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Technote 1142Mac OS 8.5 |
This Technote discusses changes and corrections in the next generation of Mac OS: Mac OS 8.5. This system follows Mac OS 8.1 and contains several new and revised features including:
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Hardware RequirementsMac OS 8.5 can be installed on any Macintosh that originally shipped with a PowerPC processor that has at least 16 megabytes of physical RAM and a minimum of 24 megabytes of logical RAM. Also, Mac OS 8.5 can be installed in the Mac OS X Server DR2 Blue Box by way of standard install. |
Installation
This is an improved version of the "Install Mac OS" application provided with Mac OS 8.0 and 8.1. This new "Install Mac OS" application offers an improved user experience by allowing the user to customize components before any installation begins and not requiring further user intervention until the installation is complete. |
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Archive developers should store the entire contents of both the
FInfo
andFXinfo
records and theDInfo
andDXInfo
records when archiving files and directories. All fields in these records should be preserved, including flags and fields marked as reserved (with the exception of the "inited" bit for files containing desktop database information).
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Although
frFlags
andfdFlags
are located at the same offset in catalog records, some of the flags now have different meanings when the catalog record refers to a file versus when the catalog record refers to a directory. Developers should not assume flags that are only defined for files are unused when the catalog record refers to a directory. See the flag descriptions in<Finder.h>
for more information about individual flags.
Autorouting and Extended Routing
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typedef struct { OSType creator; // set to zero OSType fileType; // set to zero OSType targetFolder; // set to 'macs' OSType destinationFolder; // the folder to route into OSType reserved; // set to zero } RoutingResourceEntry;
The |
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Some of the fields documented in
FInfo
,DInfo
,FXInfo
, andDXInfo
no longer accurately reflect how these fields are actually used by the system. Now, the accurate definition is provided by theFileInfo
,FolderInfo
,ExtendedFileInfo
, andExtendedFolderInfo
data structures, respectively. In particular, they contain the definition of where to find the routing bit.
New Finder display facilities
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Starting with Finder 8.5, the invisible "Icon<cr>" file placed in directories may contain resource-based information used by the Finder other than an icon suite. It should only be deleted if it contains no resources at all.
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Internet Location Files and Clipping Files
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Finder will create an Internet location document when it receives a drag containing an Universal Resource Locator (URL). A drag containing an URL will be noticed by the Finder in one of two ways: |
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Specific file formats and contents of both clipping files and Internet location files are undocumented and subject to change without notice.
AppleScript Support
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Apple Help provides system-wide instructional help services for virtually all aspects of Mac OS. The Apple Help technology has two main components: Help Viewer and Apple Guide. |
The System file contains code and resources for running the computer. This section describes new features, changes, and bug fixes in the System file. The functionality provided by the System file is always present under Mac OS 8.5, even when the shift key is held down at system startup. General
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- WARNING:
- Developers should not assume the emulated 68K processor is running in supervisor mode when Virtual Memory is OFF.
Developers who require access to supervisor mode 68K instructions can use the |
Listing 1. The correct way to ensure the 68K processor is in supervisor mode.; Is _DebugUtil available? ; Code running on a IIci or later can skip this step. move.w #_Unimplemented,d0 _GetToolTrapAddress move.l a0,-(sp) move.l #$A08D,d0 ; get _DebugUtil _GetToolTrapAddress cmpa.l (sp)+,a0 ; was this previously ; unimplemented? beq.s @noEnterSupervisorMode ; Is the _EnterSupervisorMode selector available? _DebuggerGetMax ; check how many _DebugUtil ; selectors are implemented cmpi.l #8,d0 ; is selector 8 available? blt.s @noEnterSupervisorMode ; EnterSupervisorMode isn't ; available _EnterSupervisorMode ; switch to supervisor mode ; (switches stacks) move.w d0,-(sp) ; and save the previous SR contents ; on the stack bra.s @inSupervisorMode ; If _EnterSupervisorMode wasn't available, then put ; sr on the stack @noEnterSupervisorMode move sr,-(sp) ; save the current SR @inSupervisorMode ; ... ; do stuff in supervisor mode ; remember that the stack has been swapped if we switched ; from user mode to supervisor mode. ; ... move (sp)+,sr ; restore the SR |
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
DebuggerGetMax
is available on all machines supported by Mac OS 8.5. On other systems, developers must test for the_DebugUtil
trap before callingDebuggerGetMax
.Testing for VM to determine if the_EnterSupervisorMode
trap should be used is considered a programming error: developers should use the above method instead.
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Alias ManagerThe Alias Manager is the part of the operating system that communicates with the File Manager to maintain alias records used to store references to file and folder locations. The Alias Manager does not create Finder alias files: the Finder creates these files and stores alias records created by the Alias Manager in them.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Before calling
IsAliasFile
,ResolveAliasWithMountFlags
, orResolveAliasFileWithMountFlags
, developers must determine if these routines are available by testing the Alias Managergestalt
value'sgestaltAliasMgrResolveAliasFileWithMountOptions
bit. Also, see the InterfaceLib section for important information about linking with the new InterfaceLib.
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Appearance Manager 1.1The Appearance Manager provides facilities for providing a consistent appearance for graphical user interface elements. The Appearance Manager is not to be confused with the Appearance extension, which is compatible only with previous versions of Mac OS, and provides updates to Control Manager, Dialog Manager, Menu Manager, and Window Manager, as well as providing the 1.0.X versions of Appearance Manager. Appearance Manager 1.1 is delivered as part of the Mac OS 8.5 System File and includes the following new features:
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ATSUI (Apple Type Services for Unicode Imaging)Unicode is a character set which encodes the characters of many languages in a flat 16-bit number space. ATSUI extends the QuickDraw API and makes it possible for Mac OS applications to draw Unicode text. ATSUI provides both low-level services for drawing Unicode text as well as much of the high-end typographical control previously provided by QuickDraw GX.
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Code Fragment ManagerThe Code Fragment Manager (CFM) is responsible for loading and preparing PowerPC executables. Almost all of the PowerPC Mac OS and all PowerPC applications depend on the services of the CFM in some way.
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Control ManagerThe Control Manager provides facilities for drawing and processing user interaction with controls. New features for the Control Manager include:
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Device ManagerThe Device Manager provides a programming interface for communications between applications and device drivers (typically code that communicates with particular hardware devices, although some device drivers do not actually drive devices).
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Related Materials: |
Dialog ManagerThe Dialog Manager manages user interactions with dialogs. New features in the Dialog Manager include:
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Display ManagerThe Display Manager manages changes in both the display settings and the arrangement of monitors attached to the computer.
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Disk Initialization PackageThe Disk Initialization Package supports the formatting of disks.
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Drag ManagerThe Drag Manager supports Drag-and-Drop operations between windows and applications. New features for the Drag Manager include:
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Driver Services Library
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Event ManagerThe Event Manager manages the delivery of events to applications. Changes in the Event Manager include:
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File ManagerThe File Manager provides services for storaging and retrieving disk-based information. New features for the File Manager include:
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- WARNING:
- Copying files near the 2 GB HFS file size limit to an HFS volume will fail when the destination file's physical size goes beyond the 2 GB size limit due to larger allocation block sizes being used on the destination volume.
Related Materials: |
File System ManagerThe File System Manager provides a general means by which foreign file systems can be installed, identified, and interfaced to the operating system.
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Folder ManagerThe Folder Manager provides facilities for locating "special" folders (for example, the Extensions folder) without relying on the names of those folders. This aids developers in application localization.
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Font ManagerThe Font Manager provides system-wide services for the retrieval of glyphs for display of textual information.
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Help ManagerThe Help Manager is responsible for the drawing and display of Help Balloons and the Help menu.
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Icon ServicesNew for Mac OS 8.5, Icon Services provides fast and efficient facilities for retrieval of appropriate icon information used to represent files, directories, or other commonly used icons (for example, the caution alert icon, the note alert icon, and the help icon).
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InterfaceLibInterfaceLib provides a Code Fragment Manager interface to many of the Mac OS routines on PowerPC-based computers. The following additions and changes are present in this most recent version of the InterfaceLib.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Developers linking against newer versions of InterfaceLib who would like to have their products run with previous versions of the system software should weak-link against the new symbols. Unless this is done, the Code Fragment Manager will refuse to launch applications using the new symbols when an older version of InterfaceLib is being used. Developers weak-linking against any of the new symbols in InterfaceLib should check to ensure that the routines they weak-link against are defined before calling them.
Related Materials: |
List ManagerThe List Manager provides a standard user interface for drawing and managing user interaction with lists of items.
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- WARNING:
- Writing list click loops in PowerPC-native code is not backward-compatible with system releases prior to Mac OS 8.5. For compatibility with all systems prior to Mac OS 8.5, you must still write click loops using 68K assembly or a 68K assembly stub.
Related Materials: |
MathLibMathLib provides a software implementation of floating point support routines for PowerPC computers. All PowerPC processors contain built-in floating point processing capabilities. The routines provided in MathLib supplement those facilities.
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Memory ManagerThe Memory Manager is the part of the operating system responsible for managing memory allocation requests.
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Menu ManagerThe Menu Manager is the part of the operating system responsible for both drawing the menu bar, and drawing menus and pop-up menus on the screen while the mouse is being held down.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- In Mac OS 8.5, the Menu Manager does not attempt to modify the behavior of third-party
'MDEF'
s for correct colorization. Application vendors including custom'MDEF'
s with their products must revise their products to support Appearance.
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- The Menu Manager does not modify the behavior of the Event Manager to force
Button
to returntrue
while tracking sticky menus.'MDEF'
authors who depend onButton
returningfalse
values must modify their products.
Related Materials: |
Navigation Services 1.1Navigation Services provides new Open and Save dialogs, allowing users to locate and select files and other resources. Navigation Services 1.0 is delivered as a separate shared library in the Navigation Services SDK. In Mac OS 8.5, Navigation Services 1.1 is built in to the System file.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Navigation Services effectively obsoletes the Standard File package. Developers interested in future Mac OS compatibility are encouraged to replace their calls to Standard File with calls to Navigation Services.
Related Materials: |
Notification ManagerThe Notification Manager provides a mechanism for programs which are not the frontmost application to notify the user of specific events.
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PC Card ManagerThe PC Card Manager handles software issues related to PC Cards.
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PPC ToolboxThe Program to Program Communications Toolbox provides process-to-process communications facilities both for processes running on the same machine and for processes running on different computers connected by an AppleTalk network.
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Process ManagerThe Process Manager shares the processor among multiple applications. Mac OS 8.5 includes the following new features in the Process Manager:
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QuickDrawQuickDraw is the part of the Mac OS used for drawing and displaying graphical information on the screen and other raster devices.
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- WARNING:
- Calling either
FillCRect(&myRectangle,
((CGrafPtr) qd.thePort)->bkPixPat);
...or...
FillCRgn(myRegion,
((CGrafPtr) qd.thePort)->bkPixPat);
- ...in any version of color QuickDraw prior Mac OS 8.5 will destroy the current
bkPixPat
in theGrafPort
.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- The new QuickDraw does more parameter checking than all previous versions of QuickDraw. As a result, developers will find the new QuickDraw will facilitate their debugging efforts by bringing to light problems that may not have been so obvious before. It is strongly suggested that developers verify their products against the new QuickDraw to ensure they are calling QuickDraw correctly.
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QuickDraw TextQuickDraw Text is the part of the MacOS used for drawing and displaying textual information on the screen and other raster devices.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- The new QuickDraw Text routines described in this section are available only if the result returned by a call to
Gestalt
with the selectorgestaltQDTextVersion
is greater than or equal to the constantgestaltAllegroQDText
.
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- WARNING:
- Calls to
SetAntiAliasedTextEnabled
should only be made under special circumstances when greater control over text display during particular operations is desired. Developers changing the state of anti-aliased text drawing must restore its original state before returning control to the system. Failure to do so may result in other parts of the system, most notably the Appearance control panel, becoming out of sync with the actual state of anti-aliased text drawing.
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Script ManagerThe Script Manager provides functions for controlling, modifying, and accessing the features of both Roman and non-Roman script systems.
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Serial DriverThe Serial Driver provides software support for serial communications hardware using the Device Manager API. The Mac OS 8.5 Serial Driver includes the following change:
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Sound ManagerThe Sound Manager provides facilities for playback and recording of digitized sounds.
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Standard FileStandard File provides a consistent user interface for accessing files by way of the Open and Save As dialog boxes.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Navigation Services effectively obsoletes the Standard File package. Developers interested in future Mac OS compatibility are encouraged to replace their calls to Standard File with calls to Navigation Services.
Related Materials: |
Text Services Manager 1.5The Text Services Manager provides facilities for applications to communicate with various text processing utilities that provide services such as special text input methods, spell checking, hyphenation, etc.
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Time ManagerThe Time Manager provides millisecond and microsecond timing facilities for Mac OS-based computers.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- The current C and Pascal Time Manager APIs do not return the result from
InsTime
,InsXTime
,PrimeTime
, andRmvTime
. The result from Time Manager functions is returned in the 68K registerD0
. Simple 68K inline or PowerPC Mixed Mode glue code can be used to call those Time Manager functions and get their results.
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Translation ManagerThe Translation Manager provides file and scrap translation to allow data to be used by applications other than those that originally created the data. The following changes have been made in the Translation Manager:
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Developers of PowerPC translation extensions are advised to package them as specified in Technote TN1004, rather than as is done in the Mac OS Easy Open SDK.
Related Materials: |
Virtual Memory ManagerThe Virtual Memory Manager provides virtual memory services for the Mac OS. The following changes have been made in the Virtual Memory Manager:
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Window ManagerThe Window Manager provides facilities for drawing and maintaining windows on the screen.
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- WARNING:
- Applications using the undocumented and unsupported Layer Manager interface for floating windows will not work with Mac OS 8.5.
- WARNING:
- Applications writing directly to the low-memory window list global, either by direct access or by
LMSetWindowList
, may have problems in Mac OS 8.5. It is strongly recommended that developers interested in future compatibility treat the window list as read-only.
- WARNING:
- Applications writing directly to the
GrayRgn
may cause problems in Mac OS 8.5, and may cease to work properly in future versions of Mac OS. Developers interested in future compatibility should use the newShowMenuBar
/HideMenuBar
routines instead.
Related Materials: |
Control Panels provide user interface facilities for custom configuration of the system. |
The Appearance control panel provides a user interface for configuring the appearance of graphical user interface elements.
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The Apple Menu Options control panel provides user interface configuration facilities for the appearance and behavior of the Apple Menu. There are some corrections present in this implementation of the Apple Menu Options control panel.
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ColorSync provides system-level color management that enables publishing software to achieve repeatable, reliable, and consistent color on-screen, in print, and for electronic delivery.
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Control Strip is a control panel providing configuration facilities for the control strip.
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The Date and Time control panel provides a user interface for setting the system clock and configuring the display format for both dates and times.
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File Exchange allows users to set mappings from filename extensions (ex.: ".TXT") to Mac OS file types (ex.: 'TEXT'), to mount DOS SCSI disks and drive containers, and to set File Translation preferences. The following changes have been made in File Exchange:
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The File Sharing control panel allows for user configuration of file sharing services on the computer.
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A new control panel application (
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The Keyboard control panel provides a user interface for configuring connected keyboards.
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Apple Location Manager is an extension that allows mobile users to save and restore sets of configurations ("locations") under a single name. For example, a user can define a group of printers, network settings, and extension sets for different computing environments.
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The Memory control panel provides a user interface for the configuration of virtual memory, RAM disk storage, and the size of the disk cache.
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The Monitors & Sound control panel provides a user interface for configuring and adjusting various settings for AppleVision monitors attached to the computer, along with services formerly provided by the Monitors control panel and by the Sound control panel.
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The new Remote Access control panel provides user interface facilities for configuring PPP and ARA connections.
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The TCP/IP control panel provides a user interface for configuring TCP/IP protocols.
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This control panel allows the user to designate which people are allowed to establish network connections with the computer. |
Web Sharing allows users to configure and set up the "Web Sharing" folder on their computer to act as a World Wide Web site. Web Sharing runs as an HTTP server, allowing users to access files stored in the Web Sharing folder using any web browser program available on any computer platform. New features for Web Sharing include:
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System extensions are located in the Extensions folder inside the System Folder. For a system extension to be active, it must be located in the Extensions folder when the system starts up. Extensions are not loaded if the shift key is held down while the system is starting up. |
The Apple CD-ROM driver contains some enhancements for support of new Apple products and corrects some problems found in previous versions of the driver.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Non-Apple CD drives are not supported by the Apple CD-ROM driver.
Related Materials: |
The Apple Ethernet driver provides support for Apple's built-in Ethernet and cards on newer machines. Features include:
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AppleScript is a component of the operating system that provides a scripting interface for users to automate actions that would normally require use of the menus and keyboard. Even more importantly, it allows users to access functionality of applications which would be difficult or impossible to access by hand.
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- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- The interface and functionality of the consolidated scripting additions listed above is unchanged from AppleScript 1.1.2.
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AppleShare Workstation Client provides file sharing services for computers networked with file servers. |
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- AppleShare Workstation Client 3.8 can be used with Mac OS 7.5.3 and later.
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The Application Switcher is a new user interface element that appears as a floating window, providing a clickable list of active processes running on the computer. |
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Application Switcher uses command-tab as a keyboard shortcut for switching between open applications. It is possible to disable or change the keyboard shortcut for switching between open applications using the AppleScript script on the Application Switcher Help page.
AppleScript support for the application window includes: |
Desktop Printing provides easy access to printers by locating them on the desktop. Users can access information about their print jobs by opening these icons, and they can print documents by dropping them into the printer icon.
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Provides system-wide search facilities for finding related files based on their content.
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Internet Config provides a centralized storehouse of information for various settings utilized by Internet applications. It provides methods for applications to both retrieve and store configuration information.
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LaserWriter 8 provides the ability to print to PostScript printers. The new LaserWriter 8 software provides many enhancements and new features of interest to developers including the following:
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Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) is Apple's implementation of the Java runtime environment. MRJ allows Java functionality to be embedded in Mac OS applications, and applications using MRJ's JManager API are able to run Java applets and applications.
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The Network Setup Extension provides for programmatic configuration of the AppleTalk, TCP/IP, Infrared, and Remote Access settings.
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Open Transport is the networking technology for Mac OS 8.5. Open Transport 2.0.1 contains SNMP and OT SNMP Admin, DHCP enhancements for improved compatibility with Windows NT, including Client ID, new APIs for manipulating configurations, scriptability for AppleTalk, TCP, Modem, Remote Access, Infrared control panels, and bug fixes.
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PlainTalk provides both speech recognition services and services for the translation of text into audible speech. Mac OS 8.5 installation ships with English Text to Speech 1.5.3, Speech Recognition, and Mexican Spanish Text to Speech. English Text to Speech is installed as part of the default Mac OS 8.5 installation. Speech Recognition can be installed as a custom install option.
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QuickTime provides various multimedia services for the Mac OS, including the ability to display movies, and facilities for the translation and display of various audio and visual data file formats. |
QuickDraw 3D provides 3D drawing services for the Mac OS. |
Items in the Apple Menu Items folder appear in
the Apple Menu. Files of type
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The Apple System Profiler provides a simple way to obtain information regarding the current system configuration. Information provided by the Profiler is useful for customer support representatives in assisting users.
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Key Caps provides a user interface for displaying and viewing the characters produced by various key combinations.
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Sherlock provides search facilities for Mac OS computers. In addition to the traditional capabilities of the Find application, Sherlock supports searching by content and Internet searches.
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Apple Extras
The Apple Video Player provides facilities for live video playback.
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Open Transport now supports SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). SNMP Administrator provides a user interface for configuring SNMP.
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Utilities
Disk Copy allows for disk image creation, mounting, and writing.
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Disk First Aid is an application program that provides disk diagnostic and repair services. It is normally located in the Utilities directory in the startup disk's root directory.
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Drive Setup provides drive initialization services for Apple hard drives.
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Apple Developer UtilitiesMac OS 8.5 requires updated copies of the following Apple Developer Utilities: |
MacsBug is Apple's low-level debugger, providing a user interface for the disassembly and perusal of machine-level instructions. |
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- Mac OS 8.5 will not load versions of MacsBug earlier than 6.5.4a5. If Mac OS 8.5 finds an unsupported version of MacsBug in the System Folder, it will attempt to rename the MacsBug file to "MacsBug Obsolete" (where " Obsolete" is a localized string).
- COMPATIBILITY NOTE
- In Mac OS 8.5, the Font Manager has its own private heap zone. This heap has no free blocks. As a result, Macsbug 6.5.4 reports the heap is corrupt. This is a harmless condition, not a real corrupt heap; Macsbug is reporting the wrong thing.
Related Materials: |
Some versions of MPW Shell and StdCLib can cause problems under Mac OS 8.5. Click here for more information. |
Items No Longer SupportedAppearance ExtensionThe Appearance Extension is no longer in the Extensions folder. Its functionality has been incorporated into the System file. Apple Remote Access ClientApple Remote Access Client has been integrated into Remote Access 3.1. CyberdogCyberdog is no longer included with Mac OS. For more information, see the OpenDoc web pages at <http://www.opendoc.apple.com/>. Desktop Pictures control panelThe Desktop Pictures control panel is no longer installed. Its functionality has been incorporated into the Appearance control panel. Mac OS Easy OpenThe Mac OS Easy Open control panel is no longer installed. Its interface has been incorporated into the File Exchange control panel, and its functionality has been moved to the System file. Map control panelThe Map control panel is no longer supported. Its functionality has been incorporated into the Date & Time control panel. For backwards compatibility, it is provided in the Apple Extras folder. OpenDocOpenDoc is no longer included with the Mac OS. For more information, see the OpenDoc web pages at <http://www.opendoc.apple.com/>. Open Transport/PPP 1.0.1Open Transport/PPP has been integrated into Remote Access 3.1. WorldScript Power AdapterThe World Script Power Adapter has been obsoleted by changes to Script Manager, the Font Manager, et al. |
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Technotes |