Plugin Install Problems

[morgantear]

Hi there,

Not totally clear on how objects are installed in OSX.

I'm trying to download SIMBL so I can then get mouse gestures for Safari. I've downloaded and installed SIMBL and I've downloaded SafariGestures.

SafariGestures comes in the form of a .bundle and the readme says I need to move the .bundle into my SIMBL plugin folder

Where would I find the SIMBL plugin folder? The readme suggests it should be /Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins but I can't see it.

I think this is a simple problem but it's solution would greatly help my understand of how macs work. Thanks in advance

 

[dashcs]

Never used that software.Maybe there is confusion where the Library folder is.

Sometimes its the little things.



Your computer has 3 Library folders
System/Library
Library
your user account/Library (~/Library/)

Are you checking the correct spot?

 

[morgantear]

Thanks, I was looking in the wrong Library.

If others have this problem the SIMBL Plugin folder was:

Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins


I was looking in User/Library/Application Support/


Can anyone explain how the various Library folders are different and how applications/plugins may install differently?

 

[dashcs]

You should never go inside the system folder and most 3rd party programs don't either.

Now related to the the difference between the users library (~/Library/) folder and the Library folder.

If for exemple the program or plug in gets installed inside the Library folder.
All users can access and use that information automatically.

For exemple
Lets say you installed download 3rd party fonts and put them inside
Library/Fonts/ folder
All users account on the computer can use the fonts.

However if you put them only inside ~/Library/Fonts/ folder
only that user account can use those fonts.

So that logic follows internet plug in folder,etc.

There is some benefits to this.Lets says you put something really bad inside your user account library folder,to the point the computer locks up or freezes and you can't do anything.

At that point you can log into a extra account and fix your original account .

If however you bad something bad inside just the Library folder and the system locks up.Then you have a mess.(Safe mode,single user mode,re-install,etc)