Rant on Password Required

[vansouza]

Why do so many, all most all of them, require a password to install? I have come across a few that do not; and I wonder what the difference is in requiring it or not.

I am afraid that I get so used to typing my PW that some day I am going to just type it in to the wrong app and get screwed in the process.

So just wondering what the difference is in requiring it or not.

 

[heehee]

I can't remember an Application that doesn't require a password for install.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Some apps (like FireFox, VLC, and many more) can be installed by simply copying it to your /Applications directory, so if you're an admin user, you won't a password to install them.
Some "installer scripts" don't require your admin-password either.

So, basically if the installer doesn't need a "sudo" action (temporary root-rights), and if the developer lets you copy the app or use a copy-based-installer script, then no password is required.

IMHO, every installer of every app should be a package which can only be installed with an admin password.
This way the user cannot make a mistake as to where an app should be installed, and it gives the user a sense of security.
How many times I haven't seen users download the MSN.dmg, and mount the disk image to open the app inside it... not knowing you should copy it to the /Applications dir...