Mac OS

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This page is meant with OS X 10.6 on an Intel Mac in mind. Some of the instructions, features, or programs might not work if you use an older [or legacy] version of OS X, or an older Architecture (PowerPC).

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Contents

[edit] Recommended Programs

SHSC's wiki for Useful Mac Software covers most of it: http://shsc.info/UsefulMacSoftware

Here are some more:

[edit] Admin

[edit] Media

[edit] Net

[edit] More

[edit] Proprietary

If you have the money to buy these, then by all means do it.


[edit] Shortcuts

Personally I hate using the mouse all the time to select items or close windows, open up new ones, etc, when you can perform these tasks by keystrokes.

The Command Key (the one with the apple logo on it) essentially replaces the Ctrl key for Windows/Linux users (Command + C for Cut, Command + V for Paste, etc..) but also includes a few more handy features, listed below:

[edit] Finder

Command + Backspace Deletes/Removes Selected Item
Command + Shift + Backspace Empties Recycle Bin with Confirmation
Command + N Creates a new Window
Command + Shift + N Creates a new Folder

[edit] Window Management and Generic Programs

Command + , (comma) Opens Up App Options/Prefs
Command + H Hides Current Window. Very Useful
Command + W Closes Current Window
Command + Q Terminates Current Program
Command + O Opens a File/Folder
Command + N Creates A New Window or File
Command + T Creates A New Tab (limited)

[edit] System and More Finder

Command + Space Opens up Spotlight
Command + [ Back
Command + ] Forward
Command + Up Parent Folder
Command + F Find
Command + K Connect To.. (FTP/SMB/AFP..)
Command + Shift + G Go To.. (local folder)
Command + 1,2,3,4… 1st Window, 2nd.. (limtied)


These are just a few. Check out Apple's Support Article - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343 - for more shortcuts.

[edit] Trackpad

If you're using a MacBook, you may notice that you can't right-click, among other things.

I prefer tap-to-click on trackpads, as well as double-tap to drag. So this is how you enable it.

1. Click on the Apple icon up the top-left hand of the screen
2. Click on "System Preferences
3. Click on "Trackpad"
4. Check the boxes "Clicking" and "Dragging"

...and that's it. The settings change immediately. Enjoy your usable trackpad.

  1. Single Tap - Click
  2. Double Tap - Click and Hold
  3. Two-Finger Tap - Right-Click

[edit] Dock

The dock, in its default settings, feels kind of impractical. Here's what I do to make it better:

  • Right-Click on an empty space of the dock (the divider is a good spot)
  • Select "Dock Preferences"
  • Set "Minimize windows using:" to Scale Effect
  • Check the box for "Minimize windows into application icon"
  • Check the box for "Automatically hide and show the Dock"

[edit] Finder

More usability for Finder and the Desktop

  • Click on the Desktop and go to Preferences (Command + , )
  • Under "Show these items on the desktop", check the boxes for "Hard disks" and "Connected Servers"
  • Click on the "Advanced" tab
  • Check the box for "Show all file extensions"
  • Uncheck the box for "Show warning before changing an extension"
  • Close the window.

Personally, I hate a cluttered desktop - especially with multiple shares opened. To keep them under control:

  • Right-Click on the desktop
  • Click on "Show View Options"
  • For the drop-box next to "Arrange by:", select "Kind"
  • Close the window.

[edit] Hostname

Time to change it to something a little less... Obvious.

1. Click on the Apple icon up the top-left hand of the screen
2. Click on "System Preferences"
3. Click on "Sharing"
3. Change "User's MacBook" (or "MacBook Pro", "MacBook Air", "Mac Pro", etc) to whatever you want.

[edit] Terminal

Here's something for the Linux/BSD Crowd - The Terminal. It unlocks a myriad of hidden OS settings, and really shows how unrestrictive the OS really is.


The Terminal Emulator - Terminal.app - sits in /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app. I recommend dragging it to the dock.

Like most modern emulators, you can use multiple tabs, themes, shells.... Pretty much everything you need.

[edit] Extras

Personally, I don't like the default black-on-white theme. Pro is a lot nicer on the eyes with a white on transparent black look.

  • Open Up a Terminal Window and go to Preferences (Command + , )
  • Click on the "Settings" Tab
  • On the theme list, select "Pro" and hit the "Default" button below the list.


Enable the "option" key (alt) as a meta key. This isn't enabled by default. This helps with Terminal Apps like irssi.

  • Open Up a Terminal Window and go to Preferences (Command + , )
  • Click on the "Settings" Tab
  • To the right of the theme list, click on the button called "Keyboard"
  • Below the list of key combinations, check the box "Use option as meta key".


(Extremely Optional) Last but not least, change the default shell. I prefer zsh over bash, so to change the default shell:

  • Decide which shell you wish to use. By default bash, ksh, tcsh, csh, sh and zsh are included
  • Open Up a Terminal window and go to Preferences (Command + , )
  • Click on the "Startup" tab, and under "Shells open with:" select "Command (complete path):"
  • Type in the path to your chosen shell (zsh would be /bin/zsh, tcsh would be /bin/tcsh, and so on)

[edit] Safari

...yeah.

[edit] Ad Blocking

[edit] Assorted Options

  • Open Safari
  • Open the preferences (Command + ,)
  • Change "New windows open with" to "Top Sites"
  • Change the Home Page to something less Fruity
  • Change "Remove history items" to "After one week"
  • Click on the "Appearance" tab
    • Change "Default encoding:" to "Unicode (UTF-8)"
  • Click on the "Tabs" tab
    • Change "Open pages in tabs instead of windows" to "Always". Confirm this.
  • Click on the "AutoFill" tab
    • Deselect "Using info from my Address Book card"
  • Click on the "Security" tab
    • Deselect "Allow websites to ask for location information"
  • Close the Preferences window.
  • Hide the Bookmarks bar (Shift + Command + B)
  • Show the status bar (Command + / )

[edit] iTunes

Again, ..yeah.

  • Open iTunes
  • Open the preferences (Command + , )
  • Deselect "Check for new software updates automatically"
  • If you hate the Auto-Sync function, click on the "Devices" tab and deselect "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically"
  • Click on the "Advanced" tab
    • Deselect "Keep iTunes Media folder organized"
    • If you like to manually copy things or already have a way or organising your collection, deselect "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library"
  • Click OK

[edit] Encoding

XLD (Google "X Lossless Decoder") is great for encoding and CD Ripping. It can also auto-import completed encodes into iTunes.

[edit] iTunes Account/Album Art

Get an iTunes account. This will let you grab Album Art.

Use this to get an account without a Credit Card - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2534

When you're done, you should be able to right-click on an album and retrieve the artwork.

Tip: The album browser works a lot better than scrolling through your albums. Use the shortcut Command + B to toggle it.

[edit] Maintenance & Further Customisation

  • Look at Onyx for Repairing Permissions/Cleaning Cache Folders/etc
  • The Secrets Prefpane will give you the extra options that aren't available normally on OS X. Usually one would have to enter commands in the terminal to change invisible settings, all this does is just roll it up into one prefpane.

[edit] Compiling and Code Development

[edit] Compiling *nix Programs

Some *nix utilities such as wget are great additions to OS X, but aren't included. Compiling them for your Mac though isn't hard if you're used to compiling on Linux/BSD.

1. Download Xcode. Get the one without the iPhone SDK if you aren't planning on coding iPhone Apps. You'll need a free Developer Account though. Get one.
2. Install Xcode. Make sure beforehand that you're installing the "Tools for UNIX". You can check this through the "Customize Install" button in the installer.
3. Download the source for a program... For this example, use wget.
4. Open up a Terminal and navigate to the downloaded source
5. Decompress the source
6. Navigate to the decompressed folder.
7. Run ./configure
6. If everything looks good: sudo make
7. If everything still looks good: sudo make install

If you're interested in running more programs ported from *nix, take a look at the MacPorts Package Manager.

[edit] Code Development

C, C++, Objective-C...

Xcode (http://developer.apple.com/technologies/tools/xcode.html) is a good tool for C-based Development. The iPhone SDK version will also help you code iPhone Apps. Apple also gives out a fair bit of example code as well to get your code on.

Code::Blocks, a C/C++ IDE is also available for OS X - http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/26

Java

CSP4150 Programming Principles students can find the Mac version of BlueJ on their download page - http://www.bluej.org/download/download.html

Netbeans has an OS X version as well - http://netbeans.org/downloads/index.html

[edit] Extras

How to disable ds_store files from being created on shares and annoying others:

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2005070300463515

How to disable the Mac boot sound (the DUUUUUUUUUUUN when you turn the machine on)

http://www.hacktheday.com/mac-tips-turn-off-your-macs-startup-sound/

[edit] ECU and OS X

[edit] ECU Wireless

How to Connect to the ECU Wireless Network: http://www.ecu.edu.au/webadmin/tools/docs/wireless/Wireless_ECU_MACOSX.pdf

[edit] MSDNAA, Boot Camp, and You

If you're a SCSS student and you want to dual-boot your Mac with Windows (using Boot Camp), you can use SCSS's Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance (MSDNAA) site - http://msdnaa.scss.ecu.edu.au/ to get images of Windows install disks.

You will need a Windows machine to download the image, but you'll have by the end of it a spare install of Windows for when you need it.


How-To install Windows via Boot Camp: http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Boot_Camp_Install-Setup_10.6.pdf

Windows 7 & Boot Camp FAQ: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3986

[edit] Notes

This is by no means a completed article. More will be added later.

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