How do I ADD/REMOVE programs?

[imac abuser]

Is there a way in Panther to ADD/Delete programs like in windows control panel?

Thanks
IMac Abuser

[40167]

Add/remove programs? dude... thats way to hard.... just drag the program to the trash can :)

[thecow]

Most of the time, you can just drag the application to the trash. If is has other parts, you can search for them by pressing apple f.

[imac abuser]

Thanks guys :)

[superninjagoat]

Most of the time, you can just drag the application to the trash. If is has other parts, you can search for them by pressing apple f.

That's actually a question I've had. Sure, you trash the program in the applications folder, but what about the ~/library/XXXX and /library/XXXX folders? You can remove them, but that's really not that intuitive. How do you make sure you've gotten everything. You can only comman-f what you know the name of.

Taken a step further: Are their any shared files, like with Adobe programs, that you might mess with?

I think a program folder should run some kind of script to take its hard-drive leavings with it.

[imac abuser]

I agree I think that, yeah you can delete the program. But how about the million extensions lol, and if you do the apple f thing you dont know if those programs are related to something else.

imacabuser

[superninjagoat]

I agree I think that, yeah you can delete the program. But how about the million extensions lol, and if you do the apple f thing you dont know if those programs are related to something else.

imacabuser

Dont' get me wrong -- I love OSX (at least now that I've turned off that scaling dock rubbish. Mousing toward a moving target is just about as much crap as I can think of) -- but Apple did miss the boat on their program removal.

Installation is seamless, though. So that's a plus. s.n.goat

[Nermal]

The settings stay behind so that if you reinstall the app later, all your settings are preserved. They only use a tiny amount of space, so there's usually not point in getting rid of them.

[Flynnstone]

Is there a way in Panther to ADD/Delete programs like in windows control panel?

Add/remove programs? dude... thats way to hard.... just drag the program to the trash can.

Don't be afraid to try the obvious. ( From a non-windows user point of view )
I'm used to using windows, but was getting into OS X. I was trying to install a camera so iPhoto could use it. I examined the manual. Many pages of windows install procedures. A couple pages for Mac OS, but nothing for OS X. I was stumped!
A well versed Mac Head talked me through: was the camera connected to the computer? ... yes, was the camera turned on? ... oops! duh
Turned on the camera, iPhoto icon bounced a couple times, went to import page and knew all about the camera ! Brilliant !
At that moment, I realized the serious defects in the mindset of Windows.

[wHo_tHe]

I agree I think that, yeah you can delete the program. But how about the million extensions lol, and if you do the apple f thing you dont know if those programs are related to something else.

imacabuserPrograms messy enough to splay files all over your system should at least be polite enough to include an uninstaller application. Check the application folder for an uninstaller before deleting the folder.

[Counterfit]

Most apps on OS X don't spread the files all over the drive. They'll usually be in ~/Library or /Library, other than files you personally create through the app. The biggest file I have in ~/Library/Preferences is 4.4MB, and that's far from the norm.

[mj_1903]

As a developer, I would have to say the way Apple has it set up is the best way. A preference file will rarely ever grow above 20kb in size and if the program is well behaved it won't leave junk cached around anywhere.

Currently my Mac's ~/Library is around 2mb, so I really have no issues with the setup. I am glad though that all preferences are in the one location with no dll's thrown everywhere. It makes debugging other applications so much easier.

[Savage Henry]

I am glad though that all preferences are in the one location with no dll's thrown everywhere. It makes debugging other applications so much easier.

Damn right, I think the way OS X handles it is leading the way.

But I've found the original question is not such a strandge one...my Dad (8 months since the switch) rung me up asking the same thing on his eMac. Coming from a pure Windows background he seemed puzzled that it was as simple as the drag-to-trash motion. Testimoney to his reticence to accept is the fact this is the second time he's asked the exact question, but I didn't dwell on that.

The logic of OS X is becoming more in tune with the human psyche, but many human brains are still shackled to the old ways in the dark times of the Empire.

[SiliconAddict]

Don't be afraid to try the obvious. ( From a non-windows user point of view )
I'm used to using windows, but was getting into OS X. I was trying to install a camera so iPhoto could use it. I examined the manual. Many pages of windows install procedures. A couple pages for Mac OS, but nothing for OS X. I was stumped!
A well versed Mac Head talked me through: was the camera connected to the computer? ... yes, was the camera turned on? ... oops! duh
Turned on the camera, iPhoto icon bounced a couple times, went to import page and knew all about the camera ! Brilliant !
At that moment, I realized the serious defects in the mindset of Windows.

You aren't differentiating between a driver and a software package. The fact is the reason Windows makes you go through those hoops is because it doesn't come with a driver for that device. You'd have to go through the same hoops in OS X if your camera isn't in here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/cameras.html

The reality is that XP supports an *** load of hardware out of the box. My Cybershot 707 was found and installed automatically and immediately after driver install Windows was asking about copying my pictures over to my computer. That's the driver side of things what any OS, be it Windows or OSX, is susceptible too. General rule of thumb. The newer the OS the more hardware its going to support and since Apple is releasing a new OS once a year...Well there is the reason why so much hardware is supported.

As for software installs. I personally think its stupid to leave ANY files out there if you aren't going to be using them in the future. What if one is a VersionTracker junkie and likes to play with various software it could get really messy over time by leaving other files behind. Sorry but I personally think MS has it partially right with their MSI installer routine. MSI (MS Installer) tracks registry changes (BOO Down with the reg!) file changes, file installs, etc. So when you go to uninstall a program the OS knows OK well there are files there, there, there and over there. There are other cool features about MSI but those are the big ones off the top of my head.
The fact of the matter is that Apple has had bigger fish to fry since the initial release of OS X. Now that Panther and Tiger are solid as a rock there is no reason why they can't start developing tools that allows for an OSX uninstall routine that does the same thing as MSI. I'm sorry guys but like it or not MS has some good ideas. This is one of them and just because Apple didn't do it first doesn't mean its not a good idea.

[tagy]

You aren't differentiating between a driver and a software package. The fact is the reason Windows makes you go through those hoops is because it doesn't come with a driver for that device. You'd have to go through the same hoops in OS X if your camera isn't in here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/cameras.html



iPhoto also supports camera's that use mass storage, so that is pretty much all of the cheap Digital Camera's . My camera is not on the list and works perfect.

[superninjagoat]

The fact of the matter is that Apple has had bigger fish to fry since the initial release of OS X. Now that Panther and Tiger are solid as a rock there is no reason why they can't start developing tools that allows for an OSX uninstall routine that does the same thing as MSI. I'm sorry guys but like it or not MS has some good ideas. This is one of them and just because Apple didn't do it first doesn't mean its not a good idea.

Hear, hear. I hope they do implement a routine like that.

While I do love the simplicity of OSX on the surface, I respect the complexity under the hood. Truth of the matter is, I don't know enough about what's going on in a Unix environment to feel like I have full control the way I do in Windows or in Mac Classic OS.

[jeremy.king]

Im curious why some people feel that the OS needs to track what files a 3rd party application installs.

Personally, I feel that if an application's installer is going to "scatter" files all over the place, then that publisher (NOT Apple) should provide an uninstaller/remove functionality to clean up after itself.

[SiliconAddict]

Im curious why some people feel that the OS needs to track what files a 3rd party application installs.

Personally, I feel that if an application's installer is going to "scatter" files all over the place, then that publisher (NOT Apple) should provide an uninstaller/remove functionality to clean up after itself.


In a perfect world. Yes. Developers should have their own uninstaller and should take responsability for their software. In a perfect world. The problem is unless this whole bush thing was a nigthmare of mine it isn't a perfect world.
An OS's primary task is to provide control of the hardware and to present a platform to run applications on. Its Apple's job to provide the environment that applications run in. This encompases not only hardware (Prtected memory) but software as well. (API's.) I don't see the difference between providing an install/uninstall wrapper and other features such as coreimage, coreaudio, spellchecking, etc.
By having it in the OS its less work for the developer to provide this support. Going back to MS Installer a MSI wrapper is REALLY simple to impliment and the adv far outweighs the issues. One of which is backwards compat. It hasn't totally caught on in windows yet since this was only implimented in Windows ME (Poorly, sort of like USB in 95.), 2K, XP. There are a lot of 98 users still out there so to allow backwards compat developers are still using basic exe wrappers.

[SilentPanda]

When I got my first Mac (iMac G4 800 15" FP) in Feb of 2002 (or was it 2001?) I couldn't figure out how to uninstall programs so while I was playing around and trying out programs I just reformatted the whole machine until I got just the programs I wanted on... took about 3 times... now I don't do that so much... actually I haven't reformatted my iBook since I got it last Novemeber...

[Nermal]

Currently my Mac's ~/Library is around 2mb, so I really have no issues with the setup.

Mine is 158 MB. How'd you manage to keep yours so small? :eek:

Edit: After a quick squizz, I found that the Fonts folder uses 80 MB on its own. Don't you have any fonts or something? :rolleyes: