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Questions from new Mac user

S

sunrobby

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 17, 2006
141
0
Indonesia
Hi, im a new mac users, just switched from Windows, and i love Mac very much :) just curious about three things, how to uninstall application, is it just drag and drop to trash bin (or use rm -Rf from terminal) ? Since mac doesnt use registry. Am i right on this?

Second thing, why i can't 'cut' file? The option on Edit, the cut always disable. What i can do is copy and then move the original copy to trash or do mv from terminal..

Last question, in Windows, there is an option to delete file without moving it to trash, it's shift-del. It's quite dangerous though since you can't recover the file. Is there such a thing in mac?

Thanks :)
 
1. To uninstall an app just drag it to the trash.

2. The cut option was never built into Finder, no idea why it just wasn't. To move a file hold down the command (apple) key and drag it to where ever you want it and it will do the same thing as cut would. Like wise if you drag while holding the option key it will copy the file to the new location, dragging with both command and option pressed will create an alias (shortcut).

3. There is no way to bypass the trash can, but you can use Terminal with your UNIX commands such as sudo rm <path to file> or rm -rf <path to file>. When entering a path name with spaces you either have to use quotes or a \. For example: /Applications/Diablo\ II or /Applications/"Diablo II". But I suggest typing the rm -rf command and then dragging the file you want to delete to the terminal window, this will eliminate the risk of accidentally deleting something you didn't want to delete.

--Cheers
 
Hey, congratulations on making the switch! :)

I'm new to Mac's myself, but I can help a little.

Uninstalling really is as simple as dragging the application to the trash. If you need to you can also search in spotlight to see if there are any remains of the application anywhere, but that isn't normally necessary. I know it can be tempting to use commands at the terminal, but I'd advise against using rm unnecessarily - it's all too easy to accidentally delete a tonne of stuff.

AFAIK there is no way to cut. You can, however, make scripts to do this should you need it - and I'm sure someone will come along with one shortly. If not, search the forum, you're not the first one to wonder this. I find just copy is fine, then I delete the original once I know it copied correctly.

I don't know if you can delete stuff without going via Trash. I wouldn't advise it, though - there's no harm in using your Trash can.

Edit: What Benjamindaines said! ;) :p
 
I don't know how cut works in the Windows OS, but if it works like a normal cut does, I think the Mac doesn't do it for the same that it doesn't let you bypass the trash. If you cut a program and it's gone from its original location and then you accidentally copy something before you have a chance to paste the program somewhere then it will have accidentally been deleted and that would suck big balls.
 
I must agree that i do not know a way of bypassing the trash can, but the keyboard shortcut to empty it (Apple-Shift-Delete) makes it so its really not that difficult or time consuming.
 
miniConvert said:
Hey, congratulations on making the switch! :)
Uninstalling really is as simple as dragging the application to the trash. If you need to you can also search in spotlight to see if there are any remains of the application anywhere, but that isn't normally necessary. I know it can be tempting to use commands at the terminal, but I'd advise against using rm unnecessarily - it's all too easy to accidentally delete a tonne of stuff.
Click to expand...

There is also AppZapper that will do this automatically for you. I am not aware of any faults, but others may let you know of any. :)
 
motulist said:
I don't know how cut works in the Windows OS, but if it works like a normal cut does, I think the Mac doesn't do it for the same that it doesn't let you bypass the trash. If you cut a program and it's gone from its original location and then you accidentally copy something before you have a chance to paste the program somewhere then it will have accidentally been deleted and that would suck big balls.
Click to expand...

Well in Windows if you cut a file then it is only marked as cut and not moved anywhere at all. It `ll move only if you use paste after that. In case you dont paste it anywhere and/or cut/copy something else, then in that case the previous file is simply unmarked as cut. That`s it. Nothin else happens. The file stays where ever it was.
 
UKnjb said:
There is also AppZapper that will do this automatically for you. I am not aware of any faults, but others may let you know of any. :)
Click to expand...
There is one:-

It`s not free:( .
But you can delete 5 apps before you need to purchase it though:D
 
sunrobby said:
Second thing, why i can't 'cut' file? The option on Edit, the cut always disable. What i can do is copy and then move the original copy to trash or do mv from terminal..
Click to expand...

There is no way to cut a file in finder AFAIK. But if you want to move files then the simplest way to do this wud be using the Desktop as your exchange junction. Just select a file nd drag it to desktop. Then open the folder where you want to move it. Pick up the file from the desktop and move it to the desired folder.


This might look more cumbersome than simple Cut/Paste at first. But once you get the hang of it you`ll find it much more simple and easier than Cut Paste. The desktop in OSX has way more functionality than in XP where it`s used to simply put some shortcuts
 
vikas soni said:
Well in Windows if you cut a file then it is only marked as cut and not moved anywhere at all. It `ll move only if you use paste after that. In case you dont paste it anywhere and/or cut/copy something else, then in that case the previous file is simply unmarked as cut. That`s it. Nothin else happens. The file stays where ever it was.
Click to expand...

That's better than just having it possibly disappear, but it's still a bad UI element because it breaks the design interface. When you cut something, it is supposed to be gone from the original location, that's why it's called "cut." So a person may try to cut something not because he wants to paste it somewhere else, but because he wants it to be gone. Only it won't be gone and he'll get frustrated as to why it won't cut the same way that cut works everywhere else on his computer or he'll think he cut something private that still remains there for someone to find and ruin his security. I suppose that's why I use a Mac. :p
 
vikas soni said:
There is no way to cut a file in finder AFAIK. But if you want to move files then the simplest way to do this wud be using the Desktop as your exchange junction. Just select a file nd drag it to desktop. Then open the folder where you want to move it. Pick up the file from the desktop and move it to the desired folder.
Click to expand...
There is an app called "XShelf" that provides a nice little dock that pops up on the side of your screen that you can dump files onto, and then drag them out into where you actually want to put them. This is better than dragging to the Desktop IMHO.

"Cutting and Pasting" of files simply doesn't work on Macs because the idea of cutting a file does not work consistantly. For example, I use "cut" in word processors to both delete or move a paragraph. However cutting a file does not delete it - hence the action of cutting is inconsistent between "Word" and Windows file management.

Its best to learn the Mac way of doing things as opposed to the Windows way. Learn about spring loaded folders and you'll probably never want to cut-and-paste a file again.
 
vikas soni said:
There is one:-

It`s not free:( .
But you can delete 5 apps before you need to purchase it though:D
Click to expand...
If for the fifth app you choose to delete itself, will all associated files disappear and you will be able to install a fresh copy which is good for another five? ;)

Wouldn't it be nice if trials were like that.
 
dr_lha said:
Learn about spring loaded folders and you'll probably never want to cut-and-paste a file again.
Click to expand...

Using spring loaded folders is useful too. But some times it`s a pain when you have to go through 10 folders i a row. Ok. You wont be moving files that deep inside everyday. But when you have to it`s really annoying as you have to keep that mouse button pressed all the time. And if by chance you drop it in Folder XYZ (which is inside folder ABC) and you had intented to drop it in ABC; then my friend you`ll have to start all over. Spring loaded folders are one way only AFAIK. You cant use it to go back one step (again thats AFAIK). So even if you have to simply move a file from XYZ to ABC you`ll have to start from the very beginning. In XP you cud simply Cut, press BACK and Paste. Thats it.

This is not at all saying that XP is better than OSX. But the way File Explorer works in XP; no matter how tecnically wrong, it makes things a little easier than finder.

A lil off the topic question dr_lha. I see a mac mini with core solo in your sig. Considering the fact that MB are gonna be released any time now and we may not have a choice of a core duo within 1200$ budget(Oh Lord STEVE. Please no). I`d like to know how does it perform. Is it really crappy. I was using an iBook G4 1.33 until a month ago. I dont want it to be slower. Can you compare the two`s performance as you have acess to both?

EDIT: On second thought, I think I`d better post it in a new thread.
 
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