initial commitHEADprimary

1 files changed, 123 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/memos/WM-077.txt b/memos/WM-077.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73f202d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/memos/WM-077.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Document: WM-077                                                 P. Webb
+Category: Operating Systems                                   2025.11.14
+
+                              macOS (2025)
+
+Abstract
+
+   Trying to make the best of things
+
+Body
+
+   Apple’s macOS is in its Windows Vista era.
+
+   You’d think that the people in charge of design at Apple would
+   remember the Vista era. After all, the point of the "I’m a Mac"
+   commercials[1] was to ridicule Microsoft and their shitty operating
+   system. Oh how the turns tabled.
+
+   I’ve observed widespread dissatisaction about the state of computing
+   in my circles and it appears as if the Year of Desktop Linux is upon
+   us. But I’d go so far as to redeclare it as the **Era** of Desktop
+   Linux. From my friend elle[2]’s explorations with Linux to Valve
+   announcing the Gabecube[3] (an open‑system from a major company btw),
+   and the prevalence of people empowered by 3D printing and increased
+   affordability of components to creating their own cyberdecks, it
+   seems like a great change is afoot.
+
+   I’m obsessed with the idea of user choice and customization so I’ve
+   been working on the technical feasability of such for systemSOFT[4].
+
+   Imagine if (nearly) every component of your operating system could
+   be swapped.
+
+   Take time, for instance; the default component would have your
+   standard AM/PM or 24 hour configurability. Maybe you could even
+   toggle adherence to Daylight Saving Time.
+
+   Maybe you’re sick of the status quo so you swap it with
+   Swatch/internet time. But then, what would the Date Modified column
+   look like in your directories? Or you could mix and match.
+
+   Components would be required to have a CLI and API endpoints.
+   GUI optional.
+
+   Anyhoo, more thinking is required to imagine what a "post‑desktop"
+   interface would look like. A personal data lake as the underlying
+   store with epheremal windows optimized for the content within, when
+   you need it, is what I’m trying to envision.
+
+   ---
+
+   A few weeks ago I was trying to change icons on macOS via IconChamp
+   but it doesn’t work on macOS Tahoe. After doing some digging, I came
+   upon a CLI called fileicon[5] that allows for customizing file/folder
+   icons. I then created a script to recursively change all folder icons
+   in a directory:
+
+   ```sh
+   #!/bin/bash
+   # brew install fileicon
+   # chmod +x icons-in-folder.sh
+
+   if [ -z "$1" ]; then
+     echo "Usage: $0 /path/to/folder [/path/to/icon.icns]"
+     exit 1
+   fi
+
+   TARGET_DIR="$1"
+   ICON_PATH="${2:-/Users/netopwibby/Icons/DESKTOP/Mantia/Forstall Folders/Plain — Folder.icns}"
+
+   find "$TARGET_DIR" -type d -print0 | while IFS= read -r -d "" folder; do
+     fileicon set "$folder" "$ICON_PATH"
+   done
+   ```
+
+   You’ll have to change `ICON_PATH` to the **absolute** path of the
+   default icon you wish to use. I’m using the wonderful Forstall
+   Folders[6] by Louie Mantia. Also, this process is slow going but hey,
+   at least I can kinda get the functionality of IconChamp! That being
+   said, you could probably replicate its UI and easily wrap this script
+   in a GUI. Maybe I’ll do that, who knows.
+
+   Thanks to damien[7], I learned of an app called Mousecape[8] that
+   changes your cursors[9] on macOS Tahoe!! Never heard of this app
+   before. Unfortunately, the default cursor doesn’t change for me but
+   all the other ones do. YMMV
+
+   I would love if there was a way to replace Finder but that’s such an
+   integral part of macOS that it’s not possible. However, I’ve been
+   trying to spend more time inside of Marta[10], a native file manager
+   for macOS. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it only has
+   list view and I have to restart the app sometimes (because of Finder
+   operations not reflecting in Marta).
+
+   ---
+
+   I’m not giving up on MacBook but my Mac Studio is gonna be replaced
+   with a Linux box after I get a NAS to transfer all my stuff off it.
+   The discomfort I feel about using products of tech companies is
+   offset by the work myself and others are doing to make things better,
+   a little bit at a time. I’m looking forward to getting comfortable
+   with Linux and dogfooding my computing hardware concepts. In the
+   meantime I’m just tryna make do with what I got. 🕸️
+
+References
+
+   [1]  <https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=i'm+a+mac+i'm+a+pc+vista>
+   [2]  <https://ellesho.me/page/website/now/#serial-experiments>
+   [3]  <https://store.steampowered.com/sale/hardware>
+   [4]  <https://systemsoft.works>
+   [5]  <https://github.com/mklement0/fileicon>
+   [6]  <https://lmnt.me/blog/icons/forstall-folders.html>
+   [7]  <https://social.erambert.me/@eramdam/115511297442666179>
+   [8]  <https://github.com/AdamWawrzynkowskiGF/Mousecape-TahoeSupport/releases/tag/PreRelease-v01>
+   [9]  <https://primmr.dev/projects/wii-pointer-cursors>
+   [10] <https://marta.sh>