@@ -1019,6 +1019,9 @@ protected JMenu addInternalTools(JMenu menu) {
     addToolMenuItem(menu, "processing.app.tools.Archiver");
 
     if (Base.isMacOS()) {
+      if (SerialFixer.isNeeded()) {
+        addToolMenuItem(menu, "processing.app.tools.SerialFixer");
+      }
       addToolMenuItem(menu, "processing.app.tools.InstallCommander");
     }
 
 
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+/* -*- mode: java; c-basic-offset: 2; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- */
+
+/*
+  Part of the Processing project - http://processing.org
+
+  Copyright (c) 2012 The Processing Foundation
+
+  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation, version 2.
+
+  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+  Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+*/
+
+package processing.app.tools;
+
+import java.io.File;
+
+import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
+
+import processing.app.Base;
+import processing.app.Editor;
+import processing.core.PApplet;
+
+
+public class SerialFixer implements Tool {
+  Editor editor;
+
+
+  public String getMenuTitle() {
+    return "Fix the Serial Library";
+  }
+
+
+  public void init(Editor editor) {
+    this.editor = editor;
+  }
+
+
+  public void run() {
+    final String primary =
+      "Attempt to fix common serial port problems?";
+    final String secondary =
+      "Click “OK” to perform additional installation steps to enable " +
+      "the Serial library. An administrator password will be required.";
+
+      int result =
+        JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(editor,
+                                      "<html> " +
+                                      "<head> <style type=\"text/css\">"+
+                                      "b { font: 13pt \"Lucida Grande\" }"+
+                                      "p { font: 11pt \"Lucida Grande\"; margin-top: 8px }"+
+                                      "</style> </head>" +
+                                      "<b>" + primary + "</b>" +
+                                      "<p>" + secondary + "</p>",
+                                      "Commander",
+                                      JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION,
+                                      JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE);
+
+      if (result == JOptionPane.OK_OPTION) {
+        String shellScript = "mkdir -p /var/lock && chmod 777 /var/lock";
+        String appleScript =
+          "do shell script \"" + shellScript + "\" with administrator privileges";
+        PApplet.exec(new String[] { "osascript", "-e", appleScript });
+      }
+      editor.statusNotice("Finished.");
+  }
+
+
+  static public boolean isNeeded() {
+    if (Base.isMacOS()) {
+      File lockFolder = new File("/var/lock");
+      if (!lockFolder.exists() ||
+          !lockFolder.canRead() ||
+          !lockFolder.canWrite() ||
+          !lockFolder.canExecute()) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+}
@@ -100,13 +100,15 @@ public Serial(PApplet parent) {
     this(parent, dname, drate, dparity, ddatabits, dstopbits);
   }
 
+
 /**
  * @param irate 9600 is the default
  */
   public Serial(PApplet parent, int irate) {
     this(parent, dname, irate, dparity, ddatabits, dstopbits);
   }
 
+
 /**
  * @param iname name of the port (COM1 is the default)
  */
@@ -118,6 +120,7 @@ public Serial(PApplet parent, String iname) {
     this(parent, iname, drate, dparity, ddatabits, dstopbits);
   }
 
+
 /**
  * @param iparity 'N' for none, 'E' for even, 'O' for odd ('N' is the default)
  * @param idatabits 8 is the default
@@ -143,8 +146,11 @@ public Serial(PApplet parent, String iname, int irate,
           "sudo mkdir -p /var/lock\n" +
           "sudo chmod 777 /var/lock";
         System.err.println(MESSAGE);
-        throw new RuntimeException("Additional installation required to " +
-        		                       "use serial, read the console below.");
+        //throw new RuntimeException("Additional installation required to " +
+        //                           "use serial, read the console below.");
+        final String msg =
+          "Please use Tools \u2192 Fix the Serial Library.";
+        throw new RuntimeException(msg);
       }
     }
 
@@ -189,7 +195,7 @@ public Serial(PApplet parent, String iname, int irate,
       output = null;
     }
 
-    parent.registerDispose(this);
+    parent.registerMethod("dispose", this);
 
     // reflection to check whether host applet has a call for
     // public void serialEvent(processing.serial.Serial)
@@ -240,18 +246,19 @@ public void dispose() {
 
 
   /**
-  * Set the DTR line. Addition from Tom Hulbert.
-  */
+   * Set the DTR line. Addition from Tom Hulbert.
+   */
   public void setDTR(boolean state) {
-        port.setDTR(state);
+    port.setDTR(state);
   }
 
-/**
- * @generate serialEvent.xml
- * @webref serial:events
- * @usage web_application
- * @param serialEvent the port where new data is available
- */
+
+  /**
+   * @generate serialEvent.xml
+   * @webref serial:events
+   * @usage web_application
+   * @param serialEvent the port where new data is available
+   */
   synchronized public void serialEvent(SerialPortEvent serialEvent) {
     if (serialEvent.getEventType() == SerialPortEvent.DATA_AVAILABLE) {
       try {
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
@@ -1019,6 +1019,9 @@ protected JMenu addInternalTools(JMenu menu) {
1019	1019	addToolMenuItem(menu, "processing.app.tools.Archiver");
1020	1020
1021	1021	if (Base.isMacOS()) {
	1022	+ if (SerialFixer.isNeeded()) {
	1023	+ addToolMenuItem(menu, "processing.app.tools.SerialFixer");
	1024	+ }
1022	1025	addToolMenuItem(menu, "processing.app.tools.InstallCommander");
1023	1026	}
1024	1027