Uninstalling MacOSX apps?!

B

BackInMac

Registered
This has got to be one of those 'its under your nose' things, but I've been on Windows so long, I acn't believe it would still be that easy!

How do you remove/uninstall an app installed under Mac OS X? Do you just chuck the folder its sitting in? Aren't there any other files residing elsewhere (in general) that also need to be chucked away? Isn't there some sort of package manager (like most linuxes)?

Thanks. :confused:
 
Originally posted by BackInMac
This has got to be one of those 'its under your nose' things, but I've been on Windows so long, I acn't believe it would still be that easy!
Click to expand...

Yup, it's that easy. Some programs installed on MacOS X does need to install files elsewhere on your machine, but the vast majority of programs written for OS X exist in just one location. That's because the applications are actually themselves packages, capable of containing all the resources needed by the application :)

In other words... spiffy :D

Cheers,
Dak
 
There are a couple of things about windows that I really like, and I was hoping I can retain that behaviour in Mac OS X.

1. I love being able to resize a window from any edge or corner. It totally sucks to always have to go to the bottom right corner to resize. Is this possible in Mac OS X?

2. I love it that the focus follows the mouse. For example, if you have to windows open, one slightly overlapping another. The top one is active. If you decide you want to move a file from the bottom window (and you can see and click on it, in other words its not being obscured by the topmost window), then in windows you just click on it and drag and drop it wherever. You only need click once. With Mac OS X, you must first click to make that window active--which puts the topmost window now behind your new-active window, then you must click and drag the file into the previous top-window. This usually ends-up being a real pain in the ass and you have to constantly fidget to arrange windows (keeping in min my first comment on resizing windows). Is there a way to modify this behaviour?

Thanks Again.
 
Another possibility to get rid of your files is Aladdin Spring Cleaning, an application that is capable of tracing items that reside elsewhere than the application folder. It is useful for less experienced users I feel.


Martijn
 
Originally posted by BackInMac

1. I love being able to resize a window from any edge or corner.

2. I love it that the focus follows the mouse. For example, if you have to windows open, one slightly overlapping another. The top one is active. If you decide you want to move a file from the bottom window (and you can see and click on it, in other words its not being obscured by the topmost window), then in windows you just click on it and drag and drop it wherever. You only need click once.
Click to expand...

Sorry, resizing a window can only be done from the bottom right side of the window, or (with less control), the (+) button at the upper left of a window. There is actually logic behind this if you follow the Human Interface Guidelines, but I won't bother you with them... but be assured you'll notice this difference less and less with more experience with the OS... you've just formed the habit of picking a different corner with Windows (similar to instinctively going to the upper right of a window every time you want to close it, then remembering it's on the other side).

As for your second point... if I understand you correctly, yes you can do this with MacOS X (and just about every other MacOS). If you're dragging a file from one location to another in the Finder, simply place the file over the new window, folder, or column and let go (there should be a light grey outline that will form around the border of where you're dropping it). If you click and hold on a file in a window that doesn't have focus, that window will not gain focus, but you will have selected the file and be able to drag it or move it. The advantage to this is... if the window without focus is larger than the frontmost window, if it did gain focus it would completely obscure your view of the window you wanted to drop it in.

Another new feature in MacOS X that was taken from Windows is the ability to Copy/Paste files. So if you're having trouble navigating a number of open windows by clicking and dragging, try that instead... it should be a feature you're already used to anyway :)

Cheers,
Dak
 
Actually,

1. I find it wastes a lot of time to have to seek out the bottom right corner. The way I worked with the windows resizing scheme was very pragmatic, i would simply use and edge or corner I was closest to. Its also a great time saver for organizing multiple windows onto your screen. If you want to push a window to the bottom right of your screen and yet get it to an ideal size, with the Mac Os, you have to size it, then move it, then probably size it again, then probably move it again, etc... I guess if its in the HUman Interface guidelines then Apple is not likely to be implementing, that's too bad, having the option would sure be nice. Is there an extension I can install that'll modify this behaviour?

2. Well, I'm using 10.0.4 right now and this window focus thing doesn't work for me. Nor does it work in OS 9...is it an option I have to turn on somwhere?

Thanks.
 
Yeah, that's one of the things that the MacOS has always lacked -- resizing by any side of the window.

However, with the advent of Mac OS X, it would be easy for all windows to gain this functionality without programmers having to recode their programs, since the Quartz graphics layer, part of the operating system, now handles all the window drawing and handling. So Apple could potentially add this in the future.

The one thing that I was disappointed in Mac OS X (it is kind of little) is the ability to drag a window by the edges of the window as well -- just look at Mac OS 9. However, this was taken out in Mac OS X.

The problem is, both of these features cannot co-exist unless one of them uses an additional modifier key. So maybe you could use the option key to resize a window from any side of the window, and then drag the window normally w/o using any modifier keys.

If you really want this feature, tell Apple! Go here and speak your mind:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/
 
My humble apologies!

The focus issue is actually implemented under OS 9.

Not sure about 10.1, though.

BackInMac
 
The focus issue is really not an issue in Mac OS X either. It would be ludicrous to think that Apple would implement such a design flaw! ;)
 
Originally posted by BackInMac
Is there an extension I can install that'll modify this behaviour?

2. Well, I'm using 10.0.4 right now and this window focus thing doesn't work for me. Nor does it work in OS 9...is it an option I have to turn on somwhere?
Click to expand...

Well, the great thing about OSX, is there are no more extensions. there are application support modules, scripting additions, and a couple others, but the main thing is that all the nifty little things that enhance OSX are applications. so most anyone can write something that'll do somethin like that. or in cases of that (just like modifying dock transparency) it may take editing some kind of file deep within the system folders. but in either case, theres always a way ;) just gatta find someone that knows how to do it, then have 'em explain. but in most cases of modifying the system, just look for an application somewhere.

2) the option is in 10.1 and from what i remember 10.0.4. btw, u should upgrade to X.1, the real release in my (and most everyone else's ive talked to) eyes. well, thats it for me.
 
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