Multiple user accounts Questions

[ChronoYu]

Hi, I'm new to using Mac, and I have a few questions about multiple user accounts, because the iMac we just got will be used as a family computer and we've each made our own accounts on it.

1. When installing new programs, is there a way to install it so that all the users can also use the program too without having to install it again on their account separately? Does it pretty much depend on the program in question?

2. I've been trying to add a hotmail account to Mail, but I need a httpmail plugin. So I've just downloaded it, but it says that it will only install it on the current user. Isn't there a way to install it on all users without having to do so separately for each account? 'Cause installing it separately for each account will take space right? As much space as I do have, I'd rather not just waste any.. ^_^"

 

[swiftaw]

Hi, I'm new to using Mac, and I have a few questions about multiple user accounts, because the iMac we just got will be used as a family computer and we've each made our own accounts on it.

1. When installing new programs, is there a way to install it so that all the users can also use the program too without having to install it again on their account separately? Does it pretty much depend on the program in question?

2. I've been trying to add a hotmail account to Mail, but I need a httpmail plugin. So I've just downloaded it, but it says that it will only install it on the current user. Isn't there a way to install it on all users without having to do so separately for each account? 'Cause installing it separately for each account will take space right? As much space as I do have, I'd rather not just waste any.. ^_^"

1. By default apps are installed in the /Applications folder which is accessible to all users.

2. I would imagine that httpmail has a size measure in kb, so installing several times will be negligible

 

[Lixivial]

1. I'm not aware of any application installers installing to ~/Applications rather than /Applications

2. You can install Mail bundles to /Library/Mail/Bundles/ (if the directory doesn't exist, you can safely create it) for global user access.

 

[ChronoYu]

2. You can install Mail bundles to /Library/Mail/Bundles/ (if the directory doesn't exist, you can safely create it) for global user access.

I googled mail bundles and how to make them and it sounds really confusing. Seeing that I don't completely understand Mac yet, I don't think it would be a wise decision for me to attempt it.

One more question.

How about updates? Does it apply for all users? Or when updating should I go to the administrator's account to do so?

 

[Lixivial]

I googled mail bundles and how to make them and it sounds really confusing. Seeing that I don't completely understand Mac yet, I don't think it would be a wise decision for me to attempt it.

I think you misinterpreted what I wrote; I apologise for the lack of clarity. When you download httpmail, instead of running the "Installer", you'd manually place the httpmail.mailbundle in /Library/Mail/Bundles

What I meant by the "create" comment, is that the "Bundles" folder is not inside this directory by default. I wasn't suggesting you create a "Mail Bundle," which requires programming, but rather to simply create a directory which does not exist by default. The easiest way to do this is to create a "Bundles" folder on your desktop, put httpmail.mailbundle inside of it, and then drag "Bundles" into your hard drive icon -> Library -> Mail. It will ask you to authenticate.

How about updates? Does it apply for all users? Or when updating should I go to the administrator's account to do so?

Updates are only supplied for Apple-provided applications and/or services. Since that is the case, and since these applications are accessible by any user, they are applied for all users.

If you are running as a standard user -- which you should be -- you will be asked for an admin's username and password. Even if you are an admin, you'll still be prompted to give it authorisation to install.

 

[ChronoYu]

Oh, I think I get it now. Thank you for being very patient with my questions.

So basically I just put only the httpmail.mailbundle (is a folder, right?) in a folder named 'Bundles' and drag the folder to /Library/Mail/ ? How will the computer know to use it or how to react to it?
When you say that I should create a Bundles folder on my desktop, do you mean that it only works if it's on desktop or can it be anywhere else?

 

[Lixivial]

Oh, I think I get it now. Thank you for being very patient with my questions.

No worries, thanks for being patient with my answers. I'm likely making it much more complex than it really has to be, but I was trying to toe the line between being succinct and being informative; so here I'll just be verbose. A key thing to remember here is that anything outside your home directory is "public" or "system-wide."

So basically I just put only the httpmail.mailbundle (is a folder, right?) in a folder named 'Bundles' and drag the folder to /Library/Mail/ ? How will the computer know to use it or how to react to it?

Yup, a mailbundle is a folder. And, yes, that's the process I was describing, but I failed to take into account the fact that you were on Leopard. So here's what I'd do:

1. Mount the dmg
2. Open Terminal.app (Macintosh HD -> Applications -> Utilities), and copy and paste the following (enter your password when prompted):

sudo mkdir /Library/Mail/Bundles; sudo cp -R /Volumes/HTTPMail\ Plugin\ Leopard\ 1.51/httpmail.mailbundle /Library/Mail/Bundles

Next, you'll need to do Terminal.app one more time. By default, Leopard's version of Mail.app disables bundles. So, login to each user and run the following command in Terminal.app (you don't need to run the previous command again, just the following one):

defaults write com.apple.mail EnableBundles 1; defaults write com.apple.mail BundleCompatibilityVersion 3

The reason for all this is because the Installer app that comes on the DMG does all this for you, but installs the mail bundle to the user's home directory.

By doing the command above, this will enable support for Bundles (which are just extensions to Mail), and, once enabled, Mail.app will look for these extensions in ~/Library/Mail/Bundles and /Library/Mail/Bundles and load them. You'll know it worked if, inside Mail, going to Mail -> Preferences, you see a HTTPMail toolbar item (you might have to click the double arrows).

When you say that I should create a Bundles folder on my desktop, do you mean that it only works if it's on desktop or can it be anywhere else?

It really could be anywhere, yes. The reason for creating it on the Desktop is because it's an easily accessible area, and you have permission to it. The Finder will not allow you to create a new directory in a directory with which you have no permission. But it will allow you to authenticate as an admin to move a directory into a directory that you have no permission on.

I hope that clarifies things for you. You may decide that losing about 750KB per user is acceptable for the level of convenience of running the Installer in each user account.

 

[ChronoYu]

Haha. Yes, I'm beginning to think that doing that would be more convenient and easier..

So since I'm running Leopard, I should do the create 'Bundles' folder and drag to /Library/Mail/, along with the mounting dmg and terminal codes, right? I just want to be extra sure, so something doesn't go wrong..

Have you done this before on your computer? (the mail bundles)
Is Terminal like MS DOS for Windows or something? I've been reading it in a few places and have been wondering.