Powerful again
A few weeks ago my MacBook Pro battery decided it is too old (1 year !) and needs to retire. After many unexpected drops for power from 40% to 0% in a second I decided it will not heal itself magically.
Colleague of mine suggested I should not buy an Apple replacement (which I should got for free btw. but I was one (1 !) day late in calling their helpline after Galway 3G store send me away) – and I was happy to exercise this idea. I simply love MacOSX – but certain ideas about the way Apple treats their customers is unbearable.
After some googling I’ve stumbled on http://fastmac.com/ and today the battery has arrived. Looks very much like my previous one – but I have already tested that it lasts much longer than the Apple original ever did. Well done guys. When I am fed up with my processor power – I will call ya again 
On SVN, sf.net and MacOSX
Just a short note to everybody who is struggling with either (or both) problems:
* since only recenly was unable to use your sourceforge.net hosted subversion account with strange response 403
* was trying to use SCPlugin for MacOSX with https:// repositories without success
The solution to the first problem is pretty simple – you are probably using http://…sf.net/... address for your repositories – this is no longer supported.
To solve your problems – do
svn switch –relocate http://…... https://…….
The second problem might (as in my case) arise from the SSL certificate problems with the subversion server. If you enter your repository URL to the web browser and it asks you to confirm the certificate than this is exactly the problem I was facing, and … good news – here is the solution for you. Apparently SCPlugin still cannot ask you to confirm the certificate through GUI, so you have to do it yourself manually.
The easiest way is to call
svn ls https://…..
and answer (p)ermanently to the given question.
However, since neither MacOSX (Leopard 10.5.4) nor Fink provides subversion in the new (backward incompatible!), endorsed by sf.net version 1.5 you might consider using the one (1.5.1) provided by SCPlugin at the following location:
/Library/Contextual\ Menu\ Items/SCFinderPlugin.plugin/Contents/Resources/SCPluginUIDaemon.app/Contents/bin/svn
The new SmartSVN 4 is also compatible with SVN 1.5 so your command line SVN might soon be incompatible with your repositories (if you use SmartSVN 4 at least once with this repository!)
Drag and Drop in MacOS X
One thing I simply love about Mac is the consistency of UI interaction design.
For example, you can drag and drop files – right simple. But you can also use the same paradigm to copy color code from one editor to another. It is much easier than retyping it, or twisting arm to get it to the text editor.
Here is a short example:
Running fresh Leopard **might** solve your AirPort problems
I could not stand it any longer – certain issues which worked on Ewelina’s Mac somehow did not work on mine, e.g., no auto-connect to known WiFi networks.
I thought to myself – this have to be because I did Tiger-to-Leopard upgrade. Time to reinstall my precious Leo and see what will happen.
The whole procedure started on Friday night, and I got it operational few hours later with my stuff seamlessly migrated thanks to the wonders of TimeMachine/TimeCapsule (sweet – trust me).
I have saved a lot of space as a side effect – this time I knew what NOT to install ☺
And the Wifi apparently worked just fine.
At least until …. I came downstairs where a separate WiFi network is setup (our walls as so tick the signal can hardly go from one floor to other). To my surprise – autoconnect to the network downstairs did no work. I was trying everything – from changing network settings to fiddling with KeyChain access.
Nothing helped.
Than, following an old and very good advice of my old friend and Unix guru in one person, i.e., Dorota, I have checked LOGs using Mac’s Console.
And I have found this:
7/27/08 15:16:44 SystemUIServer[122] Error: _ACNetworkCopyKeychainItem() expected password for “WiSkrukDownstairs” not found: -25300 (The specified item could not be found in the keychain.)
After some googling I have came across a post suggesting that moving “System Preferences” from /Applications to /Applications/Utilities/ can be the cause.
Really ?! I mean – this application should be in utilities in the first place.
Well, anyway – I gave it a shout.
Result?
Now it works
Mac vs PC (by Umberto Eco)
The fact is that the world is divided between users of the Macintosh computer and users of MS-DOS compatible computers. I am firmly of the opinion that the Macintosh is Catholic and that DOS is Protestant. Indeed, the Macintosh is counter-reformist and has been influenced by the ‘ratio studiorum’ of the Jesuits. It is cheerful, friendly, conciliatory, it tells the faithful how they must proceed step by step to reach–if not the Kingdom of Heaven–the moment in which their document is printed. It is catechistic: the essence of revelation is dealt with via simple formulae and sumptuous icons. Everyone has a right to salvation.
DOS is Protestant, or even Calvinistic. It allows free interpretation of scripture, demands difficult personal decisions, imposes a subtle hermeneutics upon the user, and takes for granted the idea that not all can reach salvation. To make the system work you need to interpret the program yourself: a long way from the baroque community of revellers, the user is closed within the loneliness of his own inner torment.
You may object that, with the passage to Windows, the DOS universe has come to resemble more closely the counter-reformist tolerance of the Macintosh. It’s true: Windows represents an Anglican-style schism, big ceremonies in the cathedral, but there is always the possibility of a return to DOS to change things in accordance with bizarre decisions; when it comes down to it, you can decide to allow women and gays to be ministers if you want to…..
And machine code, which lies beneath both systems (or environments, if you prefer)? Ah, that is to do with the Old Testament, and is talmudic and cabalistic…
[ Being a Mac user and a Catholic - I leave no comments to that
]