Scrollbar width in OS X:

T

techodog

Registered
Hello -

In doing some research online today as in the recent past, I am looking for a way to go either into the files or coding for the OS X, or to use Terminal, to change the width of the side scrollbar as I choose it to be.

I came across a post from 2005 that addresses the issue from a standpoint of typical responses for people who are not tech's or people that are not very familiar with Apple products, and how to make simple adjustments.

I have been using Apple products since 1988, and currently have 17 Apple computers, all of which with the exception of one that needs a new power supply, that work. As well, I have studied the online Apple Care Tech training, so my knowledge is a bit above the typical user.

I want to know how to change the side scrollbars width, which is blue and on the right of all windows that open up (for the most part) in OS X. In MS Windows, one is able to change the size of this bar on the fly as a permanent change w/o needing to enter into the Registry or Explorer. I understand that this is of course part of Apple's control issue/s; it wasn't this way in OS 9 however, and one could use a program to manipulate the software into a force change.

If there is someone that can help me with this, I would greatly appreciate it. This is the same scrollbar that is used for the Mail and other programs, as well as the bar that is used for the window in which I am presently typing.

Thanks much,

Wayne
 
To cut directly to the chase, you cannot do this.

The width of the scrollbar is not some value stored in a plist file, nor is it something that can be changed in the code.

Your best (and only) option is to obtain the source code to Mac OS X (which is impossible), change that value (wherever it is), and compile your own Darwin kernel and Mac OS X distribution.

There are workarounds, one being the "zoom" options in the "Seeing" pane of "Universal Access" in the System Preferences. Of course, this zooms the entire screen (making EVERYthing bigger), which is probably not the ideal solution you're looking for.
 
To be more accurate it would not be in the kernel but in the Aqua interface. Also, while I share your opinion that it cannot be done, anything that can be changed in the source code can be patched with enough efforts.

If you are truly serious then you would have to find where in the machine code of the OS the System actually draws the scroll bar and then locate the numeric values it uses to determine size or if not numbers on size HOW the scrollbar is drawn on the screen and go from there.

I think I would just recommend listing it as not worth the energy.
 
More information:

A company called Unsanity used to distribute a product called "ShapeShifter" than would allow skinning/theming of the Mac OS X interface (up through Tiger, with limited support for Leopard as well). They, themselves, have a good writeup on how difficult it would be to access those parts of the user interface with Snow Leopard:

http://www.unsanity.org/archives/betas/mighty_mouse_with_some_theme_sauce.php

Short answer: Apple is apparently in a "transitional" period, moving toward a unified system method of drawing things on the screen... and right now, they're using no less than 3 different and mutually exclusive systems for doing so (two of which will probably be deprecated in Lion [cross fingers]) -- one dating all the way back to System 1.0.
 
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