unix
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Sudos and sudon'ts
I find that I'm visiting RixStep on a regular basis these days. Today I stumbled across this post about using root privileges and thought I'd share it with you. If you want to learn more about using Mac admin privileges, this might not be the best post to start. If you already have some familiarity with the command line and with Unix, you can learn more about what su does, how to authenticate yourself, and understand why this affects security in a handy ten-point check list. It's a little verbose, but there's a lot of good meat in the article.
GeekTool: Run UNIX Commands on the Desktop
Today I ran across this excellent tutorial on lifehacker about using GeekTool, and I was amazed to discover we haven't mentioned it here at TUAW. GeekTool is a cool little preference pane which allows you to run terminal commands, show logs, or even display pictures (e.g. from the net) directly on your desktop. Common uses include running the command top which displays which processes are utilizing the most system resources, displaying the console log, or even putting a live weather map (from the net) on your desktop. As I mentioned before, Gina at lifehacker has an extensive discussion of how it can be used. So, TUAWers, what sort of commands do you like to run in GeekTool?GeekTool is open source and a free download from Tynsoe; donations are requested.
Monday man page: curl
Today's man page covers one of my favorite utilities: curl. No, it's not a haircare product -- it's one of the most flexible download tools in the kit bag, with the ability to handle almost any protocol that can be addressed via a URL (hence the name, short for "client for URLs"). If there's a server out there that's reachable via HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, SCP, and lots of other alphabet soup, curl can talk to it. curl http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/05/monday-man-page-curl/ -- display the source of this very article in Terminal curl ftp://ftp.panic.com -- list the contents of a remote FTP site, in this case one with a pretty good FTP client curl -o ~/Desktop/curl-man.html http://curl.haxx.se/docs/manpage.html -- copy the curl manpage to your desktop; if you use capital -O, the local file mirrors the remote filename curl has an excellent usage manual at its site, detailing examples of use and advanced techniques. While there are zillions of ways to use curl in site testing, analysis and uploading, my favorite way of using it is as a quick file downloader. Read on for the details.
Monday man page: open
Just a quick hint for today's man page: the open command does just what you might think. It opens files, directories, applications or URLs; no muss, no fuss. For files, you can specify an application to open them with the -a flag (or just trust LaunchServices to pick the right app). If you want to, the -e flag will force them to open in TextEdit. open ~/Desktop/MyWordDoc.doc [will open in MS Word] open -e ~/Desktop/MyWordDoc.doc [will open in TextEdit] open ~/Desktop/*.doc [opens every Word document on the desktop, in Word] open http://tuaw.com [well, give it a go!] I use open in installation scripts or other situations where I want a GUI application to come up at the end of a process. For example, open /System/Library/CoreServices/Software\ Update.app/ launches Software Update and begins checking for available patches. Sure, you can force an update with 'softwareupdate -i -a' anytime, but maybe I want to give the person sitting at the console an opportunity to select the updates needed, or cancel out of the possibly-lengthy update cycle until it's more convenient. You could also use the URL functionality to take people to a 'readme' website... the possibilities are manifold.
Monday man page: ls
There are two kinds of Mac folk: them that finds this "Terminal" thing strangely fascinating, and them what considers it the worst kind of wicked magic, not to be trifled with. Here at TUAW we've got all kinds, and for anyone who might be curious about the power and possibilities of the command line, we're going to provide some weekly quick tips and suggestions for introductory use. Always keep in mind, though, that the damage you can do from Terminal is effectively unlimited, especially with administrative access. Best to play around in a 'dummy' account until you have your sea legs.Even before we start, an explanation of the title: 'man pages' are the BSD UNIX manuals, already tucked away on your Mac. You can type "man command" in Terminal for a detailed (not to say overwhelming) rundown on any command-line tool. As we've mentioned before, an excellent intro to Terminal in Tiger can be found over at the O'Reilly Mac Dev Center. We also posted about Unix for the Beginning Mage, an amusing beginner's guide to the plumbing under Mac OS X.Our fine feathered friend today is 'ls' -- the UNIX directory list command. Read on for more...
Blast from the Past: A/UX
Remember A/UX? Apple's first Unix? I remember all the disks (there were lots!), the long install and my frustration at using the software because it just wasn't "real" Unix. It lasted a very short time on my Macintosh. Instead, I just telneted over to the University and used a command-line shell. Website A/UX Server Penelope is devoted to A/UX. With over three million visitors, it appears that A/UX isn't just a thing of the past. Interested in Apple's original Unix port? The website contains tons of information for the curious. You'll discover A/UX screenshots, disk image downloads, A/UX utilities and more.
Terminal Tip: Keep your Mac portable from waking when the lid is opened
Although I'm a Mac Geek by trade, I tend to avoid the terminal unless I'm out of other options. I'm a GUI kind of girl. It's the Mac OS that I love, not its Unix underpinnings. I appreciate the power of the command line - I just don't want to spend all day there. Still, once in a while I come across a tip like the one, which Glenn Fleishman posted in the most recent TidBITS, and I find myself unable to resist the urge to fire up the Terminal. This tip solves a problem that I've experienced myself and many of my clients have complained about - laptops waking from sleep while in their cases because the latch won't keep the lid closed. This can cause overheating, which can lead to a variety of other problems, like hard drive failures, etc. My solution is, of course, to fix the latch! But there are times when that isn't convenient and even if it's convenient it doesn't happen often enough for some people to even bother stressing about it. By harnessing the power of pmset, the command line app that controls power management settings, you can fix it so that your sleeping beauty stays asleep, even when the latch isn't doing its job.The command is an easy one - a single line. Ready for it? sudo pmset lidwake 0 By setting the lidwake value to 0 you prevent the machine from waking until you tap a key on your keyboard, and since the value gets written just to a plist file, it takes hold right away. Of course you'll need administrator privileges since you'll be asked for an admin password before the command is executed.For more pmset options, have a look at the "man" pages at Apple's Darwin Reference library, or open your Terminal and type "man" (without the quotes), hit return and then type "pmset" (without the quotes.)
Apple releases Intel Mac OS X kernel
A lot of speculation has been slowly building this year as to why Apple didn't have the Intel Mac OS X kernel source openly available like it is for the PowerPC version. For those who aren't quite up to speed on all this: Darwin, the kernel software at the center of Mac OS X, is open source. There are a number of reasons this is helpful to individuals and organizations who want or need to customize Mac OS X for one reason or another, but for the most part, this doesn't really concern the typical Mac user like you and me.However, to those who do customize and specialize the Mac OS X kernel for their specific uses the fact that the Intel version of Mac OS X's kernel hasn't been made available has been a source of discussion within their respective communities. Fortunately, as of yesterday, these kernel-lovin' folk have something more to talk about, as their wishes have finally been answered: a post in one of Apple's developer mailing lists yesterday announced that Apple has indeed finally released the kernel based on the latest version 10.4.7. Not much of an explanation for the holdup is offered, but an apology for the wait is. Either way, this is good news for those concerned about Apple's stance on open source software.[via digg]
Parallels Desktop official release, discount pricing ends July 15th
After months of betas and release candidates, Parallels has brought their fantastic Desktop OS virtualization software to an official release. As you might remember from their last release candidate, they have also listened to user feedback and bundled their Compressor Server tool for optimizing virtual disks and streamlining the amount of disk space they take up, which also brought the final price up to $79.99. However, until July 15th, Parallels is still offering a discount price of $49.99, so get those credit cards out if Boot Camp doesn't quite cut it.[thanks for the tip, Mark!]
Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2, uh, released
Get your mice clicking ladies and gentlemen, as Parallels has offered up the final test version of Parallels Desktop for Mac, their virtualization software that allows you to run almost any OS right within Mac OS X. With this version, however, Parallels has increased the app's final price to $79.99, as they have incorporated their Compressor Server tool (due to user feedback) into the software package for streamlining and optimizing your virtual machines and the amount of disk space they occupy. The beta testing pre-order price of $39.99 is still in place, and probably more appetizing than ever. Other new features and improvements in the Release Candidate 2 include: Significantly improved performance Improved USB performance and broader device support Improved Host-guest networking Automatic network adapters now switch on-the-fly Guest OS no longer steals host IP address in some DHCP servers Fullscreen mode is now customizable Integration with Virtue is now bug-free Customizable Ctrl + Click mapping Guest 32bit color is supported when Parallels Tools is installed Improved Shared folders performance Resolved shared folders/MS Office incompatibility issues Windows 98 no longer consumes 99% host CPU even when idle (in VT-x mode) Also note that if you download this newest release, you must re-install the Parallels Tools for guest Windows installations (NT/2000/XP/2003). As with previous beta releases, this download is free before the software package goes official.
Shell scripting primer
Apple has a nice document on the ADC (thats Apple Developer Connection) that gives you a good overview of shell scripting. The Shell Scripting Primer, as it is called is available online and in PDF format.If you are interested in getting a peek under the hood of your Mac, or you think you are ready to dabble on the command line, this primer is for you.
Unix tips for your Mac
Benjamin Han has compiled a list of Unix tips for people who don't know their MAN from their pids. He covers the gamut from backing up files, to reloading Cisco VPN kernel extensions, to sending email from the command line.This is a great way to start the journey to command line jockey.
Silicon Graphics files for Chapter 11
We can't help but feel a twinge of melancholy as we ponder Silicon Graphics' announcement today that the company is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. However, the SGI of today is a mere shadow of it former self, with a mixed bag of products that range from overpriced, Linux-based, Intel-powered workstations to overpriced, Linux-based, Intel-powered supercomputers. But it wasn't all that long ago that the SGI Indy was considered the hottest thing on the market, and seemed to herald the future of multimedia computing. Of course, that future was pre-empted first by cheaper Unix and Linux options, and later by Mac OSX and even Windows, which was hardly a factor in the graphics industry back in the early 90s when the Indy debuted. So, best of luck emerging from bankruptcy, SGI. We'd like to see you stick around for a bit just for old time's sake. But if we want one of your boxes, we'll skip the new ones, and hunt down an Indy on eBay.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
How To: Run other OSes on your Mac with Parallels Workstation
Parallels has been creating a lot of buzz with their Workstation software that allows Intel Mac users to run almost any version of Windows, Linux and many other OSs right inside of Mac OS X, without the need for shutting down what you're doing in Mac OS X to reboot into the other OS. This 'virtualization' ability of the new Intel chips is a pretty big deal, and from my experience with running Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux on my MacBook Pro, I can understand why.However, all this stuff about 'virtual machines' and using Parallels Workstation to install another OS inside Mac OS X can be a little daunting, so I thought I would put together a basic how-to for anyone interested in this software and what's possible with it. I'll try to explain some terminology to help clear up any confusion, and I will cover using Parallels Workstation to install both Windows XP and Ubuntu, one of the more popular 'consumer friendly' versions of Linux, or so I'm told (disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about Linux aside from the 'most of it's free' convention and the few headlines that come across digg, so go easy on me if you have Ubuntu questions).Click ahead for my five steps to running multiple OSs with Parallels Workstation in Mac OS X.
What is configd and why is it running on my Mac?
The Unix underpinnings of OS X deliver unto us Mac users many good things. We have protected memory, great multitasking, lots of open source software, and heaps of security.But, as the sages of the 'Facts of Life' have taught us, you have to take good with the bad. Thanks to Unix being designed by geeks who were more interested in have a fast and rock solid OS and less so with having naming conventions that would make sense to non geeks we have to deal with a number of oddly named processes that may or may not be very important.Enter Westwind Computer with its list of process names and what they do. It hasn't been updated in a little while, but it is still relevant.Oh, and configd 'Maintains dynamic configuration information about the computer and its environment (e.g. network).'
