by Tom Nelson
Onyx from Titanium Software aids Mac users by providing a simple method to access hidden system functions, run maintenance scripts, automate repetitive system tasks, and access many of the secret parameters that can enable and disable hidden features.
Onyx has been performing these services for the Mac ever since OS X Jaguar (10.2) first appeared, and the developer recently released a new version specifically for macOS Sierra.
Image courtesy of Titanium Software
Using Onyx
When you first run Onyx, it will want to verify the structure of your Mac’s startup disk. Not a bad thing to do; it won’t cause any problems on its own, but it does force you to wait a bit before you start using Onyx. Thankfully, you don’t need to do this every time you want to use Onyx; you can simply cancel the verify option. If you find a need to verify your startup drive at a later date, you can do so from within Onyx, or use Disk Utility to perform the verification.
By the way, that’s an ongoing theme in Onyx, as well as many of Onyx’s competitors; many of the functions available in this system utility are present in other apps or system services. Onyx’s real service to the end user is bringing them all together in one app.
Once you move past the startup drive verification, you’ll find that Onyx is a single-window app with a toolbar across the top for selecting various Onyx functions. The toolbar contains buttons for Maintenance, Cleaning, Automation, Utilities, Parameters, Info, and Logs.
