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Upgrading to Mac OS X: A Guide For the Mac Faithful
The Disk and Folder Structure of Mac OS X for Mac Users
The old "put it anywhere" structure of the Mac is unfortunately a thing
of the past. To accommodate the Unix roots of OS X, as well as to keep things
sane in a multi-user environment, Apple has altered the suggested
perspective on the filesystem. There are a couple of key concepts to
understand.
1. The Home Directory
In Unix systems, every user has their own home directory. Administrators
can install common programs, libraries, and documents for everyone at the
top level of the hard drive, but users are generally confined to installing
programs and other items in their home directories. Mac OS X takes a hybrid
approach.
Open your home directory by clicking on the "Home" icon in a
Finder window. Your home directory contains all sorts
of default folders for your
items, like Documents, Pictures, and Music. There are only two of these folders
that you cannot delete: the Desktop and the Library. The Desktop actually contains
the files on what you see as your desktop. The Library contains all of your
preferences and other hidden junk that programs need to serve you well. Explore,
but don't start deleting random files.
In general, you want to store everything that is a file (i.e., not an
application) under your home directory -- on your Desktop or somewhere else
inside Home. In fact, Save As... dialog boxes generally come up in your home
directory to begin with. (If you ever wonder "where the heck did I save
that file?" it is almost certainly underneath your home directory somewhere).
Embrace this system -- it makes backing up your files very easy, because you only
need to back up one folder! It will take some getting used to for old Mac users,
but it is worth it over the long haul to get into it.
2. Do not move things around unless you know what you are doing.
Certain folders and files must not be messed with ever unless you
are very confident in what you are doing. If you remember to just save
everything in your home directory, this is not a problem. The only folders at the top
of your hard drive that you should need to touch are Applications and
Applications (Mac OS 9). You can install programs (for each OS, respectively)
into these folders, but other than that you should stick to your home directory
until you get more familiar with the system.
Certain files that OS X makes invisible are in fact made visible in OS 9!!
Often, these are the very files that you should never touch! I know, nice move, Apple.
So if you see: 1) folders or 2) files that you've never heard of before (like mach.sys
or other weird files), do not touch or move them in any way. You may break your OS X
installation and have to start all over again. Apple has not done a very good job
of making this robust against dangerous people like us.
Just try to stay in your home directory unless you need to install or remove
a program.
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