Install apps from the App Store on another drive than the boot drive

[Silly John Fatty]

When you download a program from the internet and run the installer, at some point you come to a window that asks you where you'd like to install/save this program. And it shows the icons to all the drives where you can install it.

This is really practical, but I'm wondering how do you get to choose this when you're downloading an app from the App Store? Or do you don't have the choice?

Thanks

 

[sharon22]

Don't do it.

Developers usually follow strict guidelines where Apps are to be downloaded, so that when it is time for the user to do a "software update," these Apps (and all their dependancies) are easily (and correctly) found.

If you feel the need for your App to be somewhere else, then you can always (as a user in control of your own Mac) copy-and-paste the required files wherever you want them to go.

But it is not a good idea to mess with Default Installer Locations. Especially because some Apps have portions of themselves installed in various hidden directories throughout our computers.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Yeah that makes sense, but I believe it's more of a control thing, i.e. they want to control everything you install etc. because with "normally installed" applications, you have the option to install updates as well without any problems.

Copy-&-pasting the files somewhere else is a bit complicated because like you say, for some applications, they're spread all over the system and then nothing works anymore. Been there done that haha.

Well, it sucks, the "choose a volume" option in the installer is a really useful function in my opinion. Why Apple, WHY.

 

[pmau]

The location of the Application bundle is not related to any guideline about where developers have to store application data.

The Application not modified after installation.
You can move the application anywhere you like, it does not affect anything.

If you talk about sanbox location, yes that is a big issue.
iBooks for example stores all books inside your account with no capability to choose. That is because it is sandboxed.

But these are two different topics. The Application itself can be moved.
On the contrary, the Apps with Installers have more problems being moved after installation. Just look at Adobe or similar.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Right, then I don't mean the Application itself, but everything that comes with it basically
And even if it's hard to move later – I like to organise everything before and once it's installed it won't move anymore!