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Using Disk Utility

julesp — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:24:37 +0000

Symptoms

If your computer won’t start up normally, you may need to use a disk repair utility to fix the issue. Mac OS X includes two utilities for this—Disk Utility and fsck. You can also use these even when your computer starts just fine but you want to check the disk for possible file system issues. For Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later, check out “About live verification in Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later,” below.

Note: If you’re using Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you should use Disk Utility instead of fsck, whenever possible.

In some situations, file system errors may prevent your computer from starting up. This can occur after an improper shutdown, forced restart, or power interruption. If your computer shows any of the following symptoms on startup, use a disk repair utility:

Your computer partially starts but then displays a command line in a text-only environment. You may see the message, “file system dirty, run fsck.” Below it, you’ll see what’s called a command-line prompt, indicated by a number sign (#), that allows you to type a command. If you see this, you’ll need to run fsck from the command line (see “Use fsck,” below).
Your computer starts but either it won’t reach the login screen, or it may reach the login screen but not load the Desktop after you log in. However, you can start up in single-user mode.

If your computer exhibits either of the above issues, here are some things to try to get your computer back to starting up properly again. If you can’t find the system discs that came with your computer, see “Use fsck,” below.

Products Affected

Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.3, Mac OS X 10.2, Mac OS X 10.1

Resolution

Try a Safe Boot

If you’re using Mac OS X 10.2 or later, you can start up your computer in Safe Mode, which includes an automatic disk check and repair. If you’re using Mac OS X 10.1.5 or earlier, skip to the next section. A Safe Boot, which starts up your computer into Safe Mode, may allow you to start up your computer successfully using a reduced version of the system software. To do this, follow these steps:

Start up in Safe Mode.
After the system has fully started up, restart your computer again normally.

If the computer successfully restarts, you do not need to do any more troubleshooting. If the issue persists, try Disk Utility.

Try Disk Utility

Insert the Mac OS X Install disc that came with your computer, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
Click the First Aid tab.
Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
Select your Mac OS X volume.
Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.

Tip: Always start up your computer from an Install or Restore disc when using Disk Utility to verify or repair your startup volume. Otherwise, you might see some disk error messages.

Use fsck

fsck is a command-line utility that may be able to verify and repair a disk. If you can successfully start up in Safe Mode or use Disk Utility while started up from a disc, you don’t need to use fsck. However, here are some situations in which fsck may be necessary.

Your Mac OS X disc isn’t available.
Your optical drive isn’t available.
You can’t start with a Safe Boot.

Tip: If you use a Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) formatted volume, such as with Mac OS X 10.3 or later, you probably won’t need to use fsck. If you do use it for any reason, please be aware that benign error messages can appear.If you’re not sure how your volume is formatted and you can’t start up from your Mac OS X volume to find out, type the following command in a command-line interface and then press Return: diskutil info /

If you see “File System: Journaled HFS+” returned, you have a Journaledvolume.

To use fsck, you must run it from the command line. Unlike using your mouse to open an application to do something, you’ll need to type a text command at the prompt (#) to tell fsck what to do. The Terminal application (/Applications/Utilities) and single-user mode are two examples of command-line interfaces in which you can type such commands. To use fsck:

Start up your computer in single-user mode to reach the command line.
Note: If necessary, perform a forced restart as described in the Emergency Troubleshooting Handbook that came with your computer. On desktop computers, you can do this by pressing the reset/interrupt button (if there is one) or holding down the power button for several seconds. On portable computers, simultaneously press the Command-Control-power keys. If your portable computer doesn’t restart with this method, you may need to reset the Power Manager.
At the command-line prompt, type /sbin/fsck -fy
Press Return. fsck will go through five “phases” and then return information about your disk’s use and fragmentation. Once it finishes, it’ll display this message if no issue is found:

** The volume (name_of_volume) appears to be OK

If fsck found issues and has altered, repaired, or fixed anything, it will display this message:

***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****

Important: If this message appears, repeat the fsck command you typed in step 2 until fsck tells you that your volume appears to be OK (first-pass repairs may uncover additional issues, so this is a normal thing to do).
When fsck reports that your volume is OK, type reboot at the prompt and then press Return.

Your computer should start up normally and allow you to log in.

About live verification in Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later

In Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later, you can verify your Mac OS X volume while started from it. This is known as live verification, and can be used in three different ways.

Option 1: Verify your disk using Disk Utility while started from the startup disk. To find out how to do this, seethis article. Please note that live verification does not involve any disk repair, so if verification finds something that should be repaired, start up from your Mac OS X Install disc and use Disk Utility as described above in “Try Disk Utility.”

Option 2 (advanced): Use the command line and the command-line utility, diskutil.

Start up your computer and log in as an administrator.
Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities).
At the prompt, type the following command and then press Return:
diskutil verify /

Note: Don’t use this method to check non-startup volumes.

You should see messages such as the following during the disk check:

Could not unmount disk for verification, attempting live verify Started verify/repair on volume disk0s3 Macintosh HD Checking HFS Plus volume. Checking Extents Overflow file. Checking Catalog file. Checking multi-linked files. Checking Catalog hierarchy. Checking Extended Attributes file. Checking volume bitmap. Checking volume information. The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK. Mounting Disk Verify/repair finished on volume disk0s3 Macintosh HD

Option 3 (advanced): Use the command line and the fsck_hfs -l command.

Start up your computer and log in as an administrator.
Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities).
At the prompt, type the following command and then press Return to determine your filesytem ID:
df -hl
Look for some lines of text that look like this:
Filesystem Size Used Avail Capacity Mounted on /dev/disk0s3 37G 20G 17G 55% / /dev/disk0s5 37G 37G 641M 98% /Volumes/Storage
Make a note of the first “disk” name that appears after /dev/, such as “disk0s3.” This is your filesystem ID for your startup volume.
At the prompt, type the following command and then press Return:
df -hl
Then type the following command, where “disk0s3″ is your filesystem ID you noted in step 4, then press Return:
sudo fsck_hfs -l /dev/disk0s3
When prompted, enter your admin password, then press Return to begin the verification.
You should see messages like these during the disk check:
** /dev/rdisk0s3 (NO WRITE) ** Root file system ** Checking HFS Plus volume. ** Checking Extents Overflow file. ** Checking Catalog file. ** Checking multi-linked files. ** Checking Catalog hierarchy. ** Checking Extended Attributes file. ** Checking volume bitmap. ** Checking volume information. ** The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.

Leopard Mail Bug- Sent Mail Also Saves to Drafts Folder

julesp — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:46:47 +0000

Not sure if anyone else has come across this latest bug when using Leopard’s mail client but since upgrading to Leopard every now and then, a copy of my sent mail ends up in my draft folder. My mail client is set to save Drafts to the server. Mail.app 3.0 (and now 3.1) save drafts quite often as I am composing, however it does not replace/append the draft already saved. The drafts do not disappear when the email is sent or canceled, and they remain in the drafts folder on the server (and locally cached as well) until I manually go into the drafts folder and select the tens or hundreds of drafts and delete them all by hand. When I contacted Apple support their response was that this is a bug known to the engineering team and they are working on it for a future update. Until then, they suggest disabling the save drafts on the server, so that it saves them locally for the time being.

Helvetica and Leopard

julesp — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:31:48 +0000

If you want to pull Apple’s version of the font and replace it with your older PostScript Type 1 versions of Helvetica—a common occurrence in production environments—you can’t. Unlike previous versions of OS X, Leopard won’t let you swap out one version for another.

This is an important issue for designers and prepress folks because there are slight differences between the TrueType versions of Helvetica that Apple ships with OS X and the PostScript Type 1 versions of Helvetica that many of us have used over the years. These differences can wreak havoc in print documents intended for production; for those people who don’t work in these environments, it’s not a big deal at all.

One solution is to move to Adobe’s OpenType version of the classic font, Helvetica LT. Of course, you can get it for a mere $2,599 (with 2,300 other OpenType fonts from the Adobe Type Library) on Adobe’s recently released Font Folio 11. If you’re on a tighter budget, you can also pick up Helvetica LT for a mere $29.

It is possible to substitute the Apple Helvetica with your own Type 1 versions. Font management vendor Extensishas posted a PDF entitled “ Best Practices for Managing Fonts in in OS X,” which details a method for swapping Helvetica in Leopard:

Log-into your Mac OS X computer with an Administrator account.

Open Font Book.

Choose Font Book > Preferences

Disable the Alert me if system fonts change preference.

Copy the following folder to a safe, backup location on your hard drive:
/> /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A
/Frameworks/ATS.Framework/Versions/A/Resources/ProtectedFonts />
Note: Never delete your backup copy of the ProtectedFont folder, in case it they are required by a document or application you encounter in the future.

Open the original ProtectedFonts folder listed above and select only Helvetica.dfont and HelveticaNeue.dfont and move them to the Trash.

Authenticate with your Administrator username and password.

Open the /System/Library/Fonts folder and move Helvetica.dfont and HelveticaNeue.dfont to the Trash.

Open your font manager and permanently activate (always on) your preferred versions Helvetica and Helvetica Neue.

Restart your computer.

Loading Leopard on Older Power PC’s

julesp — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:12:15 +0000

Providing your old Power PC has the minimum requirements to run Leopard,

Processor must be any G5 or G4 (867 MHz and faster)
DVD drive (for installation of the operating system)
At least 512 MB of RAM (additional RAM (1 GB) is recommended for development purposes)
At least 9 GB of disk space available.

You don’t need an Intel machines to handle the leopard OS. The 300 plus new features that come with Leopard over Tiger make upgrading worth it.

A new improved Automator, with easy starting points to easily start a workflow. It also can quickly create or edit workflows with new interface improvements. Now it can use a new action called “Watch Me Do” that lets you record a user action (like pressing a button or controlling an application without built-in Automator support) and replay as an action in a workflow. It can create more useful Automator workflows with actions for RSS feeds, iSight camera video snapshots, PDF manipulation, and much more.
Back to My Mac, a feature for MobileMe users that allows users to access files on their home computer while away from home via the internet.
Boot Camp, a software assistant allowing for the installation of other operating systems, such as Windows XP (SP2 or later) or Windows Vista, on a separate partition (or separate internal drive) on Intel-based Macs.
Dashboard enhancements, including Web Clip, a feature that allows users to turn a part of any Web page displayed in Safari into a live Dashboard widget, and Dashcode to help developers code widgets.^[8]
New Desktop, comprises a redesigned 3-D dock with a new grouping feature called Stacks, which displays files in either a “fan” style, “grid” style, or (since 10.5.2) a “list” style.

The Dock, showing a Stackviewed as a “Fan” (left) and a “Grid” (right)

Dictionary can now search Wikipedia, and a dictionary of Apple terminology as well. Also included is the Japanese-language dictionaryDaijisen, Progressive E-J and Progressive J-E dictionaries, and the 25000-word thesaurus “Tsukaikata no Wakaru Ruigo Reikai Jiten” (?????????????^?), all of which are provided by the Japanese publisher Shogakukan.^[9]^[10]
A redesigned Finder, with features similar to those seen in iTunes 7, including Cover Flow and a Source list-like sidebar.
Front Row has been reworked to closely resemble the interface of the original Apple TV.
iCal calendar sharing and group scheduling as well as syncing event invitations from Mail.^[11] The icon also reflects the current date even when the application is not running. In previous versions of Mac OS X, the icon would show 17 July any time the application was not running but the current date when the application was running.
iChat enhancements, including multiple logins, invisibility, animated icons, and tabbed chats, similar to features present in Pidgin, Adiumand the iChat plugin Chax; iChat Theater, allowing users to incorporate images from iPhoto, presentations from Keynote, videos from QuickTime, and other Quick Look features into video chats; and Backdrops, which are similar to chroma keys, but use a real-time difference matte technique which does not require a green or blue screen. iChat also implements screen sharing, a feature previously available with Apple Remote Desktop.^[12]^[5]^[13]
Mail enhancements including the additions of RSS feeds, Stationery, Notes, and to-dos. To-dos use a system-wide service that is available to all applications.^[14]
Network file sharing improvements include more granular control over permissions, consolidation of AFP, FTP and SMB sharing into one control panel, and the ability to share individual folders, a feature that had not been available since Mac OS 9.^[15]
Parental controls now include the ability to place restrictions on use of the Internet and to set parental controls from anywhere using remote setup.^[16]
Photo Booth enhancements, including video recording with real-time filters and blue/green-screen technology.
Podcast Capture, an application allowing users to record and distribute podcasts. It requires access to a computer running Mac OS X Server with Podcast Producer.
Preview adds support for annotation, graphics, extraction, search, markup, Instant Alpha and size adjustment tools.^[17]
Quick Look, a framework allowing documents to be viewed without opening them in an external application and can preview it in full screen.^[18]

The Finder, showing files inCover Flow View and viewing a file using Quick Look

Safari 3, which includes Web Clip.
Spaces, an implementation of virtual desktops (individually called “Spaces”), allows multiple desktops per user, with certain applications and windows in each desktop.^[19] Users can organize certain Spaces for certain applications (e.g., one for work-related tasks and one for entertainment) and switch between them. Exposé works inside Spaces, allowing the user to see at a glance all desktops on one screen.^[20]) Users can create and control up to 16 spaces, and applications can be switched between each one, creating a very large workspace. Spaces is based on the opensource application Kompose a fullscreen task manager for the KDE Desktop Environment.
Spotlight incorporates additional search capabilbies such as Boolean operators, as well as the ability to search other computers (withpermissions).^[21]
Time Machine, an automated backup utility which allows the user to restore files that have been deleted or replaced by another version of a file.^[22]
Universal Access enhancements: significant improvements to applications including VoiceOver, along with increased support for Braille, closed captioning and a new high?quality Speech synthesis voice.^[23]
Russian language support, bringing the total to 18 languages.^[24]

If your pressed for cash and have a perfectly fine older Mac, no reason you cant slap Leopard on it and enjoy the best OSX to date that Apple provides.

Using AT&T When Overseas

julesp — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:07:55 +0000

For those who are not aware, when traveling overseas, AT&T will charge additional cost for data abroad. As soon as I touched down in Nassau this past weekend, I received a free text message from AT&T, notifying me that an international data rate of $0.195/KB applies and that international data rates do not apply when outside the USA.

For example, opening an email with a 5 megapixel picture in it, or downloading a 3 minute video on YouTube, each takes about 2MB of data. The cost would be almost $40, based on pay-per-use international data rates of $.0195/KB.

The below is taken from the AT&T website and gives you some helpful tips.

Turn Data Roaming “OFF”: Be sure to download and install the latest version of iPhone software from iTunes. By default, this setting for international data roaming will be in the “OFF” position.
To turn data roaming “ON/OFF” tap on Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming
Utilize Wi-Fi instead of 3G/GPRS/EDGE: Wi-Fi is available in many international airports, hotels and restaurants to browse the web or check email.
Turn Fetch New Data “OFF”: Check email and sync contacts and calendars manually instead of having the data pushed to your iPhone automatically. This way you can control the flow of data coming to your iPhone.
To turn off the Auto-Check functionality tap on Settings>Fetch New Data, change Push to “OFF” and Select to Fetch Manually
Consider Purchasing an International Data Package: Purchasing an international data package can significantly reduce the cost of using data abroad. AT&T now offers four discount international data packages.
- $24.99 per month - 20 MB Data Global Plan (20 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)
- $59.99 per month - 50 MB Data Global Plan (50 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)
- $119.99 per month - 100 MB Data Global Plan¹ (100 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)
- $199.99 per month - 200 MB Data Global Plan¹ (200 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)

¹ Available on the iPhone only. *for a list of countries visit att.com/dataconnectglobal for current information.

20MB Data Global Add-On
Overage rate is $.005/KB within the over 65 discounted countries.
Rate outside these discounted countries is $.0195/KB.
Does not include data usage within the U.S. Qualified domestic plan required.
Call 1-800-331-0500 to sign up now.

50MB Data Global Add-On
Overage rate is $.005/KB within the over 65 discounted countries.
Rate outside these discounted countries is $.010/KB.²
Does not include data usage within the U.S. Qualified domestic plan required.
Call 1-800-331-0500 to sign up now.

100MB Data Global Add-On¹
Overage rate is $.005/KB within the over 65 discounted countries.
Rates outside these discounted countries is $.010/KB.²
Does not include data usage with the U.S. Qualified domestic plan required.
Call 1-800-331-0500 to sign up now.

200MB Data Global Add-On¹
Overage rate is $.005/KB within the over 65 discounted countries.
Rates outside these discounted countries is $.010/KB.²
Does not include data usage with the U.S. Qualified domestic plan required.
Call 1-800-331-0500 to sign up now.

¹ Available on the iPhone only.

² Rate outside the over 65 discounted countries is $.010/KB except in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Brunei, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Macau, Macedonia (former Yugoslavia), Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Venezuela where the rate is $.0195/KB.

I hope this helps anyone traveling abroad.