One of the top troubleshooting tools you will use in OS X is the Console app, with which you can view a centralized list of logged system activity, be it from the system console or from application-specific log files. With the details output in the resources available in the Console, you can often track relevant activity for when crashes and other faults occur, and then address them accordingly. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Console
How to isolate output in the OS X Console
As programs run on your Mac, they will output their activity either to the system log or to specific log files, both of which can be viewed using OS X’s Console utility, so if some aspect of your Mac appears to not be working correctly, often the system console is a great tool to use for narrowing down the problem. However, when you open the console you will by default be hit with a barrage of information that can be tough to narrow down, especially if you want to follow the activity of one or more processes. Continue reading
How to determine what woke your Mac from sleep
Sleep modes in OS X, as with other operating systems, allow you to quickly lock your Mac, and use less energy when not in use while being ready to resume operation almost instantly. However, unlike a full shutdown, this readiness to resume means that one of a number of events might result in your Mac being woken from sleep. These can be purposeful interactions, but at other times the system might wake for unknown reasons, which can be a bit of a problem. Continue reading
Log shell script events to the OS X system console
If you are familiar with the Unix command line and shell scripting, then you will be right at home using the OS X Terminal, and can throw together a number of scripts to automate routines, and customize a number of functions on your Mac. When creating your scripts, as is common practice, you might wish to log various actions and activity, and while you might consider doing so in classic ways, there is an easy approach to simply log messages to the OS X system console. Continue reading
Determine the reason why your Mac wakes up
When your Mac wakes form sleep, the OS X Kernel will output a message to the system console, containing a code that identifies the reason for the system having been woken up. This can be anything from a lid being opened, to a key being pressed.
Since you can access these logs using the System Console utility, if your system is regularly waking unexpectedly up Continue reading
Tackle Apple KEXTs not loading
Kernel extensions in OS X are add-ons to the core system software that provide low-level functionality to the system. These include device drivers such as graphics cards, trackpads, and input devices, but also for some system features like firewalls.
Most kernel extensions in OS X are provided by Apple, but every now and then programs such as security software, Continue reading
How to use the system console in OS X
When programs and services run on your system, they are programmed to give some sort of indication of what they are doing, either through a graphical interface or some added function for the system. Since no program is perfect, programmers build in logging routines that indicate when specific tasks are done, or at least tried, by their programs.
The Console in OS X is a utility that allows you to see some of these ongoing messages the system and running applications are Continue reading