Apple Mac NTFS Read/Write Support

Apple Macs have NTFS support, but for some inexplicable reason, it defaults to read only when you plug a NTFS removable disk in.

There must be a way to change this, but the simple workaround is to mount the annoying thing manually:

First open a terminal and become super user:
$ sudo su
password

Plug the removable disk in, then:
# dmesg

Look to see what device name is used, probably disk2s1.

To ensure that it is free, in case it was 'helpfully' auto mounted already:
# umount /dev/disk2s1

Make a directory as a mount point:
# mkdir mnt

Mount the device read/write:

# mount -t ntfs -o rw,auto,nobrowse /dev/disk2s1 mnt

Now open Finder and copy to/from the new mount point.

When you are done, unmount it with:
# sync
# umount /dev/disk2s1

Hot Mac Problems

Another unrelated issue is with a Mac running very hot due to the mdworker thread.  This stupid thing is the Mac spotlight index utility.  If I want to find something, I use the find utility, I don't need a background process that scans the disk and runs the battery down.

This works for me:
$ sudo su -
password

# ls /Volumes/
Macintosh HD    Preboot

# mdutil -i off "/Volumes/Macintosh HD"
mdutil disabling Spotlight: / -> kMDConfigSearchLevelFSSearchOnly
    Indexing disabled.
The Mac will immediately return to a 99% idle state.

-. --- / .-- .. -. -.. --- .-- ... --..-- / -. --- / -.-. .-. -.--

La voila!

Herman