Finder Preferences allow users to change the sidebar, alter how searches work, show file extensions, configure label names, alter what devices show up on the desktop of a system and control the behavior of Finder windows. You can access Finder Preferences either using the Preferences menu (under the Finder menu) with the Finder as the active application or using the Command-, keystroke. There are a number of reasons I’ve seen people want to disable Finder Preferences, such as controlling user experience and easing support of the user experience for OS X. To do so, send a boolean ProhibitFinderPreferences key to com.apple.finder as TRUE (and kill the Finder): defaults write com.apple.finder…
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Who Needs Root When You Can Have Simple Finder
Here’s the thing: I’m not very good with computers. So to keep me from hurting myself too badly, I need the simplest interface available that allows me to run multiple applications. But most of the command keys shouldn’t work in this interface and I should only have Finder, file and Help menus. Luckily for my poor MacBook Airs, Apple thought of people like me when they wrote the Finder and invented something called Simple Finder which makes OS X even simpler than it is by default to use. To enable Simple Finder, just go to Parental controls, enable controls for a user and then check the box for Simple Finder.…
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Disable the Go To Folder Menu Item
For many environments, securing OS X is basically trying to make the computer act more like an iOS device. Some of the easier tasks involve disabling access to certain apps, sandboxing and controlling access to certain features. One of the steps en route to building an iOS-esque environment in OS X is to disable that Go to Folder… option. To do so, set the ProhibitGoToFolder key as true in com.apple.finder: defaults write com.apple.finder ProhibitGoToFolder -bool true Then reboot, or kill the Finder: killall Finder To undo, set the ProhibitGoToFolder as false: defaults write com.apple.finder ProhibitGoToFolder -bool false
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Selecting Text in QuickLook
You’re searching for some content on your desktop and opening pages file after pages file and pdf after pdf in QuickLook. Finally you find that one juicy morsel. It’s a short script you just need to copy into your clipboard. But you can’t. The gods of technology are aligned against you, to make you hit command-O and then after waiting for the entire 3 seconds it takes Preview to open, you have to search within the document for that information. Holy crap, you just lost at least 5 to 8 seconds of your day. I guess now you have to cancel vacation or let your spouse know you’ll be home…
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Mac OS X: Showing Invisible Files
I originally posted this at http://www.318.com/TechJournal Have you ever been looking for some files an you just can’t find them. Well, maybe they’re hidden. If you need to see hidden files, use the following command:defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean true killall Finder The problem with seeing hidden files is that you see a lot of stuff that you really probably don’t want to see. So to get back to a state where you don’t have to see all of the invisible files, use the following command: defaults delete com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles killall Finder