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Keeping all your apps tidy

J

JupiterZen

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 17, 2002
247
0
Reality Maingrid 23 Subjunction 42A
I was wondering how you all organize your apps under OS X.

On OS 9 I used to make my very own directory structure for all my apps. This was sorted by application type. So I had a "Graphics" folder for Photoshop/Debabelizer/stuff like that. A "Video" folder for Premiere/AfterEffects. "Audio" for my Cubase/Editors/Librarians. And "Utilities" for all the miscellanious utils (Toast/HDT/BBEdit). Then I used FinderPop to access the lot as menu from my desktop.

Now on OS X I would like to use the "Applications" folder that was given to me and access it like a menu with Fruitmenu. But with every Apple app in the root of that folder it becomes a bit of a mess when I start adding my own. And moving the Apple apps into selfcreated subfolders along with the rest of my apps isn't very handy when you use Software Update (which just puts the updated items back in the root).

I'm not very keen on creating a seperate menustructure with only aliases in them, because that gives you two structures to maintain.

So how do you guys here keep it tidy and organized without to much hassle.
 
I just freely put them all in the Applications folder and have it sort itself out alphabetically. It's worked for me so far.
 
I created a subfodler for games in the applications folder, but eevrything else goes straight into applciations itself. No big issues, but you may have substantially more apps than I do.
 
The only problem I have with keeping all my Apps in the apps folder is that I like to put the Apps folder on my dock to be able to access a program at any given time by getting the drop-down menu, however the menu can be so slow sometimes to appear. I figure less apps, quicker menu apperance so maybe it's time to reorganize.
 
Originally posted by Foxer
I created a subfodler for games in the applications folder, but eevrything else goes straight into applciations itself. No big issues, but you may have substantially more apps than I do.
Click to expand...

Just to test what would happen I have now created a folder /Applications/Apple and dropped all the default Apple apps in there along with the Ulilities folder. So everything that came with the OS is in there (except for the "System Preferences", because it cannot be moved unless you are root).

Next to the Apple folder I have made my own set (/Applications/Audio, /Applications/Graphics ... and so on).

First minor problem came up when using Software Update. Because iMovie is not in its default location, Software Update can't see it's already installed and offers the download of 3.0.2. (see picture)

I wonder what other problems might occur because I changed the location of default apps.
 
Software updae only works on Apple apps, correct? In that case you would just have to leae all Apple apps in the main directory and just create sub-directories for all other apps. Not as tidy but still should be an improvement.
 
Originally posted by comrade
Software updae only works on Apple apps, correct? In that case you would just have to leae all Apple apps in the main directory and just create sub-directories for all other apps. Not as tidy but still should be an improvement.
Click to expand...

Would be useful If I could tell Fruitmenu to sort the menus in the way Windows sorts it's explorer views. With all folders at the top of the list in alphabetical order and then the rest of the files.
 
i have everything but the apps that need to be on my boot volume in my Applications folder, which is actually linked to an external HD-- the apps that need to be on the boot volume are in a separate folder. it probably sounds confusing but it works well, altho i have the same complaint about SU- it deletes my link and installs the apps in a new Applications directory, sometimes only part of packages. really ****ty of apple, IMHO. anyway, since organization can be an issue, i just turn my 'recent applications' to 50 (again, why can't we go higher? i realize it's CPU intensive for some bizarre reason, still) and most of my apps, at least the 50 most used ones, are right there in my apple menu.

point is, OS X sucks for application organization. there, i said it...

if i were you, i'd just make a folder full of aliases of all of your apps, or a folder with Audio, Video etc folders inside, with aliases inside of those folders. aliases are your friend, use them!

:)
pnw
 
I now created a second Applications folder in the root called Apps and put all my installed software there. Keeping the original Apple OS X apps in the original Applications folder.

Looks tidy and keeps a clear seperation between the two, but it disappoints me that I can't use the framework Apple had come up with for organizing your applications. And having two folders for Apps like this doesn't feel perfect ;)

But that's just me being focused to much on insignificant details like this. My system hasn't crashed in weeks while using all these apps I'm trying to tidy up ;) :D :cool:
 
Originally posted by paulwhannel
if i were you, i'd just make a folder full of aliases of all of your apps, or a folder with Audio, Video etc folders inside, with aliases inside of those folders. aliases are your friend, use them!
Click to expand...

Sometimes aliases are indeed your friend (I use an alias of /Volumes to create a menu listing all mounted volumes in the Apple Menu using Fruitmenu), but IMHO using aliases in the way you suggest creates the same problem that Windows has with the Start Menu. You have to keep two structures organized. The real apps and the alias menu structure. The effort needed to create a second structure almost identical to one you already have and keep these two synced and up to date is IMO a silly waste of time.

;)
 
I have almost the same configuration:
Audio: DP, ProTools, etc
Publishing: Photohop
Tools: HackersHelper, Toast
Video&Animation: After Effects, FCP
Web: Flash, Hotline, Dreamweaver
VJ: MotionDive, Arkaos, Artmatic

And I used to have an alias of the "Soft" partition in the Apple Menu Items.

I have now 4 partitions:
OSX
9.2.2
Soft
Storage

That is in every computer, 2GB for every system, 6GB for software and the rest for storage.

There is always room for something and no desorder.
 
Originally posted by idkew
oh- here is mine. pretty self explanitory.

i moved sys prefs while logged in as root. no problems with it.
Click to expand...

Nice ... and what about using Software Update? Any really serious problems besides the fact that it will think iMovie etc. is not yet installed. And that it will just put updated items in their default location?
 
JupiterZen

Why does your Apple menu have more options than mine? Mine don't have the System or Volumes option. I'd like to access my apps. from the apple menu.
 
Originally posted by JupiterZen
Nice ... and what about using Software Update? Any really serious problems besides the fact that it will think iMovie etc. is not yet installed. And that it will just put updated items in their default location?
Click to expand...

when there is a new update, it just puts it in the apps directory. then i just simply copy it to the correct folder over the old app. never had a problem with it.

it doesn't continuously try to update either.
 
the way i do it is really nice...i leave all my apps in the apps folder...and the ones i use i make aliases into a programs folder that i put on my dock..and i just right click or hold click on that folder and they come up in a nice menu...with the aliases i can name them whatever i want...put them in different sub folders and it doesn't matter if they need upgrading...theres no problems and there all right there
 
Originally posted by howard
the way i do it is really nice...i leave all my apps in the apps folder...and the ones i use i make aliases into a programs folder that i put on my dock..and i just right click or hold click on that folder and they come up in a nice menu...with the aliases i can name them whatever i want...put them in different sub folders and it doesn't matter if they need upgrading...theres no problems and there all right there
Click to expand...

That's the way that I do it. One folder of aliases for programs and one for games. Hold click, and you get a nice alphabetical list.
 
I have a keyboard that is mega programmable, therefore I don't
need to organize. I have a button on my keyboard for all the
progs i use, and even the ones I don't use. ;) :rolleyes: :D

btw it is a logitech elite keyboard.
 
Originally posted by howard
the way i do it is really nice...i leave all my apps in the apps folder...and the ones i use i make aliases into a programs folder that i put on my dock..and i just right click or hold click on that folder and they come up in a nice menu...with the aliases i can name them whatever i want...put them in different sub folders and it doesn't matter if they need upgrading...theres no problems and there all right there
Click to expand...
i do the same sort of thing but - i use the dock. And it looks good to. It also makes drag-drop launching easy as it should be.
 
Re: Keeping all your apps tidy

Originally posted by JupiterZen
I was wondering how you all organize your apps under OS X.

On OS 9 I used to make my very own directory structure for all my apps. This was sorted by application type. So I had a "Graphics" folder for Photoshop/Debabelizer/stuff like that. A "Video" folder for Premiere/AfterEffects. "Audio" for my Cubase/Editors/Librarians. And "Utilities" for all the miscellanious utils (Toast/HDT/BBEdit). Then I used FinderPop to access the lot as menu from my desktop.

Now on OS X I would like to use the "Applications" folder that was given to me and access it like a menu with Fruitmenu. But with every Apple app in the root of that folder it becomes a bit of a mess when I start adding my own. And moving the Apple apps into selfcreated subfolders along with the rest of my apps isn't very handy when you use Software Update (which just puts the updated items back in the root).

I'm not very keen on creating a seperate menustructure with only aliases in them, because that gives you two structures to maintain.

So how do you guys here keep it tidy and organized without to much hassle.
Click to expand...


simple solution.

create an Application Aliases folder in your applications folder. within that folder you can organize your apps according to task...graphics, communications, utilities, etc.

then, make aliases of your apps and put them into the appropriate folder. after that is done, drag the Application Aliases folder to the dock. now you can click and hold or to bring it up a bit faster i think you can control+click on it.
 
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