Installer (Mac OS X)
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| Installer | |
 |
|
 Installer 1.4.4 under Mac OS X |
|
| Developer: | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| Latest release: | 2.1.0 / October 31st, 2005 |
| OS: | Mac OS X |
| Use: | Package management system |
| License: | Proprietary |
| Website: | Apple.com |
Installer is an application included in Mac OS X (and in its progenitor OPENSTEP, and NEXTSTEP) which extracts and installs files out of .pkg packages. It was created by NeXT, and is now maintained by Apple Computer. Its purpose is to help software developers create uniform software installers.
Installer resides at /Applications/Utilities/Installer.app on Macintosh computers running Mac OS X, and launches when a package or metapackage file is opened. The installation process itself can vary substantially, as Installer allows developers to customize the information the user is presented with. For example, it can be made to display a custom welcome message, software license and readme. Installer also handles authentication, checks that packages are valid before installing them, and allows developers to run custom scripts at several points during the installation process.
There is also a command line version located at /usr/sbin/installer.
[edit] Icons
 Package icon. |
 Metapackage icon, contains one or more Packages. |
 PackageMaker is a tool that makes Packages. |
[edit] Documentation
- Release Notes for Installer
- Document describing software distribution using Installer
Applications
Address Book • Automator • Backup • Calculator • Chess • Dashboard • Dictionary • DVD Player • Finder • Front Row • Grapher • iCal • iChat • iSync • iTunes • Mail • Photo Booth • Preview • QuickTime Player • Safari • Sherlock • Stickies • TextEdit
Utilities
Activity Monitor • AirPort Admin Utility • Audio MIDI Setup • Bluetooth File Exchange • BOMArchiveHelper • Classic • ColorSync Utility • Console • Crash Reporter • DigitalColor Meter • Directory Access • DiskImageMounter • Disk Utility • Font Book • Grab • Help Viewer • Image Capture • Installer • Internet Connect • Keychain Access • Migration Assistant • NetInfo Manager • Network Utility • ODBC Administrator • Printer Setup Utility • Software Update • System Preferences • System Profiler • Terminal • Universal Access • VoiceOver • X11
Technology & User interface (future features italicized)
⌘ • ⌥ • Apple Advanced Typography • AppleScript • Aqua • ATSUI • Audio Units • Bonjour • Boot Camp • Carbon • Cocoa • ColorSync • Core Animation • Core Audio • Core Data • Core Foundation • Core Image • Core Video • CUPS • Darwin • Exposé • FileVault • Inkwell • icns • Keychain • Mach-O • OpenGL • plist • Quartz • QuickTime • Rosetta • Smart folder • Spaces • Spotlight • Time Machine • Uniform Type Identifier • Universal binary • WebKit • Xgrid • XNU
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