Mac OS X 10.5.2: Optional Translucent Menubar, DVD/CD Sharing

[alFR]

The time is neigh.

I've just laughed myself horse.

See what I did there? Did you?

 

[Kaptajn Haddock]

I noticed this little bugfix in 10.5.2:

- Fixed issue with Text Input Sources

Could this have somthing to do with the first key not always registered on MacBook Pros?

See here for further info:

http://www.petergabriel.dk/mbp.html

 

[JFreak]

you could always flash your drive to be region free: and then use RegionX to change at will!

Anyone tested this procedure on Leopard? The readme only mentions Panther and Tiger.

 

[silverboy31]

"Incorrect. I've added a screenshot showing the build with that feature visible. Also added one of the TM menubar" i have the TM bar but the option for the menu bar is gone on my system, I am running 9c16 do you think maybe it was in the in the different updates ie Combo installer or Delta installer?

 

[BabyGotMac]

I can't believe I forgot to test this...wow. I just attached my 250gb Passport to my Airport Express and yes, Virginia, TM can use it as a backup device. Added a screenshot on the page.

[edit]Attached here also, in case my site doesn't make it until morning...lots of traffic today.

 

[thomas040]

what will happen with re-enabled time machines?

if someone (like me) that have enabled unsupported network drives, do the update... will time machine then seize to work and go back to disable unsupported network drives?

no one knows, except maybe some that have installed the beta-update and beforehand have done the hack

anyone?

 

[cheunghy]

Will there be a guided tour for such a significant update?

 

[kajitox]

I was personally waiting for a few more stacks improvements, like the things that have been circulating around the internet.

 

[akac]

This is ludicrous. They disabled it right before Leopard shipped, yes you can do a hack (heck I posted it here)... but suddenly it'll work with a Time Capsule?

blah

You would think that they would enable network backup because of Time Capsule and all.

I love how people think Apple just does things to piss people off, or for no good reason.

Even if it was related to a marketing concept that they wanted to fully realize with a new product line... So be it.

Its not a Mac OS X issue. Its an AE issue. Apple has to update the ROM of the AE, not issue an OS X fix. That's why Time Capsule works - it has an updated ROM.

So keep asking Apple for this feature (I know I am - though right now I'm simply using Leopard File Sharing on my G5 to serve my Firewire drives for TM to my MacBook Pros in the house), but don't expect it in an OS X update.

 

[ziggyonice]

I can't believe I forgot to test this...wow. I just attached my 250gb Passport to my Airport Express and yes... TM can use it as a backup device. Added a screenshot on the page..

Amazing! Absolutely amazing! I would have set this up months ago if I just would have realized I could have done this. And 10.5.2 is not required...

 

[G-Force]

What about the choppy graphics? I sure hope those will get fixed. Both my MacBook and my iMac have this problem in Leopard.

 

[DrEasy]

Time-machine for NFS-mounted drives?

Do you know if this update will enable Time-machine on NFS-mounted network drives? If so, I'll upgrade my iMac to Leopard...

 

[Avicdar]

More camera raw support?

It doesn't seem to be listed at all that I can see, but does anyone know if any additional cameras have been added to Apples raw support as part of this release?

I would have expected if they were, it would be mentioned. Nikon and Sony users have been yelling about this for a while now (especially Sony, for the A700 which was released in September and we still can't use Aperture with its raw format).

 

[sachxn]

hope stocks jump up with menus

After macworld this is I think the only good thing that apple did with menus, that will help stocks to jump( as far as I think like this) otherwise that half-featured MBA is on the low side.

Sachin Dhall

 

[ziggyonice]

I can't believe I forgot to test this...wow. I just attached my 250gb Passport to my Airport Express and yes, Virginia, TM can use it as a backup device. Added a screenshot on the page.

how is this possible?
screenshot #1 is apparently what can be done.
screenshot #2 is what it actually looks like.

my airport express does not allow me to access the "disks" preference.

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Ah, the inevitable complaint release. 10.5.1 was for the initial major bug fixes but, now that the dust has settled, Apple is free to work on the little things that people found annoying or even a step back from Tiger.

The new stacks implementation looks perfect - no change for people who love them but a welcome addition of old functionality back - for those of us who want hierarchical menus, etc. And it looks like we can turn it on or off on a folder-to-folder like basis.

I'm assuming the translucent menu bar option will only appear on Intel-based Macs?

 

[deathshrub]

Neat.

Hey mods, please don't delete my comment this time. Thanks!

 

[Evangelion]

Hopefully this update fixes Aperture and Software Update... I'm one of about zillion users who has problems with Aperture ever since upgrading to Leopard. Launching Aperture shows the splash-screen and then... nothing. In order to get it to work, I need to restart the computer (Windows anyone?). Same thing with Software Update. It starts OK, but then the progress-bar hangs and nothing happens. Again, restarting the machine fixes the issue, but it's annoying having to restart the machine in about 80% of the time you want to use Aperture and in about 100% of the time you want to use Software Update...

Not to mention all those various other glitches, like slow-ass restarting (I get the spinwheel for few minutes before it logs out and restart the machine), MBP that wakes from sleep randomly (which can be very annoying, since I then have no picture in the MBP's screen, whereas I do have picture in my external display. I need to go to System Preferences and run "Detect Displays" in order to wake the MBP's display), the occasional missing background-image in the login-screen, the occasional slow-ass login (both in getting to the desktop, and occasionally it takes long time to populate the menubar, while I get to stare the spinning beachball of death), the disappearing TimeMachine-drive, the changing permissions in TimeMachine-drive ("TimeMachine can't work because backup-volume is read only")....

 

[dopeytree]

Please, please, time machine on airdisks before the weekend.

I'm flying to florida to set my grandma up with her first computer. I'm setting her up with a mac with an airport extreme and an external drive.

If they make this work before then, I can set her up with easy wireless backup. Otherwise, I can't.

Surely you can just plug it into the usb on the computer and instead of the airport extreme just get a wireless router?

Wireless back up isn't going to be fast!

 

[Analog Kid]

All the little GUI enhancements are nice and all, but I'd prefer the deal with the under-the-hood issues first. If I have to force-relaunch Finder for another 3 months waiting for 10.5.3, I'll scream. Figuring out why the system just locks for a minute at a time would be another bonus.

A seemingly short time from now all devices and resources will be accessable via wireless and even remote IP methods.

CPU's, drives, printers, discs, refrigerators, light switches, phones, and even cars.
...
Rocketman

Great, as if I don't have enough car troubles without worrying about DDOS attacks...

The whining on the translucent menu bar is ludicrous....I wouldn't even characterize it as 'translucent'....it's more like a tiny background blur. There is absolutely zero obstruction in clarity due to the effect, I can perfectly see what the menu says. Good for the people who get a solid menu bar option, but to claim that the effect makes reading the menus hard is totally ridiculous.

It all depends on what you have behind it. The menubar tries to automatically set its transparency based on what's behind it, but it can get muddled if you give it a complex background such as this:
maybe-that-transparency-is-not-such-a-good-idea

I finally set all my backgrounds to landscape shots with solid sky in the back and the menubar is tolerable-- but you shouldn't need to be that picky.

The one thing that has been suspiciously quiet is Spaces. Spaces is one of the worst implementations I have ever seen come out of Apple. I really hope the quirky behavior such as stealing control is fixed. Spaces is like something out of Redmond on its worst day.

I have to admit I don't like how focus shifts from space to space sometimes, but I'm not sure what a better way is to do that. The alternative would leave you hunting for your windows... One thing that would help is being able to differentiate the spaces better-- names, not numbers, and unique backgrounds from space to space that show up in the F8 overview.

Do you know if this update will enable Time-machine on NFS-mounted network drives? If so, I'll upgrade my iMac to Leopard...

I don't think it will ever work with anything other than HFS+, and maybe ZFS when the time comes. There are some key filesystem features required by TM but that NAS and NFS won't support.

 

[bmk]

The latest build that i just d/l from the ADC 9C16 the transparent option has been taken out so don't get your hopes up people... that screenshot is from build 9C7

You do realise that you have just broken your legally-binding non-disclosure agreement with Apple? As a member of ADC you are legally bound NOT to disclose details of forthcoming software/hardware and if you do you will most likely have your membership revoked.

 

[jdavtz]

how is this possible?
screenshot #1 is apparently what can be done.
screenshot #2 is what it actually looks like.

my airport express does not allow me to access the "disks" preference.

Look carefully at the screenshots; they are with different hardware. Not sure why the first one has been named airport_express, as it isn't an Airport Express (unless it has some serious hacks applied to change its picture and functionality).

An Airport Extreme Base Station let you plug a USB hard drive in the back.

The Airport Express only lets you plug a printer into its USB socket.

If 10.5.2 really allows Time Machine backups to AEBS-connected drives I'll be very happy; I'm kinda surprised it doesn't need a AEBS firmware update though (not that that would be impossible).

But what do you (ziggyonice) mean about 10.5.2 not being required?

 

[MrCrowbar]

I've done this to get the opaque menu bar. Works fine. Just copy and paster into Terminal. It will ask for an admin password and you need to reboot for it to take effect.

:::Solid White Menu Bar:::

sudo defaults write /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.WindowServer 'EnvironmentVariables' -dict 'CI_NO_BACKGROUND_IMAGE' 1

:::Grayish Menu Bar:::

sudo defaults write /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.WindowServer 'EnvironmentVariables' -dict 'CI_NO_BACKGROUND_IMAGE' 0

:::Translucent Menu Bar:::

sudo defaults delete /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.WindowServer 'EnvironmentVariables'

Use the "Grayish Menu Bar", this is what you want.

 

[Mr Skills]

Why does the screenshot have a picture of an Airport Extreme but say "Airport Express"?

 

[koobcamuk]

I love how people think Apple just does things to piss people off, or for no good reason.

Even if it was related to a marketing concept that they wanted to fully realize with a new product line... So be it.

Still makes them nazis. With every passing month, Apple seem to get more and more locked down and self indulgent.