When I download a program , I end up with a 'dmg' on my desktop. I open it, it appears to be working, but I don't see it in the Applications. Is the dmg on the desktop the actual thing I need to keep, or can I trash that? in the Windos world there's more simplistic prompting about what to do in these kind of situations.
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.dmg - dumb question
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A .dmg file is a disk image; it's a virtual version of inserting a CD. You can copy (drag and drop) the contents into your Applications folder, then "eject" and throw away the .dmg file.
no not at all.
dmg = disk drive (dmg = disk image = CD, thumb drive etc))
app = exe (short of "Application" and Executable)
To me, a DMG file is roughly the equivalent to a ZIP file in Windows.
They're both containers.
You don't usually care that the container is called .DMG or .ZIP, you usually just care about what's inside of the container.
So on that note, you don't "install" a DMG. It's just a container, so you open it, and then do something with the contents (like "install" it).
If the content of the DMG is an application that you want to install on your Mac, you usually just drag 'n drop the application over to your Applications folder. The application is then "installed". At that point, the DMG isn't needed (unless you wanted to keep a copy of the original download), and you can just eject it and delete it.
you don't install the dmg, there isn't a "dmg" extension in your application folder. if there is, you are doing it wrong
'(My first go at OS X back in 2003-4 I wanted to use Firefox, downloaded the dmg, and launched from there all the time, got annoyed that it didn't remembered my settings etc. then my brother showed me that you need to move it to Applications folder, and in that process it installed)
you don't install the dmg, there isn't a "dmg" extension in your application folder. if there is, you are doing it wrong
(My first go at OS X back in 2003-4 I wanted to use Firefox, downloaded the dmg, and launched from there all the time, got annoyed that it didn't remembered my settings etc. then my brother showed me that you need to move it to Applications folder, and in that process it installed)
I can't even remember the number of times I've seen users do this.
NOPE
NOPE
YES, DMG is the mac equivalent of an ISO image. Is just that OSX has a virtual drive reader loaded into it while Windows would need a program like PowerISO to create a virtual drive.
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TS if inside there is an app then just drag and drop it into the applications folder.