#Macintosh on DALnet

IRC Related

IRC clients for Mac OS X
There are two main IRC clients, Ircle and Snak. Both are $20 shareware, we support both, and the author of Snak hangs out here! Neither client is "better", you should try both before deciding which one you prefer using. For you PC converts (and mIRC lovers), Snak is a more mIRC-like client, it can be set up to handle windows like mIRC. Another upcoming client is Babbel which is written by #macintosh regular and channel op Possible. It is current in free public beta testing but please note that the price, if any, for the final version has not yet ben announced. There are a couple free GUI based clients but they seem to be buggy. There are also a lot of free unix clients that will run on OS X's unix-based underpinnings. These include: irssi, bitchx, x-chat Aqua, BitchX and others. If you use a version of Mac OS prior to OS X ircle will work. Older versions of Snak will also support OS 9.

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Network

OS X And OS 9 Networking Tools

OS X
OS X is capable of Windows filesharing (SMB) by default. To log onto a Windows server go to the GO menu in Finder and scroll down to Connect To Server. Type in: smb://IP/sharename/ and then press the Connect button. To start your own SMB server go into system Preferences and click on Windows Sharing. Done. Unfortunately, setting up your SMB server to use something other than your Home or Public directory is a bit trickier. It requires manual editing of the /etc/smb.conf file. To get around (or away) from this you can use Sharepoints. This is a preference pane that loads in System Preferences and makes filesharing life much easier.

To log onto a Windows server go to the GO menu in Finder and scroll down to Connect To Server. Type in: smb://uri and then press the Connect button.

OS X also comes with a great application called Network Utility. It comes with implementations of the internet standards ping, traceroute, finger, whois, and other utilities.

Also bundled with OS X are built in aplications like FTP and Telnet (via the terminal) as well as a built in firewall.

The Mac OS has come a long way. And OS X is well worth the upgrade if you can get it.

OS 9
StuffIt
An ESSENTIAL file if you download anything from the Internet. Now availble for Windows as well! StuffIt Deluxe is the full suite, DropStuff quickly creates archives, and the freeware Expander is used to decompress archives, such as .SIT, .HQX, .BIN, .ZIP and others.

DAVE (for Mac OS) or PC MacLan (Windows)

DAVE emulates NetBIOS, allowing you to share files between Windows and MacOS, as well as log onto NT networks and share printers. PC MacLan emulates AppleTalk, allowing you to share files and printers to a Mac.

IP NetRouter

Software that provides Network Address Translation (NAT), allowing multiple machines to access the Internet. Also acts as a firewall, preventing unauthorised access.

NiftyTelnet and BetterTelnet

Telnet clients for Mac OS, used to access remote systems -- a must have!

IP NetMonitor and OTTool
Implementations of the internet standards ping, traceroute, finger, whois, and other utilities. OTTools is free, IPNM isn't.

Fetch

A free FTP client, another must-have for basic internet functions.

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Troubleshooting/Repair

Backup and Recovery options
There are two kinds of people. Those who have suffered data loss to a failed hard drive and those who will. It's not a question of if you will but when you will. Don't fall into that first category by not having a backup. Let me say that again, backup your !#$&% data!

Backup

The easiest backup is to simply drag your files to another drive making a copy of them. However you are still relying on a hard drive to store your possibly irreplaceable data such as digital pictures of your family.

The next step up is optical media such as CD-R and DVD+/-Rs. You can use OS X's built in disk burning or the CD/DVD burning software (i.e. Toast) of your choice. After burning your disk make sure you can read the data that's on the it by copying a few files to your Mac's hard disk. After all what good is having a backup that can't be read? After verifying that the disc is readable make a second copy and verify that it is also readable. Discs degrade over time so the more copies you have the better chance your data has of survivng. Put the disks in jewel cases (slim cases if you want to save space) to protect the disc. Remember on a CD the reflective coating of the disk is under the label so if the label side damaged where you can see light through it the disc is useless. It is highly recommended that one copy is kept off site at a friend or relative's house or even at the office. The other copy should be kept at home in a safe place such as a fire resistant safe away from the computer so if it is stolen you still have your backups. It is also recommended that the discs be kept out of direct sunlight in a cool, dark location.

A free method of backing up your data comes in the form of Carbon Copy Cloner. CCC is a full backup utility with many features such as automated back ups. CCC also has its own online forum for instructions and troubleshooting.

Probably the most popular commercial backup program on the Mac market is Dantz's Retrospect. Dantz offers several versions of Retrospect based on the needs of the user. The Express version of the program will backup to ftp sites, hard drives, and removable media such as CDs and DVDs while the Desktop, Workgroup and Server editions will also backup to tape drives. Retrospect also allows special sets of rules called Selectors to be set up to specify what files will and won't be backed up. All versions of Retrospect allow you to start with an initial complete backup followed by incremental backups that will only backup new or changed files. While both types of backups can be run manually, you can also set them to run on a specified schedule. This allows you to set the time for your backups to run when it's convenient for you such so you (such as in the earning morning hours) won't be bothered by the slowdown that occurs when the backup is in progress.

Repair

DiskWarrior is the safest, the most technologically advanced, and the most powerful utility to eliminate directory damage available for any computer. Period. The price may seem steep, but the time, worry and money it will save you by keeping your hard disks in shape are well worth it. DiskWarrior also comes with a classic (OS 9) version which is just as powerful.

Recovery

If your drive has problems or you need to recover data, try TechTool Pro. It's an excellent piece of software from MicroMat Software. TTP comes in both classic (OS 9) and OS X flavors.

If your data is mission critical that you absolutely cannot afford to lose, a professional data recovery service such as DriveSavers may be your only option. The services they provide are not cheap, often costing several thousand dollars or more. However if the drive contains critical business data the loss of which could be worth millions in potential lost sales the cost of professional recovery could be easily justified. If you find yourself in a situation where you may need the services of a professional do not try to recover the data using recovery software yourself. Doing so may cause more damage then good. Instead contact the service provider and follow their instructions. DriveSavers has a list of Recovery Tips and Disaster Recovery Tips when faced with such a situation.

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Editing

Editing/Content authoring

BBEdit
Bare Bones Editor, which is anything but. A highly extensible piece of software, used by thousands of people around the world for HTML creation, word processing, and general text file editing.

TextWrangler
From the creators of BBEdit comes this free text editor. Powerfull in its own right. If you're watching your budget this application is the way to go. It, too, is capable of HTML creation, word processing, and general text file editing.

Macromedia DreamWeaver
A WYSIWYG editor with a built-in HTML reference and on-the-fly syntax-checker. The HTML development tool of choice by many novice web builders. Integrates with all other Macromedia products.

Macromedia Flash
You've all seen them -- the online games such as the ones provided at Newgrounds, Flash is the most widely used interactive content generator.

Macromedia Fireworks
If Photoshop is out of your price range, Firework is an ideal image editor, with professional features such as image slicing.

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