[X4U] Folders At Root Level Of Boot-up Drive

[Randy B.Singer]

revDAVE said:

>Just checking - Is there any reason not to create Folders at the root level
>of the boot-up drive on OSX panther or Tiger ( ... at the same level as the
>System or Library)?

In general, you can create files and folders anywhere you want to in the 
Mac OS, but it is a good idea not to put things in folders full of stuff 
used exclusively by the OS.  (e.g. don't put stuff in the System Folder, 
or in the Library, etc.  It probably wouldn't hurt anything, but it isn't 
a good place to put stuff that doesn't belong there either.)

The are a couple of minor exceptions.

Any application that comes from Apple itself (e.g. Safari, Mail, iTunes, 
etc.) can be put anywhere, but they are best kept in the Applications 
folder, exactly where their installer put them.  If you move an Apple 
application out of the Applications folder, then the Apple Software 
Update program won't be able to find it to update it.

If you put an application somewhere other than in the Applications 
folder, you won't be able to access Services (in the application menu) 
from that application.  (On the other hand, if your application is a 
Carbon, rather than a Cocoa application, it is unlikely that it will be 
able to utilize Services in any case.)

Is in illegal to create folders at the root level in Windows?

>Also - varied applications create file such as these at the root level - are
>they safe to delete?
>
>FontDoctor Report 
> Office 2004 11.1.0 Update Log
> BundleDebug.txt 
> Installer Log File
> FileMaker Updater Log File
> MAU 1.1.2 Update Log
> InterLok Support READ ME.pdf
> InterLok Support Install Log

You can throw out any files generated by installers that you care to, 
assuming that they aren't a file that the application requires to be able 
to run.  Fortunately, files that an application requires to run are 
rarely, if ever, installed at the root level.

Install logs or update logs tell you what has been installed by an 
installer.  A "read me", "txt", or PDF file with the name of a recently 
installed application in its name is usually documentation that comes 
with a newly installed program.  You don't need these if you don't want 
to keep them.




Randy B. Singer
Co-Author of: The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th and 6th editions)

"Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?" 
     - Bumper Sticker