Mac is short for Macintosh, a brand of computers created and sold by Apple Inc. Apple currently produces several lines of Macintosh computers including the iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and MacBook. All current Macs ship with Mac OS X. You can also install Windows or Linux ...
272
votes
118answers
92k views
What are some tips or tricks for Terminal in Mac OS X?
One tip or trick per answer.
My favorite is
open .
Opens the folder you're currently browsing in Finder. You can also pass URLs, images, documents or else to open.
If you specify a program name ...
32
votes
7answers
10k views
How to simulate slow internet connections on the mac
What's a good software solution to slow down internet connections on the mac for testing and simulations?
My primary need is when testing code in the iPhone / iOS simulator, so slowing down the ...
36
votes
5answers
3k views
Do Macs need to be defragmented?
I don't see any application to defragment my Mac (running OS X).
Is defragmenting not necessary for Mac OS X? If so, why not?
7
votes
4answers
4k views
Do you know a simple sound booster app for Mac?
Some videos on websites have the sound volume so low that even with all sound settings at maximum levels it's hard to listen.
I'm looking for an app that would allow me to boost the Mac's volume. ...
13
votes
4answers
8k views
How can I reinstall an application that the Mac App Store thinks is installed already?
I'm the developer of an application that is currently on the Mac App Store. I'm trying to download my own application so that I can test out the binary that is on the store. (As opposed to running it ...
40
votes
4answers
4k views
How do I disable or get rid of the startup sound my Mac makes?
Everytime I turn on my Macbook Pro it makes a start up noise. This is annoying since there is no volume or ability to turn it off. I just don't want the sound to play at all.
How do I disable this ...
9
votes
4answers
5k views
Mac OS X Lion Finder Window Size
I know that when I close a finder window the next time it opens, it will open at the same size.
This works with me for a while, but sometimes all the finder windows just go back to the default size ...
3
votes
3answers
581 views
What free or open source software can I use with Mac hardware to verify integrity of every block of a disk where Core Storage is used?
Verification should be nondestructive.
For Mac hardware
There's a possible answer in Super User, but it predates Lion so:
I don't know whether badblocks run from a live CD is applicable where ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Copy and Cut sometimes don't work
My system is kept fully up to date and I still see this problem intermittently, although not as often as I used to; I would say that this has not been fully fixed. If there are any workarounds ...
10
votes
8answers
15k views
Which Mac to develop iPhone apps? [closed]
I'm a developer working with Windows. I have some cutomers who are interested in iPhone Apps, so I'm looking for a Mac right now. The problem is, that I have no clue at all about what to buy.
I don't ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there a way to disable OS X auto termination of applications?
Is there a way to tell OS X Lion to disable auto-termination for a given application that you do not want to auto terminate?
FYI Lion is a quitter if you did not already know, what if you don't want ...
13
votes
5answers
39k views
How can I open a .pkg file manually?
Some applications come in .pkg files, and ask for you administrator password, even if all they do is copy the binary to /Applications.
I like to have my applications in ~/Applications, and I do not ...
28
votes
5answers
10k views
Is fine volume adjustment possible in OS X Lion?
On previous versions of Mac OS X pressing ⌥+⇧+volume+ would adjust the volume by quarter increments. This seems to have been removed in Lion.
Is there any way to do fine volume ...
6
votes
3answers
582 views
How to permanently put TextEdit in the Open with… menu list?
I'm a developer and often dealing with unusual file types. If I want to open one of these files in TextEdit, I have to start it first and then open the file with it, or drag the file to the TextEdit ...
6
votes
8answers
2k views
What methods are available to (re)install Lion on a Mac?
With genuine Lion install media being a rarety (and only included on certain newer Macs), there are a lot of queries by users on how they are best able to re-install (or even simply install) Lion on ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How can I dim the screen from Terminal?
Is it possible to dim the screen from Terminal, in a Mac with OS X Lion? Is there any command to do control brightness and volume?
3
votes
4answers
2k views
Completely synchronise multiple Macs
I actually have a Macbook Pro with Snow Leopard (I plan on upgrading to Lion).
I may have to buy an Mac mini in order to have a full dual screen (external identical screens) layout (see my previous ...
16
votes
2answers
5k views
Isn't Inactive memory a waste of resources?
I'm looking for explanation of memory usage on my machine especially in light of the example in this screenshot below:
I understand what is Free and Active means
But what are the meanings of Wired ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Why does my MacBook Pro take so long to go to sleep?
My Macbook Pro takes an awful long time to go to sleep when I close the lid. Considering that I generally want to close the lid and then carry it somewhere, I want it to be fully asleep so I don't ...
7
votes
2answers
4k views
Why isn't the multisession login in Lion's VNC server working properly?
Has anyone been able to get the VNC server that came with Lion to work? Right now it seems to have problems with the new multisession remote login, causing problems for any VNC clients connecting to ...
4
votes
6answers
2k views
Mirror iPad 2 screen on Mac
I would like to know if there is a possibility to display the iPad 2 screen on my Mac?
You know, silmilar to the Steve Jobs presentations.
Thank you for your help.
4
votes
6answers
1k views
Controlling a Mac remotely
Is it possible to control the Mac remotely?
My parents live in different country other than where I'm living now, I think about giving one of my Mac to my parents to use iChat. As my parents are not ...
10
votes
3answers
348 views
Can I get iPhone charge status from my Mac?
I have my iPhone plugged into my Mac via USB. Is there anyway to check on the charge status? I know iTunes does give you a small battery indicator, but I am looking for something a bit more detailed, ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
How can I hide my top menu bar on Mac OS X?
I need to temporarily (5 min) hide my top menu bar. Is there a glitch, or something that will let me do that?
3
votes
2answers
565 views
Unable to revert changes to hosts file in OS X Lion
I edited the hosts file and added:
10.0.0.1 devsys.crossreader.net
Later I commented out the entry:
#10.0.0.1 devsys.crossreader.net
When I ping or browse to devsys.crossreader.net the returning ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
Can I have multiple mice & keyboards for one Mac?
I would like to control two cursors with two mice in the same time, as well as have two keyboards for separate control and text input.
My goal is to have two users on one computer, so I can let my ...
0
votes
2answers
2k views
amplify sound output on mac [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do you know a simple sound booster app for Mac?
Is there an app to amplify sound output on mac osx, I've put the volume to max and its still quiet.
7
votes
2answers
545 views
How can I see the system status during boot?
I would like to monitor the messages generated when I boot my Mac, similar to what you on a *nix box. Is there key-combo to press/hold that will let me do this?
5
votes
1answer
5k views
Can I upgrade my 2008 Mac Pro completely?
Hey everyone, I have a 2008 Mac Pro/2.83hzXEON(8)/8800GT512mb.
Is it possible for me to upgrade this machine to newer hardware, since it is Intel based? What would it entail to put a newer processor, ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I run a jar when I double-click it?
So, I double click on my jar file and it just blinks a window with white screen then it disappears. After that, I right-click and select "Open with jar launcher" it is the same. too. I opened up ...
4
votes
3answers
15k views
Can't boot Mac, only shows a Folder with a Question Mark?
How do I start up a Mac when all it shows is a Folder with a Question Mark, even with a DVD in the drive?
Image courtesy of Loïc Wolff
3
votes
2answers
75 views
Restoring finder icon
I have moved certain sections (downloads, music, pictures) of my user directory from my SSD to my HDD via symlinks. I have successfully changed over the image of the folder which can be seen in the ...
3
votes
1answer
970 views
How to partially uncover bullet points in Keynote
In Keynote '09 on the Mac, how can I create a list of bullet points such that:
At first, the bullets are all dimmed or grey
When I click, the next bullet becomes undimmed or black
This is similar ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Does Remote Wipe securely wipe the contents of the drive?
With all the ruckus surrounding the Mat Honan debacle, I'm curious: When you remotely wipe a Mac, is it a secure wipe or does it just lock down the machine with a code?
From the Wired article:
...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Is there a way to install Mountain Lion on a Mac Pro 1,1 2006?
The Mac Pro 1,1 2006 is not officially supported for OS X Mountain Lion, are there any work arounds to get it to work?
Your Mac must be one of the following models:
...
Mac Pro (Early ...
2
votes
2answers
656 views
Hard drive read only access with Mac
I have an external usb hard drive that I used to connect on my old PC laptop. There are some files I created with the laptop on this hard drive.
Now, I can only read those files with my Mac notebook
...
1
vote
1answer
346 views
Make Wine app the default opener
I have Notepad which I open with "Wine".
I want to do that when I want to open file .txt, it will be opened by Wine Notepad.
How can I do that?
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Turn off Anti-Aliasing on Mac
This is a followup to the Stack Overflow question, Why does there appear to be a different number of unique colors available on the Mac as compared to Windows?
How can I turn off anti-aliasing on a ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
Terminal bash name
Right now I have a Mac Mini. I migrated macbook pro data from a time machine, but I didn't do it from the beginning of my startup. I used the migration assistance to migrate the data. However, I'm ...
0
votes
2answers
384 views
How can I assign different characters to different keyboard shortcuts on Mac?
I am using Macbook Air with OS 10.8.2. I bought my MAC from the US, and then moved to another country. Therefore, I had to change my keyboard language.
The problem is the keyboard layout is not the ...
0
votes
1answer
132 views
How can I copy songs from an iPod to a Mac without using iTunes?
my friend has an iPod Touch and she cannot use it with iTunes anymore.
is it possible to save those songs somehow on another computer and then reset iPod and copy songs back? or in general have a ...
0
votes
1answer
102 views
What Mac to start [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Which Mac to develop iPhone apps?
I am new to this. I am looking to get into Mac, iPhone and iPad app development. I just enrolled in the dev program. It would be ...
0
votes
2answers
2k views
How long should Lion take to set up Spotlight?
I updated my Mac from Snow Leopard 10.6.8 to Lion. Everything went well. The computer restarted when the OS setup finished. Now, Spotlight setup has been running for more than two hours. Is something ...
31
votes
19answers
21k views
OS X Terminal “must have” utilities
I've just read with pleasure, and learned a lot from these questions :
OS X Terminal Tips and Tricks
OS X Hidden features and nice tips & tricks
OS X Applications you can't live without
But I ...
29
votes
12answers
33k views
What's the best NAS for home usage with Macs?
Please share your experiences and reviews about NAS (Network-Attached Storage) below. In particular, rate their compatibility with Macs, OS X, iTunes, Time Machine, AppleTV, and other Apple-specific ...
7
votes
1answer
925 views
Why is it that my Mac would rather swap than clear inactive memory?
Why is it that my Mac would rather swap than clear inactive memory? I know people say that the Mac OS manages itself and whatever, but there is a serious performance dip when my MacBook starts ...
10
votes
2answers
5k views
Can I change the behavior of the Home and End keys on an Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad?
I just bought an "Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad", then I connected it to my Macbook Pro running Lion.
But the home and end key under the F14 key doesn't work as I expected. Say in "Pages", the ...
7
votes
3answers
8k views
How can I rotate a video?
I just recorded a video on my phone, but when I play it on my Mac it's in the wrong orientation.
How can I rotate the video by 90 degrees so that I can upload it to youtube?
Free solutions are ...
6
votes
2answers
5k views
System-wide finder view preferences
I know that .DS_Store files are created in every directory I enter with the finder in Mac OS X, and that keeps track of the folder's metadata (including how is it being displayed). I also know that ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
How to see what files were changed in TimeMachine?
I tried TimeTracker, tms and timedog but none of them works with OS X 10.6
Any suggestions?
