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General discussion

Downloading programs for apple

Jul 2, 2005 3:00AM PDT

Stupid question ? Maby but I want to get this right.

So I download a program (any program) onto my iBook G4 running 10.3.9. I'm left with a .dmg file on my desktop...then what? I mean I know how to open it and use the program but what do I do with the .dmg file along with the white lozenge shaped icon that pops up. Do I drag both to a folder and put that folder in the applications folder or what?

Thanks for the input.

Grim

Discussion is locked

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thanks all...
Jul 19, 2005 11:02PM PDT

i found something called file salvage for mac but good news i also found my file in some random folder - i appreciate all the response - and will defintely start backing up everything on my work's server

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Downloading Programs.
Jul 9, 2005 1:49PM PDT

I've been following this thread since your first query about .dmg files when you download.

As one explained, since OSX many files are made into 'Disk Images' and once downloaded and uncompressed (if they were compressed which does not reduce it's size noticeably, and therefore superfluous in my estimation) they show up on your desktop (or whatever location you direct your downloads to) as .dmg files.

You can compare such .dmg file to the icon that shows up when you insert a floppy, CD, or any media that is recognized by your MAC. So... click twice on the .dmg file and it shows the contents as that lozenge icon you refer to, which usually opens by itself in a 'window'. If it's an application, which is usually the case, it could have an installer, in which case you install as usual following the installers' instructions, or if instead of the installer it has the application itself, you select the contents of the window and drag it wherever you want it in a folder which most people name after the application.

An installer usually installs an application in the "APPLICATION" folder of your boot disk. (OSX is conceived to do that!) FOR A REASON.

Whenever an update is installed for an application, an installer that follows Apple's standards, expects that application to be in the Applications folder...that's all. Most of the time the installer will give an error message stating that "the application cannot be found" type of words.

YES, I agree that it makes for a bloated Applications folder indeed. So... how does one avoid browsing into a whole bunch of applications? Easy.

Organize your work wherever you want, either on your boot disk of any other disk or volume that you cars to use, KEEPING AN ALIAS of the application that your working folder or volume uses for storing your work.

As an example, a photographer may very well add a second hard disk to keep all his original photos, retouches, with special effects applied copies, etc. He works with PhotoShop, iPhoto, iDVD, Scanning software or ehatever he uses, including perhaps Illustrator or anything. He keeps the applications on the main BOOT drive, but places an ALIAS of each application he needs in a working folder anywhere he needs it. I know of a professional photographer that has three or four working folders with just as many Aliases of the applications he needs for his work in a particulkar folder.

In that manner, whenever an application is upgraded, the upgrade installer finds the application where it should be, and lo and behold, most Aliases do NOT even notice it. You go to your working folders, click twice on the Alias and up pops the updated application. (An alias remembers the 'location' of it's parent application, and as long as the application does not have a name change, it keeps klnowing where the mother application is.

As a last suggestion, as you mentioned downloads, some find it a good practice to store the downloaded .dmg files as back-ups of the applications that are downloaded, upgrades, etc. Should it ever be necessary to reinstall anything, the original .dmg backup saves a lot of download bandwidth. You just insert your back-up storage CD, double click the .dmg file, the lozenge icon or whatever icon is generated onto your desktop and you handle it the same as any CD or floppy. If you consider that applications up to many GIGs can be purchased and downloaded from the Internet, keeping such downloads securely on a numbered or otherwise identified CD or whatever other media is used is rather a smart move, assuming of course, that you keep a catalog as to where your backups are. Happy

Have fun with your Mac. Chase Usenet for MAC forums, you mite even become an expert using what you can learn that way. Searching makes learning MAC tricks fun and MUCH easier to remember.

If I'm not mistaken, you are reading this on a C|Net forum aren't you?
There are hundreds such forums on Usenet. If you don't know what Usenet is, don't feel foolish, use Google and find out what it is...it seems that a very small percentage of Internet Users know what is is and an even smaller percentage actually uses it's fabulous resources.

Good MACing and happy Usenet hunting.

JM

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Thanks all
Jul 9, 2005 11:47PM PDT

thanks to Bob, P, JM, and all the other folk who took the time to toss an answer out there.

Grim