Weird, recurring, extremely annoying problem...

[kbeartx]

This is something I've been putting up with for a long time, and recently it's become way less tolerable..

The problem:  if I go to rename a file in List View the Finder, I click once on the filename to highlight, then click a second time and wait for it to change color to show that it's editable [as opposed to edible], and more often than not, partway through the few seconds it takes to type the new name, the filename 'un-highlights' entirely and the result is a garbled or at least incomplete rename and the Finder 'interpreting' a few keystrokes as instructions to move to another alpha character in the list.

Activity Monitor shows that there is frequent, massive disk reading and/or writing while this is happening and Quick Look Server is using most or all of the CPU capacity.  I've tried Force-Quitting Quick Look Server but it instantly reappears at the very top of the CPU list.

I'd love ideas about how to troubleshoot this further, maybe advice on reading a particular log file and what to look for.

Remember that I'm still using a PPC G5 and OS 10.5.4.

TIA,

Kb

[Paddy]

Ah yes, Quick Look - which for a while, was the bane of my existence (kept crashing while I was looking at things in the Finder. It particularly didn't like video files... Seems to have finally sorted itself out (fingers crossed) lately.

Anyway, there is a very long thread here with lots of arguing, but I think there are also instructions on how to disable it if you want to try that:

http://hintsforums.macworld.com/archive/in...hp/t-83269.html

[Xairbusdriver]

It may, indeed, be Quicklook, I've had problems with it in the past but not in Finder. However, have you tried using a different keyboard for a few days/weeks to see if that makes a difference? Even check to see if the USB connections are secure and the cable is in purr-fect condition (especially if you have a USB cable-loving cat around...). It may not be the keyboard at all, but it sure sounds like something is issuing a carriage return in the middle of your typing. You don't happen to have fat fingers, maybe? Or a wayward pinky?

Another possibility is static electricity! I noticed just yesterday while using my grand daughters MBP that things were happening even though I never physically mouse over and clicked any button...I thought it was just my outgoing, electrifying personality...

[kbeartx]

Paddy, thanks for that link.  There's a suggestion for disabling Quicklook by using a shell script:

----------BEGIN SHELL SCRIPT----------

#!/bin/sh
#
# This script will disable QuickLook by disabling all of its generators
# This can be undone by repairing permissions using Disk Utility
#

QL_FRAMEWORKS_GENERATORS=/System/Library/Frameworks/QuickLook.framework/Resources/Generators
QL_SYSTEM_GENERATORS=/System/Library/QuickLook
QL_LIBRARY_GENERATORS=/Library/QuickLook

# Make each generator folder unreadable
sudo chmod -R 0000 $QL_FRAMEWORKS_GENERATORS
sudo chmod -R 0000 $QL_SYSTEM_GENERATORS
sudo chmod -R 0000 $QL_LIBRARY_GENERATORS

# Reload quicklook and all generators
sudo qlmanage -r

----------END SHELL SCRIPT----------



It's been a L-O-N-G time since I used any of my old UNIX chops, so I'm hoping some of our UNIX pros can advise me on this.  Can I simply paste this script into a Terminal window and press Return?  Can I turn this into an AppleScript?  I'm concerned that with my less-than-accurate typing, I'll enter it imperfectly and either make it not work, or screw something else up.

Is there another way to accomplish this?  Does this script look correct?  Does it look like it will disable QL?  Is there any downside or risk to doing this?  If I succeed in disabling QL, what will I give up?

Thanks for all input.

XABD, I'm pretty certain is not my sloppy typing b/c I can often see it happen in less than the time it tales me to move my hand from the mouse to the keyboard.

[whoami]

kbeartx,

Hello.  Although I enjoy using "UNIX," at this time I lack the knowledge and skills that are needed to answer most of your questions.  However, while using Google, I was able to locate this information:  Shell Programming in 24 Hours.pdf.  (Type the entire name of the pdf, along with the extension, into Google.)

With regard to your concerns about typing in the shell program, I believe that at some point you should be able to copy and paste the shell program instead of having to do it manually.  Now, although you would prefer to copy and paste the shell program into the command line and press "return," I'm not sure if it's that simple - further information may be required of you to process this shell program.  The pdf should be able to confirm or refute this.

I hope this helps you.

[kbeartx]

whoami,

Thanks for your response.  

I d/l'd the PDF you suggested, and looked at it briefly.  

It certainly appears that it will educate me in shell scripting, but I was hoping for more targeted advice about my specific needs.  

I lack the attention span to immerse mice-elf in learning something of this complexity.

Kb

[Paddy]

And I spoke too quickly (no pun intended ) about the Quick Look crashes going away - they're baaaack.

Sigh.

Wish I could find the cure, short of disabling it entirely. Only seems to happen on the Mac Pro - so far haven't seen it on the MBP. And I've tried the solutions suggested in this thread and elsewhere (safe boot and back, turn off File sharing and back on etc.)

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?t...=0&tstart=0

Even a beta tester has this problem - his started with 10.6.3...

http://www.betalogue.com/2010/04/13/10-6-3-crashes/

The only thing I haven't tried (other than disabling QL helper) is a clean install. Too busy at the moment to do anything drastic - so I just live with it.

[sandyman]

QUOTE(kbeartx @ Jan 10 2011, 11:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

whoami,

Thanks for your response.  

I d/l'd the PDF you suggested, and looked at it briefly.  

It certainly appears that it will educate me in shell scripting, but I was hoping for more targeted advice about my specific needs.  

I lack the attention span to immerse mice-elf in learning something of this complexity.

Kb

I didn't try copying and pasting it into a terminal window but I did get it to work as follows.

1) Open Textedit and in Preferences make sure it is set to create new files as plain text.
2) Copy and paste into Textedit and save with the extension .sh
3) In the Terminal navigate to your file. I used Open Terminal Here to simplify this
4) In the terminal type chmod +x filename
5) In the terminal type . filename and press enter. For some reason in OSX you DON'T type ./filename and press enter

It will ask for your password. And that's it.

Sandy

[kbeartx]

Sandy, thanks much for your input.  A couple o' clarifying questions:

I currently have no password setup in my account, will this cause a problem w/ working in Terminal, on the command line, should I add a password, and if I do will I be able to revert to using a blank one?

While I did have some experience using UNIX from the command line many years ago, I think I've prolly forgotten most or all of my knowledge, so I am unsure of some of the details of your instructions above, particularly the use of '/' and space and '.' before or after commands..

Kb

[Xairbusdriver]

If you haven't set/don't have a password, entering anything at the prompt (other than 'enter' or 'return') will simply prevent the command from completing, just as it would when the OS asks for one. The OS just uses some GUI to access the same Terminal routines, so they will both be looking for the same password or lack of one.

[sandyman]

QUOTE(kbeartx @ Jan 12 2011, 04:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sandy, thanks much for your input.  A couple o' clarifying questions:

I currently have no password setup in my account, will this cause a problem w/ working in Terminal, on the command line, should I add a password, and if I do will I be able to revert to using a blank one?

While I did have some experience using UNIX from the command line many years ago, I think I've prolly forgotten most or all of my knowledge, so I am unsure of some of the details of your instructions above, particularly the use of '/' and space and '.' before or after commands..

Kb

Kenny

1) You need to have a password and your account needs to have administrator rights. You can just remove your password afterwards.

2) In Unix if you are in the folder where the program you want to run resides you have to type ./ name_of_program. I don't know if it only applies to scripts or is peculiar to OSX but whenever I have needed to run shell scripts I have had to type . name_of_script

Hope that helps

Sandy

[kbeartx]

Sandy,

Thanks again for the very clear answers to my queries.

Kb

[sandyman]

QUOTE(kbeartx @ Jan 12 2011, 08:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sandy,

Thanks again for the very clear answers to my queries.

Kb

Kenny
You're welcome.

It would appear that the hours I spend each week staring at a terminal window have been useful after all

Sandy