jim mitchell

mac nerdery & other whatnot

Archives for March, 2007

A Better IMAP Email Client

A while back, I lamented the fact that the Apple Mail application just wasn’t cutting the mustard when it came to working with IMAP mail servers. At the time, my solution was to simply change my IMAP Path Prefix to “INBOX” in my account settings, which made the hidden “.mailboxlist” directory actually hide. I was satisfied and went on my merry way.

However, not long after that, my web host (Forged Network) made some changes for the better that affected the setting. I’m no IMAP expert, but the once hidden “.mailboxlist” folder suddenly became just “mailboxlist” and began showing up in Mail again. Turns out it was now a folder that should be “unsubscribed” from, but since Mail has no way of doing that, the folder sat there like a big bump on a log, taunting me every time I worked with Mail. Yes, I could have just lived with it, but I’m one of those UI perfectionist types, so I had to find a solution.

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3/7/07 Software Comments Off

QuickTime Exploit Fix Released

QuickTime 7.1.5 Patches Panther, Tiger, XP, Vista Exploits

Apple has released a security update for QuickTime for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later and Windows XP and Windows Vista. Version 7.1.5 for all affected platforms fixes a small host of flaws that allow maliciously crafted files to crash a program employing QuickTime or allow arbitrary code execution – a phrase that often means there’s a potential for an attacker to gain control of a computer or, at least, install malware.

A quick note to the masses: It’s time to fire up Software Update again. Apple has released a new version of QuickTime (7.1.5) that patches some serious holes for the various systems the software runs on. Details of what’s addressed in the fix can be perused in Apple KBase Article 305149. It’s a recommended update for all users.

And a subtle reminder: If you haven’t already installed the Daylight Savings Time Update, you’ve got less than a week to get it done.

3/5/07 Apple, Software Comments Off

Critical WordPress Upgrade Released

WordPress Blog – WordPress 2.1.1 dangerous, Upgrade to 2.1.2

This morning we received a note to our security mailing address about unusual and highly exploitable code in WordPress. The issue was investigated, and it appeared that the 2.1.1 download had been modified from its original code. We took the website down immediately to investigate what happened.

[Posted via wordpress.org]

This is a very critical update. If you run a WordPress 2.1.x site, you need to update a.s.a.p. — no if, ands or buts. Fortunately, I wasn’t bit by the security breach, however, I did find error logs in my web directory that showed me some kind of nefarious behavior was going on.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the web can be a bad, bad place…

3/2/07 WordPress Comments Off

Using Keychains With .Mac; Troubleshooting Issues

Using keychains with .Mac; troubleshooting keychain issues

You can use keychains with .Mac. This article applies to Mac OS X 10.4 or later and contains troubleshooting information that you can use if you encounter keychain issues.

Fresh on the heels of my last post about keychain troubles, Apple was good enough to release a far more detailed article on the topic. This is definitely one of those “Utility” ((I like to keep a folder in by browser favorites named “Utility” where I store handy tidbit such as this. It’s a time saver when something goes wrong.)) bookmarks you want to keep in your browser. The article covers mostly troubles when syncing your keychains via .Mac, but it has some good points for troubleshooting none-the-less.

However, based on my past experiences syncing keychains with .Mac, there’s only one thing I can say about it — just don’t do it!

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3/2/07 Apple, How To... Comments Off