Xfile Test Drive

All Your Apple Are Belong To Us

Xfile is a real file manager, as opposed to Apple's Finder and crash-prone blobs like Path Finder. Together with the helper utilities included here it surpasses anything you've seen before.

This new test drive adds several utilities to help you cope with Apple's 'XA tyranny'.

Do I Need Xfile

Apple's Finder is plagued with bugs, crashes, vulnerabilities... It's a monster, weighing in at nearly 35 MB... It's responsible for a great many well-publicised disasters.

'Finder replacements' are just as bad or worse. None of them can handle demanding file operations - they're all built the wrong way. Finder crashes regularly - and then refuses to relaunch. A file manager shouldn't be like that. Xfile doesn't crash. Period.

The Xfile binary is currently only 46319 bytes. More isn't needed - if it's written correctly.

Xfile can handle anything. Most importantly: Xfile gives you access to everything, something Finder will definitely not do. Don't you want to see what's really going on?

What's in this package

The real ACP isn't free, but this test drive is. We hope you find it useful.

The ACP product page lists 70 Cocoa applications and another 50 command-line tools, so these applications are but a smattering.

Getting Started

  1. Start by mounting 'ACPv2.dmg'. Just double-click it. It mounts under '/Volumes'. If you're running Finder, it should appear on your desktop.

  2. Nothing needs to be copied out, possibly with one exception (see below).

  3. This is a 'test drive' only, it might be time-limited, it can lack some of the full functionality, but hopefully it's enough so you get an idea of how things work.

Tour

Following is a brief tour of Xfile and the other applications you'll encounter.

ACP.framework

This is the 'brains', the 'command central', of the ACP. This is where a lot of the ACP logic resides, and where all graphics reside (in a single 17 KB file). This is also where you'll find all documentation.

ACL.app

ACL.app manages access control lists, something that's lacking in your system.

CandS.app

Contingency software for dealing with Apple's Gatekeeper system and other assorted 'XA cruft'. XAs, or extended attributes, are attached to files for both the right and wrong reasons. (Most times they're wrong.)

XAs are used by Apple today to 'lock' users into their infamous 'walled garden'. But, in general, those extended attributes are just annoying. CandS.app clears away all extended attributes and also seals files (removes the 'write' bit) to prevent further annoyances.

But this now goes one step further.

All files downloaded to your Downloads directory are automatically cleansed of all extended attributes. All you have to do is keep CandS.app running in the background.

Changes.app

A diagnostic tool developed to study filesystem activity.

Keymaster.app

Keymaster neutralises GateKeeper. A sample Keymaster file is included.

Rixcomp.app

Compares two items in your filesystem. This can be directory hives. Distinguishes between filetypes, inodes, and volume IDs. Can export results to disk.

TMI.app

TMI.app ('Too Much Information') spells it out in plain text.

Tracker.app

Tracker long ago made the 'app zappers' obsolete. Tracker is essential for testing new software, or for testing anything.

This is the one time you might want to copy out an application.

XaBatch.app

Adds and deletes extended attributes in batch.

Xattr.app

The first-ever XA editor, released over fifteen years ago.

Xattrib.app

Shows you the complete attribute setup for a file of any type. Also used for setting attributes. (Yes it's quite a bit more than Apple let on. No they don't hold their users in high regard.)

Xfile.app

The ACP file manager. Called the 'standard-setter'.

Xfind.app

For finding things in files, or for merely summarising file sizes, blocks used, and extended attributes. Drag and drop whatever you want on one of its windows. Results can be exported to disk.

Xscan.app

The filesystem scanner. Scans for whatever you're looking for. Check out the 'Filters' menu, that's inspired by the seminal 'Hacking Exposed', to help you isolate security weaknesses in your system.

You May Notice

.DS_Store

'All Your .DS_Store Are Belong To Us', says the inlay of the Xfile icon. .DS_Store is an insidious beast that Apple finally admitted was a bug that they never manage to fix anyway, and it's even been exploited by hackers. You won't find .DS_Store here.

PkgInfo

There are no PkgInfo files in the ACP. They're not needed. They've never been needed.

The cost of a single PkgInfo file, nominally of a file size of only 8 bytes, is 4 KB. How many do you have on your system? (Clue: use Xscan to find out.)

CodeResources

This software is intentionally not signed. If you've opened correctly, you should not have any difficulties. You might need to tell the system to let the apps through the first time.

Consequently, there are no CodeResources files in this package.

Remnants

This Test Drive shouldn't leave files in your filesystem. These versions are configured to not save anything to disk. If you find anything, please let us know.

Binaries

ACP binaries are lean and mean to an extreme. But there are no tricks involved - it's just good programming, perhaps not the kind you're accustomed to. (We teach programming for a living. We take our profession seriously.)

Graphics

All logic for all ACP applications is in the ACP.framework, and all images are stored in a single file, currently only 16.8 KB. So ACP software loads fast.

Features

Often it can be the 'little things' that add up. Small features you won't find elsewhere. You'll discover them as time goes on. They're part of the reason the critics say that, after using this software, it's difficult to go back to anything else.

Further Info

Use the built-in help system to discover more about these applications and all the applications of the ACP. You can also check the website.

https://rixstep.com/acp

Purchases

A purchase link is on the menu of all the applications, or you can go here.

https://rixstep.com/buy

There's a money-back guarantee on everything from Rixstep.

EULA

The End User Licence Agreement for this software product can be found here.

Copyright © Rixstep. All rights reserved.