app bundles are a really beautiful mechanism though: Everything you need to run an application (all its resources, libraries, graphics, sounds, and everything else) is all bundled inside the app, including one or more executables, sometimes for multiple CPU architectures. And because they're actually directories, they're not suitable for sharing/emailing/downloading in that format, hence it may seem that they're the runt of the litter.
#CONVERT DMG TO PKG MAC INSTALL#
They just see shiny application icons that they install via the App Store and are none the wiser.
app files because most people don't even see the. On Windows, you would do this with Zip, on Linux with tar+gzip, and on the Mac, the most user-friendly way is the aforementioned. app bundles and handles them in a special way, by showing it as a single item that is an Application.app bundles aren't easy to download as-is, because they're directories with stuff inside them, so it all needs to be compressed/archived somehow. app files are actually not files, but a "bundle", which is just a directory with resources inside it that is treated in a special way. Disk image files are single, compressed files that is easy to download as-is, and therefore a useful mechanism to distribute applications. app Application and the instruction to drag it to the "Applications" folder. Usually it opens a window in the Finder with a. From a user's perspective, you double-click it, and it opens as a removable disk. pkgs also provide the system with a history of being installed and also what files have been installed and where. apps are easier to deploy and remove than. pkg can also install into areas of the system that are protected by the system. mpkgs and also can have pre-flight scripts and post flight scripts which can perform preliminary tasks and post-install tasks once the app has been installed.
Pkgs can contain multiple pkgs which are called. pkg file from a network path results in an error.įrom an admin's point of view. pkg file are required if you want to run the file from a UNC / network path. For example, Firefox can be run directly from the dmg once it is mounted.īoth can be stored inside a. app file is a self-contained application that can be run from anywhere and doesn't need installing.
#CONVERT DMG TO PKG MAC PASSWORD#
pkg file needs to be installed before it can be run which requires an admin password whereas a.