Macintosh resources

This page contains useful information for Macintosh users. Please do feel free to add content!

Software repositories

• • Open Source Mac
  • Version Tracker (Mac OS X)
  • MacResearch

X Windows

Make sure you install the latest version of http://xquartz.macosforge.org/trac/wiki because the X11 shipped with OS X Leopard is not as updated as this one.

LaTeX

Suggested packages:

• MacTeX (Rodrigo; NOTE: MacTeX includes TeXshop)
• TeXShop (Giovanni)

Related software:

• For creating LaTeX equations on-the-fly (e.g., drag-and-drop to a presentation): http://ktd.club.fr/programmation/latexit_en.php

Python

Suggested package: http://www.python.org/download (the standard one)

To install python modules in the user account follow these steps: (this is an example where modules are installed in ~/Library/python, adapt accordingly)

• create a file named ~/.pydistutils.cfg containing

[install]
home=~/Library/python

• add the following line to ~/.profile

export PYTHONPATH=~/Library/python/lib/python

Make sure you check the Python resources page in this mediawiki.

Linux software

Suggested package: http://www.macports.org

Emacs

Suggested package: http://aquamacs.org

GIMP

Suggested package: http://gimp.lisanet.de/Website/Download.html

Mail

A helpful tip for improving Mail performance can be found at http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/mail_app/topic2610.html

I found a workaround for the slow IMAP performance, linked to the 'updating cache directory' activity. To fix the problem, go to your account setup under preferences. On the IMAP account having difficulty, go to the advanced tab. Where it says 'keep copies for offline viewing', change it to 'only messages I've read' or don't keep copies at all.

ROS

To install ROS follow these instructions: http://www.ros.org/wiki/electric/Installation/OSX/Homebrew

Miscellaneous

• To reset the DNS cache:
  • before Lion

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache

• • after Lion

sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder