[Tennberg]

Hi everyone,

Is there a feature in OS X or an add-on that allows an administrator to fully remove an installed program? This would be similar to Windows' Add/Remove Programs control panel.

It would be nice, as an example, to cleanly remove the old version of a program before installing the new version (if an update wasn't available).

[eightoeight]

I would hope just dragging it to the trash would work...that's what I've been doing so far...now that I think about it...I'm not sure that would work. Crap.

[cpac]

For the most part, dragging applications to the trash is all you need to do.

If you're worried about it you can also do a quick finder search for all the files with that application's name in it and trash them - this will usually just turn up the preferences file, and maybe things in ~/Library/Application Support/ if there are any.

That's really all you need to do though...

[Earth Mk. II]

For most applications:

1) find the application. (usually in /Applications)

2) Move it to the trash.

3) there is no step 3.


If it's more complext than that, it should include an uninstaller.

[jfinete]

Windows uses an "Add/Remove Programs" feature becuase every program stores its configuration information into a central database, called the Windows Registry. When you install or deinstall software on Windows, "Add/Remove Programs" edits the Registry for you, since registry editing is too difficult for most users. The problem with the registry (besides it being a pain in the arse to use) is that if one program corrupts it, all your programs can be affected.

In MacOSX, each program stores its config info in its own files within the Library folders, which any user can find and modify or delete. It's not only more Mac-like (direct manipulation of files), it's also more UNIX-like this way (most files can be processed with command line tools).

[TheIceMan]

Originally posted by Tennberg:
Hi everyone,

Is there a feature in OS X or an add-on that allows an administrator to fully remove an installed program? This would be similar to Windows' Add/Remove Programs control panel.

It would be nice, as an example, to cleanly remove the old version of a program before installing the new version (if an update wasn't available).

Tennberg
I have been asking the same thing ever since switching last year. The answer, that I know of, is no. There is no program equivalent to Windows' Add/Remove Programs. People have told you that it's simple and just find this and find that. The truth is that some programs, like Norton Antivirus, are very hard to completely remove. I have tried to look for left over bits of the Norton program I deleted, but it is STILL there as hidden files.

Point is, I think you are wanting a simple click and the program is uninstalled. I too want this. Truth is, that is one feature in Windows that I really miss. For many OSX programs, you can simply drag the program and its preference files to the trash.

[Amorya]

You don't need to trash the preferences files. It's not like they're part of the app... they're fine to stay where they are in case you ever install the program again, so you'd still have your personalised settings.

They don't cause any conflicts, take under 3k of disk space - why on earth would you remove them?


No need to find this or that - to uninstall a program, just drag its icon into the trash. The only exception are programs that modify the system itself, like virus scanners - they have a more complex install 'cos they're messing around with the core system. They should have their own uninstaller.


Amorya

[Millennium]

Originally posted by Tennberg:
Hi everyone,

Is there a feature in OS X or an add-on that allows an administrator to fully remove an installed program? This would be similar to Windows' Add/Remove Programs control panel.

Generally, the method used to install a program will also work for uninstallation. Apps which were dragged onto the hard disk (most of them, nowadays) can be dragged off, and you're done. Likewise, many installer programs can be used to uninstall.

Unfortunately, Apple's own Installer technology does not have the ability to uninstall. Yet another reason it sucks.

It would be nice, as an example, to cleanly remove the old version of a program before installing the new version (if an update wasn't available).

There is no need to do this on the Mac. The main reason this would be necessary on Windows -Registry corruption- is not an issue on Macs, as there is no Registry to corrupt.

Preferences files are not deleted by any uninstallation method currently existing on the Mac. This is by design, since there is no automatic way a program can tell whether a user might want to keep those preferences. If you want to clean up stray Preferences files, use Aladdin's program Spring Cleaning (which, incidentally, also has some uninstall functionality).

[clebin]

I assume you're a new Mac owner. Well, congratulations... You're really not missing anything - installation and uninstallation on the Mac is just about the best thing since sliced bread.

Chris

[DeathMan]

You don't really think windows was really uninstalling anything do you?

[edddeduck]

Some installers you can hold down a modifier key (either apple or option) and the install button becomes an uninstall button I would presume you can do this with Norton Utils.

Cheers Edwin

[Tennberg]

clebin,

Actually, I've been using the Mac platform for at least 15 years. So, no, I am not a new user.

The reason I asked the question is that to "remove" a program in OS 9, you basically deleted the folder the program was in, and deleted anything the program installed from Control Panels, Extensions, and Preferences. And that was that.

However, with OS X, a program has a thousand more locations to install files, most beginning with "." so only a check from a terminal window and running "ls -la" will make them appear. I just wanted to be sure that if we push out an OS X image, and decide later on to remore a program and install a newer version of it, that we do so cleanly and completely.

[dreilly1]

Aren't OS X Apps really "Bundles", and are represented in the unix filesystem (as visible in the terminal) as a folder?

I was under the impression that trashing an App would effectively uninstall it, because for most normal apps, all of the things that used to be in the OS 9 system folder would be contained in the bundle, with the exception of the preferences.

Things like Anti-virus checkers and system updates could be different because they need to interact directly with the OS. In that case, the App ought to have an uninstaller.

As far as creating your own image goes, trashing the app and the preferences should be sufficient to get rid of the app permanently. Most proper Apps shouldn't leave hidden files that actually contain preference information (i.e. not temp files) lying around unless they really know what they're doing...

[wataru]

Originally posted by Millennium:
Unfortunately, Apple's own Installer technology does not have the ability to uninstall. Yet another reason it sucks.

You of all people should know that there is a very good reason why it doesn't uninstall. Say you want to uninstall the 10.2.4 update... You want it to keep all of the stuff the 10.2.4 update replaced stored on your hard disk somewhere just in case you might happen to decide to uninstall? Dependencies, dependencies, dependencies.

[3.1416]

Originally posted by Tennberg:
However, with OS X, a program has a thousand more locations to install files, most beginning with "." so only a check from a terminal window and running "ls -la" will make them appear.

Huh? The large majority of OS X apps are self-contained application wrappers. Install by dragging them to your hard drive, uninstall by trashing them. The few programs that need to install critical pieces in other places should provide their own uninstallers.