GUI Problems
I'm having trouble understanding the GUI in OSX. I've always had trouble 'getting' the way OS heirarchies and file locations work. A few things...
1 Mounted Disk - Thats the name of the white kinda floppy drive that appears on my Desktop, right? when I run things like Konfabulator or Trasparent Dock? What is it exactly? Its not the Application itself, cos it contains the application and readme files etc. I don't want my Desktop cluttered with loads of these Disks, but when I try to trash them, 'X tells me that they can't be ejected cos they're being used. So I try to move them to my Applications folder - but this just creates an alias in the destination folder and I still have the thing on my Desktop. Is it necessary for Mounted Disks to be shown on the Desktop - I want to get rid?
2 When I first got my (first) Mac (< 2 months ago), in an effort to tidy up my Desktop (which seems to be a perennial endeavour) I removed the Applications folder from my Desktop. I soon realised that it is useful for the folder to be on the Desktop for easy access. So I copied it (drag and dropped it) from Home to the Desktop. But now I've got two Applications folders. One is: Macintosh HD> Users> dominic> Applications, the other is Macintosh HD> Users> dominic> Desktop> Applications. When I put something in the Desktop folder, it doesn't 'update' the other one. So I have two different Application folders for one user (me). How can I consolidate these two folders? I can't delete the first one (dominic>Applications) because 'X tells me it is owned by Root. Er... Yeah. Grrr I don't geddit.
Some nice fratenal advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks
But be warned, if someone does help me, it is very possible that I will ask even more dumbass questions in the future.
8)
1 Mounted Disk - Thats the name of the white kinda floppy drive that appears on my Desktop, right? when I run things like Konfabulator or Trasparent Dock? What is it exactly? Its not the Application itself, cos it contains the application and readme files etc. I don't want my Desktop cluttered with loads of these Disks, but when I try to trash them, 'X tells me that they can't be ejected cos they're being used. So I try to move them to my Applications folder - but this just creates an alias in the destination folder and I still have the thing on my Desktop. Is it necessary for Mounted Disks to be shown on the Desktop - I want to get rid?
2 When I first got my (first) Mac (< 2 months ago), in an effort to tidy up my Desktop (which seems to be a perennial endeavour) I removed the Applications folder from my Desktop. I soon realised that it is useful for the folder to be on the Desktop for easy access. So I copied it (drag and dropped it) from Home to the Desktop. But now I've got two Applications folders. One is: Macintosh HD> Users> dominic> Applications, the other is Macintosh HD> Users> dominic> Desktop> Applications. When I put something in the Desktop folder, it doesn't 'update' the other one. So I have two different Application folders for one user (me). How can I consolidate these two folders? I can't delete the first one (dominic>Applications) because 'X tells me it is owned by Root. Er... Yeah. Grrr I don't geddit.
Some nice fratenal advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks
But be warned, if someone does help me, it is very possible that I will ask even more dumbass questions in the future.
8)
Comments
1) Mounted disk: this refers to so-called disk images. Conceptually, a mounted disk image behaves in much the same way as a floppy or a compact disc or even an external hard drive. Yet, it is basically a file on your hard drive. Understand this or not, the fact remains that you should not run an application from such a device/file. Rather, you copy the application (and its files or folders, if there are any) to your own applications folder, and run it from there. Afterwards, you can eject the mounted disk image, and trash the image file (.dmg) itself.
2) You have the ability to create aliases, and that's clearly what you want. To easily create one: select the file/folder you want an alias of. Then go to the menu (in the Finder) 'File', choose 'Make Alias'. (shorter would be just pressing Apple + L -L for 'link'-). You will now notice a new file called whatever the original was called, plus 'alias'. You can drag this file to anywhere you want. It will do what you want: if the original was a folder, you can drag a file on the alias, and the file will be added to the folder.
If any questions remain, feel free.
BTW, what is 'X's equivalent file extension for .exe? And why the hell can't you choose to have your user name start with a capital letter? What temperature SHOULD my 15ALPB fans come on (Temperature Monitor shows its roughly between 62.8 C and 63.9 C)? Why is Mac Help THE slowest App in 'X?...
More substantially - I'm interested in the way people organise their information. How do you fit together files, folders and Apps in an intuitive way and a way that allows fast and efficeint access? With a total of 200GB at my disposal due to the arrival of my LaCie; a brother with an electronic music library of maybe 70 000 songs; and free via-University internet access until next summer, I need to think about how to manage my media.
Thanks for the help der kopf.
Anyone? Be as philosophical or as practical as you want?
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
Oooo... I think that's just about McDunnit! >I'm gonna copy all the stuff that shows up in any Mounted Disks to my Apps Folder, then eject the Mounted Disks (Unmount?). And delete the .dmg files. I'm also free to delete any other files (that aren't the application), right?
Quite often that is the way things work. The nice thing about applications in OS X is that they (usually and should) contain everything they need in that one file. In stuff you get in places like MacUpdate, most of it will be .dmg files with a readme and the app, and that's it.
BTW, what is 'X's equivalent file extension for .exe? And why the hell can't you choose to have your user name start with a capital letter? What temperature SHOULD my 15ALPB fans come on (Temperature Monitor shows its roughly between 62.8 C and 63.9 C)? Why is Mac Help THE slowest App in 'X?...
The equivalent for .exe is .app, but more often than not it's hidden away, so you never even really see the thing. The short user name is a hangover from the unix underpinnings of OS X. It's just one of the prices we pay for having a really stable OS. Powerbooks run hot. Mac Help sucks.
More substantially - I'm interested in the way people organise their information. How do you fit together files, folders and Apps in an intuitive way and a way that allows fast and efficeint access? With a total of 200GB at my disposal due to the arrival of my LaCie; a brother with an electronic music library of maybe 70 000 songs; and free via-University internet access until next summer, I need to think about how to manage my media.
Thanks for the help der kopf.
Anyone? Be as philosophical or as practical as you want?
I think the way Apple has your user folder set up is really nice. However, once you add another hard drive, things get kinda tricky. One thing I do is that I have my 13,000 song collection on an external hard drive, achieved by telling iTunes to put my music library there. And then iTunes organizes the folders and everything for me so long as the Artist/Album/song names are correct.
One problem you may run into is that I think iTunes has a 30,000 song limit. I don't know any workarounds for this, but there may be something out there.
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
BTW, what is 'X's equivalent file extension for .exe? And why the hell can't you choose to have your user name start with a capital letter?
osx's equivalent is '.app'. But, you should also know that osx's apps aren't quite the same as windows apps. Mac OS X apps are usually a folder (often called a `bundle', with .app on the end). In that folder is more folders, containing the actual executable (no required extension), and certain program-specific resources). and, furthermore, many osx apps aren't as stringent about extensions as they are on windows.
I'm surprised you can't have a user name with a lower case first letter. But, I'd surmise its to enforce the short and small nature of unix usernames. There's a real name or full name field, which is supposed to hold your real, or full name. The other one is just a short and quickly discernable name.
Originally posted by bauman
One problem you may run into is that I think iTunes has a 30,000 song limit. I don't know any workarounds for this, but there may be something out there.
I doubt I will have a problem with a 30 000 song limit, but despite that, 30 000 seems a bit arbitray. Why not 99 999 or something after which the addition of another digit might make a difference...?
Since I'm on a roll...You don't have to keep .sit/.zip files once you've unstuffed/zipped them do you? Is there any use for doing so - like if the App went schiz, could you re-unstuff it to creat a new App folder with a new, unused executable?
Er... what else... How many Apps can you expect to have open at one time? My system (10.2.8 15ALPB 1.25 5400 512) has trouble when its on battery - I get major mm-ou--s-e skiii-p-i-ng that makes it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to do anything. Plugged in, I expect to be able to handle Finder, Word and IE (sorry) with 5 windows, iTunes, Poisoned, Sys Pref, Stickies, Temp Sensor, Preview, Grab and more. On battery I have to close down most Apps leaving just 3 or so. More RAM?
And wtf is this with f**king sound sk-sk---iiipp-in--g in iTunes when I use the keyboard to turn up/down the volume? 10.2.8 fixed it for a while, now its come back... Grrr.
Answers! You know you know.
...Well, its called the Genius Bar...
You can trash .zip and .sit files indeed (unlike the .dmg files that correspond to mounted disk images). You could recreate an app by re-unstuffing it, but to be honest: the only times I know of apps stopping to work in OS X, there were bigger problems than those which could be solved by just unstuffing the app again. Of course, if these are applications which are not downloadable for free (as in: you downloaded them from a purchased download link), you'd be better of keeping them. For what it's worth: I keep around the compressed files of all of my applications. It certainly speeds up reinstalling after a complete reinstallation of the system (which is not normally necessary, unless you push OS X as far as I do sometimes).
Your battery problems are not normal, as far as I know. Have you checked if the following is set: System Preferences>Energy Saver>Settings for: battery>Options: processor performance: highest?
Mouse skipping can be caused by heat. If you have hot hands, and you keep them close to the trackpad while typing, the buildup of heat on the shell of the powerbook can effectively make your mouse lose its head. You could always try manipulating the settings under:
System Preferences>Keyboard & Mouse>Trackpad>Ignore accidental trackpad input. And so on.
iTunes skipping? You'll have to sit that one out. You're not the only one with the problem. All you can do is hope Apple gets its act together one of these days.
Originally posted by der Kopf
As to iTunes: I believe all restrictions on library size have vanished with version 3 or 4. In either case: if you're running the latest version (4.1), you should be allright.
Good Good.
You can trash .zip and .sit files indeed (unlike the .dmg files that correspond to mounted disk images).[/B]
Err... But you said this before:
Afterwards, you can eject the mounted disk image, and trash the image file (.dmg) itself.[/B]
...I just went and trashed all the .dmg files, the .sit/.zip files, leaving only the executable and the readme files.
Your battery problems are not normal, as far as I know.
Have you checked if the following is set: System Preferences>Energy Saver>Settings for: battery>Options: processor performance: highest?
I have the processor set to 'Automatic' normally. Next time I'm on battery, i'll whack it up to 'Highest' and see if I get substantially improved performance. You'd think, though, that Automatic would crank up the proc when needed?!
Mouse skipping can be caused by hea t. If you have hot hands, and you keep them close to the trackpad while typing, the buildup of heat on the shell of the powerbook can effectively make your mouse lose its head.
Are you dicking me? Excuse my language.
iTunes skipping? You'll have to sit that one out. You're not the only one with the problem. All you can do is hope Apple gets its act together one of these days.
Thank You for your help!
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
...I just went and trashed all the .dmg files, the .sit/.zip files, leaving only the executable and the readme files.
Yes. Let me explain myself: if you double click a .dmg file, you will 'mount' a disk image. This is only an image, something virtual, some make-belief your computer plays with itself. The actual data resides in the .dmg file. If you copy something off of the disk image, you have an effective copy of it, a completely self-sufficient version that doesn't need the original to function. This means: you cannot trash a .dmg file and empty the trash while it's corresponding disk image is mounted. You can trash an unmounted .dmg file. If you've copied the contents: no harm done.
With .sit/.zip (or .tar/.tgz/.bz for that matter), the uncompressed archive is completely new. It doesn't link back to the original .zip/.sit file. It doesn't need it to work.
You can trash all archives without much remorse. I believe many people do. For convenience's sake, however, I keep them around. But that doesn't imply anything for the actual functioning of my applications.
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
I have the processor set to 'Automatic' normally. Next time I'm on battery, i'll whack it up to 'Highest' and see if I get substantially improved performance. You'd think, though, that Automatic would crank up the proc when needed?!
I'd think so. I never notice any difference on battery as opposed to power supply myself (though this is on a naturally slow iBook).
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
Are you dicking me? Excuse my language.
No. Though I have to admit that I have only known this to occur with my old Powerbook 1400c. After having a friend play with the 'Book for a while, I noticed my mouse automatically going to the lower right corner of my screen. I thought my friend had broken my dang computer, but as it turned out, a couple of minutes later, and cooler, all was fine again. If you have freakishly hot hands, or if you place your hands very close to the trackpad, that may be the reason. Why? Because trackpads derive their functioning from heat sensors.
The trackpad uses heat sensors... ahhh. That explains why I couldn't use the rubber end of a mechanical pencil on it. I thought maybe the trackpad had a 'size' sensor - and only worked with finger sized contact. Well, when you don't know something, you can make up helluva silly stuff.
Ooo. Another thing, can you 'lock' icons on the desktop? So that you can't accidentally move them with a flourish of the cursor?
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
Ooo. Another thing, can you 'lock' icons on the desktop? So that you can't accidentally move them with a flourish of the cursor?
No (at least, not if I understand you wrong). However, you can simulate such behaviour by:
a) locking files and/or folders so that you not accidentally delete them (or change them, or move them into some folder). You do this by selecting the file/folder, choosing File>Get Info (or key combo apple + i), and checking the 'Locked' checkbox which will be there fairly obviously. You could of course try to lock the Desktop folder ( HD>Users>your_name>Desktop) and see what that gives, but I bet you might run into some issues, because most browsers prefer downloading files into the Desktop, thus changing it, which they may not be able to if that folder is locked.
b) making it so that your desktop remains ordered by name, date modified, date created, size, kind or label (label only if you have 10.3 installed). To do this, click once anywhere on the desktop, select View>Show View Options (or key combo apple + j) and check the lowest box, choosing the option of your preference.
I restarted my Comp today and since then it has been zipping along (no skipping in iTunes for example!). Its a shame that restarting still has to be an option to fix stuff on a Mac
Maybe I should switch off my Mac once a week to keep it sprightly? But oh man! I really enjoy using this computer when its runing this smoothly