Read the "Installing Applications" guide, still a little confused...

[taiga]

I regretfully admit I've been a PC user for years, so go easy on me. Yesterday I tried to install Firefox, mainly because I can't seem to change the fact that Safari here doesn't automatically log me into forums or web-based email sites that I frequent and enter "Remember Me" when I log in. I find it strange that it doesn't, as I have cookies enabled.

So I downloaded firefox and once it was done, one of those application bundles (or at least I think it was an application bundle) appeared for it. Now, I'm assuming at this point I made my mistake, because instead of copying it somewhere into the computer I just clicked on it. Nonetheless, firefox started up. I even used it for about 20 minutes. Then I restarted the computer. Firefox had now disappeared from that crazy menu at the bottom. I now figure that was normal because it seems that menu doesn't actually hold files, they're just sort of shortcuts that I'm sure can be edited somewhere that I just haven't discovered yet (am I right here?). Anyway, now there was a new icon below my hard drive, and it was some kind of Firefox and hard drive morphed together. Clicking on it didn't open the actual Firefox browser either. I dont really want firefox thinking it's its own hard drive that doesn't do anything. I just want a little icon thats always on the desktop or on that little menu below so that i quickly run firefox. Anyway, now I couldn't find the actual firefox browser (and I hadn't discovered the little search magnifying glass at the top corner yet, so I don't know if Firefox was actually gone at this point) so I restarted again. This time, the Firefox/Hard drive thing was gone, and now there is nothing left of firefox but a folder filled with a bunch of nonsensical configuration files, but not the actual firefox browser.

I'm so confused! Has anybody got a detailed explanation for me?

 

[taiga]

Okay, so I sort of understand now. Those little psuedo-hard drive things that appear when you download apps represent the application bundles that appear? I'm almost certain that not dragging it into my applications file was my mistake.


So once I've dragged the app into the the correct spot can I delete the files that appear on the desktop? I'm assuming I can but I like confirmation. For example, this other app I just downloaded, Senuti, created a .dmg file along with the little hard drive file on the desktop. Is it a necessary file? I'd hate to have some oddly named configuration file sitting on my desktop.


Haha, also, senuti is going CRAZY. I highlighted all the songs in my ipod and hit "copy", and it says it's copying, but I'm having my doubts. For some reason the options above are all A's with litlle boxes around them instead of words. anybody know what the hell that is? heh, maybe .dmg stands for 'damaged'

er... okay forget the senuti thing. somehow i fixed it.

 

[Macky-Mac]

possiblely you got this all figured out now but in case you havent;

click open those psuedo-hard drive thingies, either copy the contents to the applications folder on your real hard drive or sometimes you need to run an installer program that's in the psuedo-hard drive thingie.....this is like copying a file from one hard drive to another. Once you've done that you can remove the psuedo-hard drive thingie.

to get an icon for the application to the dock (the menu at the bottom of the screen) just select and drag the application to the dock from your application folder. Also, if you want, you can put shortcuts for individual files on the dock to the left of the little divider line next to the trash

 

[taiga]

Yeah, I'm a quick learner I guess. Everything seems to have worked itself out for now.