Xupport, billed as a “Swiss Army knife” for Mac OS X, has been “rewritten from scratch,” according to developer Laurent Miller. The application provides a graphic user interface for configuring, maintaining, optimizing, hacking, cleaning and otherwise digging into Mac OS X functions typically closed to users. Miller completely revamped the GUI and made several other changes to the application.
Other changes include: displaying the real volume name for the startup disk; the option to use the “Apple Firewall” rule when changing the access port in network services; new registration technology; and several bug fixes. Xupport retains all of the features from the previous version, such as the ability to activate hidden Finder, Dock and Exposé settings; browse, delete and get Finder information for invisible files and folders; create bootable backups, repair disk permissions; request a new IP address from a DHCP server; and more.
Xupport 2.0 requires Mac OS X v10.2 “Jaguar” or higher. Licenses start at US$19 per user for 1 to 4 users and drop to $13 for 5 to 9 users and $10 for 10 users or more. Site licenses and educational discounts are available. Miller notes that registered Xupport 1 users will receive a price reduction coupon by e-mail; those who purchased it after September 2003 can upgrade for free.