Writing Archive

Localizing and adding proofing tools for Mac OS X

“Russification” (or localization as the case may be) of your Mac OS X is really quite simple. All you have to is click

Apple > System Preferences > International

Under the language tab all you need to do is drag Russian (or whichever langugae you want your menus to appear in) to the top of the list. Done.

But we’re not Russian language teachers are we? How do we get Russian proofing tools for those misspelled words? Russian proofing tools as well as several other langugages aren’t included in OS X. How is it done then? Simple get a nice lil app called cocoAspell (written by a Russian). What we need to do is get a hold of the latest Aspell app and the latest Russian Dictionaries. The program can be found here. The Russian dictionaries and some other ones you might want can be found here. It is recommended that you download Aspell6 dictionaries as they are best compatible with the current version of cocoAspell.

Afterwards Install. After having installed the app throw your dictionaries into /Library/Application Support/cocoAspell/ to make it available to all users on the computer. Now just click the Apple > System Preferences > Spelling (or whatever this has become in your language). Check the dictionaries that you want to load from the list. And finished! Now when spell checking just make sure your dictionary is selected from the drop down list:

Screen shot of the Dictionary Menu.

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Mac Apps

Ok so if going all out on a list of Apps (that i can’t live without) i will write it here in full (alphabetical):

  1. Adium
  2. AdiumBook
  3. CoconutBattery
  4. Colloquy (nice gui IRC Client)
  5. Comic Life
  6. CyberDuck(nice ftp client)
  7. Darwinports (gcc, wget etc.)
  8. Divx (very popular free codec)
  9. Firefox (everyone loves the original)
  10. Fugu (scp client)
  11. Google Earth
  12. iAlertU (cool remote app)
  13. iStumbler (ap discovery app)
  14. Microsoft Office 2004
  15. Onyx (optimizes your OSX)
  16. rar (hey some of still use the console!)
  17. Skype Video
  18. ssX (SoulSeek client)
  19. StuffIt (nice lil app for everythign)
  20. Toast(cd burning soft)
  21. Transmission (nice bittorrent client)
  22. Cisco VPN (for uni)

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Mac OS Thoughts

Well i have to say this is a very enjoyable OS. It comes with a lot of nice programs that I’m really enjoying. here’s a couple of things i insist on checking out.

  • Colloquy (IRC Client)
  • Skype Mac Video (beta, but works with iSight)
  • Adium (multi protocol IM client)
  • CyberDuck
  • iAlertU

Out of those i would definately insist on trying iAlertU. After installing it and launching it press menu and hold to turn the alarm on on your mac! Get your mates by putting your mac on their seat etc :) The latest version also triggers all buttons, touchpad, removal of psu and if you open the Lid.

Colloquy is another must if you use IRC. This is the best looking GUI irc client I’ve ever seen! It also has some cool features. Like you can set it to show everything in novel mode :) i.e.:

[2:50PM] “hey L hows it going?,” asked russo.
[2:51PM] You were promoted to operator by L.
[2:52PM] “Why isn’t anyone ever in #balzac? It’s frustrating i must say! My word L you’ve just promoted me.,” said russo.

etc ;) get a macbook losers!

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Theme

Okay now it looks like we’re up to a point where we can work with this. I found this nice floral theme and now everything looks to be underway :) stay tuned!

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Wordpress is up!

So i got wordpress up and running. I hope it that its gonna work fine. Need to find a better theme though and i’ll get on that tonight :)

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