Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?

Subject: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 02:49 PM

Since I'm not a Mac user, I can't tell if this is a big deal; but the reporter thinks it's worth notice.

Mac apps will crash without fail due to simple case-sensitive URL detection bug

By James Plafke on February 4, 2013 at 3:15 pm

> For the longest time, one of Apple's most prominent slogans for OS X was "It just works," which was actually true to some degree, once upon a time. However, as Macs became more prominent, things began to just work a little less. Case in point: An eight-character URL detection flaw that easily crashes Mountain Lion apps.

The brief article describes a "bug" contained in a recent Mac update that may be fairly commonly encountered, apparently in several apps.

A simple fix is given, although it requires disabling some functions that might otherwise be wanted. A correction from Apple is expected, so the inconvenience shouldn't last forever if you are aware of it and work around it for now.

(The source is the ExtremeTech website which has a good reputation for reliable advice for PCs, although I haven't seen a lot of Mac blather there - maybe only because I haven't looked for any.)

John

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 03:07 PM

I just tried it on this machine (a PPC Mac running Tiger, Firefox 3.6). I couldn't paste the URL "File:///" into the taskbar - it was silently edited to "file:///" and did what you'd expect, generating a root directory listing.

I could paste that URL into QuickTime Player, but it didn't do anything (not surprising since it isn't intended to list files).

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: GUEST,Lester
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 04:35 PM

And it doesn't crash the Mac just the application, but doesn't do anything on my iMac.

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 05:22 PM

Nope, me neither. Mind you, even if it did, I can count the number of times I've needed to write a link to a file url with three backslashes on the fingers of one thumb. Perhaps I need to get out more...

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 05:46 PM

The description seemed a little vague to me, and I couldn't tell whether the "url" would be something you'd enter for yourself or would more likely come from something received in a defective app message.

I just assumed it was the result of my not understanding Mac people (or those who jump out of perfectly good airplanes and call it a "sport").

It also looked like something that would depend on what you use your Mac to do, and how you're habits have evolved?

Hopefully, it's not something that will be a significant concern to many here.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: Uncle Tone
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 07:04 PM

And there woz me thinking this woz about walking into lampposts in the rain.....

Tone

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 07:50 PM

The URL is perfectly normal. It points to the topmost directory in the system, and if you make a browser go to it, you should get a top-level directory listing (including a whole lot of stuff you never ordinarily need to look at).

I don't normally use my browsers to view the file system, but some people do.

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 09:55 PM

JO Kansas...

Why would you post this here?

You admit it has nothing to do with you.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Are you lonely tonoght?

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Feb 13 - 10:19 PM

Gargle -

My interpretation of the purpose of "Tech" comments here is that we want to keep people connected to mudcat so they can contribute to the exchange of ideas here. (And I put unrelated "Tech" down below as BS: Tech.)

I DON'T ASSume that everybody here is as smart as you are, so I'll post anything that might keep any of our people from enjoying their participation.

This subject has nothing to do with MY COMPUTER but it does have some possible application to some of my friends here (and maybe even to some not too friendly), so I CONSIDER that any help I can give is of some significance to me (since I'm a friendly sort of curmudgeon, instead of another kind).

John

Subject: RE: Tech: How to Crash Your Mac?
From: GUEST,JHW
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 05:18 AM

I always greatly appreciate advice offered on Mudcat by JohnInKansas, Bill D and others. If, as a folkie, I have a technical problem I would ask here first, not on a totally anorak techheads site where it would be like asking the way in a foreign country.
Keep it up and ignore snipers.