Question that makes me feel profoundly stupid

[graln1k]

When I install Firefox it puts this harddrive icon on my desktop. When I delete that icon, Firefox gets deleted. How can I permanently install Firefox to my hd? This is my first Mac btw...

 

[xsedrinam]

You should have the .dmg install downloaded to your desktop. Open the .dmg, so the image (below) shows, then just drag the Firefox icon TO your Applications Folder in your HD.

 

[iSaint]

It took me awhile to comprehend the installation process for OS X. Like xsedrinam said, once you've opened the dmg file, drag the application icon to your applications folder. Then you 'eject' the installation dmg file.

[sarcasm]just slightly easier than installing on a windoes machine[/sarcasm]

good luck and welcome to the world of OS X!

 

[emptyCup]

Since this is all new to you, and there is nothing stupid about that, .dmg is a Disk Image file. When you click on it, as you've found, you get a virtual drive mounted on your computer. As has been explained, drag the application to your applications folder and trash (unmount) the .dmg file. This is how most applications are installed on a Mac. Drag the application to the trash to uninstall it.

 

[d wade]

dont feel stupid.

dont think for a second none of us were ever in your position, cuz we all were. it will soon become second nature

 

[thewhitehart]

Don't feel stupid. The best thing about this method is that uninstallation is so much easier, with a much higher "success rate" than using Windows Add/Remove Programs.

All you do is drag the application out of the Application folder and into the trash! Some preference files are left over, but these files are not cluttering the Applications Folder, and are of trivial size, and can be kept in case you reinstall the application.

 

[CeCe]

I feel even stupider...I even restarted a few times so I get a fresh start...after I refresh there are two icons on my desktop: Macintosh HD and Firefox 2.0.dmg.

I click on Firefox 2.0.dmg and the window opens just like xedrinam said. Then when I try to drag the Firefox icon to my applications folder, it only adds a copy as Firefox alias, but the original icon is still on the desktop. Plus the Firefox 2.0.dmg doesn't do much, it says "zero KB available"...

 

[1dterbeest]

I'm pretty sure my brother launches some of
his programs from disk images every time he
runs them, seriously. I need to show him how
this installer thing works and he's had his mac
for over 2 years.

 

[S2NINJA]

hahaha...

don't feel stupid!! I was confused about the EXACT same thing as you when i first tried to install stuff on osx...

the 1st thing i did was try to drag the firefox icon into the dock...

but now i know the beautiful simplicity that is osx installation from .dmg..

 

[charkshark]

Since this is all new to you, and there is nothing stupid about that, .dmg is a Disk Image file. When you click on it, as you've found, you get a virtual drive mounted on your computer. As has been explained, drag the application to your applications folder and trash (unmount) the .dmg file. This is how most applications are installed on a Mac. Drag the application to the trash to uninstall it.

If this doesn't work, I'm not sure what else (unless it is a .pkg, but I know for sure that Firefox doesn't use .pkg installers). I was also quite confused about this when first trying to install programs this way in Panther, now I'm quite the OS X power user, we all go through it.