Modding Mac OS X

Discovering Undocumented Preferences

TOOLS YOU NEED

For working through the examples in this section, you’ll need the following applications:

• Terminal (/Applications/Utilities)

• The strings command

If you’ve browsed through the web sites that post Mac OS X hints and tips, you’ve probably been startled by some of the undocumented tips and features that pop up on a regular basis. Exposé’s blob control (see sidebar) burst onto the scene shortly after Panther was introduced. The blob provides just one example of a “How in the hell did they find that?” undocumented preference.

Discovering undocumented preferences does not actually depend on witchcraft, black magic, or a precise offering of chicken entrails. All you need is an adventurous spirit, some common sense, and a willingness to take chances.

In the following steps, you’ll discover some of Terminal’s hidden preferences. You can use the techniques from this example to uncover preferences for any application on your computer.

Warning

Stop! Before you start messing with undocumented preferences, make sure you’ve backed up everything important on your computer. You’re about to venture into uncharted territory, and the best way to protect yourself is with a good, solid backup. Once you’ve backed up your data, tweak away.

Adding the Exposé Blob

Follow these steps to add the Exposé blob to your screen by editing the Dock’s preferences file.

1. Open the Dock’s plist file (com.apple.dock.plist) in TextEdit.

2. Add the following key/value pair to the main ...