Mac Help: Installing Adium for Monique

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SUMMARY

This discussion provides a step-by-step guide for installing the Adium instant messaging client on macOS. Adium is distributed as a .dmg file, which is a disc image format used on Mac systems. Users must mount the .dmg file, drag the Adium application icon to the Applications folder, and then dispose of the .dmg file. The process is straightforward, and the discussion emphasizes the importance of copying the application icon rather than the .dmg file itself.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of macOS file formats, specifically .dmg files
  • Familiarity with the macOS Applications folder
  • Basic knowledge of dragging and dropping files in macOS
  • Awareness of how to access the Dock for application shortcuts
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the differences between .dmg and .exe file formats
  • Learn about managing applications on macOS, including installation and uninstallation
  • Explore other instant messaging clients available for macOS
  • Investigate how to create shortcuts for applications in the macOS Dock
USEFUL FOR

Mac users, particularly those new to installing applications, as well as anyone interested in using Adium for instant messaging.

loseyourname
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I'm putting this here so I can use the tags.

Monique, I'm going to help you through a sample application install. In this case, I've downloaded the application "Adium," which is an IM client. Here is the desktop after I've done so:

[ATTACH=full]116167[/ATTACH]

The program has not installed to the desktop. What has happened is that mac applications download as .dmg files instead of .exe files, like in Windows. A .dmg is a disc image, pretty much an exact copy of the readable side of a CD-Rom. Once downloaded, the image mounts automatically and you get the virtual drive, which is pretty much the same thing as having a CD-Rom on your desktop.

I chose Adium because it actually gives you instructions on how to install. As you can see in the Adium window, all you have to do is copy the application icon from the virtual disc to wherever you want it to install, generally the applications folder. Here is my desktop with the applications folder open:

[ATTACH=full]116168[/ATTACH]

All you do is click and drag the icon (the duck, in this case) from the drive to the application folder, and the program is installed. After doing this, all you have to do is close the application folder, then click and drag the virtual disc and .dmg file to the trash. Here is my desktop with these two items in my trash:

[ATTACH=full]116169[/ATTACH]

And you're done. Simple as that. If you want to be able to open the application from your dock, then all you have to do is click and drag it from the application folder to the dock (the icon will still remain in the application folder as well).
 

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By the way, here is the desktop after I've opened the program, just to show you that the virtual drive won't come back.

Desk4.jpg


I think what you are doing is simply moving the .dmg file to your applications folder, instead of the application itself. The application itself is simply the application icon found inside of the virtual drive. Why don't you try installing Adium for practice? You can get it here:

www.adiumx.com
 

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