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Change the idle timeout period in iChat Apps
You can change the default timeout value (600 seconds) in iChat with the following code in the Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.ichatagent UserIdleTimeout x
where x is the new value, in seconds. Note: you'll need to quit and relaunch the iChatagent background application for this to take effect (which is *not* done by quitting and restarting iChat -- you'll need to use the Terminal or Activity Monitor to find and kill this faceless process).
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Change the idle timeout period in iChat | 9 comments | Create New Account
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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: seven5 on Feb 26, '04 11:30:45AM

great, now if someone could fix the amount of messages i can send in 10 seconds 2.1beta would be usable. AOL already has this embedded, and theirs is more lenient. Apple went and added their own and its totally obnoxious. I type fast, and i type short sentences, and this messes me up constantly. Sorry apple, i just won't want to be put in "time out"



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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: totallyGreg on Jan 26, '05 10:57:22PM

Here HERE!! This needs to be fixed immediately.. I've submitted bug reports to Apple and as of the latest Tiger builds it's STILL a problem. NOTHING is more frustrating than having my conversation come to a screeching halt while iChat catches it's breath. Meanwhile my silence is deafening to everyone else. I shall scour the default writes for iChat to find this value and post it's solution (hopefully)



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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: macsolve on Feb 26, '04 11:33:46AM
How come iChat always return 0 as idle time? I have not checked the "don't let others see when I'm idle" checkbox so it can't be that.
tell application "iChat"
	get the idle time
end tell
-- always returns 0


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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: marook on Feb 26, '04 02:56:34PM

Ahh, how do you run this?

If you hit 'Run' in Script Editor you will reset your idle time, so naturally it will always be 0.
I will try this with Clicker, and see if it's different without touching the Mac.

---
/Marook



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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: locklin on Feb 26, '04 04:59:35PM
If you want to know what your idle time is, you have to write in Terminal.app:

defaults read com.apple.ichatagent UserIdleTimeout

... it will return your idle time in seconds.

- locklin -

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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: huzzam on Feb 26, '04 05:22:24PM

Does anyone else have this problem? When I wake my computer from sleep, ichat always changes my status to "available", even though my preferences say to leave my status as idle. Anyone have a solution?

thanks
peter



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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: PCheese on Feb 28, '04 05:09:22PM

Idle means you are not using your computer. You become idle after the idle timeout period, which is by default 10 minutes. If you wake your computer from sleep, move your mouse, or press a key, you're using your computer, so your idle status goes away. Use away if you want to tell people you are busy or not available. I guess you could set your idle timeout to something like 1 second so if you wake your computer from sleep and don't touch it, it'll go right into idle mode, but I don't think that's a good idea.

Actually ignore everything I wrote above, because I think when your computer goes to sleep, iChat disconnects completely. When you wake your computer, it reconnects with your status set to available. So when your computer is asleep, you're no longer online on AIM (iChat).



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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: zpjet on Sep 28, '04 02:29:08PM

yeah, you've obviously misplaced "idle" and "away". you have to log off of aim before you put your computer to sleep. or, as an emergency, pull your plug before waking it up.



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Change the idle timeout period in iChat
Authored by: este1225 on Apr 26, '09 05:02:23PM

click ichat -> preferences -> general -> when i return to my computer, if i set status to away -> either click ask what to do or keep my status as away.

hope this helps! enjoy!



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