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Leo Laporte A technology journalist, author and broadcast personality. His specialties lie in computers, the Web, video games, digital music and consumer electronics. |
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Amber MacArthur An experienced Web content and usability strategist, Amber is also a tech journalist who specializes in Internet, software, and gadget trends and tips. |
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A brief overview of approaches to keeping your Mac healthy and happy utilizing simple to use graphically interfaced Unix utilities.
How is your Mac feeling? Do you sense something isn’t quite right your electronic friend? Is it running slowly? Are files disappearing without telling you where they’ve gone? Well, maybe all it needs is some tender, loving care.
In this segment I want to focus on a few easy to use utilities. Built into Mac OS X is the underlying Unix operating system. Unix has built into it self-running maintenance routines that run in the middle of the night on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. However, not everyone keeps their machines running all night, especially mobile users plus there is much more that can be done. There is no need to worry because maintenance utilities are a little industry itself and are widely available and in many instances, free.
To begin with, built into every Mac is the ubiquitous and under-appreciated Disk Utility. This handy app can repair your Hard Disk’s permissions as well as fix directory issues if booted from an external device. It can make disk images for backup, format drives and more. I suggest fixing your permissions after any major application or system update.
One of the better utilities that go much further out there is Tiger Cache Cleaner from Northern Softworks. It can run basic routines such as permission repair, periodic cron maintenance routines, spotlight database rebuild capability, repair preference files, delete bloated swap memory files, optimize internet settings and now run Virus protection and detection using its built-in support for the free ClamAV anti-virus software used in Mac OS X Server. This feature is well worth the $8.95 for this feature-rich utility.
The interface is extremely simple – just launch the application and follow the prompts. You will need an admin account to run the routines and the anti-virus software will be installed and its definitions updated upon first use. There are some interesting features located under its menu system so take a look around if you choose to use this application (such as quitting Dashboard, Spotlight and more). You can also schedule the various routines of your choice in TCC’s preference area.
Another easy to use application in the same vein is YASU (which literally stands for Yet Another System Utility). It’s even simpler and more basic to use. Just launch the application, click on the routines you want to run in its single window and you’re off.
A lot of utilities now include features that not only run cron scripts or repair cache and memory files, but also affect the Finder appearance and menu functions, dock, dashboard and exposé behaviours. They can create login messages, even change the link of the iTunes’ pointer arrow and even make invisible files visible. One such application that I like for these tasks is Onyx. Again, this is a very easy, very graphically rich application that allows all this and more.
Perhaps you have your favourite unix utility – there are many. As always, before you run anything that can affect your system such as the utilities mentioned make sure you know what you’re doing and that you have a proper backup of your important data.
There are two essential utility apps that I use for my clients who use Power PC based Macs which, at the moment, have not been ported over for use on the new MacIntel’s. They are Disk Warrior from Alsoft and Applejack. For directory repair and maintenance there is no better application for PPC’s than Disk Warrior. It has gotten my clients out of many jams and repaired many strange symptoms that can be caused by damaged directories and volume information maps.
Applejack is a must for OS X users on the PPC processor. This fine and free utility must be installed beforehand when things are working. It is called into action while booting up in Single User Mode - during the startup or reboot process hold down the Apple key and the letter ‘S’. Keep holding those keys until your are presented with a black screen with white writing (you may think you’re running Windows, but you’re not). You will prompted to type the word ‘Applejack’. Just read the easy to follow instructions provided check your hard drive, repair permissions, clean out cache files, preference files and VM files.
A Universal version is being worked on for both applications and will hopefully be released soon.
RELATED WEBSITE LINKS
Macmedics.ca
Jimmitchell.org/projects/yasu/
Titanium.free.fr/pgs/english.html
Alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/index.html
Applejack.sourceforge.net/
PRODUCTS SHOWN
Tiger Cache Cleaner - $8.95
YASU – Donation Ware
Onyx – Donation Ware
Disk Warrior - $99
Applejack – Donation Ware
ABOUT THE GUEST
Jeff Barrett started MacMedics 8 years ago when he saw an unfilled need for Mac support for the home and small business user. During this time MacMedics has become one of the premier Mac support consultant companies in Toronto servicing the myriad needs of its diverse clientele.
