Earlier quoted context omitted.
I second Ice - it's great https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice
Its good but I kill it frequently..
Huh, I've never had to kill it!
macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
281–290 of 360 posts
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#282Earlier quoted context omitted.
I autohide the dock when I get a new mac, and usually manage to forget it exists. Command-Tab to switch apps, Command-Space to open apps. Why would I want the Dock?
I suddenly realize the only thing I use the dock for is to right-click the trash to empty it. How do you empty the trash? It's never even occurred to me... how do you get to the trash except via the dock?
IIRC Finder has an option to delete files from the Trash 30 days after they're put there. I just enable that option and forget about the Trash completely.
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#283Install the sanest keyboard text navigation bindings globally: http://xahlee.info/kbd/osx_keybinding.html
(I'd been mapping individual app configs to this for years before finding this, but the seamless OS-wide application is big upgrade)
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#284Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Right-click on directory > Services > New Terminal at Folder. Note that you can also bind a hotkey to this! And in general in macOS, you can a bind to a hotkey to any menu item in any application. Search "keyboard shortcuts" in settings, then under Services -> Files and Folders.
except Excel's ribbon menu items. As far as I know there's no method to hotkey those like ALT+[ ] on windows. Same for Outlook's categorize email function.
Those are not "menu items" as generally understood in macOS.
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#285Any recommendations for some kind of file manager to replace finder?
I like ForkLift and QSpace. ForkLift "feels" more Mac native, but QSpace is kind of the everything tool use see in the Windows world.
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#286Earlier quoted context omitted.
What exactly is so bad about Finder? I've never had any issues with it.
- Awkward sorting by name (mixing folders and files), unless you change the default - Does not snap files to a grid by default on icon view, leaving some folders looking like a mess - Not possible to figure out what's the exact path of the open folder - I just want a full path in the header/title bar. Or let me copy the full path without having to open "get info"
> I just want a full path in the header/title bar
Apart from the Path bar in the bottom, there is also an old school title bar method:
defaults write com.apple.finder _FXShowPosixPathInTitle -bool true
killall Finder
It doesn’t work for great for tabs, though, because tabs are short and paths are long.
> Or let me copy the full path …
There are some alternative fun and old methods:
* If you're hovering over the title bar of a finder window there is a little folder icon, the so-called proxy icon which gives access to the current folder. One can drag and drop it and it moves the folder. Dragging a folder or the proxy icon on the Dock icon of Terminal or iTerm opens a new window with the working directory directly set to the folder. But dragged into a text field you're getting the text path. Right click gives you a dropdown for navigation in the current folders path.
The proxy icon was stable in Finder until recently, now you need to hover. But you can re-activate the permanent display of the proxy icon under System Settings → Accessibility → Display, I think.
* MacOS has, since the Next days, the concept of Services. Services are little actions which the System and (good) Apps can provide to do something with with something. Services are found in the context menu or the App menu. If you're right clicking on a folder (sadly not the proxy icon), there are Service Actions by Terminal and iTerm for opening a window or tab for a selected folder.
* AppleScript:
tell application "Finder"
if exists window 1 then
set currentDir to POSIX path of ((target of front Finder window) as text)
else
set currentDir to POSIX path of (path to desktop folder)
end if
set the clipboard to currentDir
end tell
But you can use AppleScript everywhere in MacOS. The Script-Menu, as an own App, as an Automator action or a Shortcut, you can give those hotkeys, possible use them in Alfred or Raycast, etc.
Apart from the syntax it will be a sad day, if Apple retires the AppleScript architecture.
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#287Earlier quoted context omitted.
- Awkward sorting by name (mixing folders and files), unless you change the default - Does not snap files to a grid by default on icon view, leaving some folders looking like a mess - Not possible to figure out what's the exact path of the open folder - I just want a full path in the header/title bar. Or let me copy the full path without having to open "get info"
> I just want a full path in the header/title bar Apart from the Path bar in the bottom, there is also an old school title bar method: defaults write com.apple.finder _FXShowPosixPathInTitle -bool true killall Finder ("false" for reversing it.) It doesn’t work for great for tabs, though, because tabs are short and paths are long. > Or let me copy the full path … There are some alternative fun and old methods: * If yo…
Oh, and you can drag app icons into the Finder symbol bar. Possibly an App made from that AppleScript. Not tested.
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#288Love that this is straight to the point. My tips: - Use Alfred. Game changer. It's an immediate improvement on spotlight search, you can run commands with three keystrokes (rather than opening a terminal, just command + space, then > ), it gives clipboard history and fast append (lets you press command + c twice fast to append to clipboard, and opt + command + c to search clipboard history), and lets you make 'workfl…
I lived with Alfred for many-many years, but Raycast seems much better this days. Simpler yet richer and constantly developed, many plugins, it's simple to do your own and... it has window manager
I went from Alfred to Raycast and then back again. They're both great, but I prefer Alfred. To each their own!
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#289Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Right-click on directory > Services > New Terminal at Folder. Note that you can also bind a hotkey to this! And in general in macOS, you can a bind to a hotkey to any menu item in any application. Search "keyboard shortcuts" in settings, then under Services -> Files and Folders.
except Excel's ribbon menu items. As far as I know there's no method to hotkey those like ALT+[ ] on windows. Same for Outlook's categorize email function.
That's because Microsoft has never used Apple's SDKs for their window widgets...
Re: macOS Tips and Tricks (2022)
#290All I want is an app that can fix the "broken window" focus management. Like when I click a window, Mac OS brings to top all windows of the respective app, and when an app (say, Finder) has no window open currently, bringing it to front also unaskedly manipulates the stacking order such that other app's windows become the top most one, completely destroying the visual context. Also, back in the days I used Expose a l…
I just want a Finder that actually works. It’s pretty incredible just how bad Finder is. It’s by far the worst piece of software I’m forced to use on a daily basis.
i mean ... is it possible to move a file? the context menu doesn't seem to have a corresponding entry.
currently have a weird situation where a bunch of folders are arranged horizontally and go beyond the right border of the window. but there is no horizontal scroll bar indicating that.
the windows xp/nt/2000 file explorer is the pinnacle of file exploring experience. basically every linux file explorer just more or less copied it - for good reason. but no - apple has to reinvent the wheel and came up with a messed up hexagon.