subfolders in applications folder, good/bad? [Archive]

nassau

2004-09-25, 00:29

i read somewhere that you should put all applications in the applications folder and avoid grouping them into subfolders with the applications folder. avoiding this would make sure your mac was as speedy as possible.

true or false?

Luca

2004-09-25, 00:51

Won't affect the speed at all. The only thing that could cause problems is that apparently Software Update is still too stupid to look anywhere other than your Applications folder for software updates. So if you put iPhoto into an "iApps" or "Image Editing" folder, Software Update will not know that it is installed, and therefore it won't find updates for it.

I want this to be fixed in Tiger but somehow I know that it just won't be.

nassau

2004-09-25, 00:59

thanks luca!

Gargoyle

2004-09-25, 05:54

I was thinking about grouping apps the other day. I thought the best idea would be to make aliases to them in the grouped folders somewhere else. Perhaps just another folder in your home.

Does the applications folder in your home work the same as the main applications folder?

Luca

2004-09-25, 10:53

I used to do that. The problem was that whenever I wanted to install an application, I couldn't just drag it to the Apps folder in the dock. I had to open my actual Applications folder, drag it in, then make an alias in the right category folder. Pain in the ass.

autodata

2004-09-25, 13:46

Won't affect the speed at all. The only thing that could cause problems is that apparently Software Update is still too stupid to look anywhere other than your Applications folder for software updates. So if you put iPhoto into an "iApps" or "Image Editing" folder, Software Update will not know that it is installed, and therefore it won't find updates for it.

In my experience, it's been totally spotty how it updates for apps in my subfolders. For instance, with itunes, which is in my /applications/audio, it knows it's there, but it installs the update in /applications. But with FCP, it won't see it when it's in /applications/video, so I have to pull it into the /applications folder to get it to update. It's really pretty weird.

SonOfSylvanus

2004-09-25, 15:19

I keep all apps that didn't come installed on my PB in a separate folder entirely: "Web Apps"... Always thought it was best to keep those 80+ apps out of the way *shrugs*

Kickaha

2004-09-25, 22:28

Yup. I have a folder in /Users/Shared/Applications that is aliased as /Applications/UserApplications/. All the Apple stuff stays in /Applications/ untouched, all *my* stuff is still in /Users.

Still only have to backup /Users.