sfalken@caen.engin.umich.edu (Steve Falkenburg) (02/27/91)
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 A while ago, there was a thread here on writing background-only apps. On a related note, does anyone know what the story is behind the "Background Folder" ? If you create a folder named "Background Folder" inside the System Folder under System 6, Finder will run the _first_ app out of this folder. In other words, you can take the Backgrounder application, put it inside the Background Folder, and it will run. As I mentioned above, only the _first_ application from this folder is run. I solved this problem by writing an app (background only, of course) to launch all other apps inside this folder. This seems to be a good way to get quite a few things going automatically, without messing with "Set Startup..." in the Finder. I don't remember where/how I discovered this, so I guess the first question is... Is this officially/unoficially supported? If so, where is it mentioned. If not, why not? And, if it is supported, why launch only the _first_ application and not all of them? Enough questions. Anyone have any answers? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Falkenburg (sfalken@mondo.engin.umich.edu) | Great pate', but Macintosh Programming/Support | I've gotta motor! Computer Aided Engineering Network, U of Michigan | -Heathers
francis@uchicago.edu (Francis Stracke) (02/27/91)
In article <1991Feb27.004643.14212@engin.umich.edu> sfalken@caen.engin.umich.edu (Steve Falkenburg) writes: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 Is there a point to this line? "Background Folder" ? If you create a folder named "Background Folder" inside the System Folder under System 6, Finder will run the _first_ app out of this folder. In other words, you can take the Backgrounder application, put it inside the Background Folder, and it will run. As I mentioned above, only the _first_ application from this folder is run. I solved this problem by writing an app (background only, of course) to launch all other apps inside this folder. This seems to be a good way to get quite a few things going automatically, without messing with "Set Startup..." in the Finder. So what's wrong with "Set Startup..."? -- /=============================================================================\ | Francis Stracke | My opinions are my own. I don't steal them.| | Department of Mathematics |=============================================| | University of Chicago | Until you stalk and overrun, | | francis@zaphod.uchicago.edu | you can't devour anyone. -- Hobbes | \=============================================================================/
sfalken@caen.engin.umich.edu (Steve Falkenburg) (02/27/91)
In article <FRANCIS.91Feb26205034@arthur.uchicago.edu>, francis@uchicago.edu (Francis Stracke) writes: > > In article <1991Feb27.004643.14212@engin.umich.edu> sfalken@caen.engin.umich.edu (Steve Falkenburg) writes: > > 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 > > Is there a point to this line? No, there isn't. > > "Background Folder" ? If you create a folder named "Background > Folder" inside the System Folder under System 6, Finder will run the > _first_ app out of this folder. In other words, you can take the > Backgrounder application, put it inside the Background Folder, and > it will run. > > As I mentioned above, only the _first_ application from this folder > is run. I solved this problem by writing an app (background only, > of course) to launch all other apps inside this folder. This > seems to be a good way to get quite a few things going automatically, > without messing with "Set Startup..." in the Finder. > > So what's wrong with "Set Startup..."? > In the case of a public-lab environment (I support public labs, incedently), "Set Startup..." can be changed easily and frequently by users-- especially those switching between Finder and MultiFinder. This Background Folder mechanism keeps the background apps in the startup list, even when "Set Startup..." is changed. Just think of the hassle there would be if you had to make sure Backgrounder was selected each time you went to the "Set Startup..." menu. BTW: I'm talking about putting faceless background apps in this folder (network daemons/security software/etc...) not applications like Microsoft Word... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Falkenburg (sfalken@mondo.engin.umich.edu) | Great pate', but Macintosh Programming/Support | I've gotta motor! Computer Aided Engineering Network, U of Michigan | -Heathers