/var/log/system.log:Mar 22 19:31:30 Jeff-Kelleys-MacBook defaults[3439]: \nThe domain/default pair of (com.apple.kexts.32bitonly, lastRan) does not exist

That is reason enough for me to believe that it’s installed as a part of Mac OS X 10.6.7, as that message signifies its last run time (the script quits if it’s been less than a week since it last ran). So, being the diligent former sysadmin that I am, I looked at the 10.6.7 update’s files, and didn’t see anything (else) of note. I don’t see a point in the script that reports this to Apple, so I don’t know if this constitutes a breach of privacy on their part, but it’s interesting nonetheless that it would appear that Apple is gauging whether or not they can leave 32-bit kernel extensions behind with minimal customer fuss.

repeat 9 times
	tell application "Xcode"
		activate
	end tell

	tell application "System Events"
		keystroke tab
		keystroke tab
	end tell

	tell application "Pages"
		activate
	end tell

	tell application "System Events"
		keystroke "c" using {command down}
		delay 0.5
		keystroke tab
	end tell

	tell application "Xcode"
		activate
	end tell

	tell application "System Events"
		keystroke "v" using {command down}
	end tell
end repeat

Nothing fancy, but it worked, and I was saved from carpal tunnel syndrome. So if you find yourself needing to do something tedious, repetitive, and (most of all) easily reproduced, you too can turn to AppleScript to get it done. I won’t spend too much time on explaining the code, but just know that you have to enable access for assistive devices in System Preferences before doing it.

<dict>
	<key>allow-root</key>
	<false/>
	<key>class</key>
	<string>rule</string>
	<key>comment</key>
	<string>For use by Apple.  WARNING: administrators are advised not to
	        modify this right.</string>
	<key>k-of-n</key>
	<integer>1</integer>
	<key>rule</key>
	<array>
		<string>is-admin</string>
		<string>is-developer</string>
		<string>authenticate-developer</string>
	</array>
	<key>shared</key>
	<true/>
</dict>

The upshot of this is that if you aren’t in the _developer group in the local directory, you’ll have to authenticate as an administrator to use gdb or some of the performance tools. For the vast majority of developers on Mac OS X, who run as an administrator, this is fine, but if you’re running as a regular user, either for security reasons or because you’re in something like a lab setting, this can be a problem. To add a user to the _developer group, use the dscl command:

dscl . -append /Groups/_developer GroupMembership UserName

Replace UserName with the short name of your user account (or $(whoami)) and you should be all set.

If you’re administering Mac OS X in a lab setting, you can either create a LaunchAgent that handles this or a login hook. See the Apple tech note “Running At Login” for more information on login hooks. As an added touch, my login and logout scripts to handle this also remove all users from the group, like so:

dscl . -delete /Groups/_developer GroupMembership

If the GroupMembership key doesn’t exist, dscl will create it—and it doesn’t exist by default—so deleting it outright shouldn’t cause any problems.

##
# Determine if the network is up by looking for any non-loopback
# internet network interfaces.
##
CheckForNetwork()
{
	local test

	if [ -z "${NETWORKUP:=}" ]; then
		test=$(ifconfig -a inet 2>/dev/null | sed -n -e '/127.0.0.1/d' -e '/0.0.0.0/d' -e '/inet/p' | wc -l)
		if [ "${test}" -gt 0 ]; then
			NETWORKUP="-YES-"
		else
			NETWORKUP="-NO-"
		fi
	fi
}

In your code, simply include rc.common, then call CheckForNetwork as needed. An example:

#!/bin/bash

# Example Daemon Starter
. /etc/rc.common

CheckForNetwork

while [ "${NETWORKUP}" != "-YES-" ]
do
        sleep 5
        NETWORKUP=
        CheckForNetwork
done

# Now do what you need to do.

Note that this will keep the script running indefinitely until CheckForNetwork sets NETWORKUP to “-YES-,” so if there’s a networking problem your code may never execute.

(b) Automatic Updates. The Google Earth software may communicate with Google servers from time to time to check for available updates to the software, such as bug fixes, patches, enhanced functions, missing plug-ins and new versions (collectively, “Updates”). By installing the Google Earth software, you agree to automatically request and receive Updates.

However, if you navigate to the advanced setup page, there’s a box you can un-check labeled “Allow Google Earth to automatically install recommended updates.” This box directs you to a separate download that does not include the updater. The EULA, however, does not change when you deselect it. I don’t think that really matters as much in the grand scheme of things, so I’ve really got to give Google some kudos here for listening to systems administrators and concerned users on this one.

current cache invalid because /System/Library/Frameworks/WebKit.framework/Versions/A/WebKit has changed

Running the update_dyld_shared_cache command will fix this, but there’s a better way. Sure, there’s almost no overhead to that command, but where’s the fun in that? Here’s a pre-apply script that will delete any shared caches that have changed, which will then be re-built at reboot.

#!/bin/sh

# update_dyld_caches: Inspects the applicable transcript for something that
#                     might cause a dyld cache to become outdated. If it exists,
#                     delete the cache so it's re-created at startup.

DYLD_CACHE_FOLDER="/private/var/db/dyld"
DYLD_PREFIX="dyld_shared_cache_"
ARCHITECTURES="i386 x86_64 rosetta ppc ppc64"

for arch in ${ARCHITECTURES}; do
	cache="${DYLD_CACHE_FOLDER}/${DYLD_PREFIX}${arch}"
	map="${DYLD_CACHE_FOLDER}/${DYLD_PREFIX}${arch}.map"

	if /bin/test -f "${cache}"; then
		if /bin/test -f "${map}"; then
			/bin/cat "${map}" | grep ^/ | sort --unique --ignore-case | while read line; do
				if /bin/test -n "$(grep ${line} ${1})"; then # found a match
					/bin/rm -f "${cache}"
					/bin/rm -f "${map}"
					break;
				fi
			done
		else
			# Cache exists, but there's no map.
			/bin/rm -f "${cache}"
		fi
	fi
done

/private/var/radmind/preapply/update_kernel_extensions:

#!/bin/sh

# update_kernel_extensions: Manage the replacement of old kernel extensions.
#                           If there are updates, kill kextd and destroy the
#                           caches.

KEXT_CACHE="/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches"
KEXT_FOLDER="/System/Library/Extensions"
KEXTD_LAUNCHD="com.apple.kextd"
SYSTEM_LAUNCHD_FOLDER="/System/Library/LaunchDaemons"

transcript="${1}"
result="${transcript}.$$"

/usr/bin/grep "${KEXT_FOLDER}" "${transcript}" > "${result}"

if test -n "${result}"; then #result is non-empty
    # Disable kextd to prevent it from recreating kernel extension caches, which
    # will be re-created at startup.
    if test -n "$(/bin/launchctl list | /usr/bin/grep ${KEXTD_LAUNCHD})"; then
        #kextd is running
        /bin/launchctl unload "${SYSTEM_LAUNCHD_FOLDER}/${KEXTD_LAUNCHD}.plist"
    fi

    # Remove kernel extension cache.
    /bin/rm -rf "${KEXT_CACHE}"
fi

rm -f "${result}"

In its present form, it only works on Snow Leopard, but I’ll be updating it to work on Leopard as well.

using terms from application "iChat"
	tell application "iChat"
		activate
		log in
		delay 5
		set theBuddy to buddy "ScreennameGoesHere" of service "AIM"
		try
			set theStatus to status of theBuddy
		on error errmesg number errno
			set message to display dialog "The user is currently unavailable." buttons {"OK"}
			quit
			return
		end try
		if theStatus is available then
			set theCapabilities to get capabilities of theBuddy
			if (theCapabilities contains multiperson video) then
				send "A user is attempting to contact you." to theBuddy
				delay 2
				tell service "AIM" to make video chat with properties {participants:theBuddy}
				set theChat to result
				delay 30
				try
					set theStatus to the av connection status of theChat
				on error errmesg number errno
					quit
					return
				end try
				repeat while theStatus is not ended
					delay 5
					try
						set theStatus to the av connection status of theChat
					on error errmesg number errno
						quit
						return
					end try
				end repeat
				quit
				return
			else
				set message to display dialog "The user cannot video chat at this time. Please try again later." buttons {"OK"}
				quit
				return
			end if
		else
			set message to display dialog "The user is currently unavailable." buttons {"OK"}
			quit
			return
		end if
	end tell
end using terms from

A couple of gotchas:

• I tried using video chat instead of multiperson video, but that always returned false. I don’t know why.
• Once the video chat has ended, you can’t poll its status (hence the try block).

The Mac blogs around the ‘net are all abuzz today about Google’s release of a Mac version of the Google Maps API, but I noticed something funny when I installed it.  The plug-in is a standard Mac Internet Plug-In, meaning you can install it at either /Library/Internet Plug-Ins or ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins.  So why does the install package prompt you for administrator credentials when you choose to install it into your home folder?  The answer lives at /Library/Google.

It turns out that when you install the plugin, the installer also installs a software update component, code-named “keystone.”  It installs the following components:

• An application bundle at /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle
• A “Ticket Store” at /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/TicketStore/ — does anyone know what this does?  I sure don’t.
• A LaunchDaemon that runs as root on demand, at /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.google.keystone.daemon.plist
• A LaunchAgent (/Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.keystone.agent.plist) that runs when you’re logged in, presumably to fire up the daemon so you can receive updates without administrative privileges.

Interestingly enough, this software component is never mentioned by Google.  It isn’t an option you can deselect in the installer.  Even worse, the plugin’s uninstall instructions don’t say a thing about it.  This means that after you follow the plugin uninstall instructions, your computer is still checking in with Google’s servers to make sure that it’s up-to-date.  I’m reluctant to call this malware, but it sure seems like spyware, doesn’t it?  At the very least the installer ought to mention something.

Be cautious when installing this plugin onto any computer where security is essential.  Any software component that runs as root, such as the updater this installer installs, is another attack vector for intruders trying to get at your data.

For what it’s worth, the API plugin does work if you only copy the stuff in /Library/Internet Plug-Ins to a computer or to your user account, so it appears that you can still use the plugin in a secure environment, you’ll just have to update it yourself and not have Google do it for you.

I’ve also mentioned this on the official Google Group.

Safari 3.2 adds secure website information to the title bar.

Along with a phishing filter, it looks like Safari is stepping up to the plate as a secure browser.