Installing software on a Mac works differently than on Windows where the programs all install the same way. To install applications and programs on Mac there are various procedures depending on the type of program and the site from which it is downloaded.
A new Mac user, to whom the Apple Mac App store is presented, may ignore the fact that there are not all the applications on the store, he may be in doubt about what DMG files are and why you must always drag and drop the app icon after opening.
1) The Mac App Store
Recent versions of OS X have the Mac App Store, similar to the one for iPhone and iPad applications, which you just need to open to automatically search and install each program.
The programs installed from here are updated automatically, in the same way as on iPhone and iPad.
New applications can be purchased from the store using the same Apple ID .
Once you have purchased a program, it can also be installed on other Macs that are accessed with the same Apple ID.
The Mac App Store is therefore a great convenience, pity only that, like all Apple things, it has strict rules and does not include in its catalog many other programs that must be downloaded from other websites, as you do with a Windows PC.
Given the limits imposed by Apple to put a program in the Mac store, many developers, especially independent ones, prefer to distribute their applications outside the Mac App Store.
2) DMG files
If you download a Mac program from a site outside the Mac App Store, you will probably have to download a DMG file, which is comparable or a Windows ISO file.
The DMG is a disk image on which you just need to double click to "mount" it and extract the application from inside.
For example, if you want to install Google Chrome on your Mac, you can open the Google Chrome download web page, download the DMG file, double click on it.
The DMG file is mounted under Devices in the Finder .
The window with the application icon is basically just a Finder window (like an explorer) that contains the application file, a link to your computer's Applications folder and a background image that tells the user to drag and drop the icon.
To install the program, therefore, just drag the program icon into the Applications folder which is equivalent to copying the app from the DMG to the computer.
On Mac, therefore, the installation does not take place automatically because the DMG file is only a disk image without permission to install apps on the computer, which must be done manually by dragging the icon.
Once this is done it will be possible to run the new program from the Finder, from the Launchpad, from Spotlight, from the dock etc.
The first time you open a downloaded application, you must also agree to open the file in the warning window.
The DMG file, after installation, can be unmounted by clicking on the eject button in Devices in the Finder or by clicking on its icon on the desktop by holding down the Command key and selecting Remove.
You can then delete the DMG file by moving it to the Trash.
3) Application files
Some developers don't use DMG files and let the application download itself.
In this case, just drag and drop the application file from the download folder into the Applications folder or any other folder, without having to do anything else.
4) Archives
Some programs are distributed in archive files and what you download is a .tar.gz or .tbz file.
To extract an archive file, just click on it twice and use the Mac Archive utility that automatically extracts the contents of the archive in the folder.
The extracted one is the program that you can drag into the Applications folder as in step 3.
5) PKG installers
Some Mac programs like Microsoft Office have installers similar to those of Windows.
In these cases, download the DMG file first, open it and double-click the installer, which is a PKG file .
6) Gatekeeper (application protection)
When you download a program without using the Mac App Store, the application must be signed by an identified developer before it can work, at least by default.
This helps protect computers from malicious programs.
So if, trying to start a downloaded application, you see the warning "it is damaged and must not be opened" or "move to trash", the reason may be the lack of certification.
At this point, if you are a bit of an expert and you are sure that you have downloaded a good program, you can disable the protection of the Gatekeeper from the System Preferences.
Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen, then click on the System Preferences icon go to Security and Privacy, click on the padlock icon, put the password and activate the Allow applications downloaded from anywhere option.
This reduces the overall security of the computer, but you will have the freedom to install whatever you want.
Now you can install the top 100 Free Mac Applications on OSX
