ResurrXtion

Current version - 1.0 - Download it here
Copyright 2003, Michael E. Gaines starman@mac.com

27 June 2003
Howdy from WWDC. Just a quick note that ResurrXtion works on a PowerMac G5! I was able to test it in the compatability lab this afternoon. It powered on the G5 perfectly. I'll have to make a cosmetic change, but the core of the app works. As for Panther, well, I'm not able to discuss it, but let's say you're in for a surprise.

22 June 2003
Luckily, I had some serious momentum since yesterday morning. I really didn't think I was going to do it, but I got 1.0 of ResurrXtion finished before WWDC. This is my original vision of this application. I realize that a lot of you asked for features in this app, but I first wanted to focus on what I intended this application to be. Now that it's completed, I can focus on enhancement for future versions. Thanks to everyone that donated and helped clear up some of these hardware bugs.

See you at WWDC!

Pre-release notes:

21 June 2003
Things are going very well. I got Custom booting finished just a few minutes ago, and the preferences behave a little better. I also started adding relevant information in the System Information tab. Next I'm going to start adding the gravy to the mix. I'm not sure if I'm ready to call this 1.0 beta yet, but it's certainly in the alpha stage. Keep checking here for updates. I hope to get this done before I leave for WWDC. I realize a lot of you are requesting things like System Preference and shutdown, but my original goal for this app was startup only which is why 1.0 won't have these features in it. Don't despair, future versions are in the works.

17 June 2003
Verion 0.86 is released.
I implemented the Weekly boot which will be in the next release (probably 0.9). As soon as I get the Custom boot finished, that will be the last of the boot types (yay!). I can then work on the "little things".
I fixed a bug that someone reported to me where some of the items will revert to their defaults. That, too will be in the next release.

12 June 2003
I've isolated the bug that tells G3 owners that their hardware isn't supported, even though the app works. It was something very simple. This is what happens when you don't have a lab full of G3's to test with. I still don't know why some G4 owners are having problems. With the possibility of G5's being released soon, I'm going to need to research the proper way to do this with a G5 (unless Apple finally gets smart and puts it directly in Panther).

I'm working on what should be the last architecture redesign before I dub this thing 1.0. Some issues have come to my attention that could cause the Mac to skip power-ons.

My to do list (in no particular order):

Warning if the item is a laptop.
Weekly boot
Custom boot
Fix the G3 issue
Fill System Info tab with anything relevant.
24-hour clock.
System Preference (I got several requests for this).
Lock icon for password.
Allow the folder to be moved.

Version history:

1.0 - 22 June 2003
Custom booting now available. This completes all the features I intended this application to handle.
Preferences behave better.
System Information tab now actually shows something useful.
The app now has an interactive clock.
A better icon. That original one wasn't so hot.

0.86 - 17 June 2003
The "Hardware Not Found" message no longer pops up if you have the proper hardware.
You can no longer install the app if you're not using MacOS 10.2 or higher (Jaguar).
You can now move the app wherever you like.

0.85 - 10 June 2003
Admin password now required for changing the boot time.
Weekday boot implemented.
Saved prefs now shown.
Untested support for G3's.

0.8 - 6 June 2003
Admin password now required for installing the boot script.
Wake from sleep now implemented.
Daily wake up now implemented

0.6 - 4 June 2003
Initial release

What is ResurrXtion?
ResurrXtion is a small application that takes the place of the feature in MacOS 9 that allowed you to tell your Mac when to boot from sleep or a complete shutdown. I used to like having my Mac awake and ready when I got home every day from work, and I really miss this under MacOS X.

How is it done?
Well, I'm not going to go into the details, but essentially there's a piece of hardware on certain Macs that has a counter in it. After this counter is set, it decrements down in real time. When it reaches 0, the Mac boots or wakes from sleep. This API call used to function in the Power Manager API, but if you check out the Carbon documentation, this call does nothing under OS X. I dug up some old hardware documentation recently, fiddled with it, and found out exactly what to do.

Does it work on all Macs?
Since the first release, I got code to allow the app to work on G3's. A lot of people that couldn't get it to work before are now reporting that it does work. Let me know if it's not working for you.

How can I use my Mac as an alarm clock?
ResurrXtion can easily turn your Mac into an alarm clock, but to do so presents a potentical security risk. You could tell your Mac to auto-login, but you then open up your Mac to anyone who wants access to it if it turns on when you're not around. That choice is up to you.

In the account you want to auto-login to, place whatever you want to start after auto-login in the "Login Items" Preference in System Preferences. The next time that account logs in, that item (or items) will start. Check the internet for Applescripts that do things such as fire up iTunes at full volume playing a particular playlist or song.

Known issues:

Some wake from sleep issues.