Sitting in the dark, as many of us geekly types often do, I don't look out the window much. I also don't like surprises. Needless to say, I don't like clamoring out of my cove only to find that it's raining. Or snowing. Or 127º. So, I came up with a simple solution: let Geektool keep me up to date with the weather. This script requires you to have lynx installed, so if you don't already have it, head on over to MacPorts or Fink and grab yourself a copy (either sudo fink install lynx or sudo port install lynx, depending on your flavor.) Dump the following script into your favorite editor, and chmod +x it. (I threw mine into /usr/bin). (continue reading...)

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When I first switched to Mac, I thought it was pretty strange that there was a key on the keyboard dedicated to ejecting the cdrom. It wasn't until I had been using OS X for quite some time that I realized that there was more to the eject key than met the eye. Enter: secret uses of the OS X eject key.

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I am a huge fan of Geek Tool. A description, from their website, reads:

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Introduction

We have previously covered Windows and Linux backups, and now it's time to talk about our third, and final, operating system: Mac OS X. Of the three, OS X is by far the easiest to back up and restore. With that said, this should be very short, sweet, and right to the point. Let's dive in, shall we?

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Introduction

Continuing with our articles on backups, let's talk for a minute about backsups in Windows. Sure, you've been raked over the coals by paying for Windows (and the subsequent "downgrade" back to XP), Windows Software, and the extra hardware you need to actually use Windows, so why should we have to pay for a backup solution too? Backups are important. Not having software to backup your computer with is no excuse to turn your back on this essential part of computer-ownership. There are so many solutions out there - Ghost, the integrated Windows Backup utility, or even the User State Migration Tool for a pseudo-backup. While Ghost can do the job, it isn't free. There's always the fact that Microsoft never actually released the source code, or drivers, for NTFS, so doing a partition clone is at your own risk. In my experience, cloning back to a drive from a Ghost backup leaves the system with certain inherent instability risks. Alas, in a time of need, an unstable backup is better than nothing. Who knows, your mileage may vary.

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Backup

Backups are more than a good idea these days; they're a necessity. Whether it's photos and documents, or million-dollar databases, losing your data is never a good idea - especially when doing a backup is so simple.

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For those in the know, the HOSTS file is a great way to locally cache DNS to commonly visited websites, or to give quick access to local machines via hostname on your network. There are many other uses for the HOSTS file, but today we're not really focused on what it is, but rather, how to enable it.

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I had a lot of problems getting my Linux box to use my S-Video connection as it's primary and only display adapter. First, it would POST (black and white only) then, when X started, it would just cut out signal entirely. I'm still not entirely sure why this is, but I have come up with a solution anyway. First, one should note that if a VGA cable is plugged in, the system will mirror output through post, but will immediately cut out the S-Video once X starts. To get around this, we need to unplug the VGA cable, and work strictly off the S-Video. Not to worry once the X server cuts video feed to S-Video, as a terminal console does not use the X display drivers. To switch to a console, simply hold CTRL and ALT, and use a Function key (F1-F12.) F7 is typically reserved for the X display, so I like to use F2. Once you're in a console, display should pop back up on your TV (horray!). Then, we need to kill X. Depending on what distro you're using, and what window manager you're using, the commands vary. On Ubuntu, the command would be: (continue reading...)

lineMy script is finally finished. Nobody else has created a script like this, and I wonder why not? There are plenty of system builders out there: small shops, OEM builders, etc etc etc. You would think they would like a script like this? I digress. This script will set your background based on your current aspect ratio, as well as set your OEM information. (continue reading...)