Version 1.0.6 of Go64 is now available, bringing intelligent updating that refreshes the data in Go64’s list of applications when you update an app on your Mac. This version also now runs on versions of macOS all the way back to Yosemite (10.10), so even if you’re updating to Catalina from a really old version of the system, you can still prepare with Go64.
If you’ve already got Go64, just choose “Check for Updates…” from its menu to get the new version. If you still haven’t downloaded it, you can get it from the Go64 page – it’s completely free (though donations are still appreciated).
Oh, and about that update-checking mechanism… I do know that the modal alerts that pop up in Go64 stall the installation of updates until you click “OK”. That’s also been fixed in version 1.0.6, so shouldn’t be a problem for updates after this one.
Default Folder X 5.4.1 is now available. It fixes several issues that have been reported with macOS Catalina. A couple were simple bugs in Default Folder X itself:
Empty folders were not added to the Recent Folders menu
Items in the Utility menu were sometimes not enabled correctly
File dialog menu shortcuts were not working as advertised
Those issues have all been fixed. One other fix, however, is a bit bizarre. I figured I’d briefly talk about it in case other Mac users or developers encounter this:
In Catalina, the Finder must be running before you can approve apps to record the screen
In macOS 10.15, Default Folder X requests permission for Screen Recording (here’s why). If it doesn’t have permission, it tries to capture a portion of the screen, which causes Catalina to pop up an alert asking for your approval. Default Folder X then leads you through System Preferences to ok everything. It’s an annoying process, but works as well as can be expected given Catalina’s limitations. UNLESS you happen to also be a user of CocoaTech’s Path Finder app.
If you’re running Path Finder and have chosen to have Path Finder launch when you log in and have its preference set to quit the Finder after it launches, you’re in for a treat. If an app needs permission to record your screen, you will never see the prompt, and the app will not be added to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Screen Recording, so there’s no way for you to manually approve it there if you happen to realize it needs permission.
Based on testing that I and Ben Surtees at Surtees Studios (developer of the excellent Bartender app) have done, if the Finder isn’t running, the permissions system for Screen Recording just silently fails. Default Folder X, Bartender or whatever app needs permission doesn’t know this, and will continue prompting you to authorize them in System Preferences. Unfortunately, you have no way of approving them because there’s no way to manually add apps to the Screen Recording privacy panel, and if the Finder’s not running, the system doesn’t automatically add apps as it should.
As a developer, this seems pretty arbitrary – why would we need to have the Finder running in order to get permission for Screen Recording? But there you go – if you’re running into this, now you know why. As of version 5.4.1, Default Folder X will launch the Finder when necessary (and quit it afterwards) if it runs into this scenario. It’s a bit of a comical workaround, but hey, it gets you up and running without further pain.
I’m happy to announce that the final version 5.4 of Default Folder X is now available. Thank you to everyone who beta tested the pre-release versions and reported issues!
The marquee feature of this release is, of course, support for macOS 10.15 Catalina, which Apple should drop any day now. In addition, there are a couple of new AppleScript commands in Default Folder X’s scripting dictionary to help scripters automate the handling of file dialogs (and don’t forget the scriptable default folders too). This version also adds support for the version of Path Finder distributed via SetApp.
Finally, there are a handful of bug fixes, including corrections for issues with Finder windows, adding new Favorites, and Accessibility quirks. These fixes apply to both Catalina and earlier macOS versions – if you’re running an older version of macOS, you can still update to Default Folder X 5.4. It supports anything from macOS 10.10 to 10.15.
The update is free if you’ve already got a license for Default Folder X 5 – just choose “Check for Updates” from Default Folder X’s menu, or download a copy here. A list of changes and download links, including localized versions, are available on the Default Folder X release page.
Version 2.4.8 of App Tamer is available. It now explicitly supports the new Music app in Catalina, meaning that if Music is playing something, App Tamer won’t slow or stop it even if it’s in the background.
Create a Chrome App using “More Tools > Create Shortcut…” in Chrome
This release also adds support for Google Chrome ‘Apps’, which you can create in Google Chrome by using the More Tools > Create Shortcut item in the “…” menu in a Chrome window. If you select “Open as window” when creating the shortcut, Chrome creates a separate application that relies on Chrome to render its window. That means that App Tamer needs to (and now will) keep Chrome running, rather than slowing or stopping it, when you’re using one of these separate Chrome apps.
And finally, version 2.4.8 of App Tamer also corrects several issues with its process control mechanism that could result in it not working correctly after your Mac wakes from sleep.
Version 1.0.5 of Go64 is out. If you’re not already aware of it, Go64 is our free app that scans your system for old apps containing 32-bit code that will no longer run correctly (or run at all) once you upgrade to macOS 10.15 Catalina.
This release fixes a bug that could cause the count of 32-bit and 64-bit applications to be incorrect, corrects a goof that could display (really) old PowerPC apps as 64-bit compatible, and scans TextMate .tmbundle files if you’ve got any installed.
If you already have Go64 on your Mac, just use its “Check for Updates” menu command. If not, head on over to the Go64 page to download your copy now!
The latest public beta of Default Folder X 5.4 is available, and offers improvements on both Catalina and older versions of macOS. Specifically, it adds support for the version of Path Finder distributed via SetApp, gives AppleScript developers access to applets and droplets in DFX’s Recent Files menu, and fixes a bug in Default Folder X’s handling of tabbed Finder windows.
Version 1.7.3 of Jettison is now available. It fixes a problem when running on Apple’s latest Catalina beta where it would try to eject Catalina’s new system data volume if the system was running from an external drive.
In addition, Jettison 1.7.3 also improves its error reporting and handling, allowing you to quit applications that are preventing a disk from being ejected. This release also addresses an occasional problem with disk images not getting completely cleaned up after being ejected.
More details and download links are available on the Jettison Release page. If you’re already running Jettison, just choose “Check for Updates…” from its menu in your menu bar to update to the new version.
There’s a nice, user-centric review of Go64 at Podfeet.com that provides helpful details on preparing to upgrade to Catalina: https://www.podfeet.com/blog/2019/09/go64/
Version 2.4.7 of App Tamer is out. The new release fixes a bug in its “Hide after X minutes” and “Quit after X minutes” features that could cause it to use unreasonable amounts of processor time when they were turned on for iTunes or Spotify. Not exactly what you want to happen in an app that’s designed to reduce the CPU usage on your Mac 🙂
Details and download links can be found on the App Tamer Release page.
Version 1.0.4 of Go64, our free app for determining which of your apps are macOS 10.15-compatible, is now available.
If you choose to list all the applications that Go64 has found, the new version will highlight all of the 32-bit apps in red. You can then sort the list by application name to see if you also have a 64-bit version of an app. If you do, then you don’t have to worry about finding an upgrade – just delete the 32-bit one shown in red.
It’s clear in the green rectangle that I have two versions of Microsoft Word, one that will run in macOS 10.15 Catalina, and one that won’t.
Go64 1.0.4 also includes corrected website and company information for a number of applications, including those from Ashlar-Vellum, Avid, Slack, Steinberg and Valve.
You can get the latest version of Go64 here, or by choosing “Check for updates” in Go64 if you’ve already downloaded a previous version.
