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[gries818]

What perhaps many Mac users do not realize, is just how configurable and customizable the Mac OS operating system really is. Hopefully, this weekly update, will help inform Mac users out there of useful Tips and Tricks that are out there to be taken advantage of.

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Week of 07.08.09

Change the Login Background
Tested with: Leopard 10.5.7

Regardless of what the background is on your user account, the login screen is always the same... the purple, starry background that is the default Desktop background. Power hungry users may want to change the login background, and it turns out it is fairly easy (not as easy as changing the Desktop background).

Navigate to the proper system folder using the Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app):

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cd /System/Library/CoreServices


Firstly, and most importantly, you will want to make a backup of the original file.

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sudo mv DefaultDesktop.jpg DefaultDesktop.jpg-backup


Then, you will need to prepare your new login background. For best results, I advise using a background with the same resolution as the original (2560x1600). Only jpeg files should be used. I used this image:



Then simply copy the new image over (this example assumes the image is called new.jpg and is on the Desktop):

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sudo cp ~/Desktop/new.jpg DefaultDesktop.jpg


If you ever need/want to go back to the original background, it is as simple as deleting your replacement and reversing the "mv" command as follows:

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cd /System/Library/CoreServices
sudo rm DefaultDesktop.jpg
sudo mv DefaultDesktop.jpg-backup DefaultDesktop.jpg


Enjoy and check back next week for a new tip!

[gries818]

Week of 07.14.09

Enable Recent Items Stack in Leopard
Tested with: Leopard 10.5.7

For whatever reason, Apple choose not ship Leopard with the hidden Recent Items Stack. Getting into your dock however, is very simple.

Open up the Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app) and type:

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defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add '{ "tile-data" = { "list-type" = 1; }; "tile-type" = "recents-tile"; }'
killall Dock


Notice the new stack in the right-hand corner of the Dock:



Right click on the stack to toggle the type of recent item you'd like to see.

NOTE: You may use this tweak as many times as you like to get multiple Recent Item Stacks.

To remove, simply drag off the Dock.