mac-ops

Verified as of 2026-07 — content assumes macOS 13 (Ventura) and later (.ips panic format on macOS 12+, universal SSH on macOS 13+).

Helps with

Slow Mac, silent drive failure, unexplained panics, TCC denials, a full disk, 3am wakes, runaway system daemons, login loops, safe eject, failing-drive cloning, remote and Apple Silicon diagnostics. Where each signal lives: references/symptom-guide.md.

The Universal Insight

macOS tells you what's wrong if you ask the right log in the right way. Most users (and most tutorials) reach for Activity Monitor or "About This Mac". The actual diagnostic signal lives in log show (the unified logging system), in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/, in pmset -g log, in the TCC databases, and in launchctl print. This skill packages the queries that turn noise into a verdict.

The most common diagnostic failure: treating symptoms in isolation. "Slow boot" → disable login items. "Kernel panic" → reinstall macOS. "Random freezes" → reset SMC/NVRAM. These are reasonable last resorts, but the data to identify the actual cause is sitting in the unified log untouched. Always audit before treating.

The Diagnostic Ladder

Walk down the layers in order. Each rung has a binary outcome: