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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app Pick of the Week
CocktailThe macosxhints Rating:
7 of 10
[0 to 10 lights; 10 = perfect!]
Cocktail is a useful little application that handles a bunch of routine tasks in one convenient location. It may not bring cool whiz-bang new features to the forefront, but it's got a nice GUI and integrates a number of routine tasks and tweaks into one convenient location.

You can use Cocktail to run the system maintenance scripts that are supposed to run daily, weekly and monthly; enable journaling; set the hard drive spindown time, remove DS_Store files from a volume or folder; delete locked files; remove or view system log files; create symbolic links via drag and drop; set the speed and duplex mode of your Ethernet card; request a new DHCP lease; remove various caches; force empty the trash; recreate the Mac OS 9 desktop alias; tweak the Finder to show invisibles, remove zoom rects, add double scroll arrows; tweak the Dock to add a shadow, use transparent icons for hidden apps, and position/pin the dock. There's also an "auto pilot" feature that can pre-bind files and repair permissions (along with some of the previously mentioned features).

As a I said, no amazing new features, but a nice collection of routine tasks and tweaks in one location. Yes, you could do all of this with other programs or via the GUI or Terminal, but Cocktail puts it all in one convenient location.

It's rated a "7" due to some apparent issues with non-English systems (can anyone confirm?), as well as its use of a non-standard admin password dialog box, which gives me just a bit of uncomfort when entering my admin password. There's also a bit of a delay at startup as Cocktail scans the disk and does a couple of other chores. Overall, though, it's hard to beat the combination of tasks, the nice GUI, and the donationware price.
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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app | 10 comments | Create New Account
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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: davidcrickett on Mar 17, '03 10:30:28AM

They promised some updates ago, that Cocktail wouldn't trash Safari's favicons anymore. It still does. For an app rummaging around in the root of Mac OS X you have to be able to count upon it doing things right, and I don't trust it...

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davidcrickett



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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: Gordon Werner on Mar 17, '03 04:33:43PM

what exactly are the .DS_STORE files?



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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: rarpsl on Mar 17, '03 08:53:01PM

.DS_Store files are the MacOS X files that correspond (in function) to the
MacOS 9.x Desktop DB/DF Files. Each file contains the Desktop Data
(Icons, Icon Locations, View Options, etc.) for files in that directory
(unlike MacOS 9.x where all the data resides in Desktop DF and Desktop
DB). Without them there is no way for you to get Desktop displays (not
100% true since MacOS X has ways it can try to re-create the files but
the results of the destruction/removal of the files can cause this).



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Int´l problems confirmed!
Authored by: gulliver on Mar 18, '03 04:16:18AM

I can confirm the international problems. Whenever I run Cocktail on my German system the keyboard preferences are set back to default making English the keyboard layout (after restart). Also the preferences for the character palette menu are corrupted and USA is added and selected, although I removed it from the menu.



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International problems confirmed!
Authored by: gulliver on Mar 18, '03 04:16:54AM

I can confirm the international problems. Whenever I run Cocktail on my German system the keyboard preferences are set back to default making English the keyboard layout (after restart). Also the preferences for the character palette menu are corrupted and USA is added and selected, although I removed it from the menu.



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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: Rod76 on Mar 18, '03 12:33:37AM

I've had nothing but good luck with this application... I've been having a problem with a lot of excess utilities and this one app.. encompasses quite a few relieving me of a lot of clutter in my fruitmenu utilities folder... I've also experienced the favicons removal and although this is annoying its not something that's going to ruin my day... Small potatoes compared to what this application does and does well if you ask me...



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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: davidcrickett on Mar 18, '03 05:10:15AM
yes, but it should not remove favicons, and they themselves have said that it's solved. It's not 'small potatoes' when an app messing around in the bowels of Mac OS X can't do what it says! I won't trust this thing!

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davidcrickett

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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: joelcpa on Mar 18, '03 06:02:10AM

yeah, we know, we heard you the first time!



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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: ro1960 on Apr 12, '04 05:34:00PM

I have my PowerBook start up automatically at 6:45am, Cocktail set to run shortly after. It's cool as it runs without having to log in, so you see it doing it's work behind the login window and then it restarts once it's done.

The only grief I have is really minimal, yet annoying. My custom account photo in the log in window (one I created, not an Apple one) reverts to the default one after Cocktail has run.

I emailed the developer and haven't received an answer.

Any idea?



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Cocktail - A collection of mini-utilties in one app
Authored by: pmreiz on Apr 20, '04 07:28:34PM

Just move your picture to the place where Apple keeps the system pictures and you'll survive the cache cleaning. I created a folder called "Personal" in /Library/User Pictures/ and stored my images there. Now I can choose my personal pictures in the Picture tab of the Accounts preference. Your pictures will show up alongside all of the annoying dog/cat/snowflake images that Apple supplies us with.

The key is to go to /Library and NOT ~/Library.



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