Mac Geek Gab #126: Torrents, Automounting, Keychain Migration, and Leopard Nitty Gritty

The hosts discuss concerns and frustrations with the firewall in Mac OS X Leopard. They note that Apple moved the firewall controls from the Sharing preferences in Tiger to the Security preferences in Leopard, which caused confusion. The default setting after migration is to allow all incoming connections, which is considered insecure. The options for configuring the firewall are limited, allowing either 'allow all,' 'block all,' or 'set access for specific services.' However, the interface for managing specific application permissions is very basic, with no detailed port management, which frustrates advanced users. They express hope for better interface improvements in future updates.

The hosts review new features in iChat in Leopard, particularly native support for tabbed chats. They explain how to enable this feature by going into iChat preferences and selecting options to collect chats into a single window. Additional options include notifications when someone mentions your name or sends a message. They also discuss using AppleScripts to auto-accept incoming chat invitations and file transfers, enhancing the user experience by reducing manual interactions.

The discussion covers how Leopard's Spaces feature can be set up to launch applications in specific workspaces automatically. Users can assign applications to open in designated spaces or across multiple spaces, which helps manage workflow and multi-tasking. They also talk about how to make applications available in all spaces or only selected ones. The hosts note improvements in Spaces' integration with the system, including automatic launching and placement of apps.

A detailed guide is provided for managing keychains when upgrading to Leopard. The hosts explain how to synchronize and rename keychains to avoid conflicts, especially when the default keychain name changes from a username-based name to 'login.' They recommend quitting all apps, consolidating keychains using Keychain Access, renaming keychain files in the file system, and then re-establishing the default keychain. This process helps prevent keychain-related issues after migration and system upgrades.

User experiences with Spotlight and Mail's search capabilities are discussed. The hosts explain that if Spotlight isn't indexing properly, it can disable Mail's message search feature. They suggest checking Spotlight's Privacy settings and ensuring that the primary drives are indexed. Rebuilding Spotlight's index resolves search issues, allowing quick application and message searches. They also touch on Spotlight's faster app launching and the utility of using Spotlight instead of third-party tools like Quicksilver.

Other tips include using the new tabbed Terminal with Command+T, configuring which apps open in which Spaces, and the ability to set certain apps to automatically open in specific spaces or across all spaces. They mention the new feature in Leopard that warns users about downloaded applications and their sources, especially relevant for security. Lastly, the hosts highlight the ability to set up screen sharing and remote access more intuitively, even across different Macs running Tiger and Leopard.