[Phil Quinney]

Hey Guys,

I've been working all day on my machine and suddenly everything has frozen. The machine hasn't crashed as I can still ssh in but the mouse pointer doesn't move, the keyboard doesn't type.

I think that the Window Manager has crashed - does anyone have any idea as to how I can give it a kick? I have a TextEdit document open with an entire days work in which I stupidly haven't been saving that I can't afford to lose.

If anyone can help I would appreciate it. As another thought can I use an applescript executed remotely to tell TextEdit to save its changes? The file already has a name and all it would need is the equivalent of an Apple+S!

Thanks,

Phil.

[ZackS]

Open script editor on whatever machine you're sshing in from and paste the following script:

tell application "TextEdit"
save front document
end tell

Then save it as an application, run only. (DON'T CHECK SHOW STARUP SCREEN!)

You can't FTP the file in so you'll have to use AFP because it supports resource forks (the script won't run without it. Then, navigate to wherever you put the script, type: open <script-name> and press return and wait. Check through AFP if the file is saved. If not, I'm very sorry, that's my best shot. Good luck.

[ZackS]

Oh, sometimes I have trouble executing scripts remotely, try pulling a "chmod 755" on the script or running open with sudo.

[:XI:]

I couldn't get the applescript to work, but ZackS works.

ssh into the hung mac.

cd to your home dir

'pico textsave' <return>

type in ZackS applescript.

'tell application "TextEdit"
save front document
end tell'

<control-o> then <control-x>

'osascript textsave' <return>

you should then be able to kill the window manager, that'll spit you out at the login window.

[msuper69]

I wonder if you're having a USB problem.

Maybe you could just try unplugging and plugging in the keyboard and mouse?

[C.J. Moof]

Originally posted by msuper69:
I wonder if you're having a USB problem.

Maybe you could just try unplugging and plugging in the keyboard and mouse?

I've had the same thing happen to me in OS X- it's running, takes remote logins, but I can't do anything with the GUI. A USB out/in wouldn't do it for me.

I even used to have a problem that once in a while, I'd wake my cube from sleep, and NO MATTER WHAT I DID, I COULD ONLY TYPE IN ALL CAPS. That's just an annoying, stupid bug, but I haven't seen it for quite some time. Musta got fixed in one of the X.2.something upgrades.

I just tried XI's version, and that works. Only change I'd make is ctl-x and return is all that's needed to save the file.

[Phil Quinney]

You guys are great, but unfortunately OS X decided to "fix it" for me. Just as I was going to do what you described the window manager restarted and all my apps quit out.

*Poof*

All my work gone.

<Sigh>, anyone know where / if TextEdit stores backup files???

Phil.

[sandsl]

This happened to me a few Panther builds ago..just ended up restarting.