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Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

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11–20 of 82 posts

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#11

Can you be more specific about which platform you're talking about? On a Mac, I've never wanted an application to go anywhere but the default /Applications. I don't ever recall being asked if I want another location, nor would I want to be. Is it different on Windows or Linux? And why would you want a different install location?

The main reason is wanting it on a second drive.

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#12

Can you be more specific about which platform you're talking about? On a Mac, I've never wanted an application to go anywhere but the default /Applications. I don't ever recall being asked if I want another location, nor would I want to be. Is it different on Windows or Linux? And why would you want a different install location?

And the stuff in "~/Library/Application Support/" and/or "/Library/Application Support" . It's a well-defined place.

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#13

The most annoying instance of this is installers in Windows that just assume you want to go into `C:/Program Files`, which nowadays requires admin to be modified This is very annoying on company machines where you may not have admin, since now there's red tape with your IT because the installer was poorly written. Half the reason I use the WSL is because you at least get "root" on it, so permissions are never an issu…

The other choice that some developers decide upon for 'convenience' is within appdata, so admin isn't as much of an issue if at all.

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#14

Can you be more specific about which platform you're talking about? On a Mac, I've never wanted an application to go anywhere but the default /Applications. I don't ever recall being asked if I want another location, nor would I want to be. Is it different on Windows or Linux? And why would you want a different install location?

The OP is probably talking about Windows.

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#15

Can you be more specific about which platform you're talking about? On a Mac, I've never wanted an application to go anywhere but the default /Applications. I don't ever recall being asked if I want another location, nor would I want to be. Is it different on Windows or Linux? And why would you want a different install location?

Not the OP, but I do sometimes install macOS applications to ~/Applications. This is especially useful at work where /Application requires elevated permissions. I used to have to request admin rights for a period of time every time VS Code needed do something. In ~/Applications, that’s not an issue.

Of course, 90% of macOS apps (outside of the App Store) don’t have installers. You just drag the app where you want it, so it’s a moot point.

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#16
post #2

More options, more mess. The user will always do something funky, then don't remember about it and then complain to the software publisher that it's not working correctly

Not really, the common pattern is to use a well known default and then allow advanced users to modify their install location. Installation location has been a choice for well over 30 years now and a lot of the initial problems ironed out.

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#19

The most annoying instance of this is installers in Windows that just assume you want to go into `C:/Program Files`, which nowadays requires admin to be modified This is very annoying on company machines where you may not have admin, since now there's red tape with your IT because the installer was poorly written. Half the reason I use the WSL is because you at least get "root" on it, so permissions are never an issu…

Assuming C:/Program Files is a bug and you should notify the developers.

The installer should ask the user if they are installing for just themselves or for everybody on the machine.

If it's the former, the installation is typically somewhere under %HOMEPATH% (probably in %LOCALAPPDATA%), the latter will put it in %ProgramFiles%.

Re: Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?

#20

The most annoying instance of this is installers in Windows that just assume you want to go into `C:/Program Files`, which nowadays requires admin to be modified This is very annoying on company machines where you may not have admin, since now there's red tape with your IT because the installer was poorly written. Half the reason I use the WSL is because you at least get "root" on it, so permissions are never an issu…

There’s an argument to be made that this is by design/edict. The company does NOT want you installing random crap on their machines.

In a Windows environment this can be managed with AppLocker, or an endpoint management solution, or 3rd-Party tool like Threatlocker.

It becomes less about controlling the users and more about stopping any bad guy dead in their tracks. If nothing but what has been implicitly authorized can execute, then 99% of ransomware attacks will be stopped immediately even after the user clicks the link.

Your company software procurement process shouldn’t be so onerous that people turn to Shadow IT. You have to work with people where they are.

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