That “Drag to Applications” thingy you see on some apps is a sort of visual ’trick’ - nothing fancy.
You can set a background to any finder window. You can have a link to a location (shortcut). If you drag an item onto a link, Finder will copy the item to the link’s ultimate real location. What you are seeing when you open such a dmg is the window is sized ‘just so’ with a background image containing the text instructions “Drag to Applications” or sometimes, just a fancy arrow. The .app file and the applications link are then placed strategically to fit around the text or arrows appropriately. If the user follows the instructions, the ‘magic’ installation happens. Try enlarging the next dmg you see like this and choose to re-arrange the icons and you’ll see what I mean. You could just as well open another finder tab or window with /Applications as a target (or any other folder, really) and copy your .app there. The effect will be the same. (copying to a folder other than /Applications will probably mean it won’t be visible from LaunchPad however) I suppose whomever packages GnuCash for Mac could go through this trouble, but I think they made a fair bet that anyone installing GnuCash will have installed other Mac apps already and thus can figure it out. Just for completeness, instructions are in the README. There are some other apps which use a different procedure. (more common pre-OS X) Those apps (Virtualbox being one particular case) need more than just to exist in the /Applications folder as they have to make changes or install files in protected system locations. (which need admin rights) Regards, Adrien > On Dec 2, 2018, at 8:42 PM, Gerry Starnes <gerrystar...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Actually I’m a MacHead. =) The GnuCash installation is not clear and > different programs install differently. It doesn’t do the usual “Drag this to > Applications” kind of instruction. Some open source programs use a variety of > installation procedures. Just glad I figured it out. > > > > > > Gerry S > > >> >> On Dec 2, 2018 at 8:32 PM, <David T. (mailto:sunfis...@yahoo.com)> wrote: >> >> >> Dave, >> >> >> I'm pretty sure Gerry was not talking about configuration files. His >> references to folders in Applications suggests that. The terminology he uses >> suggests he is more familiar with Windows or Linux than the Mac, since (as >> John notes elsewhere) the only installation one needs to do for Gnucash on >> the Mac is drag the executable into Applications. >> >> >> >> FWIW, Gerry, you can install different versions of gnucash on a mac simply >> by changing the name of the app in the Applications folder. I have 2.6.21 >> and 3.3 side by side on my machine. Increasingly, I open 3.3, but I keep >> 2.6.21 because the look is more to my taste. >> >> >> >> David >> >> >> >> >> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 4:58, David Reiser via gnucash-user >>> >>> <gnucash-user@gnucash.org> wrote: >>> >>> >>> On a Mac, the Gnucash support files are either in the app bundle itself, or >>> in ~/Library/Application Support/Gnucash, so it takes a little work to move >>> them from Windows/Linux to a Mac. >>> -- >>> Dave Reiser >>> dbrei...@icloud.com (mailto:dbrei...@icloud.com) >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>> On Dec 2, 2018, at 3:15 PM, Gerry Starnes >>>> <gerrystar...@gmail.com(mailto:gerrystar...@gmail.com)> wrote: >>>> >>>> I had the same problem with 3.3. I had to add a couple of steps though. >>>> >>>> 1) renamed the old folder in Applications to GnuCash 2.2 >>>> 2) created a new folder for GnuCash 3.3 in the Applications folder. >>>> 3) copied all of the files in the window that opened when I double clicked >>>> the installer volume to the new GnuCash 3.3 folder >>>> 4) clicked on GnuCash in the new folder >>>> >>>> This opened GnuCash correctly and it also found my previous data files. >>>> Seems to me that something about the installation does not actually put >>>> the executable and support files in the Applications folder. >>>> >>>> Gerry S >>>> >>>> On Sun, Dec 2, 2018 at 1:21 PM David Reiser via gnucash-user >>>> <gnucash-user@gnucash.org(mailto:gnucash-user@gnucash.org) >>>> <mailto:gnucash-user@gnucash.org>> wrote: >>>> On Dec 2, 2018, at 12:17 PM, Jules Levinson >>>> <juleslevin...@comcast.net(mailto:juleslevin...@comcast.net) >>>> <mailto:juleslevin...@comcast.net>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> I have used GnuCash for many years, but only on Windows. My wife has >>>>> decided to give GnuCash a try. She uses a Mac. I've never used one. >>>>> >>>>> She downloaded the current *.dmg file from the website and then did >>>>> whatever one does on a Mac to install an application. Several times. Many >>>>> times. Installation failed, always in the same way, leaving her with, at >>>>> best, an icon for GnuCash but unable to open the program. Unfamiliar with >>>>> the Mac, I am unable to help her. I hope someone on this list will be able >>>>> to assist me to assist her. >>>>> >>>>> In search of information, I stumbled across a few forums and queries. One >>>>> resembled her experience closely: >>>>> >>>>> "The installation process appears to go normally, there's the usual >>>>> warning >>>>> about 'Opening' a file downloaded from the internet and the GNUCash icon >>>>> is >>>>> seen 'bouncing' up & down on the lower docking bar, but after you >>>>> 'click' >>>>> Open the GNUCash icon disappears and the installation process halts - >>>>> nothing! No GNUCash. I've tried several fresh downloads and repeated the >>>>> same installation process without success." >>>>> >>>>> I read this to her. She replied, "That is what is happening on my >>>>> computer." >>>>> >>>>> Thanks for whatever help you can offer us. >>>>> >>>>> Jules B. Levinson >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> >>>> >>>> If the gnucash is in the Applications folder (usual place to install apps >>>> on a mac), and that is where it gets launched the first time when the >>>> system asks you if you want to run an app downloaded from the internet, >>>> when you say “Yes, run it”, the Mac fails to open the app. If you go back >>>> to the Applications folder and double click Gnucash again, it will open >>>> Gnucash as expected (without asking again if you’re sure). That’s what has >>>> been happening for me for many version releases, maybe even before the 3.x >>>> versions. After that first aborted launch for a new download, I have not >>>> had any launch failures. >>>> >>>> So, plan to have to open Gnucash twice on a Mac the first time you try >>>> running a newly downloaded copy. >>>> >>>> Keep in mind, though, that double clicking on any gnucash data file on a >>>> mac usually results in gnucash opening with the last data file it used, >>>> even if that wasn’t the file you double-clicked in Finder. Use File>Open >>>> from within Gnucash. Just launch Gnucash directly if you want to use the >>>> last file it had open. >>>> -- >>>> Dave Reiser >>>> dbrei...@icloud.com (mailto:dbrei...@icloud.com) >>>> <mailto:dbrei...@icloud.com> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> gnucash-user mailing list >>>> gnucash-user@gnucash.org (mailto:gnucash-user@gnucash.org) >>>> <mailto:gnucash-user@gnucash.org> >>> >>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: >>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user >>>> <https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user> >>>> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see >>>> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists >>>> <https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists> for more information. >>>> ----- >>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. >>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> gnucash-user mailing list >>> gnucash-user@gnucash.org (mailto:gnucash-user@gnucash.org) >>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: >>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user >>> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see >>> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. >>> ----- >>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. >>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > gnucash-user@gnucash.org > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see > https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. > ----- > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
