134 replies to this topic

[initials.bb.paris]

When ALT-Tabbing. You can still use many commands.
Try for example CMD+Q to kill the selected program. Very handy to kill most programs before planning on restarting or such.
Another favorite is CTRL+F2, which gives focus to the menubar. Very handy =)

it took me a while to get the hang of this one on my french keyboard : apple-tab to cycle through the apps and then shift-A to quit them !

[sirocyl]

Well, here's something on PowerPC Macs (No OSx86! ) to access the Firmware Command Prompt in Open Firmware.

Once you hear the startup chime, hit Cmd+Opt+O+F (OF for Open firmware, stating the obvious). You will get a white screen with black text.

I don't know any of the commands, maybe someone can help me with that, or I will post them later once I find them.

Oh -- I forgot. BE CAREFUL IN HERE!!! There are commands that are DANGEROUSLY close to internal system functions that computer noobs and Mac noobs shouldn't play with unless you read something in a manual that told you to use this.

--In Shorter Words...--
DON'T USE WITHOUT PRIOR OPERATING KNOWLEDGE!!!!

Edited by The Living Embodiment of OSx86, 12 January 2006 - 08:45 AM.

[guyin916]

i do what i please

[BoNeS]

a nice shortcut-list...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75459

btw: try ctrl-option-command-8 (german keyb. layout)

very handy at night when you'r wardriving 'round the block

Edited by BoNeS, 21 January 2006 - 07:25 PM.

[bammi]

Also Alt ~ will allow you to toggle through the current windows open for that application. Just like the alt-tab, but only for that app. I find this very handy for browser popup windows and mail.


-Brian

[guyin916]

firefox 1.0-1.1: (shift)+control+tab - move through tabs
firefox 1.5: opt(alt)+cmd(win)+arrows(left/right)

[Potemkin]

Try calling Expose and widgets up while pressing shift. It should produce a slow-mo effect. Don't ask me how that's useful... Maybe there were a series of customers for whom the suddenly popping up widgets created a migrane, I don't know..

Edited by Gradual Decay, 19 January 2006 - 09:19 PM.

[forcer]

yay! =) i use my logitech usb wireless keyboard on osx tiger ppc on the mac mini.. sometimes it does not work (like when osx is trying to read a cd/dvd that is badly scratched).. in that case, i open terminal and type in "disktool -e" and all removable media is ejected. also, dragging the volume folder to trash ejects media.

-p

dragging mounted image from finder anywhere else unmounts the image (f.e. desktop)

[poseidon]

holddown shift key, and klick any minimize buton, see the slow motion genie effect

[powrslave]

holddown shift key, and klick any minimize buton, see the slow motion genie effect

Also great for F9-F11
press shift +F10 2 or 3 times for example

[poseidon]

Hidden tetris game

1. Open the finder
2. Open Applications
3. Open Utilities
4. Open Terminal
5. type "emacs"; click enter
6. Press ESC + X at the same time
7. Type "tetris"

have a fun

LOTR history

1. In the "applications" folder, open the "utilities" folder.
2. Open the terminal
3. type
cat /usr/share/calendar/calendar.history | grep "LOTR"

enjoy

[Doug the Impaler]

i share my MP3 collection between iTunes for WIndows and iTunes for Mac by going into both apps' preferences (in OS X it's on the iTunes menu, on Windows it's on the Edit menu) and on the Advanced tab, I uncheck to keep my folder organized and to copy items to my music folder. Then from the File - Add to Library, pick the folder with the MP3. Doesn't matter if it's on an NTFS share; the database for the app is kept in the default location (which in OS X is ~/Music/iTunes). So now I know i'm not wasting any disk space with duplicate copies of my MP3.

[NatMusak]

Hey everyone. This is my first post on OSx86, although I've been frequenting this site a lot. Anyway, if you like the expose effect, check out the new Novell Xgl videos. This stuff looks a lot like Mac OS X and some features, like 3D desktop switching and transparent windows, are nice too.
Here's the link

enjoy

[jbjonas]

To put an eject icon on the top bar, go to /system/library/coreservices/menuextras and double-click on Eject.menu

Thanks for this one Metrogirl - I've been looking for how to do this.
There are a whole bunch of other menu extras in the same folder which you can add. Some are not compatible with x86 (for example 'Classic' will tell you that your system is not set up to run OS9 classic apps...)
Anyway, I was looking around to figure out how to remove or rearrange menu extras. By holding 'command' (or Alt by default on a windows keyboard) you can drag items off the menu or rearrange them. More info at http://guides.macrum...com/Menu_Extras

[R. Bear Helms]

Ctrl+F2 when the mouse isn't working. You can use arrow keys to navigate the menu bar and press return when you highlight the item you wanted.

Ctrl+F8 AFTER having pressed Ctrl+F2, it selects the right side of the menu bar. Why you can't get at it otherwise is a bit obtuse for me.

Unless you have discovered what key on a PC keyboard maps to "eject," the following aren't too helpful for you: Cmd+Ctrl+Eject = Reboot; Cmd+Alt+Ctrl+Eject = shutdown.

The "sleep" key on some PC keyboards will bring up a special dialog box on OS X by which you can select to sleep, restart, or shutdown (and cancel).

Cmd+Alt+Esc will force quit an app. If you do not see the force quit dialog, try choosing that from the Apple menu. If this still doesn't work, see if you can activate another application first by clicking a window or clicking an app in the dock that has a black arrow pointing up at it (this is a running/loaded indicator).

[A Nonny Moose]

All of my hidden stuff on OS X is done via TinkerTool. That one piece of software should be required on every Mac.

[XanthraX]

Other usefull tricks:
Open a Finder Window
Hold down 'Cmd' and click on a window title
You will see the hierarchical structure untill tnis folder, and can navigate up
Mount a CD or dmg image
Hold down 'Option' (Windows key) and drag the mounted image or disc. You can copy all contents of the mounted volume as a folder to the new desired location
If you are mounted a .dmg image to install something, the mounted volume will be opened as a simple window (without button bar and left pane). Click on a the above right button in a simple window and it becames a normal Finder window (with button bar and left pane). You can drag now the application direct in the 'Applications' folder located in the left pane.
Hope to understand my poor English.
Enjoy!

[bigboi00069]

heres my favorate. i have never heard of anyone mention it before and it is not mentioned on apple website or in help. And it is very usefull.

In quicktime, hold down shift and press up arrow key to increase volume more than normal. this is very useful for low volume videos.

[mac sussed]

When using Firefox 1.5.0.2 :-

Holding apple when clicking on a link opens it in a new tab.
Pressing space scrolls down one page.
Pressing shft + space dcrolls up one page.
Apple + option + left or right moves between tabs.
Apple + T opens a new tab.
Apple + W closes the current tab.
Apple + [ goes back.
Apple + ] goes forward.

[macgirl]

Here is how convert plist binary files to plain text files (or XML files editable on Text editors) and viceversa:

From binary to text (XML):

plutil -convert xml1 some_file.plist

From text or XML to binary:

plutil -convert binary1 some_other_file.plist