Unable to reconnect to AFP shares with 10.5.7

Curious problem with my new MacBook Pro 13". When it wakes from sleep it doesn't reconnect to logged in AFP shares.

After looking through console logs, and trying different things, it happens when I'm connected to the TimeCapsule. If I turn off the wireless on the TC and connect using another Airport Extreme, it reconnects fine.

It seems its to do with a 'reconnect key'

12/07/2009 14:09:25 kernel AFPSleepWakeHandler: waking up

...

12/07/2009 14:10:37 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: GetReconnectToken failed 32 /Volumes/home

while a successful re-connection looks like

12/07/2009 19:05:17 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: Restoring session /Volumes/Files

...

12/07/2009 19:05:17 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: get the reconnect token

Its bad news because to the AEBS over 'n' I only get 130.

More as I get it.

Update: spoke too soon... still getting this error even when connected the other AEBS.

OSX Leopard - unable to disable Root

Discovered a curious problem with OSX Leopard where I was unable to disable Root from the Directory Application (/Applications / Utilities / Directory Utility ---> Edit / Enable Root User).

What happened was that due to an error I needed to use the OSX 10.5 Leopard DVD to start and change the Root password, which had the effect of enabling Root. I logged in as Root from a normal start, got the problem fixed, and then needed to disabled root.

The Directory Utility never saw that Root was enabled.

The answer was to do it from the command line:

$ dsenableroot -d

this command does quite a bit so you can read about it from the man page:

$ man dsenableroot

Nokia Maps downloader for OSX using Bluetooth

Woohooo! OK its only beta, but I'll give it a go!

Start here, the download is here and you'll need the multimedia downloader as well.


After getting the 2 applications, launch Nokia Multimedia Transfer and you'll get the double headed arrow in the menu bar.


First use Multimedia Transfer to connect your phone. Click the Multimedia Transfer icon in the menu bar and select Connect

Then when the connect window comes up, click Bluetooth
You'll have needed to pair your Phone, and on the phone set as Authorised (Tools>Bluetooth>Paired Devices select laptop and press Options). A few seconds later the Nokia Map Loader comes up, looking similar to what you get on the PC.

Follow the instructions, and download a map. I chose Gibraltar as its quite small.


One nice thing is the history function, so you can see what you already downloaded. OK it doesn't actually poll the phone for what was there previously, but its a start.


Super!

If you cannot use Bluetooth for some reason, you still use USB. Connect your phone by USB, and put the phone into "PC Suite" mode. Then launch Nokia Map Loader.

Parallels - connect from iPhone - an unexpected error occurred

The new Parallels Desktop 4 has the feature that you can connect from your iPhone and iPod Touch (iPod Touch compatability is not mentioned anywhere, but it downloads and runs OK).

The setting to allow an iPhone to connect is in Parallels Desktop Preferences.


After downloading the applet from the Apple Store, I put in the host details (IP address), and credentials, but kept getting an error connecting "an unexpected error occurred".

After some trial and error, I found that the iPhone and iTouch rather helpfully capitalise the first letter of the username, which could be incorrect. When I changed the username on my iPhone to match exactly the machine's username, which is all lower case, it connected straight away.


To get an all lowercase username, you need to move to between the first and second letters, put in the first letter again, then move back a space and delete the first letter.




Now, if only Parallels allowed the screen to rotate to match the landscape of most computer screens!

Apple Aiport Extreme stops working

Got myself a second hand Apple Aiport Extreme and during configuration it stopped working. After A LOT of trial and error, discovered it was due to a setting, which is not properly explained.

On the back of the device are 4 ethernet ports, clearly marked differently. 3 with the usual <--> for ethernet and one with a kind O, which is for the internet, if you have a cable modem, or maybe a half bridge DSL router.

So we have a very clear paradigm of internet and LAN.

Right, here's the INTERNET tab of the Airport Utility. So I'm thinking this is where you configure INTERNET access. Right? Wrong! In fact this configures the LAN. So, turn off the ethernet WAN port at your peril, because if you do you'll fall off the LAN and you'll have to do a reset.



Grrrrr!

Nokia Maps part IV - downloading maps through Bluetooth

Previously I've had fun with no getting on with the Nokia Maps downloader and bluetooth. After a re-install of Maps on both laptop and Nokia N73, I tried to download a mapset by Bluetooth.


I ensured PC Suite said connected by Bluetooth, launched Maps and it soon said "Updating drive Information for drive E:".


Then I got an error: "Unable to read all the information required for licence purchase from your phone using the current information. Try another connection type (USB or Bluetooth).


Uhhh well I am using Bluetooth, and nothing bad happens if I just click and ignore. Then I'm through to the main interface and off I go. So much easier!

Update on the licence issue: well I still don't know why I get it, ut I now know its to do with the new Services Nokia offer eg City Guides

Parallels Dekstop - upgrade from version 3 to 4 never finishes

If you have upgraded Parallels Dekstop from version 3 to 4, there is a mandatory upgrade f your virtual machines.

If your VM is Windows XP and you have Zone Alarm installed, it will never finish.

You need to click the 'lock' icon to go into manual mode, make your Zone Alarm selections, and the upgrade will finish.