Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
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And I experienced more problem:
1. File Sharing (from Mac to iPad) does not seem to work.
I used "Sharing" to enable SMB access to some of my folders, removing all groups and guest access and only allows my personal account.
When I try to use the iPad Files App to access those shares with "Connect to server", I only get an error:
I see that the "smbfs" kext is loaded!
But there does not seem to be a share at all:
Out of frustration, I started "smbdiagnose" and as I understood that this shall be used for the Apple support, I tried to kill it with Ctrl-C.
This lead to the situation that iTerm2 asked me for permission to access my "Desktop".
I denied this.
2. A tar-file got written to my "Desktop" folder - even as I denied access to do so!
Not sure if this is an iTerm2 or an macOS problem, but it feels like the later.
Summary of my feedback so far
Big Sur is a child's experimental operating system. Nearly nothing seems to work.
OK, web-browsing works
I can only assume that versions before "Big Sur" were better - otherwise, I could not understand why anybody would use macOS.
I am still stuck in setting up basics.
And everything is either not documented or badly documented.
I always thought that the big selling point was the "works out of the box and you need no computer knowledge" ... that simply is not true, at least for Big Sur on M1.
Having selected the bad tar file in Finder, I tried both Delete and Remove keys.
Both do not work at all.
You are forced to either use the mouse, or to remember option-command-remove.
Sheer unbelievably inconvenient.
About SMB:
I edited all folders, additionally removed guest access, added "only encrypted SMB connections" in the Advanced Options and then rebooted the Mac.
This time, the connection from iPad worked!
Still, I see nothing with "smbutil statshares -a" or any other SMB command:
I have no idea wether this came from my change to "encrypted" sessions and why nothing is shown with the SMB commands. But then, i saw many threads with Google about broken SMB in Big Sur ... that may just be part of that.
I am going to test this with some additional file manager Apps.
When opening a help document from the System Preferences, you get the option to "Open Link in new Window".
Again, this simply does not work.
You can only open links in the same window.
I should start a YouTune channel to blame Apple
I've used up my entire popcorn reserves by now 😂 but I like it. I had a very similar experience with macOS as you know, and it's good to see I'm not crazy 🥳
I guess as long as you don't try to do anything remotely "sophisticated" with macOS (like, networking, window management, file management, strange display setups, etc.) and do everything "the Apple way" and don't ask too many questions, it "Kind Of Just Works" if you stick to the very basics.
(I'm still completely baffled though why you're using Windows for your regular desktop computer. Given your insane (but good) need for control and the fact that you use Linux on servers all the time anyway, you should totally be running KDE Neon 😁)
You can call it the "Square Peg into a Round Hole" channel.
If you're sharing the keychain via iCloud this is where it's probably picking up the WiFI code from. I've noticed that before between Apple devices. Some might call it convenience? I feel for your frustration. I've been hanging back from going into Big Sur because of the potential issues and right now all my software works. With every iteration of the OS they change something that breaks a whole pile of other things. I think they might actually go out of their way to do this. It always seems to be in the name of security. Seems like that once they go through about the first year of a major system update that things settle down eventually. It's a business practice which annoys me and if I enjoyed doing music on a Linux computer I would probably not have bothered in getting another Mac. For that purpose alone it keeps me in there.
I like to use Excel, and I used to play games (mostly CounterStrike 1.5)...
So, I needed Windows
My *nix needs always were fulfilled by Cygwin and PuTTY.
I have contact to Linux since the early 199*, got it on a set of disks - but rarely ever used it as desktop system.
Partly because I only ever had Windows PCs and Laptops at work and also a PC at home. Never stumbled over a Linux desktop anywhere and had only remote Linux servers to which I connected.
Yes, macOS is not really comfortable for someone who likes to re-configure and customise things. I will need to learn to live with that. Gimme a year or so
You have a point here
But I am trying to push in
Gimme a year or so ... I need to get something out of the 1200 Euro for the M1 and now the Samsung T7 Touch.
I don't think that I am expecting too much, really.
But this way, I can also learn better, and faster.
Yes, this could probably be the case.
Still strange, as I seem to remember that the iCloud keychain now requires 2FA ... which I still did not enable.
All of this is a bit cryptic ...
One of the points why I like Windows.
OK ... after reducing the reporting-hunger of Windows, of course
Windows 10 got stripped down by me too and also cannot search for updates at all and also not reboot my PC , as would be the default.
I like to control my computers, not the other way around.
I will not hold back with my future experiences with macOS and my thoughts about this.
They are honestly what I experience and feel.
PEACE
Another Random Question:
"Screen Sharing" seems to be a VNC server (why can't Apple simply use the regular names for things, instead of making up new names?) ...
And "Remote Management" is mainly "Apple Remote Desktop", which seems to be an incompatible variant of "Microsoft Remote Desktop".
But while ARD can partly or maybe even totally be encrypted, I find no way to use VNC encrypted.
But when I enable Remote Management, it seems that also VNC get's enabled ... which I of course don't want!
Any way to disable the unencrypted VNC port or force it to only accept encrypted connections?
I don't think that it can be changed to use encryption, so totally disabling it would be better.
Also, I am not sure that i could use ARD from an iPad at all.
Maybe this is only possible with VNC.
But without encryption, I would then rather stop this service and only use Remote Login (which is Apple's way to write "ssh daemon" .... again, WHY Apple?) instead.
Does it have to be explicitly Excel? There's a ton of spreadsheet software available for Linux that can read and write both XLS and XLSX (LibreOffice, OnlyOffice, WPS Office, etc...) -- also, Steam:
Yeah, I had my first experience 1997 with SuSE Linux 6.1 on CD-ROM
Never mind then, whatever floats your boat
I had my fair share with OpenOffice, about 100 years ago
It always produced problems as those files went back and forth between Windows and Linux (other companies, for example), respectively OpenOffice and Microsoft Office ... things simply broke or got complicated.
It's about compatibility.
Also, I am a heavy OneDrive user with 6 TB, using Office 365 on Windows, iPhone, iPad, and now Mac.
And, I had my years with some double boot options to do some Linux stuff too. But I stopped doing this years ago and on Windows 10, I only have some Linux and Solaris virtual machines left ... and never boot them at all.
I feel to old to try Linux (beside 2 virtual servers) and non-Microsoft Office software
But you never know ...
There is a program for the iPad which makes use of ARD
https://apps.apple.com/au/app/remote-desktop-manager/id1039961293
I haven't used it recently, but it has been solid over the years for remote access with ARD.
Many thanks, installed this and will test.
That puzzled me at first, as I've never been asked to subscribe and have been receiving updates normally; it turns out it's only the Mac App Store version of BBEdit that has gone subscription. Unlike the iOS App Store, the Mac App Store does allow developers to sell their software both through the store and direct to customers, sometimes in slightly different versions where the App Store imposes limitations the direct-sales version can bypass – and BBEdit is still available as a one-time-purchase directly from their website, which also offers a 30-day free trial. (As you've been instructively documenting in this thread, it's often preferable to go around Apple rather than through them…)
Thanks!
And even more interesting, they offer a license to upgrade from the Mac App Store version, that costs only $39.99 compared to the regular license of $49.99
I will probably try out first, then install the App Store version and upgrade from there, if I feel that Drafts, Textastic and iA Writer aren't enough.
If that works ...
Installed the free download from the website.
First impression: A double click does not open the editor full screen.
Drafts, Textastic and iA Writer offer this feature.
SubEthaEdit and BBEdit sadly not.
Luckily, Rectangle can come to the rescue, but still, this is a bit annoying.
Both SubEthaEdit and BBEdit seem quite capable!
Will take quite some time to get comfortable with them
Another random nitpick with Apple and macOS:
It is more than annoying that Apple at least offers the option to sort folders separately in Finder, but then ONLY offers this, when sorting by name!
What is this for a strange idea again, Apple?!?
I nearly always sort by time modified, and of course do not want to see the folders somewhere in the list of probably hundreds of files.
The folder should be sorted by time too, but at the top, above the list of files.
This is plain unusable and shows again that Apple likes to keep things as basic as possible and rarely ever adds additional options and optimisations.
I found Emacs for macOS:
https://emacsformacosx.com
:-)
EDIT: Starting Emacs only produces a popup window with "Emacs.app can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software"
You can just return it if you are in the 14 day return window if you don’t like it. Maybe it’s different for you, but in US and Canada it’s 14 day. It seems like you have one problem after another. So, probably getting rid of it and going back to what you were doing before is the way to go.
The terms and conditions you agreed to advised they cannot guarantee that you will enjoy the product or operating system. Or at least they say so in the US.
There is the feedback system, and if you have a legitimate bug and not just “expected behavior” you can call Apple support and stay on the line for a few hours and have them test this and that and then submit logs to engineering, etc.
I’m on Big Sur as I have a new M1 and my old 2012 Mini is on Catalina and I have File/Screen Sharing set up between them. I don’t notice that much of a difference between the two for the most part. I’m definitely having a few strange problems I don’t feel like calling support and spending hours on, which are likely M1 and not Big Sur issues. I have completely isolated the issues to the cause in fact, other than when the left 1/5 of the screen becomes the right 1/5 of the screen and it shakes. I’m also just doing basic things more or less. I didn’t mind Windows 7, but I cannot stand Windows 10. I use Linux sometimes, but only for things here and there. Big Sur for me is still preferable to all of these. That is just me.
This is just another classic case of 'using' & 'using' a computer
I'm fed up with everything called 'system administration' (used to work +20 years as PC/Win tech support so I know that 'sh*t').
When I need to find files or launch apps I just use spotlight and when needed set up Smart Folders to categorize the files etc.
I like IDAM and both Renoise and LogicPro, Live Lite, SunVox etc. work without any issues.
macOS will never be like Windows and trying to force it to be will fail big time and be an exercise in handling frustrations.
If 100% 'system control' is needed there's always various Linux distros and those may be a better fit for those wanting to configure their system to death...
For me personally macOS doesn't 'get in the way' and I can focus on using it for the stuff I actually want to do.
Cheers!
I have no interest to return the Mac, @DMan
After getting "more" comfortable, I will try to program for iDevices.
Meanwhile, I will not be happy with macOS - but I suspected this already.
In this thread I am jut giving my impressions and ask for help with problems.
That's it
I can understand your stance to this, @Samu
Still, it is often hard to understand, why Apple does not make things more easy or offer more configuration options.
Another example of this, seems to be the web-browser Safari:
For the death of me, I cannot find a way to get Safari display the URL of a link when hovering above it with the mouse.
It simply does not give out any information to where this link is leading!
Even iOS / iPadOS offer this, when press-and-hold on a link.
Am I just stupid again to not find a way to see this, or is Apple stupid again to not add such a basic option to their web-browser?
And such things are driving me crazy.
And to be honest, I have problems to understand why others simply accept this.
Anyways, I will continue in my journey through macOS and keep posting my impressions and asking stupid questions.
Just to say that:
I still like my Mac Mini M1 and did not yet boot Windows again (beside one time, where I needed to activate the T7 Touch) ....
Like this?
(Just select show status bar from the view menu)
There's plenty of other Safary settings lurking in when enabling the Development menu.
Cheers!
Why don't you use the Mac strictly for XCode only, and keep doing absolutely everything else on your "normal" computer? (which is what I do). i.e., just use it headless via VNC (which is more than good enough for some light Xcode clicking around). Then you don't have to deal with all the "wider" OS / usability problems the platform has. I even go as far as doing all code editing and project management in a different IDE (running on my main desktop computer) and I really only use XCode for compiling, publishing to the App Store, and debugging.
Judging from this thread and all the (understandable) gripes you're having, it probably doesn't make sense trying to force the square peg into the round hole just for the sake of iOS programming
Apple may think links may look too "intimidating" for average "consumers"
but this whole "information hiding" thing is going on everywhere really on all platforms... take the average email client which goes out of its way to hide the actual email addresses and instead display "friendly" names. (which makes the user much more susceptible to scams). In most of today's email clients, you CAN'T actually display the actual email addresses anymore! (I remember patching the last webmail client I used in various places to display the damn email addresses (the <...> part) instead of whatever the sender or address book entry provided as "friendly" name.
Because most others probably don't even know what links or URLs are. They should though
(I've long been a proponent of introducing a mandatory kind of "driver's license" for the internet. I'd say that nowadays, being on the internet is much more dangerous than driving a car.)
Do, I'm well stocked on popcorn
Ohhhhhh, @Samu
You are saving my life!!!
Many thanks for this
I was seeking in the settings to find something like this, but apparently misunderstood "develop menu" ... this sounded like a Console or something other relevant to display HTML internals of a webpage. Never came to that idea.
Thanks again!
Now ... I am fully willing to work on the Mac and so far like it, despite the problems and issues I had and will have.
Also, my PC is already 8 years old and has multiple internal HDDs. It is loud and also I fear that it may break down. I am in the long process of sorting my data and uploading the more important stuff to OneDrive, Cryptomator on OneDrive and DEVONthink.
But that will take lots of time.
So, I prefer to not use it daily and have it running for long times.
Meanwhile, i appreciate the silent and fast Mac ... and I learned lots from the posters in this thread!
Many thanks to all
Yes, I noticed this long ago on iOS already and sure did not like it.
Otherwise, I had no real complains about iOS Mail.
On Windows, I use ThunderBird - but on macOS, I did not yet configure Mail at all.
Most probably I would use ThunderBird again and not macOS Mail.
This horrific.
Displaying URLs and mail-addresses is a most basic security measure ....
And hiding them by default from the users is definitely NOT a good idea.
There's a nice 'Debug' menu that can be enabled for Safari using Onyx as well.
(With too many options, thankfully it has a 'reset' option LOL).
Here's some info on that.
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-enable-safari-debug-menu-for-added-capabilities-2260893
The web inspector is pretty decent and allows 'live coding' of the page that is viewed, good for faking 'news' etc haha.
https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/06/21/how-to-use-safari-web-inspector-ios-mac/
Most things can be done but a bit 'differently' that what one may be used to
Cheers!
Adding those website to my TODO list, @Samu
Take my third "thanks"
I tried to enable the debug menu too, but as the webpage hints to, it seems to be gone in Big Sur.
Another website recommended to use "defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu YES" instead, but this did also not work.
BUT: My terminal of choice is "iTerm2" ...
Just suspecting something strange from Apple again, I repeated this with macOS "Terminal" - and this time, it worked!!!!
And yes, i restarted Safari in between.
The same command works with one App but not with the other?
How can this be true?
I am totally stunned and speechless right now.
If this is not some strange configuration problem with iTerm2, this would imply to better never use it ... because the outcome may unexpectedly not be what it should be.
EDIT: After reading https://sixcolors.com/post/2020/03/quick-tip-make-safari-tabs-open-at-the-end/ I checked my security settings and enabled full disk access for iTerm2.
The unexpected thing is, that such a command should give some hint about not having the permissions instead of simply and silently failing.
Probably, some of my earlier problems may have partly come from this situation, where iTerm2 did not have the required permissions, but commands did not seem to fail.