Michael O'Doherty on Michael ODoherty.tech

macOS background activity

Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In macOS I have known how to remove Background Activity Apps by deleting their .plist files from the following directories in the System Library folder and hidden User Library folder:

/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
~/Library/LaunchAgents

What I did not know, is that you can run a simple command that will reset all background items. And as a side effect it will also reset all login items.

sfltool resetbtm

With sfl standing for SharedFileList.

Windows Lock Screen

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When using macOS Screen Sharing, you cannot easily lock the screen of a remote Windows computer.

The keyboard shortcuts do not seem to come through, like ‘Windows L’ or ‘ctrl, alt, del’.

The workaround is running this command from the Command Prompt.

Rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/mac-help/mh14066/mac

https://www.revouninstaller.com/blog/5-ways-to-lock-your-windows-pc/

macOS GateKeeper --[no-]quarantine disabled

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I was trying to update my LibreWolf browswer via Homebrew, which I was already well aware required a brew “–no-quaratine” switch to bypass macOS Gatekeeper, when I ran into this commandline response:

updating librewolf Calling the `--[no-]quarantine` switch is disabled! There is no replacement.

After some DDGing I found similar Homebrew issues on Github, and a news article about it:

Removing support for –no-quarantine for casks https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/issues/20755

The alternative is now running this command after installing via Homebrew:

my static weblog

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I wanted to create a new static website.

Over the years I have appreciated the flexibility of WordPress. However the dynamic part of WordPress seems to mostly be utilised by site owners as an online web editor for quick edits.

Personally I had become tired of the endless WordPress updates, tired of maintaining and transferring different databases over and tired of the plugin vulnerability. At the same time I had heard others hosting their blogs on Github and Cloudflare Pages for free.

System 7

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

System 7 (later named Mac OS 7) is the seventh major release of the classic Mac OS operating system for Macintosh computers, made by Apple Computer. It was launched on May 13, 1991, to succeed System 6 with virtual memory, personal file sharing, QuickTime, TrueType fonts, the Force Quit dialog, and an improved user interface.

It was code-named “Big Bang” in development and the initial release was named “The System” or “System” like all earlier versions. With version 7.5.1, the name “Mac OS” debuted on the boot screen, and the operating system was officially renamed to Mac OS in 1997 with version 7.6. The Mac OS 7 line was the longest-lasting major version of the Classic Mac OSes due to the troubled development of Copland, an operating system intended to be the successor to OS 7 before its cancellation and replacement with Mac OS 8.