/Users/Shared

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halitri

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Is there a way to see /Users/Shared from the Finder without going to a Unix shell? Having had my Mac for 4 days now I'm still struggling with the fact that Finder seems to hide the real structure of the hard drive from me, and I'm used to Windows Explorer where I can start right at the root of the drive.

I have read some articles that eluded to the /Users/Shared directory which I have gone to a Unix shell to see, but surely there must be a way to see that in Finder.
 
'Is there a way to see /Users/Shared from the Finder without going to a Unix shell?' ...

01. Double click on the boot (upper right 'Desktop') hard disk drive icon.
02. Double click on the 'Users' folder.
02. Double click on the 'Shared' folder.

or

01. Via 'Finder's 'Go, Go to Folder...' menu item, enter '/Users/Shared'

or

01. Drag the boot (upper right 'Desktop') hard disk drive icon onto the 'Dock'.
02. Click on the 'Dock' based icon, navigate to the 'User' folder, and then select the 'Shared' folder's menu item.

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'... the fact that Finder seems to hide the real structure of the hard drive from me' - no it does not. It does hid the 'UNIX' OS specific files and folders from the user. 'Windows Explorer' does the same on Windoze, until the user selects 'Show hidden files and folder' radio button in the ...

'and I'm used to Windows Explorer where I can start right at the root of the drive.' - With respect to navigation, both platforms have ways to make items (files, folder) invisible (from the user).
Navigating to the 'Shared'.

Should you want to have visible all files and folders use 'TinkerTool' (freeware). Via the 'Finder' toolbar icon button - place a check mark in the 'Show hidden and system files' check box.
 
Thanks.

I'll give that a shot. I had been just clicking the Finder icon in the dock and did not see an option for Users. I guess double clicking the boot HD gives me a different view? Is it still a Finder window?

As for the hiding, I understand what you are saying about hidden files, etc. I'm not to the point where I understand enough about the Mac to want to see hidden files like I do in Windows. I was more referring to the fact that in Windows Explorer I could just Navigate to Documents and Setting/userid/... to see other users but I did not see a way to do that in Finder. Looks like I just needed to double-click the HD and start from there. I'll try when I get home to my Mac tonight. If logged on as an Admin will I see each user under Users, and then their Documents, Applications, Pictures, etc. under that?

I love the Mac so far, it's just these little differences that I need to understand before I start to feel real comfortable.
 
halitri said:
I had been just clicking the Finder icon in the dock and did not see an option for Users. I guess double clicking the boot HD gives me a different view? Is it still a Finder window?
Click to expand...

Opening the Finder by clicking on the Finder in the Dock (or clicking on the desktop and choosing File > New Window) opens the currently logged in user's home folder. You can actually change that in Finder's preferences (Finder menu > Preferences, or Cmd+,).

Opening the HD icon opens the root of the hard disk (that is, '/'). Inside the root you can see Applications, System, Library etc., as well as the Users folder which contains each user's home folder (and the shared one too).

The way it works like that is very useful. You know in Windows where there's an All Users section of the Documents and Settings folder? Well that's a bit like how the /Library folder works (relative to the ~/Library folder, or the Library folder in each user's Home). You can install plugins, system preference panes, screensavers, etc. for everyone by installing them in /Library, or just for you by putting them in ~/Library.

The way OS X is laid out like that is really very useful when you're used to it.


One great tip that'll help you get around the system: at the top of any window with a proxy icon (a little icon next to the window/document name), you can Cmd+click the title and see the path of that item. It even works in Photoshop and Office and whatnot. If you select a folder from the path, it'll open that folder in Finder.
 
Clicking on the 'Finder' icon on the 'Dock' will launch (open, run) 'Finder' if it was (somehow) quitted; or, will display a sub-menu of any 'opened' 'Finder' windows. Nothing else.

To navigate about the boot drive, via the 'Dock' do the following:

01. Drag the icon of the upper right 'Desktop' icon (the boot drive), and / or any other disk, disc, or folder, onto the lower portion of the 'Dock' (above, not on, the trash can).

Now, you can right button click - for an immediate sub-menu appearance; or left button click - for a delay sub-menu appearance. You may now navigate (almost ..., see below for the shortcoming) through the folders of the hard disk drive.

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Apple Computer Inc's 'Finder' shortcoming (after, its inability to allow for new folders to be in 'List View' [and those set to 'List View' to stay that way!, etc.]):

There is only one problem with the above 'Dock' based access to your hard disk drive(s). Someone (expletives omitted) limited the number of listed items (of the sub-menus) to around 199. Yes, you will see only the first 199 (or so) items of each folder you visit. To see all of the items of the folder - release the mouse button when a folder's name is selected and the folder will be opened.

Other ways to navigate your hard disk drive(s), without 'Finder's shortcoming, are via 'XMenu' (freeware), 'FinderPop' (donation ware), and 'MaxMenus' (shareware) - to name but a few.
 
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