default OnyX scripts?

Doug Lassiter · 12-31-2012, 11:23 AM

A month or so ago I was having problems with a 10.5.8 laptop system being sluggish. OnyX was recommended to me. I executed OnyX with the default cleaning scripts, and things became MUCH better. Lesson learned.

But I find OnyX a little mysterious. There are many cleaning/maintenance scripts in the downloaded OnyX that are NOT checked as defaults. Something like half of them. Why am I not running those scripts by default? Why wouldn't I just check 'em all off as scripts to run? Or, perhaps the question is, why were particular scripts chosen as the default ones, and not the others?

Perhaps the others aren't really performance related? Or perhaps the others are system-sensitive in one way or another?

benwiggy · 12-31-2012, 11:29 AM

Onyx is primarily a tool for fixing problems, rather than something that you run every option of on a regular basis.
Just because emptying caches (or whatever you did) fixed your slowness, doesn't mean that you need to periodically empty caches.

Much of Onyx's options are system-sensitive, invasive, "serious", and have a major effect. Many require a restart. Many require all apps to be closed. Some are only things that you need to do for very specific and rare circumstances.

Doug Lassiter · 12-31-2012, 11:56 AM

Thanks. That's helpful.

I would be handy to have the system-sensitive, invasive, and serious options to be better segregated, or at least called out. When I see lots of boxes to check in an application that offers maintenance or cleaning, my simplistic incentive is to want to check them. It is then the case that the default scripts are not system-sensitive, invasive, or serious?

benwiggy · 12-31-2012, 01:01 PM

Well, I'm not sure what the defaults might be, as I've unticked most of them when I've run them, and only used specific things.

Even the default ticked ones do something fairly significant, of course. Otherwise there wouldn't be any point!

DeltaMac · 12-31-2012, 01:05 PM

Even the default scripts can be considered to be "system-sensitive, invasive, and serious". That's one of their purposes, after all.

OnyX remains an example of a good utility that you can go to for help with system issues, particularly when your system is not as "snappy" as it used to be, or maybe when you are having strange issues, such as the wrong app launching when a file is double-clicked, or odd error messages that intermittently appear, or sudden strange fonts in a browser (etc, etc...)
You may not appreciate what OnyX does if you decide to check all the settings. Assuming that your system is otherwise OK, even the worst that OnyX should do is slow down your system. And that would only be temporary, because of the nature of some cache files, until those cache files get rebuilt (usually through a restart, or a couple of Launch/Quits of some applications.)
The OnyX help files DO describe those operations where you should be careful about the choices that you make. Even the original default settings can cause serious issues, if your system is really not working properly. OnyX may not fix those issues, and may make things worse.
Your role is to decide what you need to do with OnyX.

OnyX is a multi-function utility. The defaults will usually help with performance issues. Checking other choices may not be helpful, and may cause issues where none existed. You make the other choices BECAUSE you have other issues, or the defaults did not help you.
Bottom line - OnyX is not for routine use - but should be helpful for issues that you might encounter. The choices that you make are determined by what you want to accomplish. And, of course, OnyX CAN be used as a scheduled tool, if you think you have the need. That's up to you, but for most, that's not necessary.

NaOH · 12-31-2012, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaMac


	Bottom line - OnyX is not for routine use....

Unfortunately, Onyx and similar applications (MacPilot, TinkerTool System, etc.) use words like maintenance and optimize in their descriptions. Maintenance implies some regularity, and most folks prefer the idea that things are optimized.

DeltaMac · 12-31-2012, 02:01 PM

I think it's just part of the territory.
Although I recommend OnyX, I do agree that some parts of their approach can easily lead one astray...
I still will continue to say that it's not necessary to use a tool such as OnyX as a scheduled item.

NaOH · 12-31-2012, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaMac


	Although I recommend OnyX... I still will continue to say that it's not necessary to use a tool such as OnyX as a scheduled item.

Agreed. Bad writing on my part if my earlier comment suggested differently from these points. It's unfortunate that the descriptions of such utilities don't make clear that the functionality they offer isn't necessary on a regular basis.

DeltaMac · 12-31-2012, 03:53 PM

And, it's something that is a common opinion. It's not necessarily wrong...
There are a few experienced folks here that will suggest that some utility like that should be used on some kind of schedule. I think of that as a "windows" mentality.
If one wants to justify that viewpoint, that's fine. It doesn't usually hurt anything in the end, it's just not what I think is a valid position.
I do feel like momma-slapping somebody who thinks you have to pay for that kind of software

Doug Lassiter · 12-31-2012, 07:24 PM

Excellent. Many thanks. Yes, I think that the words "maintenance" and "cleaning" suggest a scheduled strategy for use, which indeed is a Windows mentality. After all, we all like to be well maintained and clean, and we are taught to assume that we need regular applications of a screwdriver and soap to do it.

Also, I wasn't aware of the help files. I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't find any sort of online manual, but a lot is there in the help files.

I'm curious though. If you only use OnyX to clear specific caches, how do you know which ones to start with? It would be nice if there were some guidelines like "try this first" (which I assume is the defaults) and "if not that, then try this next", etc. etc. With the most sensitive ones left for last.

12-31-2012, 11:23 AM	#1
Doug Lassiter Major Leaguer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Burnett, Texas Posts: 287	default OnyX scripts? A month or so ago I was having problems with a 10.5.8 laptop system being sluggish. OnyX was recommended to me. I executed OnyX with the default cleaning scripts, and things became MUCH better. Lesson learned. But I find OnyX a little mysterious. There are many cleaning/maintenance scripts in the downloaded OnyX that are NOT checked as defaults. Something like half of them. Why am I not running those scripts by default? Why wouldn't I just check 'em all off as scripts to run? Or, perhaps the question is, why were particular scripts chosen as the default ones, and not the others? Perhaps the others aren't really performance related? Or perhaps the others are system-sensitive in one way or another?

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12-31-2012, 11:29 AM	#2
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,039	Onyx is primarily a tool for fixing problems, rather than something that you run every option of on a regular basis. Just because emptying caches (or whatever you did) fixed your slowness, doesn't mean that you need to periodically empty caches. Much of Onyx's options are system-sensitive, invasive, "serious", and have a major effect. Many require a restart. Many require all apps to be closed. Some are only things that you need to do for very specific and rare circumstances.

12-31-2012, 11:56 AM	#3
Doug Lassiter Major Leaguer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Burnett, Texas Posts: 287	Thanks. That's helpful. I would be handy to have the system-sensitive, invasive, and serious options to be better segregated, or at least called out. When I see lots of boxes to check in an application that offers maintenance or cleaning, my simplistic incentive is to want to check them. It is then the case that the default scripts are not system-sensitive, invasive, or serious?

12-31-2012, 01:01 PM	#4
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,039	Well, I'm not sure what the defaults might be, as I've unticked most of them when I've run them, and only used specific things. Even the default ticked ones do something fairly significant, of course. Otherwise there wouldn't be any point!

12-31-2012, 01:05 PM	#5
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,948	Even the default scripts can be considered to be "system-sensitive, invasive, and serious". That's one of their purposes, after all. OnyX remains an example of a good utility that you can go to for help with system issues, particularly when your system is not as "snappy" as it used to be, or maybe when you are having strange issues, such as the wrong app launching when a file is double-clicked, or odd error messages that intermittently appear, or sudden strange fonts in a browser (etc, etc...) You may not appreciate what OnyX does if you decide to check all the settings. Assuming that your system is otherwise OK, even the worst that OnyX should do is slow down your system. And that would only be temporary, because of the nature of some cache files, until those cache files get rebuilt (usually through a restart, or a couple of Launch/Quits of some applications.) The OnyX help files DO describe those operations where you should be careful about the choices that you make. Even the original default settings can cause serious issues, if your system is really not working properly. OnyX may not fix those issues, and may make things worse. Your role is to decide what you need to do with OnyX. OnyX is a multi-function utility. The defaults will usually help with performance issues. Checking other choices may not be helpful, and may cause issues where none existed. You make the other choices BECAUSE you have other issues, or the defaults did not help you. Bottom line - OnyX is not for routine use - but should be helpful for issues that you might encounter. The choices that you make are determined by what you want to accomplish. And, of course, OnyX CAN be used as a scheduled tool, if you think you have the need. That's up to you, but for most, that's not necessary.

12-31-2012, 02:01 PM	#7
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,948	I think it's just part of the territory. Although I recommend OnyX, I do agree that some parts of their approach can easily lead one astray... I still will continue to say that it's not necessary to use a tool such as OnyX as a scheduled item.

12-31-2012, 03:53 PM	#9
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,948	And, it's something that is a common opinion. It's not necessarily wrong... There are a few experienced folks here that will suggest that some utility like that should be used on some kind of schedule. I think of that as a "windows" mentality. If one wants to justify that viewpoint, that's fine. It doesn't usually hurt anything in the end, it's just not what I think is a valid position. I do feel like momma-slapping somebody who thinks you have to pay for that kind of software

12-31-2012, 07:24 PM	#10
Doug Lassiter Major Leaguer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Burnett, Texas Posts: 287	Excellent. Many thanks. Yes, I think that the words "maintenance" and "cleaning" suggest a scheduled strategy for use, which indeed is a Windows mentality. After all, we all like to be well maintained and clean, and we are taught to assume that we need regular applications of a screwdriver and soap to do it. Also, I wasn't aware of the help files. I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't find any sort of online manual, but a lot is there in the help files. I'm curious though. If you only use OnyX to clear specific caches, how do you know which ones to start with? It would be nice if there were some guidelines like "try this first" (which I assume is the defaults) and "if not that, then try this next", etc. etc. With the most sensitive ones left for last.