
        \_ Are you on a Mac? If so, you can use CoreAudio do to do all
           this. I've written an ObjC wrapper that can read all supported
           file formats (AIFF/WAV/SDII/MP3/AAC, etc.) and has a model that
           makes it simple to write your own processing algorithsm. Plus,
           you can use any existing AudioUnits (OS X ships with a nice
           compressor, EQ, reverb, and other effects). Mail me if you want
           the code.  - ciyer

3/25    Anyone who uses Mac OS X and Firefox, how can you map
        CMD-click into "Open window in new tab in the BACKGROUND."
        Current behavior opens the tab in the foreground, which is very
        annoying.
        \_ In Preferences->Advanced->Tabbed Browsing, uncheck the option
           labeled `Select new tabs opened from links.'  I use a Mac for my
           primary machine so I may be mistaken about this, but I'm pretty
           sure this is the same thing you would do to get Firefox to behave
           in this manner on any other OS. -dans

3/18    What's the best way to see if a certain kind of memory will work on
        a Mac? I'm looking at
                http://slickdeals.net/#p5870
        and want to know if it'll work on my sister's iBook or my PowerBook.
        TIA.
        \_ http://www.kingston.com
           \_ http://www.crucial.com  Kingston memory that was supposed to
              work in my G5 Tower most spectacularly did not. Crucial matched
              with the right memory at reasonable prices, and now I'm
              cooking with fire.

3/13    I'm trying to get a Mac with an Airport on the net via my lynksys
        AP.  My W2k laptop works fine but I can't get the Mac to talk to
        it.  I'm using 128bit WEP but turning it off didn't help.  Is the
        Mac able to talk to non-apple APs?
        \_ Yes
        \_ I had this problem but the other way around.  It was an issue
           with the way SSIDs/keys were entered (I forget the specifics, but
           it was a question of leading 0x and hex/non-hex strings.)  Try
           something along those lines if nothing else works.  -John
        \_ I had to put a "$" in front of the WEP password when
           entering it into the Mac.  Didn't have to change anything
           on the linksys.  Works fine after that.
        \_ John and anon person, thank you.  I'll give those both a try.
           Where did the idea of prefixing a "$" come from?  Thanks! --op
           \_ I googled it a year ago when I had the same problem as you
              did.  John's explanation is vaguely familiar; it definitely
              had something to do with hex vs. plain text, and the $
              makes it a literal WEP key ... or something.

2/27    Does anyone know how to make Mail.app on OS X hard wrap lines
        to ~ 75 columns?
        \_ Stupid way: set your signature to 75 characters and your font
           to reformat everything as plain text monospace, then resize
           your window so it wraps properly.

2/25    maps.google now works in safari
        \_ I think what would be cool is if google could tag maps with
           GPS coordinates.
           \_ I find this site to be useful: http://www.topozone.com
           \_ You can get latitude and longitude for a point by double-
              clicking on it (to center the map), and then looking at the
              "Link to this page" link on the right.
        \_ And Opera
        \_ That's funny because I get an error page using Safari -scottyg
           \_ Which version of Safari are you using? It seems to work
              fine in 1.2.4 (v125.12) in the 10.3.8 update.
               \_ 1.0.3 as I don't have the dough to upgrade from 10.2.8
                  \_ What kind of Mac do you have? I have several extra
                     10.3 os restore disks lying around and I don't need
                     all of them.
        \_ Dunno if it's news, but it works in Firefox on a Mac, too.
           And may I just add, WOW!
           \_ it always did, no?

2/25    Looking for a webcam that is Mac-compatible and preferably comes with
        an easy to use software that lets you save a snap shot every 3-4
        seconds to the HD so that I can put it on the web site. Again it's
        gotta be Mac-compatible (my Logitech QuickCam 3000 doesn't come with
        supported Mac drivers, and the free unsupported SourceForge driver
        crashes after about 10 minutes). Thanks.
        \_ Um, iSight?

2/20    I have several gigs of files that I need to transfer from a bsd
        machine to an os x machine. What's an efficient way of doing this?
        (It's way too many files to gmail to myself.)
        \_ Umm, have you heard of ftp, http, scp, rsync, etc.? Email is one
           of the least efficient means imaginable for this kind of thing.
        \_ rsync, followed by tar | ssh, followed by create a tar/gz file and
           use any of the other methods.
                \_ Thanks, but I ended up just using ftp (dont' know why I
                   didn't thinking of it myself). -op

2/12    OS X users: have you found a way to process LaTeX files on
        your machine?
        \_ Install fink. Install tetex. You're done. Easy.
        \_ Are you completely incapable of using google?

2/1     My special PS/2 keyboard is connected to PS2-to-USB conv which is then
        connected to a Mac. It is quite sluggish and I'm guessing it is due
        to the the USB to kbd driver. What can I do to speed it up? Can I
        change the priority of the driver or process, and what is it? -Macless
        \_ I've never found a PS/2 to USB adapter for a Mac that works
           reliably over time. Tried a billion. YMMV.
           \_ I've had good luck with Raritan converters.
           \_ Did you try Raritan?

1/20    Any recommendations for photo gallery software?  I'm looking for
        something simple and not too fancy.  Thumbnails would be nice too...
        \_ Thumbs Plus is actually really nice.  If your needs are simple,
           you might be able to find a shareware version out there somewhere.
        \_ /bin/sh + ImageMagick or Perl + ImageMagick
        \_ Gallery
        \_ What's photo gallery software?
        \_ If you use the Mac, ask the dude at http://www.yellowmug.com to write
           you one.
           you one.  He is an eecs alumni.  Very nice guy.  If you have
           any Mac small software ideas you don't mind giving away,
           tell him.
        \_ If you already have Photoshop, it can generate web pages,
           thumbnails and a thumbnail page from photos in a directory tree.
        \_ I keep hearing good things about Google's Picasa.  2.0 came out
           recently.

1/19    Does the Mac Mini have a cooling fan?  How quiet is it?
        \_ Yes.  The reports I read say its inaudible, but also took pains to
           point out that the Macworld expo floor has a lot of background
           noise so ymmv. -dans
        \_ There's no way to have dual monitors on a Mac Mini right?
           \_ Yes.
        \_ From the pictures it looks like the mac mini has the same fan
           as the iBook. When it comes on full force it is probably audible.
           My mac mini should be here this week (or by early next week). I'll
           post on the motd re noise when it shows up.
        \_ According to the Mossberg guy from WSJ, it is rather quiet, but
           the DVD-RW drive is noisy when in use.  Also, when he puts stuff
           on the mini mac box, the DVD-RW drive would have problem
           operating.  Overall, he liked the mini mac.

1/14    I want the 2 Macs in my home to share files.  Is NFS the fastest and
        most reliable way?  (I heard bad things about AFP.)
        \_ OS X NFS doesn't really work.  What "bad things" did you hear about
           AFP?  -tom
           \_ ssh is broken over AFP, at least if done through the Finder
              \_ just curious, why and how do you do ssh over AFP? - op
           \_ I heard that AFP is slow and broadcast endlessly "i am here, are
              u?"  On the plus side,  probably only AFP can preserve all Apple-
              centric file attributes.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  tnx.
              \_ AppleTalk broadcasts "i am here", AFP does not. You do
                 not need AppleTalk in order to use AFP on OS X. OS X
                 uses a TCP/IP based AFP client/server.
        \_ I use AFP (w/o ssh) btwn my iBook and my G5 on a regular basis.
           It works well even when my iBook connects via Airport. Finder
           might hang a bit when you are copying files to the AFP volume
           and you try to open a folder you don't already have open.
           I wouldn't recommend NFS. Other than no forked file support
           and screwing up finder icons, sometimes NFS will on OS X may
           corrupt files.
           Another possibility is use smb (you can turn on windows file
           sharing in the sharing control panel/preference pane).
           If you just want to mirror files btwn two Macs rsync[_hfs] and
           ssh work pretty well as does cvs.
           \_ Is rsync_hfs related to rsyncX?
              \_ Yes.  rsync_hfs is the patched version of rsync that is
                 the command line core of rsyncX.  Although rsyncX is
                 said to be open source, I was only able to locate the source
                 for rsync_hfs.  Perhaps it is deliberately so.  BTW rsync_hfs
                 supposedly causes data loss if used only on one side.

1/10    Does the Mac Mini have a fan?
        \_ Yes.
        \_ Yes. Even a PowerBook or an iBook has a fan.
        \-yes, mini-mac-fan#1

1/11    When does the new $500 Mac get announced?
        \_ By 10:30 today or never
        \_ It's been announced!  It's the Mac SE!
           \_ I've got the upgrade, the Mac SE/X
        \_ Mac Mini  http://www.apple.com/macmini
        \_ also the iPod Shuffle for $99

1/7     Anyone know why my 700MB (80min) CD-ROMs show up as having
        only 676megs free when I put them into my apple (OS X), even
        when they are brand new? I want to burn a disk image, which is
        only 680megs, but it won't let me. Thanks.
        \_ Perhaps because 676*2^20 = 708837376?
           \_ Ah, fascinating.  So this is MeBi vs MB?  -not op

1/6     A relative is opening a small (family) store and asks me what
        software can be used to keep track of everything, like inventory,
        sales, suppliers, statistics etc.  Are there good and cheap commericial
        (database?) programs for this?  Can she use some open source solution?
        Right now she uses a Mac though that can change if necessary.
        \_ While I hate it with every bit of my soul, for small business,
           Peachtree Accounting will do everything you've asked for.  It only
           runs on Windows, though.
           \_ Why do you hate it?
              \_ Why do you hate America?
              \_ Once you grow and have multiple computers connecting to the
                 database, things get less stable.  It uses its own form
                 of lock that breaks if you try to host the file on Samba
                 server(don't even think of trying this.)  Too many maintenance
                 operations require the database be in single user mode.
                 Basically, it's fine and dandy for a small business that
                 intends to stay small.  It's the growing pains that I don't
                 like.
                 \_ Thanks for the info.  What would you have used instead?
                    Even very small business may want to have multiple user
                    access.
                 \_ why not quickbooks? a small biz is still a lot of work,
                    and getting someone to balance the books every now and
                    then would be easier to find since qb is the standard.

1/4     The root drive on my OS X box is getting full.  I want to move
        the fink installation /sw to another volume and then create a
        symbolic link for this.  What can possibly be broken by this?

1/3     do mp3s/wav files burned to an audio disc with whatever
        is built into winxp intentionally sound worse than
        if i used another tool like roxio or a mac?

12/25   Is there a HotSync Manager (or free equivalent) available for
        syncing a sony clie with os x? All I see is this "Missing Sync"
        which costs.
        \_ Which CLIE model?  USB cradle?  I think you can use the Mac
           version of Palm Desktop from palmone's site.  If you want
           other features (such as being able to mount the Memory Stick
           as a drive through the CLIE), then you do need Missing Sync.
           --jameslin
                \_ Clie PEG-665C, with USB cradle. There is no mention
                   of sony clie's on the palmone webpage, so which
                   one should I select before I download?
                   \_ Well, it won't say that CLIEs are supported.  They
                      just might happen to work.  Probably try downloading
                      the version for a Palm m505 or something, although
                      I don't think the model number really matters.  I
                      could be wrong about all of this, though. --jameslin
         \_ Just a thought (since I don't own  OS X), but aren't you able
            to compile one of the various UNIX hotsync clones out there?
            It probably won't have all the features you want, but if all
            else fails...

12/24   How can I switch between different tabs in firefox 1.0 under OS X?
        Does anyone know of a way? Thanks.
        \_ use the mouse to click on the tab
        \_ command-<number> --aaron
                \_ thanks, I'd been searching for awhile!

12/19   How do you override the hardware MAC addr in OS X?  I tried the usual
        ifconfig en0 laddr anotherAddr but besides disabling the interface
        it seems to do nothing.  It no longer receives DHCP message from
        the cable modem.  (Another machine which has anotherAddr as its real
        MAC works just fine so it's not the fault of the isp.)[restored]
        \_ The MAC address is hardwired to your ethernet controller. You
           can't change this unless you're willing to flash a ROM.
           \_ you're an idiot.
        \_ The following seems to work for me:
           sudo ifconfig en0 down
           sudo ifconfig en0 ether XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
           sudo ifconfig en0 up
           \_ Some sites I went to after googling said the same thing, but
              the second ifconfig gave me
                        ifconfig: ioctl (set lladdr): Network is down
              and refused to change the lladdr.  I got no complaint if I
              ifconfig with the interface up and the lladdr was indeed changed.
              However the interface stoped receiving anything unless I
              change the lladdr back to the hardware value.  So it didn't work.
        \_ Someone here says the ifconfig commands don't actually change what
           MAC address is used; you need to recompile the kernel to enable it.

12/17   Ok, another Mac question.  Does anyone know where the equivelent
        of libpython.so lives in OSX?
        \_ probably nowhere, until you install Python.
         \_ python comes standard in osx
        \_ Is it possible that it's not compiled as a shared lib by default?
           There's a lot of stuff in:
           /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework
           but I don't really understand frameworks, so I'm not sure how
           helpful that is.    -sax
        \_ any csua'ers work for apple?
                \_ I do.

12/16   Can someone tell me where jni.h (a java header file) usually
        resides in OSX? This appears correct:
        /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/<Current/>Headers
        \_On my system it's
          /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.3.1/Headers/jni.h
          /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.4.2/Headers/jni.h
          /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/A/Headers/jni.h
          \_ Huh.  That's exactly the same as mine, although Current
             contains a symlink to the correct version.  I thought my system
             was wierd.
             \_ Yeah, "Current" is a symlink to "A"
     \_On my system it's
       /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.3.1/Headers/jni.h
       /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.4.2/Headers/jni.h
       /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/A/Headers/jni.h
        \_ Huh.  That's exactly the same as mine, although Current
           contains a symlink to the correct version.  I thought my system
           was wierd.
           \_ Yeah, "Current" is a symlink to "A"

12/14   Has anyone successfully gotten ssh/scp public key
        authentication to work on Mac OS X?  I'm going from a 10.3.6 client
        machine to a 10.3.6 Server machine, but it doesn't seem to be
        looking at the key.  Is there some strange config setting I'm
        missing or am I just a tard?   -sax
        \_ - On client machine type: ssh-keygen -t dsa
           - Enter nothing for passphrase
           - Add ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub from client as a line in
             ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on server
           \_ You can actually have passphrases and not have to wrestle
              with the authentication agent. Check out keychain
              (http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/keychain/index.xml It works
              great, I use it all the time on my Mac. (as for the ssh prob,
              I don't have anything to add that hasn't been said) - ajani
        \_ I have, and I don't particularly recall any voodoo needed to make
           it work.  Try connecting with -vvv, and see what it says.  You
           could also try turning sshd's log level way up. -dans
        \_ Are PubkeyAuthentication and RSAAuthentication both set to yes
           in /etc/sshd_config?  (They should be by default)
           I haven't had a problem getting this to work with OS X. --ranga
        \_ As a follow up, I've gotten passwordless dsa keys to work from
           my client->soda, soda->client, and server->client, I just can't
           get anything to work going into my server.  I even tried over-
           writing my sshd_config with both soda's and my client's files,
           to no effect.  I can ssh to the server, it just won't recognize
           the public key.  I'm not sure if this is a configuration problem,
           or something particular about 10.3 Server...  I'm now going to
           try some of these suggestions, thanks!      -sax
           \_ Turns out it's an ownership problem of the home directories
              on the server.  The server was set up as an AFP server, and
              the permissions on the home folders are screwy.   -sax

12/6    To the guy who was asking about ports 0/1 sending 'blocks' on a Mac,
        we tried it with an autogenerated config and didn't see this happen.
        See for yourself with `nmap O -P0 -p1-1023 -sV <your IP>`  -John

11/22   What's a good database program for Mac OSX? I just found out they
        don't make MS Access for macs. I did a quick search and found a
        Filemaker. Can anyone recommend any others? Thanks.
        \_ what's your need?  FileMaker is fine (better than Access) for
           personal/home use.  -tom
        \_ MySQL?  as above, what do you need it for?  I also like
           FileMaker - sax
                \_ It'd be for work, for uses that are probably very
                   similar to home/personal uses. -op
                   \_ FM 7 does multi-table databases fairly well with an
                      interface that's easy to learn.  If you need to
                      share databases between users, it would be better to
                      also get the FM server software, which might be a
                      budget concern.
        \_ Depends on what you need. If you want the db running all
           the time, go with postgres. It is much better than mysql.
           If you are looking for something that is easy to progam
           to, but don't need to have running all the time take a
           look at sqlite.

11/18   In firefox (OS X), how do I reset the alert for enter/leaving a
        (non)secure page and/or posting info over (non)secure channel?  I
        pressed return for defaults too quickly and then could not find them
        under preferences.
        \_ This has been here for two days and nobody took a shot at it.
           How strange.  Anyway, I don't know about OSX specifically, but
           you can type about:config and see all the configuration stuff.

11/17   Why is Firefox 1.0 for OSX such a piece of shit? All it does is
        crash all the time. It's like using IE on windows. 0.9 was so
        much more stable for me.
        \_ Because you probably did something stupid like not deleting
           all the files related to version 0.9 before installing 1.0.
        \_ So go back to 0.9.
        \_ I also noticed that it doesn't seem to work as well on many
           tasks concurrently on OSX (e.g. sometimes the whole thing or just the
           address bar freezes when loading a site in one window and such).
           \_ Funny, it's rock-solid on OSX 10.3.6 for me.  In fact, I think
              I've seen Safari crash more.  Admittedly, I've only seen
              Safari crash twice ever.
              \_ I am not saying that it crashed. What I am saying is that
                 sometimes it can't walk and chew the gum at the same time
                 too well.
        \_ I haven't had a problen on OS X, but I also didn't install any
           of the previous versions.  Maybe you should delete your profile
           directory to make sure there's not any cruft in there.  -tom

10/29   I shot quite a few videos at my friend's wedding and now I'd
        like to compile them nicely, with subtitles, music, etc. What's
        a good, powerful, and affordable program I should get to do
        this? I'd like to make MPEG2s and such, for video CD, for
        DVD, etc. Thanks!
        \_ DVDLab.  DVDLab Pro if you really need subtitles, but once you
           realize how much work it is to transcribe dialogue, you might
           not care. --jameslin
           \_ tried it, sucks sucks sucks!!! Get a Mac for photo/video stuff,
              it is much better.
           \_ tried it, sucks sucks sucks!!! Get a Mac for photo/video
              stuff, it is much better.
              \_ It sucks sucks sucks because...? --jameslin
                \_ user interface is awkward. Obviously, you've never used
                   iMovie. You know, Macs come with better (and free)
                   softwares.
                   \_ Whatever.  It still blows away its competition on
                      Windows. --jameslin
        \_ Drink Kool-aid: iMovie + iDVD. If you are a bit fancier
           try FC{X,P} + DVD Studio Pro.
           \_ I really like DVD Studio Pro.  With versions 2 and higher,
              menus are really easy to make, as well.  I've never played
              with iDVD, though, so I don't have much to compare it with.-sax
              with iDVD, though, so I don't have much to compare it with.
              -sax
                \_ uh, yeah, it also costs over $1k
                   \_ If you don't have a mac then iDVD is pretty expensive
                      too.
              \_ Menus are pretty easy to make with iDVD (free if you
                 have a Mac w/ a superdrive or $39 if you buy iLife
                 w/ a student discount). The type of menus are pretty
                 limited but are enough for most non-pros.

10/19   I'm looking at an apple laptop, and I'd prefer something that can put
        out high quality audio (I'm not the monster cable guy though)-- do the
        ibook or powerbook have optical audio out?  tia.
        \_ no, neither of them does.
        \_ If you want high-quality output from any computer, your best bet
           is for an external DAC, which is usually connected by USB.  You
           might try looking for a CardBus optical out, don't know if they
           exist.
           \_ Strictly speaking, a USB->Optical out is not a DAC
              Nevertheless, that's a good suggestion if OP can find one that
              is supported in OSX.
                \_ He was asking for high-quality audio, not necessarily
                   optical out.  The USB DAC I was referring to is a DAC.  More
                   info:
                http://www.stereophile.com/digitalsourcereviews/731/index1.html
           \_ The higher quality digitial audio interfaces are either
              PCMCIA or Firewire -- they range from 600-1200, give or take.
              There are plenty that work with OS X. Echo Audio, MOTU,
              M-Audio, and Metric Halo all make nice ones. Stay away from
              Digidesign, though.
              \_ The best bang for buck Firewire interface at the moment, IMHO,
                 is the Edirol FA101:
                 http://www.edirol.com/products/info/fa101.html
                 --lye
                 \_ The hardware looks good, but how are the drivers?
                    I had an Edirol USB interface several years back, but
                    i couldn't use it at low latencies (below 256 frames [or
                    was it samples?] per buffer), because the drivers
                    introduced too much overhead. I've had a MOTU 828
                    since then. A bit pricier, but I've been very happy
                    with it. -pp
        \_Only the g5 has an optical out.  But there are plenty of USB DAC that\
          work for the mac...also there is the Airport Express (with Monster              cables).
                    \_ 828mkII is the STANDARD (!!11!) but I think its been
                       surpassed by the competing Metric Halo interface.  As
                       for the Edirol, the FA101's drivers on OSX are reported
                       to be rock solid and fast.  I don't own one personally
                       though, so that's secondhand information from a friend
                       who does serious semi-pro sound design work.  Can't
                       speak for Windows, but then this question wasn't
                       originally about Windows.
                    \_ why would latency matter unless you are trying to do
                       realtime mixing or studio work?
                       \_ For music creators, it's nice to at least have
                          the option to get low latency, but if you just
                          want to play music off your laptop, then you are
                          right, latency doesn't matter (in fact, you can
                          set it as high as possible to minimize resource
                          utilization) -pp
        \_ Only the g5 has an optical out.  But there are plenty of USB DAC that
           work for the mac...also there is the Airport Express (with Monster
           cables).
        \_ Does Mac OSX have issues with standard usb audio endpoints? I spent
           about $70 on a USB->toslink optical adapter from a mail order shop
           in Berkeley that markets to minidisc player owners.  Works great
           from my thinkpad to my Yamaha receiver, but this old model only
           provided 2 channel 44.1 and 48 KHz.  I use it with linux to play
           MP3s and DVDs with downsampled dolby surround.

10/4    OS X for XBox:
        http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~ranma1/mac_install.html

10/1    Though I'm likely the last Mac-oriented CSUA member to upgrade my
        OS, I gotta say that invoking ssh from the UNIX innards of my
        iBook is wonderful/weird. -elizp
        \_ Hey buddy, try invoking your terminal to 80 columns.
        \_ Ain't it cool, though?  It still gives me shivers.  Now go install
           Quicksilver and let's really get this party started.
           \_ Pffft, you could do this on a PC laptop for the past ten years...
              Apple, the company that hypes up things that everyone could
              do already, i.e.
              Ipod - glorified nomad jukebox
              iBook - glorified laptop that runs half as slow as everyone
                      else and costs twice as much
              iMac - glorified VGA monitor with builtin toaster
                \_ hi dumbass. it's more than glorified. maybe you meant
                   "competent" or "efficient" or "actually working".
                   \_ When you're in a cult, it seems like there is no
                      life outside of it, but there is.  You *can* find
                      help, and there is hope for a cult-free existence.
                      do not despair.
              Yeah, let's all switch so we can't run the applications that
              we need.
              \_ Think Different!  Think Slower!  Think Higher Cost!  Think
                 Different!
              \_ did steve jobs kick your puppy or something?
                 \_ Yeah, and that puppy's name was "Apple ][e."  The
                    last good computer.
                    \_ I still miss playing Bilestoad.
                       \_ Then find an Apple ][ emulator and download it.
                          I found Bilestoad and Taipan online.
        \_ I don't miss my sun ultra 5, anymore. My G5 screams. It's the
           best of both worlds: Mac & unix.
           \_ What you said.  Most people who complain about Apple haven't
              actually tried the new stuff yet.
           \_ You're comparing an ancient U5 to a modern G5?  Duh.
              \_ Actually, it's a pretty good comparison; the U5 was
                 underpowered and based on old PC technology when it came out.

9/28    How can I install LaTeX onto my OS X machine? I'd like it to be
        driven from the command line like in a unix shell (and not
        using a front-end GUI). Thanks.
        \_ OZTEX! OZTEX!!! OZTEX IS THE STANDARD!!!!!!
           http://www.trevorrow.com/oztex
        \_The easiest way is using fink (fink.sourceforge.net) but you
          should also be able to download and compile the source yourself.
          \- hola, i had some problems using the fink tetex install.
             i was in a hurry so i just installed via FleeBSD ports on
             another machine. have not tried via darwin ports or
             the i installer. is fink really being maintained for 10.3? --psb
                              \_ yes. 0.7.1 was released on 9/20/2004. -jwang
        \_ You bought a Mac but don't want to use the GUI?  Why else would
           anyone buy a Mac?
        \_ I use the TeXShop front end and think it's great
             http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~koch/texshop/texshop.html
           Part of the TeXShop installation process involves running the
           i-Installer, which gives you all the TeX command line programs
           (which TeXShop just invokes).

9/23    One of the grad students I work with added a piece of code to one
        of our programs that need to be dynamically linked to.  He uses a
        mac, and he only wrote the linking flags for the mac, and stuck
        that in the makefile.  So our standard linux version no longer
        works.  He then left for Rome.  How should this look in ELF?
        ifeq "$(MACOSX)" "true"
        HomophoneName           := Homophone$(DirSuffix)
        LocalLinkLibFlags       += -F$(MacOSXLibraryDir) -framework
        $(HomophoneName)
        endif
        \_ -F and -framework set the linker to use the framework
        (aka shared library) in $(HomophoneName), so you need to add
        the ELF shared library to your link line, so that'd most likely
        be  -l$(HomophoneName) in your case, but I can't tell without
        more information. --twohey

9/17    Where is the Server Admin tool in OS X? Thanks.
        \_ obOneButtonMouseRant.
        \_ The Server Admin tool comes with Mac OS X Server and is not part
           of the regular OS X install. Mac OS X Server comes with a disk
           you can use to install the admin tools on any OS X client. On Mac
           OS X Server I believe the admin tools are in
           /Applications/Server for 10.3 based systems and
           /Applications/Utilities for previous systems. --twohey
                \_ Thanks. Apple doesn't offer the Server Admin tool
                   for free download by chance, does it?

8/16    Why does it always take apple a couple weeks after realsing a system
        upgrade before posting the sha digest for the download?  -- still
        waiting for 10.3.5
        \_ FWIW, people using Software Update (post 07-12-2002) does have
           the benefit of cryptographic signature verification.
        http://www.macmegasite.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=228
        http://www.macmegasite.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=228
           \_ Ever since it is released, people on macintouch and macfixit
              have complained S.U. screws the system and recommend download
              directly the (combo if possible) updater.  They never offered
              a reason for this but I followed it just to be safe.
              \_ I use SU on my G5, and all is well with my computer. YMMV.