Are the desktop and the desktop folder the same?

[Nigel123]

I know, I know this sounds simple but I ran into something that just didnt seem right.

I've been using "autofs" which is a way to permanently create a volume link (like Macintosh HD in the Computer folder) for network drives.

From the instructions I was following you could create the mount point to be anywhere you wanted (even if it didn't exist i.e. /foo).

So I thought, "if the os isn't going to pick up the network automatically, why not just create the mount point on the desktop?"

So I created the point at: /Users/MyUsername/Desktop

But the drive appears in the folder not on the desktop.

So I was wondering is there another link to the desktop rather than the folder? Is the folder a mirror of the desktop (or vice-versa)?

But most importantly, if they are different, what should I be linking to get to the desktop?

 

[Jessica Lares]

In newer versions of OS X, disks are hidden from appearing on the Desktop. You need to unhide them in Preferences. Otherwise your mount point is correct.

 

[Nigel123]

In newer versions of OS X, disks are hidden from appearing on the Desktop. You need to unhide them in Preferences. Otherwise your mount point is correct.

See, I did that but it didnt show up - hence my curiosity.

I'll try again, but thought maybe when using terminal.app that there was something to say "desktop" rather than "desktop folder".

 

[Jessica Lares]

See, I did that but it didnt show up - hence my curiosity.

I'll try again, but thought maybe when using terminal.app that there was something to say "desktop" rather than "desktop folder".

Maybe you have to kill the Finder or log out and in?

I'm reading the bottom of this page:

http://useyourloaf.com/blog/2011/01/24/using-the-mac-os-x-automounter.html

Finder integration

It should be noted that filesystems that are automounted in this way will not show up automatically in the sidebar of the OS X Finder application. Nor will they automatically appear as disk icons on the desktop. If that is important you may want to simply add the share as a login item and have it mounted whenever you login.

For filesystems that are accessed by scripts or applications I prefer having them automatically mounted and unmounted in the background on demand. You can of course always go to the directory in the Finder using the Go > Go To Folder… command and entering /Volumes/Resources.

 

[talmy]

Not quite what you are doing (because I don't auto mount them) but I create an alias for the mounted file system and put that on my desktop. Clicking on the alias not only works the same as clicking on the mounted file system, but also will mount it if it isn't already mounted.