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Cocktail or Onyx?
- Thread starter guklein
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I have used Onyx occasionally
I have never used Cocktail
Not sure that helps... but there you go
Woof, Woof - Dawg
I have never used Cocktail
Not sure that helps... but there you go
Woof, Woof - Dawg
There is no best. Both utilities put a GUI on standard UNIX maintenance tasks. Neither of them is necessary. It does not make sense to waste your time and money. Cocktail was fine when it was free. OnyX does not waste your money. Go with it.
I don't know about Cocktail, but Onyx does other things besides run the UNIX maintenance tasks. While it is true there are other ways to accomplish them, Onyx packages them well.
Woof, Woof - Dawg
The question is...
Free or not?
OR better
Free or Free but having to periodically download new versions manually because the version you're using is cracked and you can't automatically update it?
I'd say Free.
Free or not?
OR better
Free or Free but having to periodically download new versions manually because the version you're using is cracked and you can't automatically update it?
I'd say Free.
Whether or not Cocktail and OnyX are strictly GUIs on standard UNIX tasks or they two utilities have extra functionality that is difficult to use otherwise is beside my point. My point is that neither utility is necessary. When I first upgraded to MacOS X, I used Cocktail. I switched to OnyX and completely abandoned Cocktail when it became fee-based. After Apple journaled HFS+, running these utilities became a waste of time.
My experience with my Macs at home, at work, and on the road have borne out this assessment. If I suspect a real problem, then I run File System Check (fsck -fy) from the command prompt in Single User Mode. Real problems have real causes. The real cause of my minor issues is power failure from the public utility--the electric power company. Real problems are expected to have real solutions. File System Check is the only maintenance utility that ever noticeably improved my system.
But Onyx or Cocktail does not improve the performance? (clean caches, logs, permissions,...).
How can I run 'File System Check'? Sorry for the question, but I am very newbie on MacOS.
Thanks.
If you have no reason to suspect a problem, then I would suggest that you not bother with routine maintenance on your Mac. Left to its own devices, it will take care of itself. Last week, I ran File System Check on my Mac at work for the first time ever. I have had the computer for more than four years. I did this because my computer has suffered several power outages since I purchased it. fsck fixed a few minor orphaned clusters.
Having said all this, I will give you the instructions for running File System Check. Bear in mind that they are unnecessary unless your computer suffers a real identifiable problem:
- Restart.
- Press [cmd]+
.
[*]Wait for your computer to boot into a full-screen commandline interface
[*]At the command prompt, type fsck -fy.
[*]Wait for the computer to complete its tasks and return the command prompt. If the fan gets noisy, then don't worry about it. This is normal.
[*]If any repairs are reported, then repeat Step 4.
[*]If no repairs are reported, then type exit. Wait for your computer to boot into the Aqua GUI.
[*]Get back to work.
I use Cocktail, and it's fine. I would probably use something else, if I had not an "invested interest" in it (read: I paid for it). There are many freebies out there. Onyx seems to be a bit bloated... why the need for a nearly 17 MB file to download?
iTool seems nice, if I ever abandoned Cocktail.
A plus with Cocktail is that it can search for "harmful files", i.e. common trojans and worms. That is a nice feature.
iTool seems nice, if I ever abandoned Cocktail.
A plus with Cocktail is that it can search for "harmful files", i.e. common trojans and worms. That is a nice feature.
We are all very happy for you
However, not everyone is comfortable using the command line
AND as I said before, Onyx does do other things
Such as show hidden files or allow the desktop to be dynamic
Perhaps Onyx is not necessary for you and your usage
But for others, it might be what they are looking for
Woof, Woof - Dawg
Thank you for the instructions!
It is nice to learn it. Maybe I have to try it if my iMac suffers a real identifiable problem...I hope not!
MisterMe should consider investing in a quality UPS battery backup. It doesn't cost much to obtain basic protection and you can opt for power conditioning, etc. for a reasonable increase in price.
I've used APC units since the mid 90s when it was common for us to experience interruptions in our power service. Things have improved a lot since then but a UPS is still protecting my Mac Mini.
Computers that don't draw much power require much smaller backup batteries than 20+ years ago. In my experience the user-replaceable batteries can last for years. Sometimes it makes more sense cost-wise to simply upgrade an older UPS especially if you want additional features. Recycling old batteries is easy using the replacement battery packaging and prepaid shipping label.
I've used APC units since the mid 90s when it was common for us to experience interruptions in our power service. Things have improved a lot since then but a UPS is still protecting my Mac Mini.
Computers that don't draw much power require much smaller backup batteries than 20+ years ago. In my experience the user-replaceable batteries can last for years. Sometimes it makes more sense cost-wise to simply upgrade an older UPS especially if you want additional features. Recycling old batteries is easy using the replacement battery packaging and prepaid shipping label.
Holy thread resurrection. 14 years, that must be a record?
An apple Senior Advisor told me that he reinstalls every 30 days.
When using a UPS be sure to test it regularly. My UPS status app showed that everything was fine. When I finally tested after 5 years turns out the battery was dead. Because of its age the battery was swollen and was a #$%#$% to remove from the case when I tried to replace it. Now I try to test monthly and replace after 3 years.
