Prevent update failures due to moved Apple apps
Sep 20, '02 08:28:32AM
Contributed by: Anonymous
I like to keep my Applications folder nicely organised, but software updates go crazy if you move Apple apps. The 10.2.1 update reportedly kills mail.app if you've moved it. Here is a one off solution to avoid problems in the future:
- Create a new folder /Applications -> Apple Apps
- Select all your Apple apps, and command-option-drag them into that folder to create aliases.
- Use a third party utility such as SNAX or iChange X to make the original apps invisible, or use the command line:
% /Developer/Tools/SetFile -a V /path/to/file
Now anyone using your computer can move any 'application' wherever they want, because they will only be moving the alias, whilst the originals stay safely hidden in the same place.
[Editor's note: After getting burned by this in a couple of the earlier updates, I've decided I just don't touch the Apple apps. I move other stuff to larger volumes, but I leave Apple's stuff where it sits. This looks like a unique solution which I may experiment with just from a "visually clean" perspective.]
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