Burning DMG disc images

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-07 10:50am

I've downloaded an update from the Apple site for a friend and need to get it onto her Mac. Problem is, it's a *.dmg and I don't know what would be the best way to transfer it. If I just copy the raw dmg file to an USB stick, will the Mac automount it? Or do I need burn it to a CD as an image (ie, so the files inside the dmg are unpacked on the disc)? If so, can I do this with Ubuntu?

Or since I can mount the image on Linux, should I just copy the files inside the DMG to a CD or stick?

Normally I'd just experiment but this time I need to get it right in one go. Help?

Xisiqomelir · Post by **Xisiqomelir** » 2007-11-07 11:16am

Bounty wrote:If I just copy the raw dmg file to an USB stick, will the Mac automount it?

She'll have to double-click, but that's almost as good.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » 2007-11-07 02:46pm

Transmac is a pc program that will let you burn dmg's to disc. otherwise your friend can just mount the dmg as noted above

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2007-11-07 03:05pm

Bounty wrote:I've downloaded an update from the Apple site for a friend and need to get it onto her Mac. Problem is, it's a *.dmg and I don't know what would be the best way to transfer it. If I just copy the raw dmg file to an USB stick, will the Mac automount it? Or do I need burn it to a CD as an image (ie, so the files inside the dmg are unpacked on the disc)? If so, can I do this with Ubuntu?

Or since I can mount the image on Linux, should I just copy the files inside the DMG to a CD or stick?

Normally I'd just experiment but this time I need to get it right in one go. Help?

The Mac will mount it when you double click on the DMG file.

Additionally, you could use the Mac's Disk Utility to burn it to a disk, but that's not really needed. The vast majority of Mac apps on the internet come as DMG files.

Double click the file, and a mounted drive will appear on the desktop.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-07 03:07pm

What an odd way of distributing data. Does dmg have compression or is it just a handy container?

Xisiqomelir · Post by **Xisiqomelir** » 2007-11-07 03:16pm

Bounty wrote:What an odd way of distributing data. Does dmg have compression or is it just a handy container?

Compression and encryption.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-07 05:08pm

Odd? It's an archive format that mounts as a disk. Hardly the stuff legends are made of.

Burning a dmg as an image is a really wierd idea, unless it's a really big one. I mean, using a 7000MB CD to burn a 15MB dmg?

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-07 05:15pm

Stark wrote:Odd? It's an archive format that mounts as a disk. Hardly the stuff legends are made of.

Burning a dmg as an image is a really wierd idea, unless it's a really big one. I mean, using a 7000MB CD to burn a 15MB dmg?

That's be like Windows programs being downloadable as an iso...

And if I ask stupid questions it's because I know diddely-shit about Macs. For all I know they run on the sacrifice of virgin gerbils or something.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-07 05:19pm

Windows programs aren't downloadable as isos because you'd STILL need to run an installer, so there's no point to giving people an iso with the full functioning software on it. Mac software is usually totally portable, so you mount the image and a) run the software or b) drag it to applications to 'install' it. Some indy Windows software is distributed as archives that you have to extract, then run an installer, THEN use, so avoiding the (buggy, largely useless) installer step is a good thing.

But then I learnt the Mac basics on a friend's Mac with him looking over my shoulder, so I got the easy version.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2007-11-07 05:22pm

Bounty wrote:
Stark wrote:Odd? It's an archive format that mounts as a disk. Hardly the stuff legends are made of.
That's be like Windows programs being downloadable as an iso...

Not quite; it's compressed, so it's also sort of like a zip file.

Regardless though, if Windows could open ISOs with a double click, and you could run most applications by dragging and dropping them into a folder without running an installer, then that wouldn't be a bad idea at all. But the OS doesn't natively support it.

And if I ask stupid questions it's because I know diddely-shit about Macs. For all I know they run on the sacrifice of virgin gerbils or something.

He's on to us!

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2007-11-07 05:24pm

Bounty wrote:That's be like Windows programs being downloadable as an iso...

MacOS has an interesting features called an application bundle. Essentially, a bundle is a folder that contains pretty much everything an application needs to run but acts like a single file to the user. Standard archive formats will not properly handle bundles, IIRC.

A nifty side-effect of the bundle is that you generally don't need to run an installer, you just drag the application from the mounted DMG into the Applications folder.

And if I ask stupid questions it's because I know diddely-shit about Macs. For all I know they run on the sacrifice of virgin gerbils or something.

Modern Macs run on standard Intel hardware.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-07 05:24pm

But then I learnt the Mac basics on a friend's Mac with him looking over my shoulder, so I got the easy version.

I have to troubleshoot Macs without owning one or ever having done more on one than move the mouse around a bit. Cut me some slack, please, I'm flying by the seat of my pants here.

ETA: that application bundle sounds pretty nifty. So that's why she installed everything on her desktop...

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2007-11-07 06:31pm

Bounty wrote:
ETA: that application bundle sounds pretty nifty. So that's why she installed everything on her desktop...

Yeah, the downside is that a lot of users don't understand the concept of putting apps in the Applications folder and just put them on the desktop or something. They'll run fine, and the user doesn't really know the difference between an app or a shortcut.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-08 05:05am

Praxis wrote:
Bounty wrote:
ETA: that application bundle sounds pretty nifty. So that's why she installed everything on her desktop...
Yeah, the downside is that a lot of users don't understand the concept of putting apps in the Applications folder and just put them on the desktop or something. They'll run fine, and the user doesn't really know the difference between an app or a shortcut.

If I get the chance, should I move them to App. folder? Is it just a drag 'n' drop thing, or would that break the applications themselves? And can you leave shortcuts to the apps on the desktop easily?

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-08 06:30am

Bounty, that's the whole point of the bundles: they're TOTALLY SELF CONTAINED. Move them whereever, they'll work. They're actually a folder containing all the resources the app needs, so you can use them from anywhere - or delete them, and they're all gone: no uninstall needed.

Some apps do still need regular-type 'installers', though, but they usually put themselves nicely in the applications folder and can stil be killed with a regualr delete operation. The applications area in finder is just for tidiness really.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-08 06:53am

Bounty, that's the whole point of the bundles: they're TOTALLY SELF CONTAINED.

Virgin gerbils. For all I knew moving them could break the laws of spacetime.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-08 06:54am

Oh, it'll take a long time to lose the 'is it just a shortcut' reaction.

When I mount an install, I drag the bundle right into applications so I can pretend it's normal.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2007-11-08 06:54am

Stark wrote:Windows programs aren't downloadable as isos because you'd STILL need to run an installer, so there's no point to giving people an iso with the full functioning software on it.

Lots of Microsoft stuff is downloadable in iso format right form microsoft.com and a heck of a lot more of it is avaliavle via msdn subscription services.

But you are correct for general software.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-08 06:58am

Yah, I thought the MSDN stuff was iso's largely for ease of distribution (since many people burn them straight to disks) rather than as part of the standard distro mechanism?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2007-11-08 02:01pm

Stark wrote:Yah, I thought the MSDN stuff was iso's largely for ease of distribution (since many people burn them straight to disks) rather than as part of the standard distro mechanism?

Yes, or so you can mount it as a virtual disk and then install it. It's not really designed to be like a DMG.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2007-11-09 02:22am

Bounty wrote:
Praxis wrote:
Bounty wrote:
ETA: that application bundle sounds pretty nifty. So that's why she installed everything on her desktop...
Yeah, the downside is that a lot of users don't understand the concept of putting apps in the Applications folder and just put them on the desktop or something. They'll run fine, and the user doesn't really know the difference between an app or a shortcut.
If I get the chance, should I move them to App. folder? Is it just a drag 'n' drop thing, or would that break the applications themselves? And can you leave shortcuts to the apps on the desktop easily?

If she has any weird setups with shortcuts it might break the shortcuts. Apps should work fine though.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-09 03:39am

Well, the install worked. I didn't move the applications as she likes them on the desktop for some reason.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2007-11-09 04:58pm

Bounty wrote:Well, the install worked. I didn't move the applications as she likes them on the desktop for some reason.

If she didn't know the difference, personally I would throw the apps in the Applications folder and then put shortcuts to them on the desktop. She'd probably never even realize they had been moved

But probably best not to mess with her setup, I guess.

Glad it worked.

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Burning DMG disc images

Burning DMG disc images

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