Alessandro Levi Montalcini
C.so Re Umberto 10
10121 Torino
Italy
e-mail: LMontalcini@pmn.it
anonymous ftp: //ftp.alpcom.it/software/mac/LMontalcini

 

Shutdown Delay 2.1 documentation - March 1995

• Shareware: $5
◊  This control panel is distributed as shareware: if you like it please honor the shareware system by sending $5 to the author at the address above. Since cashing international cheques is very expensive, please send cash only (U.S. dollars are best, but any other currency is fine).
◊  If you work on the Macintosh, there are many things you can send me instead of the money. Here are some suggestions: original software (but don't send any shareware/freeware unless you're the author), books or computer-related magazines (any free issue or subscription is welcome), CD-ROMs, any piece of new or used hardware, or anything else you've created.
◊  There's still another thing you could do: I'll finish my physics studies sometime in 1996 and I'm looking for a one-year job as a programmer (or maybe a scientist?) outside of Italy. Let me know if you have anything to offer.
◊  If you can't afford any of the above an e-mail, a postcard or a letter is welcome. I speak English, French and Italian. Please forgive me if I don't answer to all of your letters - I am often overloaded with my school work.

• Introduction
◊  Shutdown Delay displays a dialog at Restart and Shut Down time which gives the user five choices:
    - do nothing and let the Mac complete the original command;
    - cancel and smoothly return to the calling application;
    - restart the Macintosh;
    - shut down and turn the power off;
    - force a quit and attempt to return to the Finder.
◊  Note: the Finder will attempt to close all applications before Shutdown Delay is called.
◊  Shutdown Delay only requires about 5K of system memory and 20K on the disk.

 

• Tech notes
◊  Some programs don't expect the Mac to return from a restart or a shutdown and may crash if you try to cancel the command. Unfortunately, there's no way for Shutdown Delay to know if Cancel will work before you try it and see what happens. On the other hand, it works fine in the Finder (under both systems 6 and 7); since this is the application from which one usually issues these commands, you shouldn't have any problems if you don't use weird applications. If you do, there's an option that disables the Cancel button in any application other than the Finder (that's for you comfort only, since Cancel is never called if you don't explicitly click the button).
◊  Versions 1.22 and later have an extra feature that can help when applications do not handle the cancel button properly: calling Force Quit tries to exit the current application and return to the Finder. If the current application is the Finder, it is reloaded and restarted. This can also be useful if you want to rebuild your boot disk's desktop at Finder startup without actually restarting the Mac.
◊  Note: Since the bypass keys are checked when the Shutdown or Restart routine is called, you have to hold them down until you see the Mac has actually shut or restarted. For example, if you call Restart from the Finder when another application is running, the Finder will quit that application first and then it will call Restart. If you release the keys right after you choose the menu item, the dialog will appear because it can't realize you tried to bypass it.

• The control panel
◊  Double-clicking on Shutdown Delay's icon (under System 7) or selecting the icon in the Control Panel accessory (under System 6 and earlier) brings up a Control Panel. All changes you make will take effect immediately if Shutdown Delay is installed. If it isn't the Control Panel works just as well, but a message reminds you that you'll have to reboot. Please note that Shutdown Delay will not install at startup time if the On/Off switch is off (the reboot-to-install message will be visible).
◊  [On/Off] Activate/deactivate in case you don't have an extensions manager;
◊  [Time to wait] Time to wait before the issued command executes;
◊  [Show Dialog on Restarts] Show dialog at restart time or don't;
◊  [Show Dialog on Shutdowns] Show dialog at shutdown time or don't;
◊  [Options] Displays the options dialog.

• The options dialog
◊  [Shift+Ctrl+Opt+Cmd = bypass] Choose a key combination to bypass the restart and shutdown dialog, or uncheck all the keys if you never want to bypass;
◊  [Delete RAM Disk contents before Shutdown] Makes Shutdown Delay delete all files and folders in the RAM Disk after a Shutdown command is confirmed, so you don’t get the alert that says "The contents of the RAM Disk volume will be lost by shutting down. Do you wish to continue?";
◊  [Leave “Cancel” button enabled out of the Finder] The Cancel button is always active in the Finder, but you may choose to disable it in all other applications if it is giving you trouble;
◊  [Leave “Shutdown” button enabled at Restart] You can always turn a Shutdown in a Restart, but you may choose whether to leave the opposite option available (if the option is disabled, the Shutdown button will be disabled at Restart time);
◊  [Black out the screen behind the shutdown dialog] Black out the main screen behind the restart/shutdown dialog or don't.
◊  [Show Shutdown Delay's icon at startup time] Show Shutdown Delay's ok/off/can't-load icon at startup time or don't;
◊  [Hilite default button and accept Return key] If this option is checked, the original command's button is hilited and the Return and Enter keys mean "do it".
◊  [Show "Force Quit" button in the dialog] Adds an extra button to the shutdown/restart dialog that lets you quit the current application and return to the Finder (if you're in the Finder, it is reloaded and restarted).
◊  [Enable Command-Q = ExitToShell] If this option is checked, typing Command-Q acts like the button described above at #7.
◊  [Custom messages] The restart and shutdown messages can be changed (a typical use is to have your Mac say: “Don't forget to turn off the printer!”).

• Version history
◊  2.1 - Added an option to delete the RAM Disk contents before shutting down, so you can bypass the RAM Disk’s confirmation dialog; fixed a problem that occurred when a shutdown was canceled at the "lose RAM Disk contents" dialog and the black out option was enabled; the online help now has pictures and an index.
◊  2.0.4 - Added online documentation and registration and cleaned up the code.
◊  2.03 - Recompiled with the latest version of the compilers and updated documentation.
◊  2.02 - Added separate hour and minute controls for changing the delay time.
◊  2.01 - Added special support for Fabrizio Oddone’s DarkShutdown.
◊  2.0 - Rewritten lots of code to use System 7's features. The restart and shutdown messages can be customized.
◊  1.28 - The Info dialog in the control panel now behaves better with multiple monitors. A copyright message pops up in the shutdown dialog when you click on the icon.
◊  1.27 - Correctly handles multiple-screen systems.
◊  1.26 - Minor fix for the shutdown dialog (mouse up events weren't handled correctly).
◊  1.25 - The "Black out screen" option now works better.
◊  1.24 - Fixed the startup icon to auto-wrap when the startup icons reach the end of the screen.
◊  1.23 - Fixed a bug in the Control Panel that could cause address errors on 68000-based Macs.
◊  1.22 - You may now bypass the shutdown dialog and use a button or cmd-Q to force a quit.

• Thanks to…
◊  Alberto Ricci, Fabrizio Oddone, Pietro Ferrero, Giuseppe Carlino and all those who helped beta-testing this stuff.
◊  Steven Hackstadt, for his excellent suggestions.

• Distribution
◊  Shutdown Delay is ©1994-95 Alessandro Levi Montalcini. It can be freely distributed as long as it is not modified and there’s no charge for it, but it may not be included in any commercial package without my consent. 
◊  You may find the latest version of all my shareware programs by anonymous ftp to ftp.alpcom.it, inside the /software/mac/LMontalcini directory. The complete ShareDisk package, which contains all my stuff and can be registered at a very low price, is also available there.
◊  All online services and bulletin boards may make it available to their users at no charge other than the normal connection fees.
◊  All non-profit user groups may distribute it at no charge.
◊  All magazines may publish it on floppy disk without asking me first, as long as I get a copy of the issue containing my software.
◊  All CD-ROM shareware collections and CD-ROM magazines may include it without my prior consent, as long as I get either a copy of the CD-ROM or an offer to buy the CD-ROM at a discounted price.
◊  All redistribution companies such as Educorp may distribute it, as long as I get a copy of each media containing my software and a catalog of the company’s offerings (where applicable).

• Disclaimer
◊  Shutdown Delay shouldn’t cause any damage, but you’re using it at your own risk. As an independent software developer, I can make no warranties whatsoever on it.

• Have fun!
◊  And don't forget to $$$ send your contribution $$$ so that more cool utilities will see the light in the near future, at the low-low-low costs of shareware.