Apple Tips and Tricks

Apple help: Fast help with all Mac-problems in our Apple-Mac-Help.

What is a Mac / Apple?
Apple computers didn't use Intel compatibleprocessors for a long time, but powerPC chips from IBM and Motorola, that have a totally different 'design'. Because of this, windows programs couldn't be used on macs, without the help of other programs. The new generation of Apple computers since 2006, are able to start windows and windows programs, when really needed. wenn es unbedingt sein muss.


@ key on the Mac?
On the new Apple keyboards, the @ key is under the L-key, and is used by the keycombination "ALT + L". On the old Apple systems, the @ key is used by the key combination "Shift - ALT - 1".


Faster computer shutdown
Apple computers cannot only be shut down by clicking the menu in the above left of the screen, but also the key combination "Ctrl + Eject shows the three options to shutdown, so you can faster shut down your computer. One click on "Cancel" or pressing "esc" will close the optionscreen again.


Timeplan: Shutdown your computer automatically
In the system preferences "Energy saver", in 'Schedule', the apple computer can automatically be turned on or shut down. At the designated times the apple can be turned on, put into sleepmode, or 'waked up' again. Next to time, also a day of the week can be designated, when the schedule is not used for every day.





Looking for a new background?
The website theapplecollection has a big collection of Apple backgrounds, for G3, G4, G5, Power- or iBook. Also found here: the classics "Say hello to IMac" and "G4 girl". to website.


Own icons
Who thinks the folder icons are too boring, can change these fast and easy. Click the icon you want to change once, and blend in the information with apple-I. Do the same with the new icon, and click in the infoscreen on the icon. With apple-C you copy the icon, click on the icon you want to change in the infoscreen and paste it with apple-V. Because of an error in older OS X Versions you cannot change the icon again after this, but with OS X 10.3 (Panther) this is possible again.

Who is looking for new icons for his programs and folders, will find them on the site xicons.com. To make icons yourself, the Shareware program Iconographer is a good choice.


No big icons!
The standardsize of icons can, for certain on the desktop, look a bit small. This problem can be solved with the option "Show View Options" in the Menu view. Here you can make your Icons a different size.


That's my data!
When you have to change the OS X systemfiles, but this data is protected, you have three options. When you are logged in as Admin, you can put in the Admin as owner in 'Get info' (Apple-I) under 'ownership and permissions', and then make the changes. Alternatively you can use the terminal, change to the folder and change the right with the commandpermissions file. With "chmod 777 file" gets write/read and execute right in the folder. "chmod 755 folder" makes all the right for the owner, read and execute rights for the group and other users.

Unix under Mac OS X

root-command in the terminal
lots of commands are not even allowed to be executed by the administrator. For this you need the root or superuser status.With this status you can destroy alot when you don't have the knowledge for it, and because of this you should be careful with it. Most of the commands can also be executed without root-account thanks to "sudo": But before the command the wordsudo, the abbreviation of "superuser do". Because of security, you will be asked for the administrator password.


Starting Apple script on the terminal
With the command "osascript" you can execute other commands on the computer. For example: the computer can be restarted with applescript: osascript -e 'tell application "Finder" to restart'


control system remotely
Also when your not sitting behind your Mac, you can login on it from everywhere and control the system remotely. For this you have to activate "Remote Login" in Systempreferences/Sharing. Praktical: With the command stop you can remotely shutdown your Mac.


Root: Activate Superuser
As Root User you're allowed to do anything you want on your Mac. As dangerous this can be when wrongly used, so useful it is at lots of Unix-commands in the terminal. To activate the Root-User for the first time, start the NetInfo-manager under applications / utilities. Now you can activate the root-user in the security menu. You will be asked for the admin password, and then you will be changed with the command su dort zum Super-User.


man: built in manual
With most terminal commands, there is a built in manual, the so-call man-pages. Here, the usage of the command will be described thoroughly with the neccessary options und arguments. Who wants to know more about the "rm" command, just entersman rm in the terminal.


Multitasking in the terminal
To let programs and commands run in the background, and still work on the same terminal, use at the end of the command "&". Then there will be a process ID given to the command, that can be used to test the status of the command. For this, enterps Process-ID.

With Apple-N a new terminalwindow is opened to work further in that window.