8 posts tagged “apple”

Sun Jan 27 19:59:23 2008
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x0039CD77): "m_free: freeing an already freed mbuf"@/SourceCache/xnu/xnu-1228.0.2/bsd/kern/uipc_mbuf.c:2742
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x3aeef708 : 0x12b0e1 (0x455670 0x3aeef73c 0x133238 0x0)
0x3aeef758 : 0x39cd77 (0x48e03c 0x1 0x2117701c 0x3c893c8)
0x3aeef798 : 0x39d073 (0x1cfbbc00 0x0 0x3aeef7b8 0x3ad8eca8)
0x3aeef7b8 : 0x9cf821 (0x1cfbbc00 0x133db000 0x0 0x37adf78)
0x3aeef8e8 : 0x9d89e5 (0x1 0x0 0x3ad4c3d0 0x3ad8ed24)
0x3aeefc08 : 0x9dd93a (0x12a6b2c8 0x0 0x3aeefc38 0x3d9e57)
0x3aeefde8 : 0x9defb1 (0x12a6b2c8 0x12c 0x3aeeff08 0x127206)
0x3aeeff18 : 0x41d149 (0x12a6b000 0x30c5f80 0x1 0x19ccc1)
0x3aeeff68 : 0x41c2a6 (0x30c5f80 0x0 0x0 0xbfff7630)
0x3aeeff98 : 0x41bf88 (0x30cfc00 0x0 0xbfff7630 0x0)
0x3aeeffc8 : 0x19e2ec (0x30cfc00 0x0 0x1a10b5 0x2b49b80)
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0
      Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
         com.apple.driver.AirPort.Atheros(300.22)@0x9aa000->0xa34fff
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family(200.7)@0x98c000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.4)@0x63c000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(1.6.0)@0x64c000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
9B21

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.1.0: Wed Oct 31 17:46:22 PDT 2007; root:xnu-1228.0.2~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: Macmini2,1 (Mac-F4208EAA)

Happened twice today.

What sucks about MacOSX troubleshooting is that you I feel like a total n00b. On Windows I knew how to fix things and a crash like this happened maybe once or twice in four (4!) years with my laptop's XP (Professional install). I am not even sure if it happened really twice, I am pretty sure it only crashed once. Yeah, I know, I am a lucky bastard but what can I say. Also, my XP-install is four years old! It's the IBM install that came with my nifty X40.

Anyway, back to the crash:
http://timothyli.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/how-to-partially-fix-comappledriverairportatheros-crash/
(Summary in case the link stops working: Disable IPv6 on your Airport in System Preferences > Network > Airport > Advanced > TCP/IP)

Not sure why I had IPv6 in there to begin with. But now it's off! IPVv6 is dead anyway (sorry, I could not resist).

Here are some things I encountered during my Leopard update.

I had no 10.4?!

The installer initially claimed I didn't have 10.4 (Tiger) installed. I rebooted a couple times (using MS Windows logic), but couldn't get it to recognize the installed operating system. I finally managed to pass this step, by clicking back  from the "start" screen where you go back to the initial language selection. Clicked "English" again and then the installer checked once more and found it. This is to be filed in the WTF department.

4 minutes remaining ...

Close to the end of the install, it claims that it will only take four more minutes. Don't get excited yet, and don't worry too much either. Each of those four (Apple) minutes took about 20 (real) minutes to pass.

Perl goodness

Whenever I open a shell now it says:

perl: warning: Setting locale failed.
perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings:
    LC_ALL = (unset),
    LANG = "UTF-8"
    are supported and installed on your system.
perl: warning: Falling back to the standard locale ("C").

I'm not sure where this error comes from. I have tried to install them through fink, but I am now in the process of fixing fink first (gcc seems to have disappeared) and will let you know what I find later on. If anyone has a clue, feel free to comment.

Aside from those quirks the update went pretty well. And Leopard is pretty awesome. I totally dig spaces, stacks, the new preview feature and (of course) time machine. It looks pretty slick too.

So I finally switched, or let's say - along with my IBM laptop, I now own a full flexed Mac Mini (2 Ghz core duo, 2 GB ram, huge harddrive and so on). The display I am using is my (old) DELL display, a 1704FPV - which I will replace sooner or later (with a larger DELL).

The initial setup (aka "getting up and running") took not even ten (10) minutes. Ten minutes from unpacking, hooking up all gear, starting, completing setup and being online. Here is the rest of what I installed and a couple issues I ran into on the way.

Here is the list of apps I got to "replace" my Windows:

1. Mac OS X 10.4 (Before: Windows XP Professional, SP2)
   Since I had used that at the old job, the switch didn't mean so much to me.
2. fink and Apple developer tools (Before: nothing like it)
   
3. Thunderbird (Before: Thunderbird)
4. Adium (Before: Meebo and Google Talk)
5. Transmission (Before: Azureus)
6. Aptana (Before: Nuphere PHPEd, but also Aptana)
7. svn-client through fink (Before: Tortoise)
8. VLC (Before: Media Player Classic)
9. Perian (Before: K-Lite Codec Pack)
10. Stuffit (Before: no need for sit's on Windows)
    
11. unrar through fink (Before: Winrar)
12. Plazer 3.0 (Before: Plazer 2.x)
13. NeoOffice (Before: OpenOffice 1.x/2.x)
14. Cyberduck (Before: Filezilla)
    

There's other thinks like that I replaced Safari with Firefox in order to get all my extensions back and so on, but apart from that the switch hasn't been too bad for me. I am evening using iTunes now. And I can say that I really recommend it to anyone out there struggeling on Windows.

Some things I (still) struggle with:

1. My Photoshop license does not "translate" to the Mac. So I am in need of buying a new one, but used Photoshop on ebay for the Mac is so expensive. For example, I have no idea why anyone (sane) would pay 200+ EUR for Photoshop 5.5. But people do it.
   Photoshop Elements is also not available for Mac, which means I have to buy Photoshop CS2/3 soon.
   
2. Quicktime works a lot better on the Mac, but some of it is just stupid. For example, they want you to buy PRO, so you can toggle subtitles. Like that is a PRO feature.
3. My printer (Samsung ML 1610) does not work - so far I tried using the 1710 driver, but that failed. On a sidenote, I think I have not dealt with drivers on Windows in four or five years. I guess you need them if you buy no-name stuff, but Samsung? At least, I expected them to have a native Mac driver.
4. StuffIt - with native ZIP-support, why is anyone still using this piece of junk?
   

Printer setup

I own a laser printer by Samsung (ML-1610), which does not have a native Mac driver. So the current work around is to get the ML-1740 driver and install it. It works. Just make sure you reboot after the install because apparently Mac OS X lost some Unix on way and requires a clean start every now and then.

Another shot worth while is Gutenprint - which I did not need, but it holds (alternative) drivers for over 800 models. In case of a Samsung printer, some people claim that samsung-gdi also worked well.

The problem with that, however, is that you’ll always get to see the subtitles when they exist. Even if you don’t want to. And that QuickTime player refuses to show you the checkbox to toggle those subtitles unless you bend over pay that good old 30$ fee – presumably because toggling subtitles – a feature that even a 30€ crap DVD player has built in – is just the kind of thing which only ‘PRO’ users should be able to do. Ah well. But as QuickTime and its player aren’t bad in themselves but only in their UI and marketing, AppleScript is once more here to help us. (source)

Uhm, OK. 30? Ridiculous. So I have to watch subtitles now because I don't have PRO?! As much as I like Quicktime on Mac OS X - it is a lot less suck than Quicktime on Windows. But what's with all the castration? Maybe time to go VideoLAN.

As much as I want a new Macbook - whenever I go into an Apple store they make me so not want one.
I am almost going to order a new IBM/Lenovo tonight.

Apple users in general are really into their product - "Steve says ...", that's the ultimate argument. And from a brand-point-of-view this is very appealing and the mentality of the people is outstanding. Because there are all those people standing up for whatever weirdness a company does. Everyone is defending them and spending ridiculous amounts of money.

Now multiply the average Apple fanboy and you get the elitist f*cks working in Apple stores. I wish someone sane would notice how their "you are a stupid nothing" mentality drives customers away. And this is by far not the first time I ever noticed this. This is true across different sellers in Germany - Gravis, MacHaus  - unfortunately all the same.

Tonight I briefly stepped in an Applecenter (MacHaus) in Berlin (Steglitz) and dared to ask when the new Macbooks would be available, if they were announced at the end of October. So a lot of when and if - I absolutely made no claim that I know more than anyone else, I was just hoping for a general answer, for example: "When they are announced, we'll have them X weeks later.".

Instead the sales clerk replied, "nice try", and went on trying to make it look like I wanted to talk him into a statement revealing when Macbooks will come out. I mean, whatever. As if I could get that from him and come in October to demand a new Macbook which did not come out?

He then continued to lecture me that even though there have been rumours (1, 2) about Apple products they are never true and so on, and so on. And then he finished with how MacHaus is an Applecenter (woah) and always gets all the new stuff before anyone else and so on. Boring.

So I left this place, being essentially told that I am an idiot. Thanks!

Is very busy lately.

I have nothing to add here. Sometimes I think that I live at the office currently because the current relaunch eats so much time. It's hot stuff too and we are a bit short on project management perspective, but we are getting there. And we all know.

The rest of my free time I currently either sleep or pretty much spent it all on the Metroblog and a few smaller projects. So there. Now you know.

Then shit always happens when you least need it to happen. So for example my Airport Extreme died last week. It's one of two Apple products in my apartment. One is the Extreme and the other one is an iPod. While I like the iPod, I am so not happy with the Extreme.

A note of advice...

1. All In 99% of all cases, Apple products have a limit where there should be none. For example, my Airport Extreme only allows 12 clients to connect. Some might say, "WTF? 12 - that is a lot!", but it really isn't because I've used it in circumstances where far more people needed access.
2. The Airport Extreme does not like downloads. So for example, you download the latest FreeBSD ISO over night - you might need to reboot the Airport in the morning because it froze half way through.
3. The Airport Extreme reserves the right to freeze for whatever reason and whenever.
4. For all changes you apply, the Airport issues a reboot - reminds you of Windows?

So even though Marc is nice enough to get it repaird through Apple press people, I've really had it. I am not sure what I'll do with it when it comes back. In the meantime I purchased another FON router (my 2nd) because it cost only 35 EUR, because I like the FON-idea and because if I stop liking it, I can also install OpenWRTG on it. And little did I know but when you order the router, it has an estimated shipping time of three days, but it shipped in 3!

Once again I also tried to catch up with my feedreader tonight and failed. I did read a few blogs websites, and sometimes, this stuff can crack me up indeed. There are people, who I know - some in person. All they do on there is really write a bunch of bullshit.

Yeah. Bullshit.

Nothing of it is true or sometimes only very little is. For example they claim to do something but they really don't and never did. Funny, ain't it? A lot of it is seasoned with very business-like talk to make them look all knowledgable and interesting. One man, a company. But they should be cooking on the simmer instead.

Most interesting to me is that this kind of insight always comes when you talk to people about it. Like it never occured to me before. But today I just had a conversation about the very same topic with an ex-colleague. Citizen journalism at its best. The best example why blogs are not to be trusted in the corporate world. Because many people lie.

So this means, unless your company is Web 2.0 and/or revolves around blogging in general - it's hard to build a relationship of trust.

In the end this kind of stuff should not really crack one me up. I know. It's evil to enjoy other people's mishaps. Maybe not evil. But what goes around, comes around. But I just had to laugh when I opened the article and read through it. In the end it's actually pretty sad to lie like that and publish it.

Anyway, I unsubscribed.

Finally time to move on with real life. 2007 is looking great!