Odds & Ends: Command file for fixing -108 printing errors;

Command file fixes "-108" printing error Neil Mishalov kept getting the -108 printing error in Mac OS X 10.1.3. He contacted Apple and they sent him a command file that would fix it. It is a shell script that performs essentially the same actions that were posted in our previous coverage of this matter.

Auto-file execution vulnerability in Mac OS and Mac OS X? This page discusses an issue that affects both OS X and OS 9. Essentially: If a victim-user only browses a malicious web-page: • Browsers start automatically download a compressed disc-image file which includes a malicious program; • Archivers - such like StuffIt Expander - automatically expand the compressed file, and mount the disc-image; • Mac OS (QuickTime) executes the malicious program included in the disc-image.

Long file names crash Word 98 in Classic Ken Dobyns writes: "We were having trouble opening files using Word 98 under Classic. The files were coming via email from a PC and were in the names were in the form xxx.doc. When attempting to open them, Word would immediately crash, taking down Classic in the process. After playing around a bit, we discovered that the problem was related to the length of the file name. Anything over the 31 characters supported by OS9 causes the crash." [As we recall, this would cause similar problems when booted in OS 9.]

No Street Atlas for OS X Tom Sykes writes: "Presently Street Atlas USA for Mac will run under Classic running 10.1.3 (sort of - there is a font problem with the display of route instructions not appearing after running a trip route). When he asked DeLorme about a possible OS X version, they replied:"At this time, we do not have plans to release any new Mac-based titles. This is strictly a business decision and is understandably disappointing to previous version users, as well as DeLorme and Apple."

No StatView for Mac OS X The latest statement from SAS Institute to a reader: "Currently, there are no plans to release a new version of StatView for Macintosh OS X."

Starry Night for OS X coming The creators of Starry Night informed a reader: "We plan to release an OS X version of Starry Night sometime in the summer of 2002."

Update: Meanwhile, Leland Jory suggests trying Celestia, a free OS X alternative to Starry Night.

Warbirds & Gamestick Fred Beattie writes: "The latest update to Warbirds 3 brought my old CHGamestick3D to life and can now enjoy flying the unfriendly skies in Warbirds. This is the first game that I have found to work in OS X with this joystick."

Update: A reader adds: "Saitek X36 and X45 joystick sets do not work with the new OSX version of Warbirds3. The joysticks are not HID compliant. Saitek has not given any indication of supporting these joysticks via OS X."