OSX install doldrums

September 22, 2007 6:02 AM

Trying to install assistive software (on ibook/OSX) for a student who really, really needs the app but it won't, like, INSTALL. We keep cycling through the install dialog box--destination, terms, etc.--and it keeps seeming to work, but there's nothing there at the end except the same "cardboard box" icon with .dmg When we click it, we start installing again. About every other time the "white external drive" icon will pop up on the desktop, but it's the same story when clicked.

The software is called "EaseReader" (aka "EasyReader"--they changed it at some point), sold by Dolphin. It's a special version sold by Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic to read their audio books. There's an elaborate registration process before the books can be used, but we're not even there yet, so I feel like it's a Mac installing issue. Help?

posted by mundy to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

While it doesn't have to be this way, I've seen some Mac installers that won't run if it's not being launched from an administrative account. They can and should just ask for admin user/pass if required, but not all developers are created equal.
posted by Steve3 at 6:06 AM on September 22, 2007

Are you checking for the app in /Applications when you are done with the install? By default, that's almost certainly where it is being installed to...

So, you double-click on the disk-image (the .dmg file you mention) then you double-click the installer, go through the install, and when it completes, open up /Applications in Finder (at the top of the screen, click Go, then click Applications) Look in there for the application.

Assuming it's there, you can then unmount the disk image (by dragging it from the Desktop to the trash) and then you can delete the .dmg file.
posted by namewithoutwords at 6:21 AM on September 22, 2007

I think namewithoutwords has you on the right path. After you finish the install do a find for the program itself. My guess, as well as namewithoutwords, is that you will find the "installed" copy in the applications folder.
posted by bkeene12 at 6:55 AM on September 22, 2007

Response by poster: Hi and thanks for the quick replies!

Unfortunately, nothing is showing up in the apps except the .dmg/install-it-all-over-again folder. I even moved it myself from the desktop to the apps folder and the same thing happened.

Would it be letting me get this far if I'm not in the admin account? I noticed there are two logins possible when the machine starts up...maybe the other account is admin?
posted by mundy at 7:03 AM on September 22, 2007

Have you tried using Pacifist to extract the .pkg from the .dmg?
posted by dereisbaer at 7:57 AM on September 22, 2007

Some programs install themselves to stupid places. Spotlight will find such offenders.
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 9:20 AM on September 22, 2007

Every once in a while there's a program that won't run properly from a .dmg, that needs for some weird reason to be dragged out and placed on the actual hard drive before being run. I haven't encountered an installer like that, but maybe this is the that one. Quit the installer, open the .dmg, drag all of its contents to the Desktop, run it again, cross fingers.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 9:41 AM on September 22, 2007

You can check if you're logged into an admin account like this:

Apple Menu>System Preferences>Accounts
posted by filmgeek at 3:23 PM on September 22, 2007

Is it possible it's an app for OS X 10.4+ and you're running 10.3.9-? Because I have this problem from time to time and it makes me FURIOUS but I don't have the hard drive space or RAM to upgrade the OS version.
posted by loiseau at 8:01 PM on September 22, 2007