Debugging Safari
There’s a useful tip for Safari users doing the rounds just now. If you use an online banking system such as Nat West, you’ll often find that you have to use Internet Explorer or one of the last releases of Netscape to logon. This is invariably down to the some over-zealous browser detection code put in by the web developers who have built the system.
This is generally put in place because the system was probably developed with only the main browsers in mind (IE), with the developers believing that the security and functionality of the system couldn’t be trusted in anything other than IE 5 or 6. However, quite often you’ll find that standards compliant browsers such as Safari and Camino will cope admirably.
The 'hack' allows you to switch on the Debug menu in Safari, from where you can change 'User Agent' to Internet Explorer 5.2 (or anything you wish). The User Agent string is read by the browse detection code, so you can fool the code into thinking you’re using a 'safe' browser, and do your online banking without leaving Safari.
Enabling the Debug menu is not just good for changing the User Agent string however, it’s full of useful information. For example, web designers and developers will find the 'Show DOM tree' item useful, power users can access the 'Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts', though I can’t see how the item 'Go to about:blank Soon' would be useful...
The hack involves opening a Terminal window and typing :
defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugIncludeMenu 1
Then quit Terminal and boot up Safari.
{ via macosxhints and MacUser }
Posted 6 years, 6 months ago on 8th September 2003.
Comments
Excellents tip. No more booting the Classic Environment to access Natwest on Netcape 4.7 ! Cheer Phil.
Splendid. And now they think you are a happy Windows user... :-( Make sure that they know that you are "hacking" your access to your bank to make it work with your Mac.
Jess Have · 6 years, 5 months ago
Actually, the correct terminal window line to type is:
defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1
CC · 5 years, 7 months ago
I know this will make me look stupid (ime only 14), but how do I know it worked?
Pono Meixell · 5 years, 5 months ago
Never-mind...; )
Pono Meixell · 5 years, 5 months ago
If it worked, you will see an extra menu ('Debug' – on the right of ‘Help’) when you re-launch Safari.
OnyX, a free utility, allows you to turn on debug mode with two mouse clicks. An alternative for those with Terminal fear. ;)
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11582
Tommy · 6 years, 6 months ago