Last updated 10/20/2004

Modding Max OS X: Panther Edition

Modding Max OS X: Panther Edition
Extreme Makeovers For Your Mac
Author: Erica Sadun
Publisher: O'Reilly
287 pages ... $24.95
ISBN 0-596-00709-4

My first impression of Modding Max OS X: Panther Edition was a turnoff. Why call it Modding when it means modifying? And, starting chapters with the estimated Time, Difficulty, and Geekitude was not bad, but then including the Chinese Take Out Equivalent add? Besides, did I need to review another book about Hacking the Mac?

I started reading it anyway because I thought there should be something good in any book written by a woman with a Ph.D. in computer science and published by O'Reilly.

I was pleasantly surprised. There is a lot one can learn about Mac OS X by reading this book and following the directions. In each exercise, Erica Sadun first tells you how to prepare a backup if needed. Where appropriate she tells you how to make a copy to work on. Then, after you have made the changes to your Mac, she tells you how to change it back like it was. And, even though it uses the Terminal, it is written so that it should be easy for anyone who might be at all interested to follow in the first part of the book. As you work through the chapters, the difficulty increases.

Here is a listing of the chapter headings with Erica's ratings and some personal comments:

1. Transforming Your Mac
Time: an hour or two, Difficulty: very easy, Geekitude moderate

2. Inside Application Bundles
Time: an hour or two, Difficulty: very easy, Geekitude moderate

I removed language folders from Photoshop CS using Get Info. This was supposed to save space, but the folders were empty - probably because I had not loaded those extra languages when I installed the system. It was interesting and easy.

3. Application Dumpster Diving
Time a day, Difficulty: easy, moderate

A few days ago I learned how to find the Unicode Open-Apple symbol which works in TextEdit, but not in AppleWorks or HTML like this. It was interesting to read a clearer explanation in Modding Mac OS X "Use Unicode strings in TextEdit." Save it as a PDF document to be sure it is still there for your reader. Unicode works in Cocoa programs like TextEdit, but not in Carbon programs like AppleWorks. My HTML editor, HyperEdit, would not accept the Unicode character at all.

4. Changing Icons
Time: a day, Difficulty: so-so, Geekitude moderate

Here, in my own words, is something that I learned while studying in this section:

Select, highlight, the picture that best represents the contents of a folder containing pictures. Use Open-Apple-I to open Get Info. Copy the icon at the top. Then select the folder icon and open and Get Info. Click on the folder icon in Get Info and paste the icon from the picture. Now your folder will have look like the picture that represents what is in it. To restore the folder icon: open Get Info, select the picture icon in Get Info and click Delete. The default folder icon will be restored.

5. Preferences Files
Time a half day, Difficulty: so-so, Geekitude Geeky

This chapter started on page 99. Studying it was interesting, until I read on page 115, "Hacking preference files directly is the kingdom of the excitement seeker or control freak." I decided that I did not want to spend a half day to see if I could learn it.

6. Discovering Domains and Support Files
Time: a day,Difficulty: so-so, Geekitude Geeky

7. Changing Interface Elements
Time 2 - 3 hours, Difficulty: moderate to difficult, Geekitude slide-rule Geeky

8. Altering Keyboard Shortcuts
Time an hour or two, Difficulty: so-so, Geekitude moderate

9. Basic Application Scripting
Time a half day, Difficulty: moderate to difficult, Geekitude: extra Geeky

10. Scripting the Unscriptable
Time a day or two, Difficulty: difficult, Geekitude: slide-rule Geeky

Your appreciation of Modding Max OS X: Panther Edition will probably depend upon how geeky you are, in the good computer sense, and how much time and intelligence you want to use. I do believe that studying this book and working through the exercises could be an interesting way to learn more about Mac OS X. And, when you are done, you could mold your Mac to your own unique liking.

For more information or to buy Modding Max OS X: Panther Edition , go to
http://www.oreilly.com