From Chris Page on Stack Overflow: How do I make this file.sh executable via double click?:

By default, *.sh files are opened in a text editor (Xcode or TextEdit). To create a shell script that will execute in Terminal when you open it, name it with the “command” extension, e.g., file.command. By default, these are sent to Terminal, which will execute the file as a shell script.

You will also need to ensure the file is executable, e.g.:

chmod +x file.command

Works also for .tool files.

Combine this with Allow .command files to determine working directory - Mac OS X Hints (from ‘04) and you have a low-level interface to allow non-technical colleagues run command line scripts.

The command line is a great and powerful tool for any capable developer, but to most non-technical users and colleagues, it is an uncomforting, alien black box. Ideally, any set of directions meant for everybody on your team should never include “open up Terminal.” .command files provide a mechanism to bridge this gap.

In the couple years that dropshado.ws has been dropping shadows, this is one of my favorite finds.

1. It’s way old.
2. It’s a bridge between the command line and the GUI.

Hello, friends.

My name is Drew.  I am functioning as a Software Developer intern here at exfm for the next few months.  Exactly what I’ll be doing, I’m not sure… I haven’t got a lot of experience building dynamic web applications like exfm but I’m really excited to learn.   I’ve spent the past 4-something years in an electrical engineering program at the University of Victoria in Victoria, Canada (west coast, on an island near Vancouver, for those that have not studied Canadian geography).  This internship serves as the final of a number of co-op semesters that are required for my degree.  It’s by far the most interesting of the internships I’ve done, even after only being here for a few days.

I think I’m supposed to talk about myself a bit… I like to make excellent food, drink excellent coffee, take long walks on the beach and listen to music.  I actually make music sometimes under monikers like Germany Germany, Radioseven, Toy Camera, and some other ones (NYC friends, I’m playing at Glasslands this Sunday night - details here). 

A bit about how I got into this kind of thing - I grew up trying to subdue the fascination I had for computers and programming.  I taught myself BASIC when I was a kid, probably 11 or 12… I actually remember lighting up LEDs through an LPT printer port using QBASIC on an old computer my dad brought home from work.  Unfortunately, during the high school years I tried to subdue my gifts for technology as I didn’t like being branded a ‘geek’ or 'nerd’; I’m sure many people that are reading this can relate to that.  I was under the impression that computer programmers worked in tiny stuffy cubicles and lacked social skills and personal hygiene (just in case you’re reading this and that’s what you think as well, trust me, it’s not, at least not always).  My parents, whom I love and appreciate, are not in the technology field and most of what I learned came through the Internet.  Even through university, this was/is the case… though I am almost finished my electrical engineering degree, it’s likely that most of what I studied (lots of math, physics, Matlab, etc) won’t actually be pertinent to my career when I graduate (if I continue in dynamic web programming, which is likely).  If you know me at all, you’ll probably know that I’m a DIY fundamentalist.  I guess the whole self-taught mentality fits in there (this is also how I approach music creation).

This internship at exfm is - actually already has been after only a few days - an incredible opportunity for me.  This is my first time working with a start-up company, and it’s very different from where I’ve been in the past.  It’s an amazing team here; everyone is productive and friendly and really good at making this site what it is.  I’m really happy to be here, and I’m really happy to help build exfm into an even better service than it is right now.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line, I’d be happy to hear from you.

Your new favourite Canadian,
Drew Harris

ex.fm/grmnygrmny
drew@ex.fm
@grmnygrmny
drewbharris.com

User Spotlight

1000xpm

This week we caught up with Phil Collins! (ok not that Phil Collins), but an even cooler one. PJ from Michigan who runs the wonderful 1000xpm music blog. We chatted about fellow Michigan Sufjan Stevens, hidden Beach Boy references and the under-appreciated band, New Animal. Enjoy.

What is one of your favorite/most magical musical experiences?

I’m sure everyone always says there are too many - it’s probably the same with me, but there are a couple I have in recent memory. I got to see Sufjan Stevens at the Chicago Theatre, managing somehow to get tickets day of. I was struggling with The Age Of Adz, his latest release, but seeing it performed in concert helped it make complete sense to me. Many are probably familiar with the 25-minute track Impossible Soul - well, I was at the concert with my bro who hadn’t heard the song at all, and getting to see his reaction as the song moved from the space-like vocoded portion of the song straight into the celebratory dance-portion of the track was awesome. He was so overwhelmed by the energy that he ran up to the front and started jumping along with everyone else who managed to escape their seats and pile into the aisles. Ever since then, the album has been one of my favorites of Sufjan’s.

If you had to pick a favorite artist(s) who would it be?

As a kid, my dad would constantly listen to the Beach Boys. I think I subconsciously look for them in everything I listen to, either in harmonies, melodies, or that sensible pop that manages to reach down to something deeper than skin-deep. In college, my tastes started to develop a lot. I love Sufjan, both as a fellow Michigan resident and because I consider him a creative genius. I was able to spend a few years in Japan and Thailand, and two of my favorite bands of all time are from those countries: Asian Kung-Fu Generation and Silly Fools, respectively. Even though everything they sing is in another language, I’m impressed by how much can be communicated through the songs anyway. Lately, my favorite artists have been New Animal (see below), Bon Iver, Joe Pug, The Dodos, and several others. My full name happens to be Phil Collins, so I’ve come to appreciate a good portion of Genesis/Phil Collins material as well. He knew what he was doing!

If you had to share one artist right now who would it be? Why?

New Animal, no question. I can’t quite explain it, but when I first heard these guys by way of a fellow music blogger’s site last year and then subsequently heard them via Bandcamp, they latched onto me so intensely that it’s been hard to go long without listening to any of their music. They probably fit well into the lo-fi, experimental indie genre, but for me, any band of any genre that can ace the “makes-me-want-to-sing-along” factor has made something that’s truly worth listening to. It’s doubtful they’ll hit the mainstream radar (perhaps even the mainstream “indie” radar - I hope so!), but this is one of the best-kept-secrets in recent memory. I hear they’ve got some new material coming soon, and it’s definitely my most anticipated musical release of 2012. You can check them out on Bandcamp here: newanimal.bandcamp.com - they’re giving everything away for free.

What genres of music are you into most?

Lately I’ve been listening to a surge of lo-fi, indie music. New Animal, Observer Drift, Spirit Spine… all bands that I’ve discovered through bandcamp and absolutely LOVE. But at heart, I really appreciate singer-songwriter/acoustic music, which can range anywhere from Bon Iver to Joe Pug, Chris Bathgate, Will Stratton & Auditorium. There are times I venture into the electronic indie forest as well: Stepdad, Black Light Dinner Party, NewVillager. All of it’s great, it mostly depends on what mood/season of life I’m in.

Anything else music or hobby related you’d like to share?

Two things:

1) Bandcamp and places such as ex.fm are the new places to discover music. I can’t explain how many times I’ve found something that feels uniquely my own because I took my time scrounging for the good stuff through those great services. There are others out there like them, but those two are premiere, in my opinion!

2) I think negativity burns people out - I’ve seen a lot of it among music bloggers and fellow music-listeners and it can really bum me out. Everything we get to listen to is essentially a gift from the artist to us, and while there’s always going to be more out there that is not our cup of tea than is, I feel like it’s always better to focus on what’s good, rather than what’s bad. Or, at least, being critical in moderation. In other words, go out and enjoy music!

Recently Loved Tracks from 1000xpm:

And be sure to check out his fantastic music blog of the same name1000xpm.com.

If you’d like to be featured or have someone you think should be drop us a line