Emacs revisited

I already installed auqa emacs but that application did not copy an paste at all :( So I decided to install GnuEmacs.

First, I tried the binary package but that didn't work ;( So, I attempted to build the latest version for mac. In the instructions the cvs commando has been replaced. So do a

cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.savannah.gnu.org:/sources/emacs co emacs

Cause the cvs ssh has been replaced with the pserver.

To build enacs for mac use the carbon app framework

cd emacs
./configure --enable-carbon-app --without-x
make bootstrap
sudo make install

According to the ./emacs/mac/INSTALL file, The application is installed in /Application/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs

I found mine in /Applications/Emacs.app. I don't know is this application is the one mentioned in the INSTALL file, I think it is, but that doesen't really matter.

I simply dragged the Emacs.app to the Dock for fast and easy execution. There's a great reference for setting up your mac for programming

MagicPoint

Well, once the text processing progam of the office suite was installed I found that I was now lacking my favorite presentation tool.

I hate Powerpoint and most of its humongous cusins. That's why I setteled once again for MagicPoint. Editable from Emacs!

Documentation can be found at http://www.freeos.com/articles/3648/ and the SYNTAX file from the tarball.

Getting an office suite

On my old slack box I used to run OpenOffice. On my Mac box I want to run OpenOffice as well. So I started looking around to find the mac compatible version. Notice the X11 at the end of the filename.

This means that X11 is needed to run the darn thing! But phear not, here's how to install open office and x11 and even the official apples guide. This was my starting point! I spend some time looking at instalation results and comments before I decided to go else where.

After googling about I choose NeoOffice and XDarwin. Both installed from binary images with no setup, the easy way. First I installed XDarwin, then NeoOffice. This was really easy all you have to do is follow the instructions for both items.

Once you're done two application icon are added to the /Applications/ directory, namely: neooffice and xdarwin. Started NeoOffice and it was like my old slack box! I can start documenting my work for work ;)

One thing happened though, this was after installing the XDarwin application X11 server. My dock changed to the default values? I guess that this came from startig the xservices in Tiger but I'm just guessing here.

I could change the dock back to my prefered setting, and it is still keeping them so I'm a still a happy guy.

Configuring apache for PHP

The next step I need is to get apache running on my machine. I need it for maintaining my website, not that I spend a lot of time maintaining this :)

I made a stupid mistake, I completely forgot that MAC OS X was based on FreeBSD. So, I installed apache and PHP via darwinports. Installation went great though!

sudo port -v install apache2
sudo port -v install php

In case you ever need to install them ;) I then struggled and suffered for a while until I realized that all I had to do was to enable the web server on my box, since it was already there!

The you'll have to update apache to run with PHP, if you need to do PHP stuff. Basically all you need to do is to remove the comments from the PHP parts of /etc/httpd/httpd.conf file.

You'll have to be super user to make this change so:
sudo emacs /etc/httpd/httpd.conf
Change emacs with your favorite editor, if you prefer.

The remove the comments from these lines:
LoadModule php4_module libexec/httpd/libphp4.so, and AddModule mod_php4.c

Usually you'll have to add the application types, but my file was born with the IfModule mod_php4.c section I didn't

Add the lines:
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps
DirectoryIndex index.html index.php

Now all you have to do a small PHP page to test your new PHP enabled web server.

The web server has two sets of sites enabled. These are available from the UI the first one is, the machines main website http://localhost present at the local path: /Library/WebServer/Documents/

The second one is http://localhost/~user/ present in your home directory under ~/Documents/Sites/

I never managed to get PHP enabled in my specific user space. Not that it matters much since I simply use the main website on the box anyway.

darwinports.org

Darwinports the next step. This i just one of the ways to get all the familiar Unix applications running om my machine. Here's how to get the port installed.

There's a similar project called Fink, which I have not tested or used yet. Fink is a port of debian package handling system. There's a guy who blogged a comparison af Fink and Darwin.

I tested Darwin by installing wget, one of my favorite Unix tools, which I found that I really missed. sudo port -v install wget did the trick nicely, And I can now grap those sites using wget.

Dashboard

The first feature I started lovin' is the Dashboard. An unique apple thing, that from a clink on the mouse or F12, that bring to life a number of small and graphically cool applications.

I have my gmail, wifi finder, network traffic, and .mac available. Then I have my calendar and the two sets of world clocks my own, Copenhagen, and my sisters, San Diego, time. Plus, the weather. Not to mention a calculator, and the much appreciated iTunes lyrics karaoke widget.

There are thousands of widgets available, and even a small and neat tutorial. The apple site is packed with cool tips on this here yet another one.