had been running so slow was due to some internal settings. Could someone direct me as to how i might run this PERMISSIONS program, and what preferences files i should delete or edit. Are there any FAQS on these topics within the ADOBE site? What exactly would emptying my cache files do for my set-up with CS?
had been running so slow was due to some internal settings. Could someone direct me as to how i might run this PERMISSIONS program, and what preferences files i should delete or edit. Are there any FAQS on these topics within the ADOBE site? What exactly would emptying my cache files do for my set-up with CS?
You can Repair Permissions through Apple’s Disk Utility or by using the $12 Cocktail program. (The latter does a lot of other maintenance tasks for you too which you could also do through UNIX commands but Cocktail is easier.)
Macaroni is a tool which handles regular maintenance for Mac OS X’s Unix core. Normally these tasks run on a regular schedule, in the middle of the night. However if you don’t leave your Mac on all night, they never run. Your Mac won’t wake from sleep to handle this.
Macaroni solves this problem. If a scheduled maintenance task is not run when it’s normally scheduled, Macaroni automatically ensures that it’s run at the next opportunity, whenever the Mac is on. Automatically runs maintenance jobs Configurable: Add your own scheduled tasks Custom tasks can be scheduled as daily, weekly, monthly, or at regular intervals (such as "every three days"). Tracks maintenance history Displays results of latest maintenance run. Tasks may be configured to run only during system idle time. Tasks may be configured to wait until your system is plugged in, saving battery power. Maintains Mac OS X Unix privileges using the "Repair Privileges" utility Cleans language-specific localized files for languages you don’t need. (Our number-one most requested Macaroni feature.)
It’s the best $9 I’ve spent on OS X utilities and with the new feature of getting rid of language specific localized files (which it runs once a month) I can just install applications and know that all the extraneous language files will be removed, not to mention once a week automatic rebuilding of privileges in addition to the other maintenance routines.
So is this all that has to be done to maintain OS X? Is this the equivalent to Classic OS’s Conflict Catcher, rebuild the desktop, trash preferences and zapping the PRAM?
Or does all this still have to be done in OS X in addition to what Macaroni and Cocktail do?
<< So is this all that has to be done to maintain OS X? >>
Normally, yes.
Repairing Permissions and re-prebinding replace rebuilding the desktop. (Cocktail can do both in a couple of minutes — automatically.)
You may still have to trash Preferences but it is pretty rare and you may only have to do that because you are doing a "Clean install" of an application.
You can still Zap the PRAM and Reset the VRAM in OSX but it is highly unlikely that you will ever need to.
I still have cold feet on putting OS X on my pismo.
I’ve been told X’s more stable than classic, but Unix scares the crap out of me and doing a one minute restart in OS 9 over everything that has been going on with PS and X makes me consider staying with what I’ve got for now.
and doing a one minute restart in OS 9 over everything that has been going on with PS and X makes me consider staying with what I’ve got for now.
Tim,
I won’t deny that there have been growing pains and new issues everytime Apple updates OSX….
BUT…
With a newer Mac running a clean install of OSX and updated Photoshop and other native apps, you shouldn’t see tons of issues. We’ve moved beyond "advanced beta testing" of X… it works for most people in most situations the same as and usually better than OS9. And the UNIX stays pretty well hidden under the hood. yes, there are still font issues (not difficult to avoid most with a lil advance info…) and some legacy hookup issues (but OS9 has those too, right?). In all, with a thoughful operator, OSX is smooth.
Cocktail does much more than Macaroni and is the Swiss Army Knife of OS X access utilities (and probably the best of the field). I call it an access utility because it accesses capacities already built into the system unlike DiskWarrior or TechTool Pro which perform routines beyond those inherent in the system.
The reason I like Macaroni so much is because the things it does are performed automatically and the UNIX maintenance routines and Permissions rebuilds are vital to a solid system. The business with eliminating useless language resources is icing on the cake. Install it and forget about it.
Though I own Cocktail too, I never need to actually use it.
I truly would like to put OS X on my pismo. But there’s also speed hit issues as well to consider so I’ll probably buy a newer/used Mac made for OS X like I did with the pismo.
After buying the pismo off ebay without any hassles, paying top dollar for a new computer doesn’t make sense financially for me right now. I’ve already accumatively invested around $7000 of my own savings in all this gear and SW and I still have to make room for PS 7 upgrade and Indesign.
I’ve found I’ve gotten myself into something that I can’t financially keep up with and have to make do with what I’ve got.
I just tried Cocktail for the first time today… I have to say that its little ability to turn off the annoying window resizing speed and collapsing animation of OSX’s GUI is worth the price alone. I, too, was a faithful MacJanitor user…
I haven’t used MacJanitor for a while (and there have probably been some updates in the interval) but I don’t remember that it could do anything except run the Cron scripts.
Cocktail does that of course, but it also trashes caches, repairs permissions and re-prebinds the System. It can also be used to "Delete DS Store" which are annoying invisible files that get in the way of Window’s users if you have to send files to them.
[Does anyone know what these DS Store files are needed for anyway?]
Prebinding and/or re-prebinding is similar to the old rebuild desktop.
Well some of the functions of prebinding may affect the desktop, more accurately, prebinding is the UNIX function of making a series of connections among all the resources of an application so it launches faster.
A closer analogy to rebuilding the desktop is to trash the ~Library/Caches/com.apple.LaunchServices.6B.csstore" and restarting. There may be an analogous file in the Users/Library as well. Basically the Launch Services files store information relating to application binding, icons etc. These files can get corrupted occasionally and that is what messes up the desktop.
There is a little freeware app to rebuild the desktop but it is also addressed in one of the many ‘access utilities’ released for OS X, Cocktail, OnyX (freeware), TinkerTool Pro, Panther Cache Cleaner etc. etc. (I forget which one just now.) They all access a variety of ‘hidden’ options.
you can set Cocktail to run the routines any time you want.
True. Macaroni performs the routine automatically based on use rather at an exact predetermined time which the user specifies, plus it cleans extraneous language localizations. It dynamically performs the tasks when the computer is on but idle.
That Unix function you’ve described for prebinding is the very thing that OS 9 needs.
I’ve noticed when quitting and launching many apps as well as editing multiple files from several open documents among different apps, the OS seems to have a problem remembering where things are which eventually leads to a lockup and a restart.
Just guessing if that is the real problem, though.
I stopped seeing problems with Mac OS 9.2.2 a long time ago. I did get rid of the Control Strip extension and everything connected to it, Desktop Printer extension and a few other things. Now I just have to watch out for MS IE, carefully purging the memory after using it.
Eventually I’ll start moving over to OS X, since Panther is already installed on the new machine, but for the time being, I’m booting exclusively into 9.2.2.
Good tips. I should add the problems mentioned in my previous post is rare.
So you have problems with IE as well. I’ve been purging the history and cache file lately after disconnecting from my dialup thinking this would stop the spinning beach ball when I reconnect. I thought it was just internet traffic but I’m beginning to think otherwise. Google doesn’t even want to load and that’s my home page.
Leaving IE open while disconnected as I read downloaded pages usually causes this. I just found out if I open a new window while using the Remote Access in the control strip when reconnecting fixes this for some reason. I haven’t thoroughly tested this, but it’s frustrating nonetheless.
What does the control strip do to your system to cause you to trash it? I love the convenience of the control strip.
Ann and others who use Cocktail, I just downloaded and purchased it. I assume I’ll get something by email that tells me how to convert what I downloaded into a "real" versus trial application?
Also, can I now discard MacJanitor and Cache Out X? Cocktail will do what both of these do… and more? They are now just taking up space on my drive?
The Control Strip Extension was identified as a potential source of instability a long time ago. Third party extensions often conflict with it. David Pogue may have even mentioned this in his Missing Manual for OS 9 or in an article. Since I never liked the Control Strip anyway (and I positively hate the Dock in OS X, a combination of the Control Strip and the Launcher) I just disabled it.
I’m permanently connected to the net, but even so MS IE has some sort of memory leak. Because right now I have two machines, I’ve relegated all MS applications to the old FrankenmacG4 (beige Mini Tower with a 530MHz G4 ZIF upgrade). So far everything is working very nicely. Knock on wood.
You should receive an e-mail shortly which gives you the serial number. Then, as far as I can remember, you just hit the "Purchase" button and type in the SN. You shouldn’t need either MacJanitor or CacheOut anymore.
Thank you for the link which explains the reason for the DS_Store files.
I ran into a problem when I needed to upload some on-line html Ads. and the Host Server was refusing my files because they contained these invisible DS_Store files.
Using Cocktail’s Droplet lets me strip those DS_Store files from a folder before zipping and uploading it to this particular Hosting server.
I have a feeling that you also need to strip those files before burning CDs that may be opened on a Windows machine.
Cocktail’s great. REALLY SLOW to load here for some reason but very useful features. Wish it gave a little more real time feedback on what’s happening… a progress bar or running list of actions. I see you can get this with the "output" window, but only for Crons and Permissions repair.
Has anyone used the "network optimization feature?"
Doug: I have just timed Cocktail: With all options selected (including the labour-intensive Weekly Cron and Re-Prebinding), the total run-time was 7 mins. 25 secs..
On my machine, the task being tackled shows up in the bottom of Cocktail’s window but I do have "Show Confirmation Dialogs" checked in Cocktail’s Prefs..
No, Ann, I mean to FIRST LOAD UP. I click my Cocktail icon in the Dock and wait some time before I’m asked for my password, and then some more (dead) time before my opening panel of options appears. Not impossibly long. Just a lot longer than any other application. (Probably made longer by the absence of any visual cues… no progress bar or dialog en route to full load.)
Now tell me about Repair Permissions. Is this perfectly identical to Disk Utilities’ Repair Permissions? An exact replica? No need ever again to run R/P from Apple’s Disk Utility?
(And please check my response to your post in the AI Forum about delays with Area Type.)
(And the carton of Godiva should have arrived by now.)
But you might want to run Disk Utility’s version after installing new programs.
Try using DU first after you installed Cocktail for the first time. Then run Cocktail and see if it launches more quickly. It launches in 5 seconds on this machine. There is also a new update available this morning (v.3.4.4) but it may be that this version is only for Panther.
[Also, see my comments in your Illustrator thread.]
Edited a few moments later: I have just downloaded Cocktail 3.4.4 and it is apparently OK for both Panther and Jaguar.
Launches in 5 seconds? So Cocktail’s faster AND you have no AICS area type editing delays? Maybe BOTH have to do with the fact that I’m on a G4 500 and you’re on a G5?
Yes. And yes. It’s VERY slow both before and after sign-in screen here on this ol’ rickety G4 500 with 10.2.8. But I’m wondering if there’s possibly any OTHER reason why. I’ve repaired permissions, run DW3. What else can I try to speed its loading up?
Did you try running DiskWarrior; trashing Adobefnt.lst files (all Flavours) and running DiskUtility’s "Repair Permissions" after installing new software?
I don’t know what else to suggest. Perhaps someone else who is running on Jaguar has some better ideas?
Yes, Ann. I’m one of your better students. I’ve learned all those things from you already. And they’ve been done. I’ve written an email to the developer of Cocktail simply asking whether my sclerotic machine and "older" OS account for the initial delays or some other, more controllable factor(s).
Don’t worry about it. Part of the reason I don’t use Cocktail is that it takes about 15 seconds from launch to the password window on my machine, a 1GHz upgraded Sawtooth G4, and then four or five seconds to the actual application window. Given that there are a half a dozen other applications which don’t have the delay and are nearly identical, I was never that enthusiastic about it. It does do what it advertises, though, and seems to be the access utility of choice on this forum.
As far as I’m concerned, OS X is still a beta application for the simple fact that Apple tells its users to re install an application if it is acting up.
Well……..
You just can’t do that with a server running OS X.
X stands for EXPERMINTAL!
Use at your own risk…..
Apple has a LOT of growing up to do.
btw. They can’t even decide which Unix protocol to use for printing…………what a mess.
X runs great here… other than when I muck with it (below).
A caveat about Cocktail. If you read the recent reviews at VT people (including myself) have had problems with some of the recent updates. And you’ll notice that the price on it dropped also. Coincidental?
I had major problems with one of its updates less than a week ago. And none of the numerous problems that manifested themselves had occured prior to using the recent update. (I believe it was 3.4.2. And the author had another update right after I emailed him about my problems. Again… coincidental?)
I still believe that ‘less-is-more’ with OS X.
If Cocktail works fine for you great, but I thought after approximately a half hour of troubleshooting and emailing the author that I was going to have to use a backup of my main partition (no exaggeration… that bad). So just make sure you have a very recent backup before using it.
Don’t just take my word for it though… read the recent reviews for the last two weeks at VT.
If an author (in this case Cocktail’s) can create an update (3.4.2) that hoses (as some VT reviews state), or almost hoses in my case, an entire system that had been running rock solid… then I say it can always happen again.
Ann… neither you nor I… would have believed how almost totally thrashed my entire system was after using this ‘update’ just one time. And as noted at VT… some had to reinstall Panther.
MacJanitor has never caused any problems for me as far as I can tell.
OS X = less-is-more. (Less ‘maintenance’ actually produces more up time IMO.)
From the developer via email in response to my questions about Cocktail start up time (on a G4 500 Dual with OSX 10.2.8 ):
<<Thank you very much for your email. I am trying to optimize the code that have to be executed at startup in every new version. Unfortunately there are many settings and control functions that have to be read/executed when Cocktail is launched. I have now reduced startup time to 3 seconds on PowerMac G5 2×2 GHz with 1,5 GB RAM. Please disable "Automatically check for updates" and "Check status of SMART compatible drives at startup" settings in Preferences if you want Cocktail to launch as fast as possible.>>
The mailing labels must have been accidentally ripped-off by FEDEX — they can be SO careless sometimes. But come to think of it — the roses were hand-deliveredâ¦â¦
I must therefore express my undying gratitude for your attentive devotion and my wonderment at the dimensions of your ability to deliver tangible objects from the nebulous vapour of the ether (net).
Well, if you’re that appreciative, then how ’bout a little help? I’ve just purchased Acrobat 6.0 Pro. (No manual!) I know you really know your way around this program (like you know all the others). I’m slogging through Help and a Total Training tutorial, but I have a few questions. For example:
1) There seems to be a multitude of ways to actually create PDFs – from within the authoring application (Save As or Export), through the Print dialog (I assume with the aid of Distiller’s PPD there), and even from within Acrobat in some cases. I seem to get the SMALLEST (in file size) AICS files by Saving As in AICS… even smaller than with the Print dialog. Is that your experience too? If so, why would I want to go through the Print dialog especially if I want to prepare a soft proof for a client and need small size files?
2) What is the very best PDF FORMAT for commerical offset? "Press" format (seems logical)? "PDF/X" (and which one of the two)? High Quality?
3) AND what’s the very best WAY to make press-readies? Through the authoring program’s Print dialog where I seem to be able to choose from these format options? Or, for example through an AICS Save As after going to Edit>PDF Presets and choosing the highest quality, or maybe even Custom? What’s the DIFFERENCE between the Print dialog and the AICS Save As after the right PDF preset is selected? (Too many CHOICES!)
4) How did you learn the ins and outs of this program? How should I?
(I know this post is OT, but no one seems to have any pressing issues on this thread right now, so I’m slipping it in – just between you and me – and I hope no one notices or is offended….)
To begin at the end (the way that I always read books): << 4) How did you learn the ins and outs of this program? How should I? >>
With difficulty — and I don’t know that I really do know the ins and outs of the program. Omitting a printed manual was inexcusable to my mind — although there is a PDF Manual included on the CD which you could print out if you feel like printing 415 pages! This is on the CD in the "Help" folder.
Another, but older, Adobe Publication which you might find helpful was: "How to Create Adobe PDF files for Print and Press."
For output to Press, you can start with the canned Press profile but you may need to set up Custom settings for your own workflow.
The Save As PDF routine seems to create PDF’s that refuse to RIP on some equipment while the Print to PDF seems to be fail-safe. Jason ran into this one I believe.
The PDF/X formulae is used by some publications as their required standard but I believe that it is restricted to v.1.3 PDFs and precludes the use of transparency. I suspect it may be used when the printer has plans to output your file via QXP?!
This where we really need some input from John Kallios and MO because they have the pleasure of having to deal with these PDF critters that we hurl in their direction.
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