Other than the App Store, what is the recommended way of installing MacOS applications? I know Homebrew and .dmg files are options.
Using the App Store or dragging an app to the Applications folder manually (e.g. from a .dmg) are both less invasive options than Homebrew or installing a .pkg file (which can run arbitrary scripts on your computer).
5 Likes
Reviving this old thread because I have the same question as OP.
I already use Homebrew to install CLI tools but not GUI applications (casks). I understand that installing with a .dmg file is less invasive because it doesnât involve running arbitrary scripts, but is this really a concern? Homebrew seems quite reputable and to my understanding they review each cask manually.
Can someone explain the technical differences between installing with a .dmg file and Homebrew cask?
The benefits of Homebrew as I see it are the update mechanism that makes it easier to keep track of installed apps and update them, including apps that donât have a built in update mechanism (a security improvement) and the ability to âcleanâ uninstall apps including preferences, logs etc. files.
So is it still not recommended to use Homebrew cask? What considerations should I keep in mind? Maybe use Homebrew cask only for apps that donât have an update mechanism?
I am so new to the Mac that I donât even know how to install non-app store Mac apps. It doesnât sound like Windows where I have to click on the .exe, follow the menu, select a directory, and install it.
Are you saying once I download the app, letâs say to the desktop, I just drag the .DMG to the application folder (whatâs that) and then itâll work?
For privacy and security, I want to set up a Mac offline before connecting it to the internet. Should I have a USB drive with important apps on it and then install them, configure them, before connecting to the internet? I also donât want to use the App Store due to the required use of an Apple ID. Iâm ok with not using the advanced iCloud features, but can I still use Lockdown?
Iâm thinking Iâll need at least Bitwarden (how do I move my existing data from my online account to the USB drive so that I can import it after installation?), Firefox, and Brave (which version from GitHub), and Signal? I also want to get Little Snitch installed and set up before connecting to the internet.
Sorry, but I find these filenames and terminologies difficult to understand. I donât even know what GitHub is. Is this a new thing? I donât remember that was GitHub growing up in the 2000s and early 2010s.
Are you saying once I download the app, letâs say to the desktop, I just drag the .DMG to the application folder (whatâs that) and then itâll work?
Yes. that is the most basic and fundamental way of installing app on macOS.
(Although in most cases the dmg file will download to Downloads folder, not Desktop folder.)
You first download and open a .dmg file, which is a disk image (things like .iso file in Windows), and just drag and drop app file to your Applications folder (not the dmg file itself, but a content of dmg file), oftentimes the developer might even put an alias to application folder inside .dmg disk image so you can just drag and drop to that too. To delete app just drag app to Trash.
1 Like
for exporting bitwarden data look at their documentation
While you could use GitHub to download .dmg files or zip file that contain app file.
Sometimes they only upload source code, not app itself.
I would recommend just using their official websites for downloading apps
If you want or need to download mac apps from GitHub, click âReleasesâ section on the right, check latest version, which is usually on the top, click assets for various files for various plat forms, download .dmg .zip or .pkg file that contain keywords like âmacâ, âosxâ
1 Like
This is a big âo can of worms! My suggestion is do a search on YouTube for âmacos tipsâ, ânewbie macosâ or something to that affect. Trust me, youâll be glad you did. Watch the videos completely to get familiar on how to get around and operate the macos system. Once again, trust me, youâll really be glad you did. Stay away from github. If you donât know what it is and what to look for, youâll just get confused.
If youâre looking for apps (Firefox, Protonmail, etc.), go to the web site and look for download. Most of the apps will have a mac version along with a windows and maybe a linux version. The file is usually a dmg. Go to your download folder and double-click the dmg file. Youâll get a pop-up where youâll have to click and drag the program/app to the folder (left app to right folder). If you downloaded an app thatâs a pkg and not a dmg, double click it and it will extract a dmg or app file. If itâs an app file, you can drag it to applications and it will show up in the launchpad. If youâre lost, search and watch the videos on YouTube. Do a search for âinstall dmgâ or something similar.
In Bitwardin, log-in and go to settings. Click âvault optionsâ and then âexport vaultâ.
Once again, search YouTube for âmacos tipsâ, âhow to use a macâ and similar to learn how to work your mac. Youâll be extremely thankful. Most all of your questions will be best answered this way.
I know you mentioned not setting up an Apple ID/account. If you did, the apps downloaded through the apple store are sandboxed and auto update. Outside of the app store, theyâre usually not sandboxed.
Hope this helps! Time for me to get some sleep.
2 Likes
A .dmg is a disk image, you can think of it like a virtual flash drive. You mount it and the app is inside, then you drag the .app file to wherever you want, usually your Applications folder so it shows up with the rest of your apps but you can put it anywhere you want. IMO installing apps is much simpler on macOS than Windows.
1 Like
Why would I have to open a DMG file? I thought you said download it and then I click and drag it into the Application folder?
Hello sir, I mentioned GitHub because I thought this is the go-to place to download open source software these days. I canât remember where I got this info, but thereâs a tracker if I download directly from Firefox and Brave so thatâs why I asked which file to get from GitHub because it is confusing. Btw, I do have an M4 Mac Mini.
Iâm not looking to do anything complicated, but Iâm assuming I can place all those files on a flash drive and then install and configure them on it before connecting to the Internet? I donât know what format Bitwarden data is in, but once Bitwarden is installed, do I just import the data into it?
You can put them on a flash drive if you want but you canât really install or configure them, I donât really know what benefit that would have anyway.
Do you already use Bitwarden or are you coming from another password manager?
Iâm already using Bitwarden, but everything is stored online. I just want to do things a bit differently with the Mac Mini.
What do you mean I canât really install or configure them?
Like if you keep the app on a flash drive itâs still going to create files and run on your Mac anyway so I donât think thereâs even any benefit. I would just install Bitwarden normally and sync it up with your account.
I think you are somewhat misunderstanding me. I want the files on a flash drive so that theyâll always be there if I ever reformat the Mac. Perhaps itâs a difference of opinion, but I want the Mac with at least these apps set up before connecting to the internet. Regardless, how would I install these apps when setting up a new Mac? Just connect to the Internet after setting up to download them? Nope, Iâm not going to do that no matter what anyone else has to say unless the app canât be installed without an Internet connection.
I used a Mac for a long time and I always stuck with getting apps from the official Mac App Store. This definitely seemed like the safest choice.
That will guarantee that theyâre sandboxed at least.
If you get apps outside of the App Store, you can use apps like Apparency to check if they are sandboxed or not, especially if youâre not familiar with the terminal.
1 Like
Yeah Iâd avoid getting a third party app and just use Activity Monitor to check which apps are sandboxed if you donât want to use the Terminal.