Although Mac OS X comes with many programs and tools offering a wide range of features, at some point you’ll probably want to add additional software to your system. In this chapter, we talk about how to install additional software in Mac OS X. (Even though software installation is not difficult, Mac OS X supports several different methods of doing so.) We’ll also look at some software issues for multiuser systems and present some interesting applications available for your system.
When it comes to expanding your collection of software, your first question might be “What are my options?” You’ll be pleased to hear that, despite being a relatively new operating system, Mac OS X already has many available applications. The only tricky part is knowing where to find them.
Fortunately, a number of good online libraries feature Mac OS X software. (If you need to learn more about how to get online or how use a Web browser, those topics are discussed in Chapter 11, “Connecting to the Internet,” and 12, “Using Safari.”)
The following sites present the latest and greatest Mac OS X programs available for download or on CD-ROM (by purchase):
VersionTracker—www.versiontracker.com/macosx/—. Updated continually, VersionTracker’s Web site is often the first to carry new Mac OS X software. As a nearly comprehensive catalog, it also works as a handy reference guide. To find what you need, just type the name or a keyword for a product into the search field.
MacUpdate—www.macupdate.com/index.php?os=macosx—. Similar to VersionTracker, MacUpdate lists a broad selection of Mac software.
Mac OS X Apps—www.macosxapps.com/—. This site features in-depth discussions about new software and uses.
Apple’s Mac OS X Downloads—www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/—. Although less up-to-the-minute than the previous two sites, Apple’s software compendium is well documented and easily navigated.
Later in this chapter, we recommend several interesting applications on these sites that you might want to try.
Although there’s no single installation technique for all software available for the Mac OS X, let’s look at two common methods. Obviously, you should read the documentation that comes with your software if you want to be certain of the results, but for those who are anxious to double-click, this section offers a basic description of what to expect.
By the Way
If you would rather purchase your software from a mail-order or in-store vendor, just make sure to read the product information to ensure compatibility with Mac OS X, or with Mac OS 9 if you need to run the application in Classic mode, as discussed in Chapter 4, “Working with Windows Folders, Files, and Applications.” The installation process for disc images (explained later in this section) still applies.
Go to one of the sites mentioned previously and look for trial versions or freeware that you want to try. After you locate something interesting, you’re ready to begin:
On the software download page, determine which version your system requires and click that link. Remember to choose a version that’s made for Mac OS X.
As your system begins downloading your selection, a Downloads window, similar to that shown in Figure 9.1, appears on your screen.
When the download is finished, several icons appear on your desktop, similar to Figure 9.2. The icon with the extension .dmg represents a special file that has been encoded as a disk image for easy storage and download. Other common types of download files end with a .gz, .zip, or .sit extension and contain the files in encoded or compressed form. We’ll talk more about this in the “Opening Compressed Files with StuffIt Expander” section later in this chapter.
The final installation step may differ, depending on the application you’re working with. Here are the three major variations:
If a folder icon appears on your desktop, you must open it to reach the application file. The folder also usually contains a ReadMe file that explains what to do next. This kind of install exists only for very small programs. (If you download new fonts, as discussed in Chapter 20, “Printing, Faxing, and Working with Fonts,” they often appear in this way.)
If a file icon with the extension .pkg or .mpkg appears, double-clicking starts the Apple Installer, which provides a simple step-by-step guide to installation.
Finally, if a disk image icon appears, as with the Camino disk icon shown second from the bottom in Figure 9.2, double-clicking it mounts the disk image, which you can then double-click to open a Finder window containing instructions. Disk images have the .dmg file extension.
For example, when installing the Camino Web browser, opening the disk icon results in the screen shown in Figure 9.3, which contains an application icon for you to drag to the Applications folder on your hard drive.
![When you download software, several new icons appear on the desktop. (There are three different files: one disk image [.dmg], one compressed as a .sit file, and one in VISE format, which means it is packaged to use an installation wizard.)](http://imgdetail.ebookreading.net/system_admin/2/9780768683561/9780768683561__sams-teach-yourself__9780768683561__graphics__09fig02.jpg)
When you’ve placed the file or folder where you want it, your application is ready for use. You can drag all the files that appeared on your desktop during download and installation to the Trash.
By the Way
You cannot eject a disk image from your computer while running the software contained on that disk.
If you try to drag a disk image to the Trash and receive an error message, it is likely that you didn’t copy the contents of the disk image to your hard drive and are instead working off the disk image. To be able to eject the disk image, you need to close the application, and then copy the disk image to the Mac OS X drive.
To uninstall most software, simply locate the application file or folder and drag it to the Trash. Under Mac OS X, you should find most application folders in the systemwide Applications folder.
You might have noticed that the downloaded file launches another application whose icon appears briefly in the Dock, as shown in Figure 9.4. That application is StuffIt Expander.
You use StuffIt for work with compressed files. Because applications tend to be large files, they come in a compressed form that takes up less space and makes downloading them faster and easier. These compressed files are also referred to as archive files because they’re compact and easily stored.
Compression can be done in several different ways. Mac OS X can compress and uncompress .zip files, which is a common format used on Windows machines. (Recall that you can “zip” a file or folder using the Archive option of the Action menu in the Finder window, as discussed in Chapter 4.) It also can handle the same methods used on the Macintosh system for the past decade, including .sit (StuffIt) files. In addition, it supports Unix standards, such as .tar and .gz files.
To install applications that come as archive files, you must return them to their original state. Recovering a full-sized file from its archive file is known as extraction. That’s where StuffIt Expander, a tool included with Mac OS X, comes into play.
StuffIt Expander uncompresses most common archive types and makes it simple for anyone to start downloading software. Most of the time, StuffIt Expander opens automatically when it’s needed and leaves uncompressed folders on the desktop along with the original archive file.StuffIt Expander is located on your system at Applications/Utilities/StuffIt Expander. You might never need to start it manually, but you can configure a number of settings in its Preferences dialog box to control actions, such as how StuffIt deals with files after extraction.
Mac OS X is a multiuser system. When it comes to installing software, this seemingly small detail really matters. For one thing, not all users might have the same privileges on the system. When you set up user accounts, as will be explained in Chapter 33, “Sharing Your Computer with Multiple Users” you have the option to prevent others from modifying the system in any way. That includes installing additional software.
Also, when you install applications, keep in mind that other users don’t necessarily have access to your home directory. If you install a large application in your home directory, you might be the only person who can use it, which could lead to other users installing copies of this same application on the same machine. To best utilize disk space and resource sharing, major applications should be installed in the system’s Applications folder or in a subdirectory of Applications rather than inside your home directory.
One other issue: Be sure to read your software license agreements regarding operation by multiple users. If an application is licensed for only a single user (rather than a single computer), it should not be placed in the Applications folder where other users of your system can have access.
For the rest of the chapter, we look at some interesting applications available for Mac OS X. These programs have been selected based on their unique features and immediate availability (either in full or demo form) over the Internet.
Although we recommend the following software, keep in mind that many other fine programs are available, and that number grows daily. The following should serve only as a starting point for exploring the possibilities.
Even before Mac OS X was released, developers were looking forward to exploiting its advanced networking, multitasking, and graphics capabilities. The following sections describe a few interesting applications. Some you might have heard of, whereas others are entirely new to the Mac platform.
Mozilla (www.mozilla.org) is a Web browser related to Netscape Communicator—in fact, it’s the open source project from which recent versions of Netscape were developed. The Mozilla software developers emphasize standards compliance and stability, and their product includes many new features before they appear in Netscape. (A beta version of Camino, a browser related to Mozilla but built especially for Mac OS X, is also available. Figure 9.5 shows a sample photo.)
OmniWeb, by the Omni Group (www.omnigroup.com/), is an alternative Web browser that supports standards-compliant Web technologies. Omniweb will update you when the URL of a bookmarked site has changed. It also allows you to search your history files for any word you recall from a Web page so that you can find your way back to a site without knowing the name.
If you’ve ever used a PC for Web browsing, you may have noticed that PDF documents open within the Web browser instead of downloading to the desktop as they do on the Mac. If you want this opportunity to preview PDF content in Safari (and several other Web browsers) before downloading, install the widely praised PDF Browser Plugin by Manfred Schubert. It’s available at www.schubert-it.com/pluginpdf/.
Here are a few practical applications for your word processing, image editing, and computer programming needs.
Nisus Writer Express is a word processing program with an interface worthy of Mac OS X. Also, one of its special features is support for noncontiguous selection, so you can copy and paste bits and pieces of information easily. It’s available for a free 30-day trial at www.nisus.com/Express/.
OmniGraffle 3, from the makers of OmniWeb (www.omnigroup.com), is a charting/diagramming program that you can use to draw organizational structures and flow charts. (It may not sound exciting, but it does these things so well!) Without a license, you’re limited to use of 20 objects per document.
If you’ve been looking for a program that can open and save images files of just about any format, Graphic Converter is for you. It’s available as shareware from Lemke Software (lemkesoft.com/en/graphcon.htm).
A host of small programs have been written to make working with your desktop more efficient. Here are a couple of the most well-loved.
WindowShade X—. If you find yourself double-clicking the title bars of windows expecting the window to collapse to a title bar as it did in OS 9, try WindowShade X from Unsanity (www.unsanity.com).
Drop Drawers X—. Drop Drawers, available as shareware from Sig Software (www.sigsoftware.com/dropdrawers/), adds “drawers” to the edge of your screen where you can store notes, URLs, or files for easy access. Simply double-click their handles, and the drawers open. Figure 9.6 shows an example.
If you’re looking for recreation, try one of these:
Burning Monkey Solitaire (www.freeverse.com/bms.mgi), available as shareware, offers several versions of the Solitaire card game, including Klondike, Freecell, and 52 Card Pick-up, delivered in an interface filled with taunting monkeys. A limited demo is available without purchase of a license code.
Battle Cocoa (eng.osxdev.org/battlecocoa/), which was written especially for Mac OS X, is a smooth-playing Tetris clone with network play capacity.
Enigmo, available as shareware from Pangea Software (www.pangeasoft.net/enigmo/), is a challenging puzzle/strategy game with a fun interface and catchy music. See Figure 9.7 for a glimpse. A limited demo is available without purchases of a license code.
Mac OS X comes with several attractive screensavers, but many people delight in finding new and interesting ones. Spice up your system by downloading one of these excellent replacements:
Mac OS X Screensavers 3.0 (www.epicware.com/macosxsavers.html) is a collection of popular screensavers that have been transplanted from another platform. Although several years old, this set is still pleasing to the eye.
Neko.saver (homepage.mac.com/takashi_hamada/Acti/MacOSX/Neko/index.html) turns one or more animated cats loose on your desktop to play, sleep, and scamper across your screen.
To install a screensaver, simply place its application file in the system folder Library/Screen Savers or in your own ~/Library/Screen Savers folder, depending on whether you want public or private access. After you’ve installed a new screensaver, you still must choose it in the Screen Saver section of the Desktop & Screen Saver pane of the System Preferences to activate it.
Customizing Desktop Icons
In addition to downloading and installing new and interesting screensavers, you can customize your desktop by downloading and installing new icons for your files, folders, and applications—and even your hard drive icon. One popular source for free, custom icons is the Icon Factory (www.iconfactory.com/), which both develops and holds yearly open contests for new icon sets.
To customize an icon, start by locating a set of icons you like and downloading it. (The Icon Factory offers icons in a couple of different formats—be sure to download icons made for the Macintosh.) When downloaded, the icon set uncompresses with help from StuffIt Expander and is ready for use.
Next, open the folder containing the icon set, select the icon you want, and open the Info window for it by choosing Get Info from the Action menu at the top of the Finder window. When the Info window opens, select the icon displayed in the General section so that a highlight appears around it (as shown in Figure 9.8); then choose Edit, Copy from the menu.
Then open another Finder window and navigate to a point where you can see the folder, file, or application icon you want to customize. Select the item and open the Info window as you did for the custom icon. Select the icon that appears in the General section of the Info window, and choose Edit, Paste from the menu.
The custom icon now appears in place of the standard icon both in the Info window and on your desktop. (Note, however, that items in the sidebar of the Finder window retain their standard icons.)
If you decide you’d rather use the standard icons, simply select the item with the icon you’ve switched, open the Info window, and select and delete the custom icon. The original icon will appear as if it had never been gone.
If you decide you want to replace all your system icons with one custom icon set, download CandyBar from the Icon Factory Web site. This application works with specially packaged icon sets to change all your icons at once.
In this chapter, we discussed the basics of adding new software—from finding what you need to downloading and installing it. Although we focused on easy-to-obtain, downloadable software, the issues we discussed also apply to purchased software discs. Remember that, in Mac OS X, it matters where you place new applications on your system if you want to share with other users of the computer.