[MAC365]

G4 PowerMac - Panther

Is it normal with Panther for files to be copied (green + symbol appears) when they are simply dragged from the desktop to a folder on the hard drive other than my home folder. I am used to Jaguar on my ibook and files are just moved and not copied when dragged anywhere else on the same drive.

I only have one drive and one partition. I do not like it doing this as I then have to delete one of the files such as when I download a program and want to move it to the application folder. Is there a difference between jaguar and panther and is there a setting to alter the behavior ?

[Boondoggle]

That is not normal behavior. Are you sure you're not holding down the option button? Or mabye you've got your mouse set up for option-click on one of the buttons?

[wataru]

Copying isn't destructive, so that's the default behavior when you can't write to the starting directory. Check to make sure you have write permissions for the folder you're dragging things from.

[MAC365]

"That is not normal behavior. Are you sure you're not holding down the option button? Or mabye you've got your mouse set up for option-click on one of the buttons?"




Thanks for confirming it was abnormal behaviour; I didn't think so.

Firstly, is 'option-click' the same as 'alt-click' as I cannot see an 'option' key. I'm assuming it is.

How do I turn option-click off. I cannot find any settings for this in the mouse panel of system preferences of the G4?

I have tried turning 'option-click' on on my ibook G3 (this has a logitech mouse and can alter mouse click behavior in a number of ways - and it then copies files (shows a green +) when the file is clicked and dragged somewhere in a window. However it copies (duplicates) them in the same window (folder) as well as other folders which is a different behavior than on the G4 mac which only copies the file when dragged to another folder and only shows the green + when the file is dragged over an icon and not generally in that window. I hope that makes sense !

I shall try the logitech mouse on the G4 next to see if the behavior changes with this mouse.








"Copying isn't destructive, so that's the default behavior when you can't write to the starting directory. Check to make sure you have write permissions for the folder you're dragging things from."



I've looked at the permissions. Is it normal for my user folder to be 'owned' by the 'system'. In the 'info' box it says I have 'no access' and I cannot change the ownership on this either; it changes to system again. I have file vault turned on on the G4. My ibook G3 home folder is owned by 'me', like I would expect.

[Amorya]

Repair permissions - might work

[TETENAL]

Originally posted by MAC365:
Firstly, is 'option-click' the same as 'alt-click' as I cannot see an 'option' key. I'm assuming it is.

The option key is the key with this railway switch symbol: ⎇ It's called Option key because it usually invokes an optional behavior (though similar to the normal behavior). Like copying instead of moving. Or closing all windows instead of one etc.
For your information the other keys are called ⌘ Command key which is the modifier key for menu command shortcuts and ⌃ Control key.

How do I turn option-click off?

You can not "turn off" option-click. Option-click means clicking with the mouse while holding down the Option modifier key.

I shall try the logitech mouse on the G4 next to see if the behavior changes with this mouse.

Did you maybe install any third party mouse software? If so try to completely uninstall it using the installer application that came with mouse software and see if that fixes the problem.

[MAC365]

It was file vault afterall. I turned file vault off in the system prefs and all is normal now (my home folder is owned by me not the system and I did not have to alter it).

I don't have any stuff to keep secure anyhow

[TETENAL]

Ah ok. Technically FileVault is another volume and dragging between volumes defaults to copying.

[mdc]

Originally posted by MAC365:
I only have one drive and one partition. I do not like it doing this as I then have to delete one of the files such as when I download a program and want to move it to the application folder.

are you dragging the file out of a .dmg file that has been mounted on your desktop? if so you won't be able to move it, since the .dmg file is probably read only.

[MAC365]

"are you dragging the file out of a .dmg file that has been mounted on your desktop? if so you won't be able to move it, since the .dmg file is probably read only."

No the problem is due to the filevault encryption. Try turning it on and you will find if you have a normal folder on desktop it will be copied not moved when dragged to the hard drive icon. At least it does on mine. The filevault protected folder being a volume seems to explain it but I dont know why it becomes a volume and not just an 'encrypted' folder that behaves just like any other.

[TETENAL]

FileVault is little more than an encrypted sparse disk image, and disk images are mounted as volumes. This happens transparently to the user except for moving files as you did discover. This might be considered a bug.

Mac OS X doesn't feature encrypted folders.

[Boondoggle]

If you are copying items downloaded to your filevault home folder (desktop, etc) they will be copied if you want to move them outside of your home directory, to the Applications folder for example, since the filevault volume is another mounted volume on the filesystem just as if it was another drive. This is not a bug.

You should not be copying however when moving files within your home directory.

[JKT]

FWIW, when shifting files between two volumes, if you want to move the file rather than copy it, command-drag and drop the file.