Create folders in Applications directory

[beow]

I'm a mac newbie coming from linux. In order to not have all applications in the /Applications top folder, I create some empty folders in the /Applications folder and move apps there (to group apps).

Reflections/questions:

It seems to be ok for me to create folders in /Applications that are owned by me without giving a password, which seems a little bit funny. (/Applications belong to the admin group as also I am in and admin group can write in /Applications. In Linux I have to to "sudo mkdir" to make folders in the corresponding folders).

Is there any problem with moving apps (owned by root) into these new folders that are owned by me?

 

[angelwatt]

Some applications do make assumptions of where it is located. This most often becomes nan issue when doing updates to the program. Won't be an issue for all apps, but some may give you trouble.

 

[beow]

Ugh... not the answer I wanted... But how do you handle the situation when you have lots of apps in the top level of /Applications? When clicking on the Applications icon in the dock I get so many icons that it takes time for me to find the right. And I must also now the exact name of the app in order to locate it.

Is this not a problem for the general user?

 

[416049]

Ugh... not the answer I wanted... But how do you handle the situation when you have lots of apps in the top level of /Applications? When clicking on the Applications icon in the dock I get so many icons that it takes time for me to find the right. And I must also now the exact name of the app in order to locate it.

Is this not a problem for the general user?

Actually no it isn't because Microsoft office automatically groups so does Iwork Photoshop and a few others and I recognize an app by it's symbol

 

[beow]

Actually no it isn't because Microsoft office automatically groups so does Iwork Photoshop and a few others and I recognize an app by it's symbol

We'll I actually have a lot more applications than MSO and Iwork, making it difficult to orientate in the Application folder. Guess I'll have to deal with possible problems at upgrade time.

 

[JNB]

We'll I actually have a lot more applications than MSO and Iwork, making it difficult to orientate in the Application folder. Guess I'll have to deal with possible problems at upgrade time.

Spotlight is the answer for quick access. I haven't been in the Applications folder in longer than I can remember.

You can group many apps into subdirectories, but as was mentioned earlier, the MS and i-Apps (along with CS, apparently) must be at the root of the directory for proper updating.

Making an application specific or reserved to a given user is just a matter of putting it in the appropriate ~/Applications directory instead of /Applications.

 

[beow]

Spotlight is the answer for quick access. I haven't been in the Applications folder in longer than I can remember.

You can group many apps into subdirectories, but as was mentioned earlier, the MS and i-Apps (along with CS, apparently) must be at the root of the directory for proper updating.

Making an application specific or reserved to a given user is just a matter of putting it in the appropriate ~/Applications directory instead of /Applications.

Yeah, agree that Spotlight is a fantastic invention (that works much better than the linux counterparts beagle and tracker btw), have to use it more. Thanks for the tip.

 

[DewGuy1999]

We'll I actually have a lot more applications than MSO and Iwork, making it difficult to orientate in the Application folder. Guess I'll have to deal with possible problems at upgrade time.

You could make a folder in your Applications folder for frequently used software, then make aliases for the frequently used software and put them in that folder, then drag that folder to the Dock.

 

[redwarrior]

You could make a folder in your Applications folder for frequently used software, then make aliases for the frequently used software and put them in that folder, then drag that folder to the Dock.

This is what I have done. I have a favorite apps folder with aliases of my frequently used apps (ones not so frequent as to reside on my doc though).

I also took the time one day to create folders by type - Audio/Video Editing, Web Site Design/FTP, Document Editing, Browsers & email, Apps to try, etc. I like my system a lot; it works well for me.

I have a question though. When I use Spotlight to find an app, but my clone is mounted as well, it returns both apps. How do I turn that off so that Spotlight doesn't look at my clone?

 

[DewGuy1999]

This is what I have done. I have a favorite apps folder with aliases of my frequently used apps (ones not so frequent as to reside on my doc though).

I also took the time one day to create folders by type - Audio/Video Editing, Web Site Design/FTP, Document Editing, Browsers & email, Apps to try, etc. I like my system a lot; it works well for me.

I have a question though. When I use Spotlight to find an app, but my clone is mounted as well, it returns both apps. How do I turn that off so that Spotlight doesn't look at my clone?

Okay, I'm on OS 10.4.11 Tiger so this may be slightly different for your OS. Go to System Preferences. Go to Spotlight. Go to the Privacy tab. Drag your clone into the window/or click the "+" button and find your clone and select it. Close System Preferences.

 

[redwarrior]

Okay, I'm on OS 10.4.11 Tiger so this may be slightly different for your OS. Go to System Preferences. Go to Spotlight. Go to the Privacy tab. Drag your clone into the window/or click the "+" button and find your clone and select it. Close System Preferences.

Worked perfectly! Thank you so much.

 

[beow]

You could make a folder in your Applications folder for frequently used software, then make aliases for the frequently used software and put them in that folder, then drag that folder to the Dock.

Good idea. I did vary the concept a little by creating some application folders under a directory, "links", under my home dir to keep them away from the /Applications dir. I made the links as symbolic links (ln -s) instead of aliases (feel more comfortable with these, coming from linux.... When I dragged one of these home made Applications folders to the dock, the dock doesn't display a folder but rather all the link icons in that folder, on top of each other! I don't mind, it gives me some clue to the content. It display the icons beautifully when i click the "folder" on dock though. So I'm satisfied.

 

[MisterMe]

... When I dragged one of these home made Applications folders to the dock, the dock doesn't display a folder but rather all the link icons in that folder, on top of each other! ...

You are making this way too hard. Most MacOS X applications can be placed anywhere that you want to place them. Only a subset of applications that are installed using an installer must be placed in the Applications folder. Applications that are installed by drag and drop can almost universally be placed almost anywhere. FWIW, one of the great challenges for newbies is that drag and drop Mac apps can be run from within the Desktop mounted disk image. They never actually install the app on their hard drive.

 

[Caleb531]

You are making this way too hard. Most MacOS X applications can be placed anywhere that you want to place them. Only a subset of applications that are installed using an installer must be placed in the Applications folder. Applications that are installed by drag and drop can almost universally be placed almost anywhere. FWIW, one of the great challenges for newbies is that drag and drop Mac apps can be run from within the Desktop mounted disk image. They never actually install the app on their hard drive.

Technically, they do. Whenever I've done that, they always leave behind their usual set of preference files.