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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Adding/removing Programs
Guildguy - Aug 16, 2005 - 2:14 pm
Hello - brand new to the Mac world after spending the last 20 years in the Windows world. Bought a mac mini with the 1.42, 1gig ram and just love it! Haven't touched my Windows machine since.
My 1st first question (guaranteed not to be my last) is about installing and un-installing software.
In Windows, you've got the add/remove software under control panel but I can't find anything like that in Tiger.
I picked up a copy of MacWorld that had the "50 best utilities" or something like that. I was trying some of these out. Downloading them usually put a .dmg file on the desktop. Some came with instructions that said to drag the file to the applications folder, others had no instructions at all.
My question is do you always drag the program into the app folder (unless otherwise directed)to install a program? To un-install, do you simply drag it from that same folder to the trash?
I like to keep my system clean, so I'm wondering if I just drag a file from the apps folder to the trash is it really uninstalling, or just removing the shortcut and leaving other files behind? Is there a 3rd party utility that will check for orphaned files?
Sorry about the long post - any info is greatly appreciated from this recent convert!!
David.
My 1st first question (guaranteed not to be my last) is about installing and un-installing software.
In Windows, you've got the add/remove software under control panel but I can't find anything like that in Tiger.
I picked up a copy of MacWorld that had the "50 best utilities" or something like that. I was trying some of these out. Downloading them usually put a .dmg file on the desktop. Some came with instructions that said to drag the file to the applications folder, others had no instructions at all.
My question is do you always drag the program into the app folder (unless otherwise directed)to install a program? To un-install, do you simply drag it from that same folder to the trash?
I like to keep my system clean, so I'm wondering if I just drag a file from the apps folder to the trash is it really uninstalling, or just removing the shortcut and leaving other files behind? Is there a 3rd party utility that will check for orphaned files?
Sorry about the long post - any info is greatly appreciated from this recent convert!!
David.
bobw - Aug 16, 2005 - 2:27 pm
Hi david
There is no Add/Remove in Mac systems.
If you want to get rid of an application, drag it to the trash and empty.
Some apps have an uninstaller in their folders, not many.
Apps can also install files here;
user>library>application support
You can trash those also.
Most apps will also have a Preference file (plist file) in user>library>preferences that can be trashed.
=================================================
When you download a .dmg file, double click it to expand and open it's folder. You'll have a white disk from that on your Desktop. Hold the Option key down and drag that white disk to your Applications folder, or Utility folder. If you don't hold the Option key down, it will just put an alias (shortcut) in the folder. All apps in the App folder are the actual apps and not shortcuts.
OS X has Disk Utilitu in the Utility folder, Use that from there to Repair Permissions every couple weeks, Helps keep things in good shape. Also, OS X has built in Maintanance Routies that run between 3AM and 5AM if the machine is on 24/7 and the drive set not to sleep, which is how I run my machines.
Otherwise, Ccoktail is a good utility to run these routines, plus clean out caches, logs etc;
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26516
Yasu (free) will also do a lot of what Cocktail does;
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21674
If you like things neat, you can make aliases (shortcuts) of any apps you use a lot and put those aliases in a folder somewhere on your drive, doesn't matter. Then drag that folder to your Dock. Then you can Control Click, or right click that folder for quick access.
Anything else, feel free to ask. Welcome to the world of Macs.
--------
Bobw - Macosx.com Tech Support
There is no Add/Remove in Mac systems.
If you want to get rid of an application, drag it to the trash and empty.
Some apps have an uninstaller in their folders, not many.
Apps can also install files here;
user>library>application support
You can trash those also.
Most apps will also have a Preference file (plist file) in user>library>preferences that can be trashed.
=================================================
When you download a .dmg file, double click it to expand and open it's folder. You'll have a white disk from that on your Desktop. Hold the Option key down and drag that white disk to your Applications folder, or Utility folder. If you don't hold the Option key down, it will just put an alias (shortcut) in the folder. All apps in the App folder are the actual apps and not shortcuts.
OS X has Disk Utilitu in the Utility folder, Use that from there to Repair Permissions every couple weeks, Helps keep things in good shape. Also, OS X has built in Maintanance Routies that run between 3AM and 5AM if the machine is on 24/7 and the drive set not to sleep, which is how I run my machines.
Otherwise, Ccoktail is a good utility to run these routines, plus clean out caches, logs etc;
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26516
Yasu (free) will also do a lot of what Cocktail does;
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21674
If you like things neat, you can make aliases (shortcuts) of any apps you use a lot and put those aliases in a folder somewhere on your drive, doesn't matter. Then drag that folder to your Dock. Then you can Control Click, or right click that folder for quick access.
Anything else, feel free to ask. Welcome to the world of Macs.
--------
Bobw - Macosx.com Tech Support
Guildguy - Aug 16, 2005 - 2:45 pm
Thanks! This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for! Is there a good book on Tiger that you'd recommend?
bobw - Aug 16, 2005 - 2:51 pm
David
two good books;
mac os x : the missing manual, tiger ed (missing manual) by david pogue
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
the mac os x tiger book by andy ihnatko
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
--------
bobw - macosx.com tech support
two good books;
mac os x : the missing manual, tiger ed (missing manual) by david pogue
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
the mac os x tiger book by andy ihnatko
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
--------
bobw - macosx.com tech support
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