How to make an OS X Yosemite DVD installer

Credit goes to tywebb13 at MacRumors.com

After downloading the full Yosemite installer app from the Mac App Store, run these 14 commands in Terminal to create a Yosemite.iso file and then burn it to a dual layer DVD with Disk Utility. You may then boot up from it by holding the option key down and then install Yosemite.

hdiutil attach /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg -noverify -nobrowse -mountpoint /Volumes/install_app

hdiutil convert /Volumes/install_app/BaseSystem.dmg -format UDSP -o /tmp/Yosemite

hdiutil resize -size 8g /tmp/Yosemite.sparseimage

hdiutil attach /tmp/Yosemite.sparseimage -noverify -nobrowse -mountpoint /Volumes/install_build

rm /Volumes/install_build/System/Installation/Packages

cp -rp /Volumes/install_app/Packages /Volumes/install_build/System/Installation/

cp -rp /Volumes/install_app/BaseSystem.chunklist /Volumes/install_build

cp -rp /Volumes/install_app/BaseSystem.dmg /Volumes/install_build

hdiutil detach /Volumes/install_app

hdiutil detach /Volumes/install_build

hdiutil resize -size `hdiutil resize -limits /tmp/Yosemite.sparseimage | tail -n 1 | awk '{ print $1 }'`b /tmp/Yosemite.sparseimage

hdiutil convert /tmp/Yosemite.sparseimage -format UDTO -o /tmp/Yosemite

rm /tmp/Yosemite.sparseimage

mv /tmp/Yosemite.cdr ~/Desktop/Yosemite.iso

 

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iPad Air 2

I finally replaced my aging iPad 3 with a new iPad Air 2. The iPad 3 64GB is a great device and it has served me well. I was very happy until iOS8 was installed. This caused many slowdowns and erratic Safari performance. The iPad 3 also doesn't have the proper hardware to support the new "Handoff" feature that my Mac Pro does.

I purchased an iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 64 GB model. Wow, this thing is fast! I'm not impressed with modest performance enhancements but this is way beyond modest. The iPad Air 2 is fast, I mean nothing short of amazing. It runs circles around every computer I own except my Mac Pro, and honestly, it has a better internet browsing experience than the Mac due to the Safari browser in Yosemite. iOS Safari is much quicker on this iPad.

I have outfitted my new toy with a "FINTIE" aka: cheap BT keyboard/case until the new ClamCase Pro is available. I have to say, for a cheap case and BT keyboard, it really works well. I can type really fast with this setup. Thanks to B & H Photo in NYC I saved a bundle since they don't charge taxes on out of state orders and 2 day shipping was free to.

That's about it for this post, I highly recommend the upgrade.

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HighPoint RocketU 1144C USB 3.0 - PCIe 2.0 4x

HighPoint RocketU 1144C

ASMEDIA Chipset

The card preforms well and had no problems recognizing several devices I tried (web cams, keyboard, mice, printers, scanners, Belkin hub, Inateck hubs, Docking Stations, thumb drives, portable USB drives etc…) and the list goes on and on…

This card is easily installed, and works immediately with the OS X 10.9+ built in drivers. It has no conflicts with any of my other hardware (including the installed Inateck KT-4004 USB 3.0 card.

I transferred dozens of TB to and from SSDs & mechanical USB 3.0 drives and it's extremely fast. Plugging in multiple drives does not slow the 1144C at all.
The 1144C easily powers 4x 7200 RPM 1TB laptop drives without any additional power requirements.
(This card does not require any additional power connections, it's fully powered by the PCIe slot). I've tested it pretty extensively and I can't find any negative characteristics to this card so far.

I had no bluetooth interfe rence during large or short transfers. So far I have nothing but great results with this card.

The HighPoint card is a bit more expensive than most ($109), but consider that it’s a 4x card, requires no additional drivers for OS X 10.9+, has 4 controller chips (one for each port) to prevent slowdowns when transferring between multiple devices, and fully supports UASP transfers, and supports all sleep modes.
I can easily recommended this product to anyone who wants USB 3.0 in a cMP.
I tested this card with OS X 10.9.4 & 10.10 PB3

* Supports UASP: 70% Faster than traditional USB 3.0, with UASP Transfer Protocol; The UASP Transfer Protocol only can accelerate read and write speed of SSD hard disk.

The box includes:

1 - PCIe card in an anti-static bag
1 - Instruction Manual
1 - Windows Driver CD, and PDF version of documentation.

Note: Initially I believed this card was having problems with my Seagate Backup+ 4TB drive. It turns out that none of my external drives that are 4TB (Seagate & WD) can be defragged while attached to ANY USB 3.0 card I’ve tried so far. When I get time, I’ll hook them up to a USB 2.0 port and see what happens. Otherwise, all drives and devices performed admirably on the HighPoint RocketU 1144C.

 

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Creating a bootable OS X installer in OS X Mavericks

 

This is just a quick link to remember how to make a bootable installer for OS X 10.9 Mavericks without using 3rd party tools.

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5856

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Mac Pro (Classic) - USB 3.0 Solutions

A while ago, I started participating in a discussion thread on the Mac Rumors Forum regarding USB 3.0 upgrade solutions for the Classic Mac Pro (5,1 and below - Pre 2013).

Here is post #1 which presents the best available solutions at this time.  I'm posting the link (rather than copying it) since it stays pretty much up to date.

What is the state of USB 3.0 on Mac Pro?


That's it for now...

Bye

How to enable trim for SSDs in the OS X Terminal (OS X Mavericks) - 10.9.x

NOTE: These methods (except Trim Enabler ) stopped working with the 10.9.4 update. Trim Enabler still works as expected. I will refresh this post when the situation changes. I expect an update to both Chameleon SSD Optimizer and the terminal commands will be coming shortly.

Many people are having issues trying to enable trim for their non-Apple SSDs since the release of Mavericks. It's pretty straight forward though, you can either download and install Trim Enabler, download and install Chameleon SSD Optimizer, or open up a command line terminal and paste the following code.First:

sudo perl -pi -e 's|(\x52\x6F\x74\x61\x74\x69\x6F\x6E\x61\x6C\x00{1,20})[^\x00]{9}(\x00{1,20}\x54)|$1\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00$2|sg' /System/Library/Extensions/IOAHCIFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOAHCIBlockStorage.kext/Contents/MacOS/IOAHCIBlockStorage

Then:

sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions/

I personally like the Chameleon SSD Optimizer because once you run it, it doesn't load anything up on startup ever. I like that. Many people like Trim Enabler specifically because it does load a helper too on every reboot that stays in your upper tool bar. If Trim becomes disabled for any reason, it will instantly notify you and prompt you to re-enable Trim.I've not personally had a problem where Trim gets disabled (except after an OS X system update, which is to be expected). However if you are setting up a system for an uninformed user, I would recommend Trim Enabler.Also, don't be a cheapskate! If you use one of the Apps rather than the terminal command, please donate something to the developer or make a purchase where applicable. We need them to keep on developing great tools like these.-OUT

 

 

 

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Inateck KT4004 4-Port USB 3.0 PCI-E Express Card for Mac

Still recovering from major surgery, I did get up today and decided to remove the Orico 2P card and install the new Inateck KT4004 4-Port USB 3.0 PCI-E Express Card for Mac in my 5.1 system.

I only did a few quick tests which are in no way comprehensive, but here's my take on it.

The card preforms well and had no problems recognizing more than 1 dozen devices I tried (web cams, keyboard, mice, printers, scanners, belkin hub, thumb drives, portable USB drives etc...)

This card is easily installed, and works immediately with the OS X built in drivers. It has no conflicts with any of my other hardware (including the installed HighPoint 1144CM).

I transferred hundreds of GB of data to and from a mechanical USB 3.0 drive and it's just as fast as the 1144CM with a single drive. Plugging in multiple drives does slow it slightly, giving the 1144CM the edge for raw storage speed where multiple drives are installed. Keep in mind however that the 1144CM can't handle most of the devices I listed above, it only works with storage devices.

The Inateck card for Mac easily powers 4x 7200 RPM 1TB laptop drives without any additional power requirements. I've tested it pretty extensively and I can't find any negative characteristics to this card.

I had no bluetooth interference during large or short transfers. In fact, so far I have nothing but high marks for this card. It works VERY well and has found a permanent slot in my Mac.

If this card had been available when I first started my quest for USB 3.0, I would have purchased this card rather than the 1144CM. There's nothing wrong with the 1144CM and in fact is well worth the money if you need a USB 3.0 Raid system, but the Inateck KT4004 is far more versatile and likely to suit the needs of more users.

You can purchase the card from Amazon

Note about sleep mode: In my current configuration, none of the drives are ejected prior to or during sleep mode, therefore remounting of drives isn't needed upon wake. This occurs on my system because of the Rocket-U. It prevents the drives from being ejected because it's a RAID controller. I will test this later with the RocketU removed when I get a chance. YMMV.

For now, both cards will remain installed in my system, but if I need to free up a slot for anything else, I'll keep the Inateck card installed and remove the 1144CM.

If I had an SSD, I'd post some speed results but that's not the case right now so there's no point to it.

The Inateck KT4004 card is my recommended product for anyone who asks about USB 3.0 in a cMP.

The box includes:

1 - PCIe card in an anti-static bag
1 - Instruction Manual
1 - Ziplock bag with 2 screws
1 - Windows Driver CD, and PDF version of documentation.
1 - Thank you card with support and contact information.