OS X

Software

Quicksilver is a desktop app launcher.

Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts

In firefox use Apple+Tilde and Apple+Shift+Tilde to tab browser windows

Finder: Show All Files

To show hidden files in finder:

$ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
$ killall Finder

To hide hidden files in finder:

$ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
$ killall Finder

Note: the finder config file is:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

Locking files and folders to prevent changes

To find out about chflags:

$ man chflags

The ucfg flag makes a folder immutable. To remove the uchg flag from a folder:

$ chflags nouchg FolderName

Single User Mode

To boot a Mac into single user mode: restart and hold down Command-S after the chime.

Darwin Ports

Use DarwinPorts to install software. E.g.

$ sudo port install subversion

Force Quit

To force a non-responsive app to quit: Apple+Option+Esc

Running svnserve via launchd

Create a plist,

$ vi /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.tigris.subversion.svnserve.plist

The plist file is an XML file that controls how the daemons runs, specifying the group/user, executable, parameters, sockets, etc.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
       <key>Debug</key>
       <false/>
       <key>GroupName</key>
       <string>staff</string>
       <key>Label</key>
       <string>org.tigris.subversion.svnserve</string>
       <key>OnDemand</key>
       <true/>
       <key>Program</key>
       <string>/usr/bin/svnserve</string>
       <key>ProgramArguments</key>
       <array>
               <string>svnserve</string>
               <string>--inetd</string>
               <string>--root=/Users/jj5/data/repo</string>
       </array>
       <key>ServiceDescription</key>
       <string>SVN Version Control System</string>
       <key>Sockets</key>
       <dict>
               <key>Listeners</key>
               <array>
               <dict>
                       <key>SockFamily</key>
                       <string>IPv4</string>
                       <key>SockServiceName</key>
                       <string>svn</string>
                       <key>SockType</key>
                       <string>stream</string>
               </dict>
               </array>
       </dict>
       <key>Umask</key>
       <integer>2</integer>
       <key>UserName</key>
       <string>jj5</string>
       <key>inetdCompatibility</key>
       <dict>
               <key>Wait</key>
               <false/>
       </dict>
</dict>
</plist>

To load and test:

$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.tigris.subversion.svnserve.plist
$ sudo launchctl start org.tigris.subversion.svnserve
$ svn co svn://condor/file file

To change the hostname

On Tiger (10.4) edit the /etc/hostconfig and specify HOSTNAME=.

On Leopard (10.5) use the command:

# /usr/sbin/systemsetup -setcomputername "condor"

Then reboot. Hmm, I tried that on Leopard but it didn't work.

$ man hostname
$ su
# hostname condor

That worked.

To nominate default language for spell check in Microsoft Word

In Word: Tools -> Language

== Installing Hardy Heron under VMWare Fusion on OS X 10.5 Leopard