This FKEY puts up an alert which gives the user a choice between shutting down, (similar to choosing Shut Down from the Finder™,) restarting, exiting to the Finder, or cancelling. As an additional option, the user may press Caps Lock when calling this FKEY to just shutdown without bothering with the dialog. This is provided so the user may shutdown properly even during a mouse freeze. Important: see note below under the Limitations & Known Problems section.
——— Installation ———
There are several ways to install the FKEY, depending on how you organise your disk. Personally, I use Suitcase™ to open the FKEY file, but if you prefer you can use a FKEY moving utility (such as the FKEY Manager) to copy it into a large FKEY file, or indeed the System file, or use one of several other utilities that are available. You could also use ResEdit™ to copy the FKEY resource into your System file, by following the instructions below:
1. Make a copy of your System file
2. Launch ResEdit
3. Open the FKEY file
4. Select all resources in the file except the ‘vers’ one (choose Select All from the Edit menu, then Command-click on the ‘vers’ resource’s icon)
5. Choose Copy from the Edit menu
6. Open the copy of the System file [Never use ResEdit on the current one]
7. Choose Paste from the Edit menu
8. Quit, saving the System file on the way.
——— Compatibility ———
This FKEY requires System version 3.3 or greater, and should work on any Macintosh with at least that System version. If you have any problems, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
——— Usage ———
Important: Read the note in the following section before using this FKEY. To use it, you will normally just press Command-Shift-0 (or whatever you have set the key to) to be presented with an alert asking you whether you wish to shutdown, restart, exitToShell or cancel. Shutdown and restart are similar to the equivalent Finder commands, with the exception outlined in the following section; exitToShell is like choosing Quit from the File menu except that you can do it any time—even in the Finder. It simply aborts the current program and reloads the Finder. Remember that all three of these options do not give you a chance to save your work, and don’t give the open application a chance to tidy up any of its private files. Cancel does just that, returning you to where you were.
As an additional option, under special circumstances—for example during a mouse freeze—you may want to shutdown properly—so you don’t have to wait around when restarting for the directory to be rebuilt—but can’t or don’t wish to use the mouse: then you can press Caps Lock down first, and call the FKEY by typing the Command-Shift-0 combination. In this case, you are not presented with the alert: the computer is simply shutdown right then and there. I used to have this as the default option, but I kept on typing it by mistake which is rather frustrating!
——— Limitations & Known Problems ———
This FKEY doesn’t give applications or the Finder a chance to tidy up after themselves, e.g. if the application writes a temporary file to the disk while running (e.g. MacWrite’s scrap & undo files, ResEdit’s scrap file, etc) then this file will not be deleted. This is not a major worry, as the file will be correctly handled and deleted next time the program is run. However, if you use this FKEY in the Finder, the Desktop file will not be correctly updated, which means that any changes to folder or icon positions will be lost. I strongly recommend you use the Shutdown and Restart commands from the Special menu, and only use this FKEY when a bomb or other error prevents you from using the mouse or nothing else seems to work. Then this is an ideal utility.
1.0a1: 4 January 1990 Initial version which just shuts down or restarts
Docs: 6 January 1990 Rough description: mainly source code comments
1.0a2: 16 January 1990 Added alert to give shutdown, restart or
exitToShell
Docs: 19 January 1990 Updated docs to 1.0a2 & improved it heaps
1.0b1: 10 February 1990 Prepared for first distribution
Docs: 10 February 1990 Updated docs to version 1.0b1
Docs: 18 Febuary 1995 Updated docs to reflect my new name and to use styled text
——— Dejal Userware ———
This program is being released as Freeware. You may give it away to anyone, provided you include this document with the software, and both are unmodified. Since it’s not Shareware, you may continue to use it without paying me any money, however if you’ve found it useful and want to donate something, I wouldn’t turn you down!
If you come across any bugs, please let me know. Rest assured I have checked it quite extensively, and found it works fine on my machine and those of my Beta Testers, but I accept no responsibility if it trashes your hard disk or blows up your Mac.
You may be interested in other programs I’ve written, including some high quality Shareware applications. Here are brief descriptions of just two of them:
• SndConverter Pro (Shareware): my most popular product to date; this application allows you to quickly convert a batch of sounds from one format to another. Additional options include the ability to downsample or compress sounds, filter the sound names, change sampling rates, convert 16-bit sounds to 8-bit, plus other features. It will help you find and extract sounds, and supports Apple events (file, folder and disk dropping), resolving aliases, and other features.
• QuickEncrypt (Shareware): drop a file on this application to quickly and securely encrypt it, or decrypt previously encrypted files. It is very configurable and has many features, including support for files of an unlimited length, multiple worksets, user-controlled password limitations, a default password, automatic encryption and/or decryption, verification of validity, the option of a standard source folder and various destination options, opening files once decrypted (via AppleEvents), and more.
Write to the address below, or contact me via e-mail, for more information. If you want to receive the Dejal Userware™ disk, which includes every program I have written and released as Shareware or Freeware, plus my sound catalogue, send US$5 or provide your credit card details. I can accept VISA, MasterCard, Bankcard, Diners Club and American Express, as well as cash & checks in any major currency or international money orders — I can even accept credit card orders via e-mail! I prefer cash (any currency, not only NZ$ or US$) for small amounts like US$5.
Please let me know if you use this program, by writing or e-mailing:
Snail: Dejal Userware, PO Box 33-1011, Takapuna, Auckland 1309, NEW ZEALAND
Internet: dejal@iconz.co.nz (preferred) or dejal@deepthnk.kiwi.gen.nz
Dejal Userware home page: http://amug.org:80/~dejal/
CompuServe: >INTERNET: dejal@iconz.co.nz or 100033,2435
I read the Internet mail every day, and will reply immediately (allow a day or two for net.delay), but only call CI$ once a fortnight, or less.
Note: my software is now available for anonymous ftp at ftp.amug.org in the /pub/dejal directory. Most of the software is also available on sumex-aim and its mirror sites, though my ftp site has the advantage of having all my software in the one directory, and you know they are the latest versions.
