Setting up a local web server on OS XHere is my definitive guide to getting a local web server running on OS X. This is meant to be a development platform so that you can build and test your sites locally, then deploy to an internet server. This User Tip...view more
User Tip Prevent a volume from mounting at startup
Prevent a volume from mounting at startupSometimes, it can be useful to prevent a given volume from mounting at boot. You might want to hide an old OS version from Spotlight corruption. You just might not want to clutter your desktop. Note: Encrypted ...view more
User Tip Bookmarklet to fix AppleScript pasting on discussions.apple.com
Bookmarklet to fix AppleScript pasting on discussions.apple.comThe editing tools on discussions.apple.com cause a direct paste from AppleScript Editor to have a negative indent. This causes posts to appear misaligned, fixing the text normally requires manual HTML editing via the...view more
Fixing a hacked /etc/hosts fileThe majority of complaints about slow Macs also include a hacked hosts file. This file provides a way to redirect internet domain name lookups. There are three primary reasons for modifying this file: Developi...view more
User Tip Yosemite AppleScript stopped working, error -1708
Yosemite AppleScript stopped working, error -1708Just installed Yosemite GM (14A389) and tried to run some of my script apps, which work w/o issues in Mavericks and earlier. I’m getting error -1708 for most of them. The ones that use “do shell script&rdq...view more
Changing user account short nameCAUTION: Do not use this process if you have a Managed Account. Contact your system administrator for support. NOTE: This process results in the creation of a new account and migration of your user data to tha...view more
Starting out with AppleScriptGetting started Software Although there are 3rd party editors available, you don't need any external software to write, compile or run AppleScript scripts. OS X comes bundled with the AppleScript Editor, whic...view more
AppleScript file reference formsIn AppleScript there are several different ways of specifying particular files and folders on a disk. They will all refer to the same file or folder, obviously, but they are not always - or even often - interchangeabl...view more
Local mail server for OS XThis is meant to be a follow-on to my User Tip Setting up a local web server on OS X. Setting up a mail server is a bit more complex and not always required, so I put this document into its own post. I tried to use ma...view more
Installing MySQL on OS XThis User Tip describes how to download, install, and setup MySQL for use on OS X. It includes an optional section for Perl support. Please read through the entire User Tip before starting. Requirements: Basic...view more