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TinkerTool

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,523
30,811
A very popular tool to add to Mac OS X is TinkerTool.

TinkerTool adds a control panel into your Mac OS X System Preferences which allows you to unlock many hidden features in Mac OS X. These features existed, but there were no options available to enable or disable certain features.

As soon as OS X was released, tips and tricks were posted and discussed on how to change these hidden settings through the command line (Terminal). TinkerTool provides an easy Graphical Interface to alter many of these settings. Since it is only changing configuration files, rather than patching any part of the operating system, it should be relatively safe.

Customizations Include:

Finder - Use Desktop, Show Rectangle Effect, Show Hidden and System Files, Add "Quit to Finder menu, Disable arrows, Icons, Previews,
Dock - Use Transparent Icons for Hidden Apps, Enable Dock Shadow
General - Change Location of Scroll Arrows, Language, Multimedia Options
Fonts - Change System and Application Fonts
Font Smoothing - Disable Font Smoothing
Terminal - Transparency

Download
 
D

Durandal7

macrumors 68040
Feb 24, 2001
3,153
0
I've had very good luck with Tinkertool. It seems pretty stable to me and has some interesting features.
 
K

King Cobra

macrumors 603
Mar 2, 2002
5,403
0
TinkerTool is incredible. I can change the clock font, the System Pref. font, smooth the fonts in Appleworks and in most other Applications lacking Anti-Aliasing, and split the scroll arrows to the days of OS 7, with one at each end. I can't stand them being at one end. I'm using 10.1.5.
 
mc68k

mc68k

macrumors 68000
Apr 16, 2002
1,996
0
Originally posted by King Cobra
…and split the scroll arrows to the days of OS 7, with one at each end. I can't stand them being at one end.
Click to expand...
Just a minor correction. Don't want to be a dick, but up until 7.6.x, the Mac OS was referred to as a System. They changed it because of licensing issues with the clone manufactuers.

The main reason is that Apple wanted the name to be less generic and more descriptive of its monopolistic grip on the OS.

I just say this because people refer to Mac OS as System and System as Mac OS and it just bugs me to no end. Sorry for this little rant.

To stay on topic, I like TinkerTool too, but it's 10.2 version is a little castrated. They say it's the fault of Apple.
 
sparkleytone

sparkleytone

macrumors 68020
Oct 28, 2001
2,307
0
Greensboro, NC
Originally posted by mc68k

To stay on topic, I like TinkerTool too, but it's 10.2 version is a little castrated. They say it's the fault of Apple.
Click to expand...

actually that wouldnt be the "fault" of Apple.

any programmers that utilize unpublished APIs and undocumented tweaks and hacks are bound to be negatively affected by major upgrades. its the nature of that area of software. unpublished and undocumented equals unsupported. in that respect, if the update breaks it, oh well.
 
mc68k

mc68k

macrumors 68000
Apr 16, 2002
1,996
0
Originally posted by sparkleytone


actually that wouldnt be the "fault" of Apple.

any programmers that utilize unpublished APIs and undocumented tweaks and hacks are bound to be negatively affected by major upgrades. its the nature of that area of software. unpublished and undocumented equals unsupported. in that respect, if the update breaks it, oh well.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I found that a little suspicious too. A lot of my "hacks" ceased to work in 10.2 Blaming Apple didn't seem like the right thing to do.

I've been up with the Jag builds since c48 and the amount of tweaking has only skyrocketed with the official release.

unsupported is my middle name. unsupported=fun :)
 
sparkleytone

sparkleytone

macrumors 68020
Oct 28, 2001
2,307
0
Greensboro, NC
im waiting for some helpful jag features from tinkertool. tops on my list would be getting rid of the zoom folder effect.

on the other hand, after an initial clump of useless software and lamer forum advertisers, it seems unsanity is coming out with quality "haxies" that people are finding alot of use for. I know I really appreciate the elegance of the transparent dock. When I have any money, I'll probably buy WindowShade from them because it is nice.
 
K

King Cobra

macrumors 603
Mar 2, 2002
5,403
0
>Just a minor correction. Don't want to be a dick, but up until 7.6.x, the Mac OS was referred to as a System. They changed it because of licensing issues with the clone manufactuers.

Nah. I knew it was System 7 until 7.6. I just didn't want to put in the .6. I think we're even on that one. :D


Is there an option to completely hide the dock in TinkerTool?
 
eyelikeart

eyelikeart

Moderator emeritus
Jan 2, 2001
11,897
1
Metairie, LA
I installed TinkerTool last week on my TiBook...running 10.1.5 (no Jag yet...he he he)...

I love it...I really like the transparent icons for hidden applications...a great help when looking quickly... ;)
 
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