installing Firefox for OS X ...

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RS - 26 Oct 2005 05:56 GMT

first off, I am not a Mac person ... But I want to put Firefox on my boss's
iBook G4, which just has IE right now.

I went to Mozilla.org and downloade "Firefox for OS X". Downloaded
something of 8 or so MB in side to the desktop ... called
"download.mozilla.org".

Being used to a Windoze XP world, I double clicked in that folder. I was
then told that Quicktime did not know how to "play" the file. Looking at
the properties of that folder, the system thinks it's a video file or
somesuch.

Help !!

-RS-

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Jon Aalborg - 26 Oct 2005 06:45 GMT

> first off, I am not a Mac person ... But I want to put Firefox on my boss's
> iBook G4, which just has IE right now.

No Safari?? Look for it - it is Apple's default browser since way back.
(Well, at least two main OS iterations).

Anyway, go to <http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/>. On top right,
there is a download link. If the site recognizes your browser as a Mac
one, it will show the latest Mac OS X download. Download that and it
should work the way I describe below (I just tried).

> I went to Mozilla.org and downloade "Firefox for OS X". Downloaded
> something of 8 or so MB in side to the desktop ... called
> "download.mozilla.org".

When it is finished, you should have a file called
"Firefox <version #> .dmg"
The file you got may look like an incomplete download file, but I am not
sure.

> Being used to a Windoze XP world, I double clicked in that folder.

It should be a single file, not a folder.

When you have downloaded it, it will normally decompress (if needed) and
mount on the desktop as a volume. This kind of file, like someone
explained, is almost like a .zip file that you can open like a volume
and copy from directly.

Don't run Firefox from that volume, but copy (drag) the Firefox app from
there into you /Applications folder, and you're ready. That's it, that
is the whole installation. (And when you want to "uninstall", you just
drag it fromm there to Trash. Gone.)

To clean up, dismount the new "volume" you got and then throw away the
.dmg file. You don't need it anymore.

> I was
> then told that Quicktime did not know how to "play" the file. Looking at
> the properties of that folder, the system thinks it's a video file or
> somesuch.

This is weird and the only thing I can think of is that you may
inadvertently have clicked on the wrong link (i.e., got another type of
file than you thought you were getting).

Signature

/Jon
For mail address, run the following in Terminal:
echo 36199371860304980107073482417748002696458P|dc

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-RS- - 26 Oct 2005 19:43 GMT

Thanks,

> When it is finished, you should have a file called
> "Firefox <version #> .dmg"
>
> It should be a single file, not a folder.

Yes, I got the .dmg

> When you have downloaded it, it will normally decompress (if needed) and
> mount on the desktop as a volume. This kind of file, like someone
> explained, is almost like a .zip file that you can open like a volume
> and copy from directly.

I saved it to Desktop (rather than in Documents, where it wanted to go).

> Don't run Firefox from that volume, but copy (drag) the Firefox app from
> there into you /Applications folder, and you're ready. That's it, that
> is the whole installation. (And when you want to "uninstall", you just
> drag it fromm there to Trash. Gone.)

I dragged the whole .dmg into the Applications folder (which I found in the
Macintosh HD icon on the desktop) ... but that didn't seem to do anything,
except move it there. Is it really installed?

Thanks !

-RS-

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Sensei - 26 Oct 2005 20:03 GMT

> I dragged the whole .dmg into the Applications folder (which I found in
> the Macintosh HD icon on the desktop) ... but that didn't seem to do
> anything, except move it there. Is it really installed?

dmg = Disk Image

Double click on the dmg, and you'll see firefox, the application. Drag
it wherever you like, Applications is NOT mandatory.

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Sensei <senseiwa@mac.com>

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its
limits. (A. Einstein)

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Robert Moir - 26 Oct 2005 20:43 GMT

>> Don't run Firefox from that volume, but copy (drag) the Firefox app
>> from there into you /Applications folder, and you're ready. That's
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> in the Macintosh HD icon on the desktop) ... but that didn't seem to
> do anything, except move it there. Is it really installed?

To put it in Windows terms, the dmg file is an archive like a .zip archive,
containing the program you wish to install. Double-clicking the dmg file
should open it in finder enabling you to drag the contents to the install
point of your choice (with the applications folder being the normal place).
With that done, you're finished, there is no further installation stuff left
to do.

If the dmg file doesn't open up in finder to show you its contents then
something rather weird is going on and you may have found more evidence of
why the boss needs help (by default it should have more than just IE as the
installed browser, for a start!).

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RS - 27 Oct 2005 18:10 GMT

Yes, when I double-clicked on the .dmg (now in Applications), a box popped
open showing the Firefox icon. I then dragged that to the Dock thing.
Firefox offered to import settings from Opera and now works fine. If there
are other browsers installed (not visible on Dock), where would I find them
?

I guess the initial dragging of the .dmg itself to Applications was not
necessary ? Can I drag the .dmg to Trash without spoiling the installation
?

BTW, on the keyboard, how do I delete from the right (PC-style delete) on a
Mac ... or is back-spacing with "delete" the only way ?

-RS-

> >> Don't run Firefox from that volume, but copy (drag) the Firefox app
> >> from there into you /Applications folder, and you're ready. That's
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> why the boss needs help (by default it should have more than just IE as the
> installed browser, for a start!).

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Jon Aalborg - 27 Oct 2005 19:00 GMT

> Yes, when I double-clicked on the .dmg (now in Applications), a box popped
> open showing the Firefox icon. I then dragged that to the Dock thing.

This is misunderstood. <sigh>

I think that several times now we (at least I) have tried to tell you to
drag it to the _Applications_ folder. You will find a shortcut to that
in the left side of every Finder window - just drag it there.

This is NOT the same as "the dock thing"! The Dock is a collection of
aliases only (shortcuts, in windows parlance). So, next time you reboot,
the disk image will be dismounted, and you are left with an alias that
points to a nonexistent volume. However, if you copy from the expanded
(mounted) disk image "box" to Applications, a copy is made.

You can /then/ drag it from there to the dock to create a shortcut
(alias) for everyday use.

> Firefox offered to import settings from Opera and now works fine. If there
> are other browsers installed (not visible on Dock), where would I find them
> ?

In Applications. Where else?

> I guess the initial dragging of the .dmg itself to Applications was not
> necessary ? Can I drag the .dmg to Trash without spoiling the installation
> ?

Not before you have actually copied its contents to your hard drive, see
above.

> BTW, on the keyboard, how do I delete from the right (PC-style delete) on a
> Mac ... or is back-spacing with "delete" the only way ?

On most portables this is achieved by the combination Fn+backspace. You
find the Fn button at the very bottom left.

Signature

/Jon
For mail address, run the following in Terminal:
echo 36199371860304980107073482417748002696458P|dc

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Steven Fisher - 27 Oct 2005 19:05 GMT

> I think that several times now we (at least I) have tried to tell you to
> drag it to the _Applications_ folder. You will find a shortcut to that
> in the left side of every Finder window - just drag it there.

It's moments like this that I question the wisdom of drag-and-drop
installations. Yet they seem less obnoxious than installers. There
really isn't a good approach to software deployment on Mac OS X, is
there? Mind you, this isn't new to Mac OS X.

Signature

Steven Fisher; sdfisher@spamcop.net
"Morituri Nolumus Mori."

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-RS- - 27 Oct 2005 20:01 GMT

OK, so i guess the instructions are simple once you understand them though
...

- download and save to desktop
- double click to "activate"
- drag the thing that results to Applications
- drag icon from Applications to Dock if you want it handy there
- drag original download file to Trash

Does that sum it up ?

******************
Oh, how can I clean up the Dock ? I had a "?" mark there when I rebooted
(actually two "?" marks as I also had been downloading/installing SKYPE for
OS X ... incorrectly before) I now have an "?" for my first attempt at
Firfox, and 2 icons for Skype ... and Skype does not login anymore (probably
due to the 2 instances or whatever). How can I get stuff off the Dock?

Thanks !

-RS-

>> I think that several times now we (at least I) have tried to tell you to
>> drag it to the _Applications_ folder. You will find a shortcut to that
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> really isn't a good approach to software deployment on Mac OS X, is
> there? Mind you, this isn't new to Mac OS X.

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Steven Fisher - 27 Oct 2005 20:35 GMT

> Oh, how can I clean up the Dock ? I had a "?" mark there when I rebooted
> (actually two "?" marks as I also had been downloading/installing SKYPE for
> OS X ... incorrectly before) I now have an "?" for my first attempt at
> Firfox, and 2 icons for Skype ... and Skype does not login anymore (probably
> due to the 2 instances or whatever). How can I get stuff off the Dock?

You should be able to just drag the stuff off the dock; it will
disappear in a puff of smoke when you let go of the mouse button.

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Steven Fisher; sdfisher@spamcop.net
"Morituri Nolumus Mori."

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Jon Aalborg - 28 Oct 2005 07:23 GMT

> OK, so i guess the instructions are simple once you understand them though
> ...
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Does that sum it up ?

Perfect! :-)

Sorry if I seemed a bit impatient there; sometimes it's hard to
understand how much one takes for granted...

> ******************
> Oh, how can I clean up the Dock ? I had a "?" mark there when I rebooted
> (actually two "?" marks as I also had been downloading/installing SKYPE for
> OS X ... incorrectly before) I now have an "?" for my first attempt at
> Firfox, and 2 icons for Skype ... and Skype does not login anymore (probably
> due to the 2 instances or whatever). How can I get stuff off the Dock?

The ? represents the alias to what is now an unknown entity, the app
that was on the disk image "volume". Drag it off the Dock and it's gone.
That is what you do with anything you don't want in the Dock.

Signature

/Jon
For mail address, run the following in Terminal:
echo 36199371860304980107073482417748002696458P|dc

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Eberhard Lisse - 31 Oct 2005 16:48 GMT

>>OK, so i guess the instructions are simple once you understand them though
>>...
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Perfect! :-)

No, before you can trash the dmg, you first have to "eject" it :-)-O.
But then if you shut the laptop down it will be trasheable.

el

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Bob Harris - 28 Oct 2005 03:42 GMT

> Yes, when I double-clicked on the .dmg (now in Applications), a box popped
> open showing the Firefox icon. I then dragged that to the Dock thing.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> BTW, on the keyboard, how do I delete from the right (PC-style delete) on a
> Mac ... or is back-spacing with "delete" the only way ?

Double Click on the .dmg file.

A new Folder Window should open with the Firefox icon in it.

Drag that Firefox icon in the newly opened folder to the
/Applications folder.

In the Folder side bar should be an entry for the .dmg file with a
up triangle with a bar under it. Click on this to unmount the
.dmg file. You can then drag the .dmg file to the trash.

Open the /Applications folder.

Drag the Firefox icon in the /Applications folder to your Dock if
(and only if) you want to have a quick way to launch Firefox.

As someone else has pointed out, the .dmg file is just a
container, similar to a .zip file. You mount .dmg files, and
either drag and drop their contents to a suitable place to store
them, or you run the installer stored in the .dmg to install the
package contained in the .dmg file. When finished you dismount
the .dmg and you can save it or trash it, as you desire.

Bob Harris

> -RS-
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> the
> > installed browser, for a start!).

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Mac Forum / General / General / October 2005

installing Firefox for OS X ...