CUPS and root in OS X

Only serious geeks should mess with the OS X CUPS web interface. If you need to, however, you now need root access. Here's a report from Macintouch OS X 10.3.8:

Dan O'Donnell on CUPS authorization: Doug Edwards wrote: 'After I upgraded to 10.3.8 I find I can no longer use the CUPS Web interface for administering printers. The initial page on localhost:631 comes up OK, but then clicking on 'Administration' now causes a username and authorization dialogue box to appear whereas before no such authorization was necessary. Furthermore, my (administrator) username and password is not accepted.'

Several upgrade numbers ago (10.3.3) Apple changed the authorization in CUPS such that now only root can make these changes. The .conf file is editable though, and I have commented out the lines that made this change so my people can again make changes to CUPS without root access. From my image changelog I have written: Discovered that SecUpdt 04-05-2004 changed file cupsd.conf, which now requires root authorization to get cover pages and make other changes. Commented out lines 835, 836 and added line 837 to AuthType None to fix .

PowerBook repair recommendations

PowerBook G4

Given Apple's repair quality problems, consider omitting AppleCare and paying for a credit card extended warrantee. Then do repairs at one of these places.

Andrew Miller
One need not pay Apple $1000 to have a 12' Al Book fixed. I've done business with pbparts.com and powerbookguy.com and both have replacement screens for well under $500. They can both also do the replacement for you.

Andrew Main

At the risk of ruining his chance to get a free (?) PowerBook, Apple is not the only repair option. DT&T Service in California, for instance, will repair the display for $550.

Other third-party service companies such as PowerBookResQ, TechRestore and PowerBook Medic are also worth checking out.

Alex Dawson

In response to Chris Halaska; Wegener Media quotes $479 to replace a 12 inch AlBook screen or only $399 for DIY install of the screen module. Cheaper than a Mac Mini. I've purchased LCD modules from them before, and they've arrived well packed and intact to me in Australia.

MiniMac w/ Dell 20 inch LCD vs. 20 inch iMac

MacInTouch Home Page

The $500 Dell is a great bargain and a great Mini Mac companion, but it's not quite the equal of the 20" G5 iMac. (Gamma perhaps?)

The toughest test was a side-by-side comparison with a 20-inch iMac G5 display. While the Dell display was excellent, with the same broad range of viewing angles, it didn't quite match the stunningly bright, neutral whites of the 20' iMac, no matter how we adjusted brightness, color and calibration. There's nothing wrong with the Dell, and it has three times the warranty, but its image is not quite as amazing. (Nor is any other display we've seen, including the 15' PowerBook's.)

PalmSource to abandon HotSync for SyncML - thank heavens

PalmSource sees future on phones - Computing

Maybe one day I'll be able to do reliable category-specific selective synchronization across multiple desktop environments. Neither Palm nor Microsoft will do this, but SyncML is an open standard. There hackers have needs like mine; what they write for themselves will work for me.

The company is also moving to support the open-standard SyncML data synchronisation protocol instead of its own HotSync technology. SyncML is already supported by many mobile middleware server systems, so handsets with SyncML and Palm-compatible PIM tools could attract firms where staff already run Palm OS PDAs.

Brighthand adds more background. The last comment emphasizes the gulf between PalmOne (manufacture devices) and PalmSource (OS). I wonder how long PalmOne will use the PalmOS and whether they'll switch to Microsoft's PocketPC OS.

... Last year, PalmSource set off a storm of protest by announcing that the latest version of its operating system, Palm OS Cobalt, would not come with synchronization software for the Macintosh.

With the switch from HotSync to SyncML, it would be relatively easy for third-party developers to create Palm OS synchronization software for virtually any platform, like Max OS X, the various Linux versions, etc.

Interestingly, PalmSource's switch to an open standard for synchronization comes at a time when some companies are starting to use a proprietary one. Recently, both palmOne and Nokia have licensed the ActiveSync protocol, which allows their products to synchronize with Microsoft Exchange Server.

More deep discussion on the reemergent (long lost) dynamic web application

Relax, Everything Is Deeply Intertwingled: Weblications:

This piece was written by a Microsoft guy, and he references documents from the time that IE was strong and Microsoft threatened to make IE a true platform.

All of this was material was written and discussed 10 years ago. It's as though Google has awakened us from a 10 year sleep.

One thing is quite new though:

I'm still stuck on the notion that in less than two years Google will have a million-node computer operating as a single, optimized operating system for web-based applications.

Ok, it's time for me to buy stock in Google. I know I'm a bit behind the curve, but, heck, it'll still make money.

OS X: enabling root and creating global finder preferences

macosxhints - Set a permanent column view default for the Finder

I've experienced this too, especially since I run as a non-admin user for safety reasons. It's also a good reference on enabling and disabling "root". Nowadays it's best to keep "root" disabled.

A relatively trivial annoyance for several years, I've hated the fact my preference to change the Finder's windows to column view never seemed to 'stick.' I finally discovered that this apparent bug is actually a feature: The only folders your preferences will 'stick' on are the folders in your own home folder. Since permissions are an issue, nothing outside of it will adhere to your preference.

Enter root. Open Applications: Utilities: Netinfo Manager, then choose Security: Authenticate, enter your admin user password, then choose Security: Enable Root User, and provide the root user its own password. Now switch over to System Preferences: Accounts, and select the Login Options button at the bottom of the account list. Make sure that the the 'Display Login Window as' option is set to 'Name and password.'

Log off and back on as username 'root' (with the new root password). Once logged in, open Finder: Preferences: General, and check the 'Open new window in column view' item. Log off root, login as your normal user again, and now, every user will benefit from the much more productive column view as the default ... finally!

[robg adds: I would also recommend opening NetInfo Manager again and using Security: Disable Root User (after authenticating again) to disable root.]

New 30GB iPod Photo

MacInTouch Home Page

This is the iPod photo Apple ought to have released last year:

A 'slim' 30GB iPod Photo debuts at $349 with the chunkier 60GB version priced at $449, both said to be available 'immediately.' The Photo models include a USB 2.0 cable, but FireWire and audio/video cables are optional, as is the $39 dock. An optional iPod Camera Connector accessory is due in 'late March' at $29: "By simply connecting the iPod Camera Connector and a digital camera, customers can easily transfer digital images to their iPod photo, providing tremendous storage space so they can take more pictures. Imported photos are immediately viewable on iPod photo's crisp color screen, and can also be brought back to iPhoto on the Mac or various photo applications on the PC."

It was always nuts that the iPhoto photo couldn't act as a native repository (image bank) for digital images. These still aren't enough features for me to pass my 3G iPod on and get a new one, but it's a start. (I'm waiting for the ability to send sound streams to a car stereo via bluetooth.)