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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture System 10.6
Wed, Nov 4 2009 at 7:30AM PST • Contributed by: Joe OReilly
Snow Leopard only hintWithin the Desktop & Screen Saver System Preferences pane, pressing Command-Option-D (Show/Hide Dock shortcut) will add two new buttons to the panel: TEST and DEBUG WINDOW. Press Command-Option-D again to remove the buttons.

TEST doesn't seem to do anything, but DEBUG WINDOW displays a window that gives you debug information about the current desktop picture.

[robg adds: I'm not sure why this info might be useful; it's very low-level stuff, such as the value for configManager.operationQueue.operations. I'd guess that a bit of development code got left in the final release, and I expect it will be disappearing in a future point update.]
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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture | 8 comments | Create New Account
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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture
Authored by: BlaatMekker on Wed, Nov 4 2009 at 11:13AM PST
Doesn't work for me (10.6.1)

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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture
Authored by: Thomas_U on Wed, Nov 4 2009 at 2:02PM PST
neither works here: it displays the letter ∂ in the searchfield and returns to all panel overview, all greyed out. (10.6.1)

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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture
Authored by: Thomas_U on Wed, Nov 4 2009 at 2:07PM PST
the letter ist the greek "rho", just doesn´t display here.

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You need to be in the Desktop tab of the prefpane
Authored by: gabester on Wed, Nov 4 2009 at 11:13AM PST
This is probably obvious to most readers, but I just spent half a minute wondering why the only thing I saw happening was the Dock hiding and showing. Then I switched to the Desktop tab of the prefpane, tried the keyboard combo again, and saw the buttons.

Rob is absolutely correct, there seems to be almost nothing of interest here. Move along, people! (But perhaps try hitting cmd-opt-D in other prefpanes?)

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You need to be in the Desktop tab of the prefpane
Authored by: BlaatMekker on Wed, Nov 4 2009 at 12:10PM PST
That still doesn't work for me.

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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture
Authored by: AveryTimm on Wed, Nov 4 2009 at 9:27PM PST
I was able to get it to work with 10.6.1. The info shown could be useful if it would tell you what the current desktop is when it's set to pick one at random. I have a lot of backgrounds and I let it pick a random at login. Problem is if I see one I want to get rid of, it's a pain to find. There is an AppleScript to do it, but it only works on the main monitor. I think it was OS 8 (or maybe as late as 9) that the random background option first appeared, and then it would show you the name of the current background. It was in the space to the right of the little screen with the recycle looking symbol in it. It looks like it should still be there. It would be nice if it showed the current image, even when it is set to random and have a button to reveal the location of that image. I think I remember saying that in April...of 2001.

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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture
Authored by: mantei on Thu, Nov 5 2009 at 12:23AM PST
Thanks for this hint. I like to have my desktop picture change at random every 15 minutes, using as source an iPhoto folder with some 1500 pictures I have taken in the Swiss countryside and mountains. Usually I can remember where the picture was taken-- a good test for early Alzheimer's :). This hint provides the solution for the remaining cases, and is much easier than scanning a thousand thumbnails in iPhoto.
---
Ned Mantei
Zurich, Switzerland


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10.6: View debug info about current desktop picture
Authored by: mantei on Thu, Nov 5 2009 at 12:34AM PST
I just noticed a problem with this hint: The image file location wasn't updated when the desktop picture changed. So it's not useful in the way I had thought.
---
Ned Mantei
Zurich, Switzerland


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