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Comment by chmaynard | Hacker News Reader

After reading this post, I still don't understand what the problem is. Are Mac developers writing apps that modify files stored inside the app bundle? If so, isn't this considered a dangerous practice?

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I think the concern is stated here:

> However, many users run applications from the Downloads folder, never moving them.

Basically, unsigned apps might not work when run from the Downloads folder without changing the Gatekeeper setting in Security & Privacy settings.

I don't view this as an issue because I already have to go there to launch an unsigned app for the first time to hit "Allow."

I'm still amazed Apple hasn't done anything to encourage people to move apps from Downloads into Applications (or from a disk image); which is a big part of this problem. I see Applications launched from Downloads or copied to the Desktop all the time. It's almost always out of ignorance and maybe laziness.

Almost every App has a custom background image on the disk image and shortcut instructing people to copy the application to Applications. I've also seen various apps check and pop up a dialog asking if they should move themselves to Applications for you.

Much like the first-run warning dialog, I'm surprised Apple doesn't have a similar dialog offering to "Leave App and Launch", "Move App to Applications and Launch", or "Move App, Create a Shortcut Here, and Launch". With a preference or flag to suppress the dialog.

I doubt it's laziness, I would think most users have no idea what the implications of running from a dmg / the desktop / ~/Applications or /Applications really are... It doesn't help that there are also .pkg installers that have a wizard-y interface (and which often are run from a mounted dmg, e.g. VirtualBox). Apple could impose some order on the mess, but I tend to find their solutions to problems like these heavy-handed, so though that would probably benefit most users, it might not be a win for the more technical ones.

I'm sure it's ignorance for most people, but I know it's laziness with some people I know.

I think the whole .app folder idea was a great idea that I'm surprised others (Windows/Linux) haven't copied. The /intention/ is that anything that would need to get installed/fixed happen when the app is first launched. This both removes the need for an installer and helps repair things (if the App was moved or preferences were deleted). Thankfully installers are pretty rare in my experience. Usually it's for pretty involved things (network monitor, VM environment) or lazy multi-platform devs (Microsoft Word, or Adobe).

I think the App Store is the most straightforward for the average user--I just wish they'd improve it so it was used more.

If Apple automatically moves applications from ~/Downloads/ into /Applications they are automatically blessing the download into your system.

Detect and offer, dialogue exhaustion and you end up just automatically doing it anyway.

Personally, I might prefer using the dialog to move the app just because I'm less likely to move it somewhere unintended (like Desktop or Documents) and don't need to context switch by trying to find Applications. Just download, click-to-launch, click yes to move to Applications.

Why is it considered a dangerous practice?

In the past, apps were often launched from read-only media such as a CD. If an app tried to modify a file inside its own bundle, the OS would not permit the operation.

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