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The thing I dont understand about OSX is the Finder situation. It's just awful. Installation is awful, finding applications is awful, navigating to the system f

The thing I dont understand about OSX is the Finder situation. It's just awful. Installation is awful, finding applications is awful, navigating to the system folders is awful. It's very much like Windows and it's pretending Desktop is the root folder and then hiding everything behind databases of My Documents. Dont make me jump through hoops to find computery stuff.

stuff4ben 7y ago
> Dont make me jump through hoops to find computery stuff. I'm curious what "computery" stuff you're looking for? If you're trying to modify stuff a "normal user" wouldn't touch, you'd be better off on the command line. Finder isn't meant for people who want to muck around with the system because everyday normal users shouldn't be messing with system files. Personally I hardly ever use Finder. Cmd+Space to launch apps and then I use those apps to manage their document types. I develop using VSCode and I'm on iTerm I'd say 75% time anyways.
- noisem4ker 7y ago
  I don't get why power users shouldn't be afforded the power of graphical file management. The command line is not an adequate substitute for quickly navigating and managing the filesystem to me.
  - read_if_gay_ 7y ago
    For managing files, the commandline is strictly more efficient than GUI if you ask me. For navigating: try ranger. https://github.com/ranger/ranger https://github.com/ranger/ranger
  - chipotle_coyote 7y ago
    Maybe I'm not a "power user," but I'm using the Finder for graphical file management roughly every day and it's just not a super big issue for me. These "Macs aren't for power users" threads always kind of fascinate me, because it's so clear how differently people define "power user," and at times it feels like a lot of people define it as "this system has defaults that I don't like" or, even more often around here, "If I ever feel like I have to touch my mouse the system is crap." Whereas for me, I want a launcher/workflow runner like Alfred, which very often is my "command line" for a lot of functionality. I can assign a keyboard shortcut to anything in any menu in any application at the system level. I can wrap Unix scripts in Automator actions and put them in the Service context menu, so I can highlight text in any application and run it through a filter with a single click. I drag the proxy document icon in the title bar of windows to perform actions on that file all the time. To me, these are totally "power user" things, while I've never once thought "man, if only I had a mouse-free tiling 'window' manager that just split the screen in multiple sections with no overlapping windows I would be so much more productive." Also, I'm typing this on a 2020 Macbook Air and it has a terrific keyboard. With the release of this 13" MacBook Pro, AFAIK this eliminates the butterfly keyswitch from their lineup.
  - afjl 7y ago
    I agree, and I think both options should always be available. to the user.
jkelleyrtp 7y ago
Shift-cmd-g, and you can put in any path you like, with autocomplete.
- evilduck 7y ago
  I live in the terminal and just `open .` when I need Finder for some reason (very rare for dev purposes).
  - skrtskrt 7y ago
    I've actually found `open` to be the most indispensable thing on MacOs. The Linux versions don't cut it (`xbg-open` or something?) it opens applications in the foreground of the shell process so it takes over the terminal you were working in, so you have to write aliases to background the process.
    - read_if_gay_ 7y ago
      You can write a script for that, something like `xdg-open $1 & disown` will cut it already. However managing the default applications on Linux is a ridiculous pain in the ass.
simongray 7y ago
> Dont make me jump through hoops to find computery stuff. Just press cmd+shift+period in the Finder to unhide all the hidden files and directories. You can also write `open /path/to/somewhere` from any location in your terminal window to open the Finder at that spot.
wffurr 7y ago
Seems really simple to open "Macintosh HD" in the Finder and find all the "computer-y stuff" I could want. I also added my homedir to the "favorites" list. There's also the very handy cmd-shift-g shortcut for "Go to folder" that autocompletes paths on tab (also under the Go menu which has a bunch of handy links, including Home, Computer, etc.).
C1sc0cat 7y ago
I would agree finder when compared to File explorer (and its Linux equivalent) or even file manger in windows 3.1 is the Mac OS's biggest weakness.
icedchai 7y ago
I usually navigate directories from the command line. If I want to do something that needs Finder (like drag and drop a file) I run an "open ." to pop a Finder window with the current directory.
molszanski 7y ago
CMD+up and you in `computery stuff`. Don't understand the problem

stuff4ben 7y ago

> Dont make me jump through hoops to find computery stuff. I'm curious what "computery" stuff you're looking for? If you're trying to modify stuff a "normal user" wouldn't touch, you'd be better off on the command line. Finder isn't meant for people who want to muck around with the system because everyday normal users shouldn't be messing with system files. Personally I hardly ever use Finder. Cmd+Space to launch apps and then I use those apps to manage their document types. I develop using VSCode and I'm on iTerm I'd say 75% time anyways.

noisem4ker 7y ago
I don't get why power users shouldn't be afforded the power of graphical file management. The command line is not an adequate substitute for quickly navigating and managing the filesystem to me.
- read_if_gay_ 7y ago
  For managing files, the commandline is strictly more efficient than GUI if you ask me. For navigating: try ranger. https://github.com/ranger/ranger https://github.com/ranger/ranger
- chipotle_coyote 7y ago
  Maybe I'm not a "power user," but I'm using the Finder for graphical file management roughly every day and it's just not a super big issue for me. These "Macs aren't for power users" threads always kind of fascinate me, because it's so clear how differently people define "power user," and at times it feels like a lot of people define it as "this system has defaults that I don't like" or, even more often around here, "If I ever feel like I have to touch my mouse the system is crap." Whereas for me, I want a launcher/workflow runner like Alfred, which very often is my "command line" for a lot of functionality. I can assign a keyboard shortcut to anything in any menu in any application at the system level. I can wrap Unix scripts in Automator actions and put them in the Service context menu, so I can highlight text in any application and run it through a filter with a single click. I drag the proxy document icon in the title bar of windows to perform actions on that file all the time. To me, these are totally "power user" things, while I've never once thought "man, if only I had a mouse-free tiling 'window' manager that just split the screen in multiple sections with no overlapping windows I would be so much more productive." Also, I'm typing this on a 2020 Macbook Air and it has a terrific keyboard. With the release of this 13" MacBook Pro, AFAIK this eliminates the butterfly keyswitch from their lineup.
- afjl 7y ago
  I agree, and I think both options should always be available. to the user.

jkelleyrtp 7y ago

Shift-cmd-g, and you can put in any path you like, with autocomplete.

evilduck 7y ago
I live in the terminal and just `open .` when I need Finder for some reason (very rare for dev purposes).
- skrtskrt 7y ago
  I've actually found `open` to be the most indispensable thing on MacOs. The Linux versions don't cut it (`xbg-open` or something?) it opens applications in the foreground of the shell process so it takes over the terminal you were working in, so you have to write aliases to background the process.
  - read_if_gay_ 7y ago
    You can write a script for that, something like `xdg-open $1 & disown` will cut it already. However managing the default applications on Linux is a ridiculous pain in the ass.

simongray 7y ago

> Dont make me jump through hoops to find computery stuff. Just press cmd+shift+period in the Finder to unhide all the hidden files and directories. You can also write `open /path/to/somewhere` from any location in your terminal window to open the Finder at that spot.

wffurr 7y ago

Seems really simple to open "Macintosh HD" in the Finder and find all the "computer-y stuff" I could want. I also added my homedir to the "favorites" list. There's also the very handy cmd-shift-g shortcut for "Go to folder" that autocompletes paths on tab (also under the Go menu which has a bunch of handy links, including Home, Computer, etc.).

C1sc0cat 7y ago

I would agree finder when compared to File explorer (and its Linux equivalent) or even file manger in windows 3.1 is the Mac OS's biggest weakness.

icedchai 7y ago

I usually navigate directories from the command line. If I want to do something that needs Finder (like drag and drop a file) I run an "open ." to pop a Finder window with the current directory.

molszanski 7y ago

CMD+up and you in `computery stuff`. Don't understand the problem