Mac Pilot for Customization and Utilities

Mac Pilot, a customization and utility app from Koingo Software is currently $3.00 on BundleHunt. There are similar apps like Onyx and Tinker Tool out there that are free, but for the price I thought I'd take a look.

Applications

Mac Pilot contains settings for several system apps. Here are just of the few things it can control.

• Calendar - change event duration
• Dock - single app mode, enable window previews
• Finder - enable "Quit Finder"
• Help Viewer - user normal instead of floating windows
• Launch Pad - Reset contents, control \# of rows and columns
• Music - enable half-star ratings
• Quick Time - Remember open movies on quit
• Safari - Backspace goes to previous page
• Screen Capture - change file type
• Spotlight - Reset index
• System - Disable notification center
• Terminal - Window focus follows mouse
• Time Machine - Do not prompt to use connected drives

Disk

Gives info and lets you perform maintenance on individual partitions

• Disks info
• Files Info
• Maintenance

File Browser

Detailed file information and settings

• General - Includes last backup date
• Details - Over 30 Unix characteristics on each file
• Access - Adjust traditional permissions and ACLs
• Advanced - Allows you to lock files
• Legacy

Login

• Change many features of your login screen - including the displayed image, which is totally worth the whole purchase price to me!
• Show or hide any users of the computer on the login screen
• Enable and disable login items and launch agents
• Set defaults for window states on login

Logs

• Built in log viewer
• Complete list of system receipts for installed software titles that issue them

Maintenance

• Automated - Enable or disable system cron jobs
• Update or rebuild launch services database
• ** Force empty trash and clear print queue - Very Helpful!**

Network

• Detailed info for every network interface
• Custom sharing settings including enabling airdrop on legacy machines
• Shortcuts to hidden utilities: Airport Utility, Wireless Diagnostics
• Complete Port List
• Network Optimization for selected broadband connections

Power

• Hidden settings for system, AC and battery
• Sleep settings for disks, display, and system. Plus auto-power off settings
• Hibernation settings
• Scheduling for wake and sleep

Reference

• Error Codes
• Fonts
• Key Combos
• Manuals
• System Profile

In addition there is a section for getting more information and doing some optimization but it requires disabling System Integrity Protection and I did not explore that. The final potentially helpful tool is one that strips out the files from binaries for either Intel or ARM processors if you are running low in disk space and want to eliminate things you don't need. I'd make damn sure I had a good backup before using that.