GOAL: Replace OS X's Finder with the Terminal App.
RESULT: It works!
Read the rest of this article if you'd like to see how it works, and the implications - could someone write a replacement Finder??
Editor's caution: Although I believe the following does exactly what's been described, I have not tested this on my machine (and I don't think I will ;-). Experiment at your own risk
Here's what to do to replace your Finder with the terminal (or any other app):
- Log out
- Log in as root
- Create a back-up copy of the Application "Finder" in your /System/Library/CoreServices/ directory. I created mine in the Utilities folder. Make sure this is the application 'Finder', which is 6.9 MB, and not the Classic Application.
- Create a copy of the Terminal Application on your desktop.
- Rename it Finder.
- Drop the renamed app into /System/Library/CoreServices/.
- Log out
- Log back in normally.
Best of all, it stays launched. Try quiting it. The loginwindow process will relaunch, and treats it as the Finder. Since OS X does not rely on the Finder (read: It's not hard-coded), any application can act as your Finder, and be treated by the System as such.
THIS MEANS:
A third-party developer can write a COCOA finder, that works, and we can all use that.
So, there you go.
--
England Prevails
--
Jack Shedd

