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1500 questions
77
votes
5 answers
Why is macOS often referred to as 'Darwin'?
In several languages, instead of returning something like "macOS", the command to view the operating system instead returns
Darwin
I see this in languages like R, and node.
Why is macOS sometimes called Darwin??
stevec
- 4,955
77
votes
6 answers
Disable Bluetooth or disconnect Bluetooth connections when lid is closed
A case in point: I have Bluetooth headphones connected to my MacBook Pro, I close the lid and want to connect headphones to my iPhone. I can't do that because the MBP ↔ headphones connection is still active.
How do I configure macOS so that…
syntagma
- 10,888
77
votes
6 answers
Compress without .DS_Store and __MACOSX
When I compress a folder or file by right click menu of Mac OS X, the archived file contains .DS_Store and __MACOSX folders. Because I share the archived file online for download, Windows users mistakenly trying to search the file in __MACOSX…
John Bernard
- 883
- 1
- 7
- 5
77
votes
6 answers
Is there a way to make the Menu bar show at all times in fullscreen windows?
I'm new to macOS and I really like the way you can assign a window to be it's own Desktop via full-screening. However, I have an issue with the default way the Menu bar works in full-screen.
I often move my cursor to the top of the screen to click…
Slicedbread
- 873
77
votes
9 answers
How can I open a .pkg file manually?
Some applications come in .pkg files, and ask for you administrator password, even if all they do is copy the binary to /Applications.
I like to have my applications in ~/Applications, and I do not like to give administrative permissions to anything…
Thilo
- 5,508
77
votes
4 answers
Time in milliseconds since epoch in the terminal
How do I get the time since the epoch, in milliseconds, in the OSX terminal?
The Linux/Ubuntu equivalent is date +%s.%N:
Linux $ date +%s.%N
1403377762.035521859
Which does not work in my OSX terminal:
OSX $ date +%s.%N
1403377800.N
Adam Matan
- 3,657
77
votes
16 answers
What file comparison tool can I use under OS X?
My favorite file comparison tool was Beyond Compare but since I recently switched to OS X, i'm no longer able to use it and I'm looking for an alternative, preferably a free one.
Update: I made the mistake not to specify that I am also looking for a…
sorin
- 29,875
76
votes
10 answers
Can I share my iMac's internet to iPhone or iPad over USB?
I have an iMac, connected to the Internet via Ethernet, and an iPhone 4. I would like to share the iMac's Internet connection to my iPhone via the USB Cable (because my wife dreams of a wifi-less household).
I've set up Internet Sharing, specifying…
pixeline
- 863
76
votes
16 answers
What's a good Mac equivalent of WinMerge?
WinMerge is an excellent and very powerful file merging tool, but as the name would imply, it's Windows only. What's a good equivalent on the Mac?
Warren Pena
- 3,037
- 3
- 22
- 22
76
votes
13 answers
How can I avoid my MacBook Pro giving me minor shocks?
The aluminum Macbook Pro gives a mild shock when connected to a wall socket and charging. It only happens when I'm, for example, not wearing shoes or slippers and my feet are resting on the ground (i.e. by body is acting as a conductor).
I contacted…
Code Poet
- 1,475
76
votes
11 answers
How to restart Bluetooth service from command line
On Linux, if one wishes to restart the Bluetooth service, they simply launch a terminal and issue the following command:
sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart
What is the equivalent on Mac OS X? I would like to restart my Bluetooth without having to…
zeeple
- 1,669
76
votes
7 answers
Looking for VNC client solutions that work reliably on a Mac running OS X 10.9.5
I have a number of FreeBSD servers, and I'd like to put VNC server software on them, then access them from a Mac running OS X 10.9.5.
I really don't want to have to access them from a virtual windows machine running on the MAC :-(
A web search for…
Arlie Stephens
- 1,055
76
votes
9 answers
Write to NTFS-formated drives on Yosemite
I sometimes need to mount USB drives that are NTFS formatted and write to them. On Mavericks I achieved this using the Homebrew formula ntfs-3g which depends on osxfuse.
After upgrading to Yosemite, osxfuse is broken. Homebrew message:
==>…
wberry
- 917
76
votes
10 answers
How to prevent Command-I/Command-Shift-I from opening Mac Mail when in browser?
When in a browser (Chrome or Safari), the following keyboard shortcuts both launch the MacOS Mail app, and there doesn't seem to be any way to change or disable them.
Command+I
Command+Shift+I
Cmd-I / ⌘-I is particularly annoying because of course…
Kirk Woll
- 1,004
75
votes
2 answers
What is Mobile Sync - Backup and why is it taking so much space?
I was checking my directory and found out that the Folder Backup in Library > Application Support > Mobile Sync > Backup, is taking 13GB of my Harddisk ... What is this and why is taking so much space .. Can I delete it ?
Render
- 7,157