OS X: Fixes Hints Tweaks and Tips

Read/Write To NTFS Formatted Drives
Install software from here.

NOTE: If you are going to NTFS-Free on Yosemite NTFS-Free the following needs to be run in the terminal:

1) sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1"

2) sudo kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel

3) sudo kextcache -system-caches

After the first command you will need to enter your password because of 'sudo' (super user do) this disables the security check. The other 2 commands just clear your cache of any old versions of this kernel extension to give you a fresh slate. After you install/reinstall you'll restart and things seem to be working. It is suspected that this will be broken in the next update because this uses the /System/ folder which apple will be phasing out 3d party use of that folder.

CUPS Web Interface
Terminal: cupsctl WebInterface=yes

To access the web interface in a browser's address bar type either of the following:

http://localhost:631 your.ip.address.here:631

Dashboard
The Dashboard is activated by pressing F12, however it is always running in the background hogging resources, so to permanently disable it undertake the following.

Terminal:~$ defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES killall dock

To revert the behaviour run again changing YES for NO, followed by 'killall dock'.

A User Profile From Appearing On The Log In Screen
Yosemite (10.10 and newer)

Terminal:~$ sudo dscl. create /Users/hideuser IsHidden 1

To revert the change:

Terminal:~$ sudo dscl. create /Users/hideuser IsHidden 0


 * Where 'hideuser' is the name of the profile to be hidden.
 * Reboot the system after either change to enable it.

This also hides the user from the Fast User Switching menu and login and logout menus.

The account can still be accessed through SSH, screen sharing, remote login and GUI login panels.

From here.

HOWTO: FIX: Samba Folders Are Blank / Cannot Connect To File Share
Finder > Go To Folder > cifs://ip.address.of.server

This will not work, but then of you close that window and try your other shortcuts or shares, they will now work.

HOWTO: Boot From USB Drive / CD
Hold down the Option key, then turn on and keep holding until the Startup Manager appears.

Thanks - http://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201663

HOWTO: CREATE: Shortcut To A Server
Sidebar Shortcut


 * Make sure you are connected to the file server.
 * Display the folder you want to create a shortcut for.
 * Drag the folder from the Finder window contents section to the window's Sidebar.
 * Sidebar icons can be placed in any order you wish. When dragging the icon to the sidebar a blue line will indicate where the icon will be placed when you release the mouse.
 * To reconnect, simply click once on the icon.
 * Note: If you haven't already authenticated/logged into your computer, you will be prompted for your log in name and password.

Dock Shortcut


 * Make sure you are connected to the file server.
 * Display the folder you want to create a shortcut for.
 * Drag the folder from the Finder window contents section to Dock.
 * When placing items in the Dock, they need to be placed:
 * To the RIGHT of the divider line that separates applications from the Trash and other document and folder icons, if the Dock is on the bottom of the screen;
 * UNDER the divider line that separates applications from the Trash and other document and folder icons, if the Dock is on the left or right side of the screen;
 * When dragging the icon to the Dock a space will "open up" for the icon to indicate where the icon will be placed when you release the mouse.
 * To reconnect, simply click once on the icon.
 * Note: If you haven't already authenticated/logged into your computer, you will be prompted for your log in name and password.

Desktop Shortcut


 * Make sure you are connected to the file server.
 * Display the folder you want to create a shortcut for.
 * Drag the folder icon to your Desktop.
 * To reconnect, double click on the icon.
 * Note: If you haven't already authenticated/logged into your computer, you will be prompted for your log in name and password.

Dock - Make Hidden Items Transparent: How To
OS X Terminal:~$ defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -bool YES

To revert the behaviour run again changing YES to NO

HOWTO: Browse To Files Outside Of Your User Profile
Open Finder

Keyboard combination: Shift+CMD+G to open the 'Go to the folder:' window

Typing / in the box provided will take you to the root of the drive

HOWTO: Display Hidden Files
OS X Terminal:~$ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool YES

To revert the behaviour run again changing YES to NO

HOWTO: Display The File Path
OS X Terminal:~$ defaults write com.apple.finder _FXShowPosixPathInTitle -bool YES

To revert the behaviour run again changing YES to NO

TIP: Search Foo
http://richardleggett.co.uk/blog/2008/12/07/improve_osx_searches/

http://www.mcelhearn.com/spotlights-secret-search-syntax/

http://www.macosxtips.co.uk/index_files/12-tips-for-finder-in-Mac-OS-X-Lion.php

HOWTO: ALTER: Screen Shot Format
OS X Terminal:~$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

Where jpg is the format you want, or substitute with bmp gif etc as required.

Logging out and in is required to activate the change.

Package Updates
Not all of the installed applications in OS X can be updated via the command line or by downloading the update manually.

The App Store for OS X 10.6.6 onwards was introduced in January 2011 and can be used to update packages such as iPhoto, iMovie etc.

Location

 * Open Finder
 * Open Utilities folder, Terminal is inside.

Using
As with many other *nix systems in the terminal 'sudo' is used to do things as root.

System Updates
OS X Terminal:~$ sudo softwareupdate -i -a

Create/Add/Edit Aliases
Unlike Linux OS X does not provide a user with their own aliases file, so you will need first to create one.

OS X Terminal:~$ nano .bash_profile

This will open a blank file, create your alias:

alias ll='ls -lah' alias la='ls -A' alias l='ls -CF' alias ping='ping -c3' alias pingg='ping -c3 www.google.co.uk' alias update='sudo softwareupdate -i -a alias hg='history |grep'

CTRL+O to write to the file, press enter then CTRL+X to exit.

To load the new alias profile:

OS X Terminal:~$ source ~/.bash_profile

To confirm the entries:

Linux Terminal:~$ alias

This will then display all the aliases entered in the bash_profile file.

Links
http://lifehacker.com/the-best-hidden-settings-you-can-unlock-with-os-xs-ter-1476627111

http://lifehacker.com/5993772/tweak-the-dark-corners-of-your-operating-system-this-weekend