Insecure startup item disabled

         OS X      OS X · startup items

As a follow-up to my post about startup items, I want to point out that a Startup Item must have proper permissions or it will be disabled at startup with the following message: In my case, the files under /Library/StartupItems/MyApache still belonged to me instead of root:wheel. Fixed with a simple: mbp:StartupItems florent$ sudo chown -Rv root:wheel /Library/StartupItems/MyApache/ It also appears that StartupItems permissions need to be set to 755 (executable/script file) and 644 (plist file) respectively.

Seitunes, an iTunes command-line interface

         OS X      curses · itunes · OS X · Seitunes

My home main computer is a MacBook Pro, on which I frequently play music with iTunes. However, I'm often on my laptop, without direct access to the MBP's screen or keyboard/mouse to pause, change song, change volume, etc. I can connect to the MBP using VNC, but I was looking for something more lightweight. I therefore decided to design a command-line interface for iTunes, that I would run via SSH. I called it Seitunes for reasons I can't really remember right now, but there it is!

Startup Items: launch services at boot

         OS X      apache · OS X · startup items

This post is a follow-up on the setup of your own Apache web server (although the technique can be used to start about anything of course). Unlike classical Linuces that stock programs to launch at boot in a /etc/init.d folder for example; OS X uses a mechanism called Startup Items. These items can be found in /Library/StartupItems/, ~/Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems. One particular strength of the Startup Items is that you can specify in which order to launch them.

Compiling and installing Apache on Mac OS X

         OS X      apache · OS X

Update: instead of the completely manual method, I'd now recommend using the most excellent Homebrew. The “missing package manager for OS X” will automatically download and compile the latest version and verify the checksums, amongst other niceties. It's awesome, and only gaining more momentum. Original post: As you may already know, Apple bundles a version of Apache into Mac OS X. This httpd can be started in System Preferences > Sharing > Web Sharing.

Screenshots and OS X: capturing a single window

         OS X      minitip · OS X

One pretty awesomely simple thing under Mac OS is making great screenshots. You might already be familiar with Mac OS X's classical shortcuts for screenshots, Shift+Cmd+3 (full screen) and Shift+Cmd+4 (selection). But did you know you can shoot a single window without the hassle of selecting it from edge to edge, or worse, cropping from a full screenshot? Press Shift+Cmd+4, then press the space bar. A little camera appears, and allows you to capture the highlighted window of your choice.

A Keynote update is available. Would you like to open Software Update?

         OS X      keynote · OS X

This nice explicative window popped up last time I opened Keynote (iWork ‘09) : Why yes, I would love to, but when I open Software Update… No updates are available. What's happening there ? Well, it seems that OS X's Software Update only checks for /Applications/ to see if Apple applications (e.g. iWork, Aperture) are present on the system, and need upgrading. Which means that if you have some of these Apple applications located at any other place on your hard drive -in my case, being a subfolder-creating control freak, /Applications/Work/iWork ‘09/Keynote.