.app files

Still, you're stupid enough to create a question thread in the HOWTO & FAQ forum and stupid enough not to form the question correctly. Giaguara's answer is perfectly acceptable in regard to your opening post of "I've got an .app-file, what do I need to open it...". So tell: What is it, where did you download it and how can we be of help?

(Moved the thread to system & software.)
 
Harsh, Fryke!

Guillotine can make some unlaunchable apps launchable. Usually it's only needed for apps that were designed more for OS 9, though (in my experience).
 
fryke said:
Yes. Rightly so.
Click to expand...
Do you really think so? In the cold light of day, the OP's response could be a "OMG n00bz of course I tried that you all suck", or it could just as easily be "deadlines, my boss is gonna kill me, this app HAS to work or else" bang-your-head-on-the-desk frustration. Perhaps the OP needs to work on their communication skills in regard to explaining the problem etc., but calling them stupid not once but twice on a site which espouses free friendly tech support is hardly the way to encourage them to do so, but then, that's just my opinion. What do you think?
 
You're right that it's not exactly the friendliest way to greet someone on the forums. But again to say what he or she said:

1.) I have an .app. What do I need to open it.
*Any* Mac supporter would simply tell you to double-click it. It's an .app. Open it. Don't need anything more than a mouse and a finger to double-click it. So the new forum member comes back and adds:
2.) I'm not that stupid. (3 exclamation marks.) Tried that. Didn't work. (No further information given.

Seriously: How should we help someone who seems to have no interest of helping the process of solving the problem by *AT LEAST* describing the problem? "I've recently downloaded..." also doesn't sound like he or she has a deadline to fulfill and a boss who's gonna kill him/her.

I agree with you that my reaction was not the nicest possible. But I expect, from someone who expects free help, a little more information and effort.
 
I greatly appreciate the support I have received from those that think Fryke was overly harsh. I completely agree with them too. Of course, even Noobies to mac's like me would OBVIOUSLY double click the program to start with - I tried just staring at it for 20 mins but since it didn't do anything I thought I should try double clicking it!

However, as I initially alluded to, I cannot open it. With being a noob I thought maybe there is a program I needed to open a .app program, so presumably by your aggressive response it should work without the installation of any further programs.
Therefore, I presume the file I have is an incomplete one. But, hey, thanks for the input!
 
Usually, if you download an application for the Mac, it doesn't come as an .app-file directly. It comes on a .dmg-file (disk image) most often or within a .zip- or .sit-file. Those should be automatically unpacked or mounted upon double-clicking.
If the .app-file you've downloaded is somehow corrupt, you should ask the provider of said software.
 
I may be S****, but unless you have set the finder to show .app extensions they should not be visible.

So if mikecolly has not set this in the finder, there may be something strange about there being a .app extension.

Have you set the finder to show the .app extensions (in Finder/preferences/advanced)?
 
Do people really _not_ let the Finder show all extensions? It's a grave security issue to let the Finder behave as it wants to and hide the extensions. (Oh, that's a JPEG, look it has a JPG icon and it's even called "babe.jpg". [doubleclick...] Hang on, it _shouldn't_ show me the ".jpg" ending! Oh, it's actually called babe.jpg.app! What's this app doing now?) ;)
 
Sorry, fryke, don't understand you.

If I name a file XXX.jpg.app on my mac running 10.4.10 the file will show full extensions (ie. XXX.jpg.app). If I name it XXX.app only the XXX appears. So I fail to see the security issue you raise.

I was just proposing an idea, as compared to previous posts that were not, in my sense, constructive.

As I said I may be S****
 
It could also be that the app in question is not compatible with the OS version. What version of OS X are you running? If you're running 10.2 (Jaguar) or even 10.3 (Panther), you can expect a lot of common apps to be incompatible.

This is not a common problem, so details will probably be needed to nail it down.

Of course it could just be that the app is corrupt. Re-downloading it would be logical.
 
aicul said:
...

If I name a file XXX.jpg.app on my mac running 10.4.10 the file will show full extensions (ie. XXX.jpg.app). If I name it XXX.app only the XXX appears. So I fail to see the security issue you raise.

...
Click to expand...
If you have a package named XXX.jpg.app with hidden extensions, then the Finder will display the package as XXX.jpg. You will have allowed an application to masquerade as a data file.
 
When your on Finder Click the "Finder" menu at the top left, go to "Preferences" once you in preferences select the picture label "Advanced" once your there select the box labeled "Show All Extensions".
This will show what it really is.
 
MisterMe said:
If you have a package named XXX.jpg.app with hidden extensions, then the Finder will display the package as XXX.jpg. You will have allowed an application to masquerade as a data file.
Click to expand...

I tried this by renaming the file in terminal using unix and checking the results in the finder.

I took X.jpg (appears as X.jpg in finder) and named it X.app (it appears as X in finder), then renamed it X.jpg.app (it appears as X.jpg.app in Finder).

I am using a normal picture "file", you mention "package" in your thread. Is this terminology important, is my test pertinent.

Curious to know
 
Yeah, renaming .app's doesn't work either. I'm not sure, but it could be that Apple's anticipated such an easy "hack". So it's not that much of a problem. Either way: I actually _like_ seeing all the extensions. They don't hurt that much.
 
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