• Re: OS X needs an add/remove program utility...

    From Steven Fisher@sdfisher@spamcop.net to comp.sys.mac.system on Friday, April 07, 2006 12:37:47
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    Christopher C. Stacy wrote:
    I wasn't the OP, but an earlier post of mine noticed that the
    uninstaller did not ship with the program. I had to call tech
    support to get a URL from which to download it.

    Hmm. I definitely have a copy of it, and I did not download it
    separately. Maybe it was missing from one of the point releases.

    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From Ilgaz Ocal@ilgaz_ocal@yahoo.com to comp.sys.mac.system on Friday, April 07, 2006 23:20:23
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    On 2006-03-28 21:51:35 +0300, henree21@yahoo.com said:

    I can't believe how primitive this apple operating system is in this
    regard. They make it so hard to remove programs from your system.
    For example. I recently download the awful Flip4Mac application. I
    hated it after trying it. So I trashed the application icon that I had
    on my desktop.

    Are you nuts?

    1)It has an uninstaller, RIGHT IN APPLICATIONS folder, Flip4Mac WMV
    folder has "Flip4Mac Uninstaller.pkg", that is a very very professional
    thing they did. They use internal "installer technology" to uninstall.
    I respect GIMP-Print guys for offering such a thing too.

    2) It is a Quicktime codec. Don't throw away codecs like that (unless
    they don't have uninstaller). Quicktime is not something to "play with"
    on OS X. You can do any harm to it on Windows, not OS X. 90% of
    programs rely on it. It is a huge FRAMEWORK. Codecs included. (of
    course there are counter measures apple takes, in case of "move to
    trash" people)

    3) For others saying how great MSI (ms installer) is: MSI relies on
    Windows Registry. That huge , huge database. If registry is corrupt,
    MSI can't do its "cool tricks". You must be nuts to request something
    like that on OS X, an "unix like" system with resources, metadata etc.

    Uninstalling programs with Spotlight (if they DON'T have uninstaller):

    Type "program name" in search box, show results, move everything you
    see in Applications, Application Support and Preferences folders to
    trash.

    In this spesific case, one of the first results is "Flip4Mac
    uninstaller.pkg" :)

    There are people drooling about OS X "install way", even in Linux World.

    That "drag and drop" is a "big thing" in fact, if you think.

    You should just click the uninstaller and run it in Applications. IMHO, RE-install and UN-install "polite way".

    It takes 20 secs, less than posting this.

    Ilgaz

    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From cstacy@cstacy@news.dtpq.com (Christopher C. Stacy) to comp.sys.mac.system on Saturday, April 08, 2006 00:44:38
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    Ilgaz Ocal <ilgaz_ocal@yahoo.com > writes:

    On 2006-03-28 21:51:35 +0300, henree21@yahoo.com said:
    They make it so hard to remove programs from your system.

    MSI relies on Windows Registry

    So what? An OSX installer surely would not rely on the Windows Registry.

    That "drag and drop" is a "big thing" in fact, if you think.

    How come drag and drop from Applications is not integrated
    with the "uninstall" program that may be necessary (to clean
    up things installed elsewhere) and which may or may not come
    with a given application?

    It takes 20 secs, less than posting this.

    I've had a difficult time (that is: I don't think someone who
    is not an expert Unix hacker could have accomplished it)
    uninstalling several programs under OSX.
    The most recent example was OpenAFS.

    And by the way, when I first downloaded Flip4Mac a while back,
    it didn't come with an uninstaller. I had to call their 800
    number to obtain one (because they didn't want you to un-install
    the crippleware version their software, which messed up WMP).
    Current distributions of Flip4Mac do now include an uninstaller,
    by all reports. But I am sure there are lots of other programs
    like that which need one, and which don't have one.
    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From Simon Slavin@slavins.delete.these.four.words@hearsay.demon.co.uk to comp.sys.mac.system on Monday, April 10, 2006 23:54:52
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    On 08/04/2006, Christopher C. Stacy wrote in message <yzlslooj3pl.fsf@OSX663.local>:

    How come drag and drop from Applications is not integrated
    with the "uninstall" program that may be necessary (to clean
    up things installed elsewhere) and which may or may not come
    with a given application?

    Applications don't need, and should not have an 'uninstall' system. An application should exist entirely in one place.

    Some other things, things which fiddle with the system at a lower level,
    may need to install components in different places. These should come
    with uninstaller scripts. We have already established this.

    And by the way, when I first downloaded Flip4Mac a while back,
    it didn't come with an uninstaller. I had to call their 800
    number to obtain one (because they didn't want you to un-install
    the crippleware version their software, which messed up WMP).
    Current distributions of Flip4Mac do now include an uninstaller,
    by all reports.

    I had thought they always did. Certainly I have downloaded version 1 and version 2 and both of those did.

    But I am sure there are lots of other programs
    like that which need one, and which don't have one.

    Flip4Mac is not a program. It's a set of additions to the operating
    system. The Application Icon which you think you're using does nothing
    except provide a visible way in for .wmv and .wma files -- all the hard work is done by other components.

    Simon.
    --
    http://www.hearsay.demon.co.uk
    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113