Meeting Notes - Dec 20, 2000

Introduction

Next Month's Meeting (1/17/2001)
Microsoft representatives will be giving an overview & demonstration of Macintosh products and answering attendee questions. If you have questions regarding specific issues, please contact us here.

The complete tentative agenda for the meeting can be found at the Mac Managers website http://www.macos.utah.edu. Select "General Info" and then select "U of U Mac Mgrs".

Mac Managers Web Site - Tell Us What You Think
The Apple Infrastructure would like all Mac Managers to take a moment and look at the Mac OS Support website. We'd like to hear your comments and suggestions on how we can make the site better. http://www.macos.utah.edu

To see what mail lists are available at the U, see http://www.list.utah.edu

What's New by Mike Kimball

Please note that additional information regarding the following topic can be found at the following here.

Disk First Aid 8.6 wrapper error reports and repairs: a follow-up.
The wrapper is a basic component of all HFS Plus formatted drives. However, "a bug in one version of the wrapper System file startup code" can prevent the Mac from starting up from that disk - if the disk is sufficiently fragmented. The bug only exists in systems running Mac OS 9.0.x. Apple's fix is to replace the OS 9 buggy wrapper code with the code from Mac OS 8.6. Thus, Disk First Aid essentially downgrades your wrapper code. It does this as a preventative, whether or not you actually are in imminent danger of having the startup problem.

Apple CPU Plugin: fixes G4 mouse freeze bug?
Apple CPU Plugin 2.7 is now posted on Apple's web site. Apple states: "This update is required for Power Mac G4 systems using Mac OS 9.0.4 or later. This update is not needed by and will not be installed on systems using Mac OS X Public Beta. As we mentioned previously, the update appears only applicable to dual-processor Power Mac G4s. It should fix the '1-more-click-and-you-die' bug in dual G4 Macs where an idle Mac will hang once it has been activated and the mouse button has been clicked a few times.

MRJ security hole MRJ "security hole" update.
Partially contrary to the update we posted yesterday, you remain vulnerable to the security leak even if your hard drive has a name other than "Macintosh HD." It is more accurate to say that if your hard drive name can be guessed, you are vulnerable. And with "/" as an entry field in the applet, virtually any name may be vulnerable.

New monitors won't wake up. Probably is how the plug is seated. To fix this, don't plug the monitor into the CPU (with the CPU to monitor cable), rather, plug it into the wall with a regular power cable.

Civilizing RevRdist with ResEdit Hacks by Mike Kimball

More info can be found on the Mac Managers Web Site, http://www.macos.utah.edu click on "Documentation" then click on "RevRdist".
ResEdit download update. Apple has moved the software off of the Software Updates page. It is still available here: http://www.versiontracker.com/redir.fcgi/kind=1&id=417/ResEdit_2.1.3.sea.bin
To read about it, go here:
http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=417. RevRdist stands for Reverse Remote Distribution. It was originally a UNIX application. The term "reverse" refers to the way the application works. Rather than sit on a server and push software to clients, the application sits on the client, logs onto the server, and then pulls software from the Server.

To learn more about RevRdist, see the RevRdist page.

a) How to create/modify pref files with ResEdit.
b) Disabling the "stop" and "pause" buttons using ResEdit.
c) Using ResEdit to disable Darkside "Quit" and "Settings" menus, and creating animated screen savers.
d) How to change the master image's System file to remove the computer name, which would cause network conflicts and result in an error on the machine.

Quicktime Streaming by Mike Gillilan

Two types of streaming: http, rtsp.

Http (aka progressive downloading) streaming is just a file download. If the MIME types are set in the browser to use the quicktime plugin then movies and audio files are played very similarly as an rtsp stream. However, all that is really happening is that the file is being downloaded and the plugin starts playing before the file is completely downloaded. The plugin takes the file size, the average download speed and calculates when it can start playing so that the playback doesn't stop (because it reaches material that isn't downloaded yet). If file size is large and the download speed is low, then the client would have to wait a long time before they could play the file. However, there is no quality loss with this method. When the file is downloaded, the quality will always be the same.

This method is not secure. The file is downloaded to the client and is available to be duplicated and distributed (some view this as good marketing, other's want to make sure their product doesn't go to anyone unless that person pays $$).

This is the best method to distribute short video/audio to people on 56k connections or less.

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Rtsp (real time streaming protocol) streaming is similar to radio or tv. The server plays a stream and the client picks up the broadcast. Just like a radio or tv, the quality can suffer depending on the medium state that is between the server and the client. In radio or tv, interference comes from things that either block or emit electromagnetic radiation. On the internet, the quality is determined by the amount of bandwidth between the client and the server.

There are two ways rtsp streaming can be started. Either the server can be set up to constantly stream a "playlist" (just like radio or tv), or it can be set up to play requests (which the only way http serving operates).

This is the best method to distribute to long files to people with cable/DSL/ISDN/faster. (Is there a way to distribute long files to people with less than 56k? Perhaps, CD & USPS?)

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Mike was mainly curious if he could stream video at VHS quality. After getting his video, with iMovie or better, and then compressing it, with either Sorenson or Media Cleaner, (this process requires too much discussion to go into detail here) then he was able to stream it using Quicktime Streaming Server (this process requires too much discussion to go into detail here).
Some of the video tips Mike offered:

-Clean up the video source before compressing it for streaming.
-Use talking heads, flat lighting, and simple backgrounds.
-For low bandwidth users (56k and less), use http and make the file as small as possible by using 5 frames per second and shrinking the resolution.

For more info, see:
http://www.publicsource.apple.com/projects/streaming/
http://www.publicsource.apple.com/projects/streaming/StreamingServerHelp/
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qtss/
Mike is willing to answer questions via email: mikeg@copperknob.com

Learning AppleScript by Richard Glaser

More info can be found on the Mac Managers Web Site, http://www.macos.utah.edu click on "Documentation" then click on "AppleScript", then click on "Learning AppleScript".

How to start: To make AppleScripts, open the Script Editor that is located in the AppleScript folder, which is distributed in the Apple Extra's folder. Other third party script editors include Script Debugger.

Instruction: Apple makes the "Apple Script Guidebook" that is available from their website. http://www.apple.com/. There are also many good books available, many that can be downloaded or viewed on the web.

Using RevRdist with AppleScript by James Reynolds

These scripts were discussed:
MountVolume, RevRdistStatus, RunRR, and SaveToLog.
For more details, including downloads, see the Mac Managers Web Site, http://www.macos.utah.edu click on "Documentation" then click on "AppleScript", select a particular script.