More Mac essentials coming up!

•  YourSQL - Neat application for manipulating MySQL databases. You might want to get the binary compiled for Intel
• iTerm - Replacement for Terminal.app – supports tabs!
• NetNewsWire Lite - RSS reader

Somehow the netstat of OS X does not have the ability to show the PID of the different open sockets. Instead, use this:

 lsof -i -P 

Thanks to ynniv for that one.

The default umask on Mac OS X systems is 022; I would like it to be 077. In Mac OS X the umask value must be specified in decimal; the octal value 077 is decimal 63. To change the default umask value:

1. Log into an administrator account on your computer
2. Execute the following line into the Terminal window:
   

   /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences NSUmask 63

3. Then execute the following line into the Terminal window:
   

   /usr/bin/sudo /bin/chmod 644 /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

4. To return the umask value to the default setting of 022, use the following command:
   

   /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences NSUmask 18

Taken from Securing your computer: Macintosh Quick-Click Guide.

Along the way I have found different useful tools and apps for my Mac.

• Fink – all your fav *NIX-software coming to you in the apt-get style!
• Chicken of the VNC – VNC client
• LaTeXiT – Instat drag’n'drop LaTeX
• SharePoints – Customize your shares
• coconutWiFi – Shows which wireless networks are open and gives more information

Yesterday my dear, old laptop finally called it a day. First thing I did was to buy a new MacBook; The white 2,16Ghz. It’s absolutely amazing. I have a large wishlist of default settings and other stuff I want to change, so I guess the subject of this blog is now: Mac OS X. More or less.

Enjoy!

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To configure the media keys on my Dell Inspiron 8200 to work with Amarok takes three steps:

1. Per default the media keys are not linked to any X keysyms. Put this in ~/.Xmodmap:
   

   keycode 176 = XF86AudioRaiseVolume
   keycode 174 = XF86AudioLowerVolume
   keycode 129 = XF86AudioPlay
   keycode 130 = XF86AudioStop
   keycode 131 = XF86AudioPrev
   keycode 132 = XF86AudioNext

2. Map the keys to the relevant commands – I’m using amarok. Put this in ~/.xbindkeysrc:
   

   “mixer vol +5″
   XF86AudioRaiseVolume
   “mixer vol -5″
   XF86AudioLowerVolume
   “amarok –play-pause”
   XF86AudioPlay
   “amarok –stop”
   XF86AudioStop
   “amarok –previous”
   XF86AudioPrev
   “amarok –next”
   XF86AudioNext

3. Now run xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap && xbindkeys. Put theese commands in your ~/.xinitrc as well.

Put this in .xinitrc:

while true
do
    echo `dcop amarok player nowPlaying` "|" `date "+%H:%M"`
    sleep 5
done | dwm

For all the time I have been using Google Calendar I have been somewhat bothered by the fact, that it does not have the ability to show week numbers, which we use a lot in Denmark. The answer is simple – ReCover. Simply add their Google Calendar for weeks starting on mondays.

Today I will bring vim to your Firefox, enabling you to use h/j/k/l instead of the arrow keys for moving around at webpages.

1. Install the keyconfig extension, which gives you the possibilities of changing the standard Firefox-shortcuts.
2. Install the “functions for keyconfig” extension, which enables you to use keyconfig to configure scrolling.
3. Go to Tools -> Keyconfig and find the options named f4kc_ScrollLeft, f4kc_ScrollLineDown, f4kc_ScrollLineUp and f4kc_ScrollRight, and set the shortcuts to h, j, k and l – respectively

Restart Firefox and you can enjoy the freedom of surfing the vim way.