bn technical support forum Forum: Apple

"Get Your Music Off Your iPod"

virtual — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 06:30:33 +0000

Have you ever tried to get MP3 files off of your iPod (or someone else's) in order to make backups or transfer files?
Well Wired has a great howto on getting your MP3s from the confines of your iPod once you have put the music on there in the first place.
The how-to covers many common tools as well as a few I hadn't heard of before and comes highly recommended.

"Apple Intel Xserve Boot Modes"

virtual — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:56:49 +0000

Mac servers are seeing more and more adoption in the enterprise, and demand for support is therefore increasing.
The following howto will describe the different headless boot modes that are achievable on an Intel Xserve using a combination of the power button and the system identifier button (the exclamation point inside the triangle).

1. In order to enter the headless command mode, hold the identifier button while you power the Xserve on.

2. Keep pressing the identifier until you see the top row of blue lights on the Xserve blinking.

3. Stop pressing the identifier button. You'll notice that the right-most blue LED on the bottom row is lit up - this indicates that the system will start from the system disk.

4. At this point you can press the system identifier button in order to cycle through the boot options. They are as follows (right to left)
- System Disk
- Network Boot
- Start from leftmost drive
- Boot next disk (other than startup disk)
- Target Boot Mode
- Reset PMU

5. Release the button once again and the system will boot into your desired mode.

"Intel Xserve Gets RAID5"

virtual — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 06:01:49 +0000

Finally, Apple has added the option to allow Xserve owners access to a proper redundant drive array.
According to MacNN, the recently announced Intel Mac Server RAID 5 add-in chip will only cost $999 USD.
Until now, Intel Xserves ran mirrored and striped drives (RAID1, RAID0 respectively), or relied on expensive Xserve RAID arrays to allow for proper redundancy.

"Installing Gentoo on a Macbook"

virtual — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:50:52 +0000

I found this excellent Wiki article regarding the installation of Gentoo on a Macbook.
Helpful barely describes it. If you've ever wanted to rock a Gentoo Macbook - here's your chance.
The guide also describes topics like Xen, Beryl, and Bluetooth

"Change Network Settings Via ARD"

virtual — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:02:35 +0000

Apple Remote Desktop has a nice feature called "Unix" that allows you to send commands to Macs that allow you to change a multitude of settings.

With the help of the command "networksetup", it's possible to change network settings of many workstations at once. This can come in handy if you need to change search paths, DNS servers, types of IP address allocation, and numerous other properties.

For example, in order to change the search path, you could use:
'networksetup -setsearchdomains "Built-in Ethernet" search.domain1.com'
For Mac Pros and G5s, you may need to use "Built-in Ethernet 1" to address the service as they have multiple ethernet ports.

For more info, please checkout the Apple
Networksetup Man Page.

"Use Apple Remote Desktop To Install Fonts"

virtual — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 03:38:41 +0000

In Apple Remote Desktop, there's a great "copy" command that allows you to copy files to many computers at once.

When you deal with many computers that all have a shared user name and password, it allows you to do things like distribute plist files, fonts, and other nice things.

In order to install a font on many computers at once, select all of the Macs you are pushing the font to.
Then click on the copy icon in the top toolbar, by the install and Unix icons.
Select the items to copy by pressing the "+" icon, and navigate to the font folder or file.
Place the items in "/Library/Fonts".
If an item already exisits, replace the item - these are fonts and if they are named the same, should be the same.
You'll want to set the ownership to inherit from the destination folder as we're copying to a universally accessible location on the Macintosh computers.
Don't select "stop the copy on all targets" as we'll be able to tell from the task if something has failed.
Don't select "open items" after copying as this would be intrusive and somewhat annoying.
You can feel free to encrypt the network data, but my tinfoil hat keeps me safe.
If you are working with a production environment you may want to limit the network usage to something like 300 kilobytes per second. Fonts are quite small and this task should not take very long.
Once we are done this set up task you can save and schedule it for later and/or simply press the highlighted copy button to start sending the fonts to all of the Macs you selected.
Finally, watch the log and adjust as you see fit.

Note: You may run into permission problems if you haven't added the computers properly. You may also be surprised that in the time it took you to set up the task some of them may have fallen asleep from sheer boredom.

"Apple Knowledgebase Changes June #2 2007"

virtual — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 03:13:56 +0000

AirPort Base Station and Network Setup Guide
Aperture and iPhoto: How to sign in to place an order
Aperture and iPhoto: Unable to place first order - returns to Cancel or Set up account
Aperture: How do I change my book's theme or type?
Aperture: How to crop images for print orders
Apple Hardware Test: May incorrectly report more VRAM than actually present
Apple Remote Desktop 3: Which tasks are not encrypted?
Apple Remote Desktop: How to remotely set a Bonjour name
Disabling and enabling 1-Click Purchasing in iPhoto and Aperture
Final Cut Pro 5: Subclips may result from batch capture of 720p, 60 fps media
Final Cut Pro: Additional RAM may be recommended for High Definition video formats
How to edit billing information in Aperture or iPhoto
iChat: Which third-party USB cameras are compatible with iChat in Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later?
iPhoto & Aperture: What to do if you preview your order and notice images are missing
iPhoto: How do I change the theme or type of my book, card, or calendar?
iSync, .Mac: About the Sync menu bar extra
iSync: Putting a Mac to sleep when synching with the Motorola KRZR
iTunes for Windows: How to copy purchases between authorized computers
iWeb: How to add a photo grid to a blog entry page
Mac OS X Server 10.4: Entering Japanese user names in Workgroup Manager
Mac OS X Server PDC: Windows users are unable to locate roaming profiles
Mac OS X Server: Pointing non-managed clients to a specific Software Update server
Mac OS X: Clearing the Finder "Open With" contextual menu
Mac OS: Versions, builds included with Intel-based Macs
MacBook Pro (2.4/2.2GHz): Icons for video clips recorded with built-in iSight camera appear dark in iMovie
Managed Client: "Set Once" settings not applied at Mobile user's first login
Managed Client: Flush the cache when binding to a new directory server
Safari Beta 3.0 for Windows: Do not install Safari at C:\
Safari Beta 3.0 for Windows: Setting Safari as the default browser in Windows Vista
Safari Beta 3.0 for Windows: Start with page one when printing a Web page
Safari Beta 3.0 for Windows: Web page's "Print" link does not open printing window
Updating the drivers on your Windows PC
Using MSCONFIG to troubleshoot conflicts in Windows XP

"Apple Knowledgebase Changes April 20th 2007"

virtual — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 08:17:01 +0000

.Mac data transfer limits
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303786>

.Mac System Status says that members might experience difficulties with .Mac Mail
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304260>

About LCD display pixel anomalies
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=22194>

About Security Update 2007-004
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305391>

About white MacBooks' palmrest area
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304058>

Aperture: Importing Images from Leaf Aptus CF Cards
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305373>

Apple security updates
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798>

Apple TV may feel warm to touch
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305356>

Apple TV: About standby mode
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305375>

Apple TV: Troubleshooting wireless connections
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305376>

iWeb: Menu items are unavailable after reinstall
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304045>

Mac OS X Server: Using non-Postscript printers with the Print Server
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107236>

Mac Pro: Video cards from Power Mac G5 computers are not supported
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305346>

QuickTime Pro: About supported file types
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42617>

Using Emulex switches with Apple Fibre Cards and Xserve RAIDs
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300461
New Downloadable Apple Software
===============================
Aperture 1.5.3 Update
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/aperture153update.html

Security Update 2007-004 (10.3.9 Client)
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate20070041039client.html

Security Update 2007-004 (10.3.9 Server)
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate20070041039server.html>

Security Update 2007-004 (PPC)
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2007004ppc.html>

Security Update 2007-004 (Universal)
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2007004universal.html>

"Notes on OS X 10.4.9 Delta Update"

virtual — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:21:09 +0000

From Apple's update notes in the knowledgebase:
The following improvements apply to both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs unless otherwise noted:

.Mac

* Improves automatic iDisk syncing for customers whose .Mac username contains a period (.).
* Improves overall .Mac Sync performance.
* Addresses an issue with automatic and periodic syncing as set in the .Mac System Preferences panel.
* Reduces .Mac Sync timeouts when syncing large data sets.
* Prevents large amounts of Address Book data from being changed without authorization.
* Addresses an issue which could result in properly unregistering a computer.
* Addresses issues related to syncing a large number of changes to .Mac
* Prevents third-party syncing applications from presenting an extraneous initial sync alert.

Bluetooth

* Addresses a wake-from-sleep issue for Kensington PilotMouse Mini Bluetooth devices when used with a MacBook.
* Resolves issues in which Bluetooth-based devices might not respond after sleep on some computers.

iChat, iCal, and iSync

* Resolves an issue in which iCal reminders may appear off to the side of the screen.
* Resolves an issues in which some events added to particular dates may not display correctly.
* Event notes are now synced between iCal and Nokia N70 phones.
* Adds iSync support for more devices.
* Includes iChat support for USB Video Class webcams.

Networking and modem

* Addresses a permissions issue when copying a file with extended attributes from an AFP share of an Xsan volume, via the Finder.
* Resolves an issue when using kerberos authentication with Active Directory if the user is a member of many groups.
* Resolves performance issues with Intel-based iMacs that could occur when determining high-speed network switches.
* Improves reliability when faxing in France or Belgium via an external Apple USB Modem.
* Adds support for WPA2 encryption in Network Diagnostics.
* Addresses an issue with automatic AirPort connections that use different authentication methods.
* Addresses an issue in which Network Preferences may unexpectedly quit after disconnecting a network-aware USB device while Network Preferences is open.
* Addresses an issue with iMac's maintaining manual duplex settings.
* Internal Apple modem drivers now offer the same robustness as external Apple modem drivers.
* External USB modems now report DLE-d for busy tone detection.
* Adds modem support for Russia.
* Fax receiving now works when the country code is set to France.
* Resolves an issue with dialing a modem in pulse mode to an ISP.
* Resolves an issue in the Open dialog when browsing AFP volumes within applications using Rosetta.
* Resolves a printing issue that could occur with applications using Rosetta, while logged in as Active Directory User that has an SMB home directory.

Printing

* Resolves a printing issue with applications using Rosetta while logged in as an Active Directory User with SMB home directory.
* Resolves an issue in which temporary files might use excessive disk space when printing to some third-party printers.

Aperture

For information on the benefits this update includes for Aperture, see this article.

Third-party

* Resolves issues for these third-party applications that use Rosetta: LEGO StarWars, Adobe InDesign, H&R Block TaxCut, Big Business' Big Business 5.1.0.
* Resolves an issue in which Adobe Arno Pro Italics fonts might not install in Font Book.
* Resolves an issue for Microsoft Word in which OpenType Fonts may not display correctly; this update also addresses OpenType font issues using Word 2004.

Other

* Improves the reliability of OpenGL-accelerated graphics in Blizzard's World of Warcraft.
* Improves the reliability of OpenGL-based applications on Mac Pro computer with Nvidia graphics cards.
* Includes updated security certificates.
* Includes the Daylight Savings Time Update (released February 15, 2007) which contains the latest worldwide time zone and Daylight Saving Time (DST) rules as of January 8, 2007.
* Resolves a toggling issue when zooming using the Command-Alt-8 key combination (Universal Access).
* Resolves an issue in which some USB printers may stop printing in Classic.
* Addresses an issue in Classic in which an iMac G5's built-in iSight camera might stop responding.
* Improves validation of disk images.
* Includes improved support for USB devices in Classic.
* Improves support for files with ".ac3", ".m2v", and ".m4v" filename extensions.
* Improves performance when transferring from a P2 USB reader in the Finder.
* Resolves an issue in which DVD player might not play a track that's longer than 3 hours.
* Addresses a display issue that could occur in X11.app running in 256-color mode on an Intel-based Mac.
* Addresses EAP-FAST in PAC mode issue in a TLS session.
* Addresses an issue in which incorrect encoding could be used for the files created by the “New Text File” Automator action on Intel-based Macs.
* Includes recent Apple security updates.

"A Full Rails Development Environment for OS X"

virtual — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 05:41:58 +0000

Hivelogic posted a fantastic article about getting a full Rails development environment on Apple OS X last week. I followed through the whole process of getting the latest Ruby and Rails packages together, installing Subversion, configuring Mongrel and slapping MySQL on top. Maybe some heavy reading, but well worth the trip.

"Easy Portable Apple Diagnotsic Flash Drives"

virtual — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:54:50 +0000

Subrosasoft has today released a new software product called DasBoot which allows you to take any bootable CD, and make your iPod, flash drive, or other MP3 player bootable quickly and easily! You then get a portable repair
utility similar to TechTool ProToGo, but it frees you up to use any software you want. Better than that, the software it self is free!

From their website:
"Do you have a shiny new iPod in your pocket ? Or perhaps a flash drive or small portable hard drive ? Now you can turn it into a Mac OS X diagnostic, repair, and maintenance tool. DasBoot allows you to take any third party boot CD (such as those shipped by SubRosaSoft.com Inc, Prosoft Engineering Inc, Alsoft Inc, or Micromat Inc) and quickly create a bootable diagnostic device that contains any of your own utilities you may wish to install."

"Disable Sudden Motion Sensor on your Macbook"

virtual — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:49:02 +0000

From the Apple knowledge base:
"Sudden Motion Sensor: Advanced Tips

Beginning with the PowerBook G4 (12-inch 1.5GHz), PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5GHz), and PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.67GHz), PowerBook G4 computers feature a Sudden Motion Sensor.

Apple has adjusted this feature carefully to provide the best balance between protecting the hard drive and preventing unwanted activation of the Sudden Motion Sensor. Most PowerBook G4 owners will never need to turn this feature off, and Apple suggests that you not modify the settings unless absolutely necessary.

In some environments, such as live concert halls, recording studios, or dance clubs, external vibrations may be major enough to cause the module to unexpectedly park the hard drive heads, resulting in interrupted sound or video playback. In these situations, you may find that you want to disable the feature temporarily.
To disable the Sudden Motion Sensor:
First, find the current status of Sudden Motion Sensor:

1. From the Finder's Go menu, choose Utilities.
2. In the Utilities folder, open Terminal.
3. When the command line appears, type sudo pmset -g and press Return.
4. Type in the administrator password when prompted and hit Return. This command queries the computer for the current setting of the Sudden Motion Sensor, which you can determine by locating the ams entry (in Mac OS X 10.3) or the sms entry (in Mac OS X 10.4) and looking to the right to determine its value. The default setting is "1" (turned on).

Disabling the Sudden Motion Sensor in Mac OS X 10.3:

1. In Terminal, which should still be open from the previous step, you can disable the Sudden Motion Sensor by typing sudo pmset -a ams 0 and pressing Return (changing the setting to a zero disables the module).
2. Type your administrator password when you are prompted and press Return.
3. Type the sudo pmset -g command again to be sure that the setting has been applied.

Disabling the Sudden Motion Sensor in Mac OS X 10.4:

1. In Terminal, which should still be open from the previous step, you can disable the Sudden Motion Sensor by typing sudo pmset -a sms 0 and pressing Return (changing the setting to a zero disables the module).
2. Type your administrator password when you are prompted and press Return.
3. Type the sudo pmset -g command again to be sure that the setting has been applied.

Any changes that you make to the Sudden Motion Sensor setting remains in effect even after you restart the computer. If you choose to disable the Sudden Motion Sensor, Apple recommends that you re-enable it as soon as possible in order to take full advantage of the feature.
To re-enable the Sudden Motion Sensor:
First, find the current status of Sudden Motion Sensor:

1. From the Finder's Go menu, choose Utilities.
2. In the Utilities folder, open Terminal.
3. When the command line appears, type sudo pmset -g and press Return. Type your administrator password when you are prompted and press Return. If you have the Sudden Motion Sensor turned off, the value of the ams entry (in Mac OS X 10.3) or sms entry (in Mac OS X 10.4) will be a zero (0).

Re-enabling the Sudden Motion Sensor in Mac OS X 10.3:

1. If the above command returns a zero, you can re-enable the Sudden Motion Sensor by typing sudo pmset -a ams 1 and pressing Return.
2. Type your administrator password when you are prompted and press Return.
3. Type the pmset -g command again to be sure that the setting has been applied.

Re-enabling the Sudden Motion Sensor in Mac OS X 10.4:

1. If the above command returns a zero, you can re-enable the Sudden Motion Sensor by typing sudo pmset -a sms 1 and pressing Return.
2. Type your administrator password when you are prompted and press Return.
3. Type the pmset -g command again to be sure that the setting has been applied."

"Make an Apple OS X LiveDVD"

virtual — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 07:30:12 +0000

As part of an ongoing problem with lack of Apple diagnostic tools and software, I recently found a page describing a procedure to make a Tiger (OS X 10.4) LiveDVD that has come in quite handy.
You'll need a few pieces of software to make the whole thing work: