Mac how-to guides

Everyday file jobs on a Mac, answered step by step. Each guide starts with the free and built-in ways, says where they stop, and then shows the app we make for the job.

• How to check podcast loudness (LUFS and true peak) on a MacFree ways to measure an episode's loudness (LUFS) and true peak on a Mac with ffmpeg, the common targets, and how to check a whole folder at once.With LevelMark · Updated Oct 15, 2026
• How to make an open-source license report and NOTICE file for your appFree command-line ways to list the licenses of your npm, Python and Swift dependencies, what they miss, and how to build a NOTICE file.With NoticeDesk · Updated Oct 15, 2026
• How to check a font's license and embedding permissions on a MacFree ways to read a font's own license and embedding data on a Mac (Font Book, pdffonts), what that can't tell you, and how to audit your fonts.With FontWarden · Updated Oct 15, 2026
• How to find and fix errors in a GEDCOM family tree fileFree ways to find duplicate people, impossible dates and messy places in a GEDCOM file with Gramps, where they stop, and how to clean a safe copy.With TreeTidy · Updated Oct 15, 2026
• How to find leaked API keys in a git repo on a MacFree ways to search your code and git history for leaked API keys (git log -S, gitleaks), what to do when you find one, and where they stop.With KeySieve · Updated Oct 15, 2026
• How to practice language shadowing on a Mac: loop, slow down and recordFree ways to loop a sentence, slow it down and record yourself on a Mac for shadowing practice (QuickTime Player, Audacity), and where they get slow.With TalkShadow · Updated Oct 15, 2026
• How to test a game controller for stick drift on a MacFree ways to check a controller's sticks, triggers and buttons on a Mac (System Settings, a browser gamepad tester) and how to read stick drift.With Input Verdict · Updated Oct 15, 2026
• How to get a live animated wallpaper on a MacWhat macOS does on its own (Dynamic Wallpapers, aerials), a free way to put motion on the desktop, and how a real-time 3D wallpaper compares.With Driftpane · Updated Oct 15, 2026