Mobile Mac Apps

January 1, 2006 7:18 PM

What apps are available for the Mac that can be run from a USB memory stick (aka portable applications)?

I have a suite of software and tools that I carry on a memory stick such as FTP apps, media players and converters and such.

Im after a similar set of applications that can be run from a USB stick from anyone mac, and not store any information/data on the Mac itself.

At very least an FTP app, and something for opening stuffit archives would be useful.

posted by lemonfridge to computers & internet (12 comments total)

Just about any Mac app can do this -- just copy the application on the drive and you're good to go. Unlike Windows, most apps don't need to be specially installed on the computer.

There are lots of FTP applications, so I won't try (others can perhaps suggest their favorites). You'd use StuffIt Expander for StuffIt archives.
posted by xil at 7:28 PM on January 1, 2006

Hmm...I'm not sure about storing no data on the Mac.

The mac will store everything in HD/~(user)/library/preferences

And that'll be the stuff you want to take with you!
posted by filmgeek at 7:36 PM on January 1, 2006

and stuffit needs an engine in some versions.

i'd copy packages over to the stick so you can install on the spot--too many osX apps need to write to preferences and libraries and stuff.
posted by amberglow at 8:11 PM on January 1, 2006

The mac will store everything in HD/~(user)/library/preferences

What do you mean "everything"? It will store preferences there, as the name suggests. What else?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 8:15 PM on January 1, 2006

interesting mac forums thread on this question.
posted by craniac at 9:11 PM on January 1, 2006

Well, if the poster's goal, Ambrose, is to carry say, firefox, his bookmarks will not travel.

plus, right in the post:
"and not store any information/data on the Mac itself."
posted by filmgeek at 10:05 PM on January 1, 2006

don't they have sticks that hold a lot now? maybe you could make a boot disk, with apps?
posted by amberglow at 11:49 PM on January 1, 2006

you'll be lucky to get a bootable tiger image that is smaller than a gig these days.
posted by machaus at 12:55 AM on January 2, 2006

One program:
Cross-Platform Portable Firefox

And a couple things you might want to try:

• Engadget: HOW-TO use an iPod as a bootable drive
• Store a user's Home folder on a USB drive

Neither are probably ideal for what you want to do, but they're interesting nonetheless.
posted by lhl at 3:33 AM on January 2, 2006

I actually thought that same thing at first, that all the apps I want could be run from the stick, but I realised that the preferences etc will be stored on the Mac.

Its a 1Gb stick, but has about 300Mb taken up already (Windows apps and a secure file vault).
posted by lemonfridge at 3:35 AM on January 2, 2006

Thanks for the cross platform FireFox! I had the original portable FireFox, but it was slow and Win only. With this and the Bookmarks sync Extension life should be sweet.

Any more thoughts on FTP and stuffit software?
posted by lemonfridge at 3:41 AM on January 2, 2006

check this out: TechTool Protege, a new Mac
OS X troubleshooting and diagnostic tool stored on a bootable 1GB Firewire-based flash drive. TechTool Protege is shipping now but will make its public debut at next week’s Macworld Expo in San Francisco. It costs $229.
posted by amberglow at 1:25 PM on January 7, 2006