Cutomize Apple Menu MacOS 8 / 9?

macinbot

macinbot

6502
I want to launch programs from the Apple menu.

Got to playing around in an emulator after a thread elsewhere got me nostalgic for old graphic design programs and I want to add them to the Apple menu to launch them.

I know that the Apple Menu Items folder allows me to organize the Apple Menu in some capacity.

What are the tricks for adding separators, grouping programs and folders, and setting the order of what's show in the menu?

I used to know this stuff in the way back, but can't figure it now.
 
There did used to be tools... Possibly more back in the System 6 era but I think some might have carried over. I'll leave someone else with a better memory to directly answer your question.

Generally I just either used folders and picked numbers or symbols as the first character to order them, but truthfully - I only put a small number of things in the apple menu. Having it as the primary place to get applications feels like you're trying to recreate the Start Menu? I once saw a Mac where someone had put their entire hard disk in the Apple Menu. Feels like navigating your hard disk through a keyhole.

I'm not personally a fan, but have you considered the Launcher?

Personally I put a folder on my desktop with Aliases to applications, plus a few common things like a Stuffit Expander alias on my desktop so I can drag files onto it.
 
I know that this is a bit controversial but I wish that there was a an extension for Finder that gave it a Finder similar to MacOS X. Double clicking on a folder shouldn't open a new window, and column view would be nice too. I suspect that the reason this doesn't exist (except as a separate, standalone, application) is that it would be too hard to implement. Interleaving windows would be great too. And… actually, that's about it. That would make vintage MacOS very usable - and I've been using the hell out of my SE and my LC475 recently as I write a game. What? You say why don't I use my modern Mac to write it and cross compile? Don't wanna.
 
VMSZealot said:
I know that this is a bit controversial but I wish that there was a an extension for Finder that gave it a Finder similar to MacOS X. Double clicking on a folder shouldn't open a new window, and column view would be nice too. I suspect that the reason this doesn't exist (except as a separate, standalone, application) is that it would be too hard to implement. Interleaving windows would be great too. And… actually, that's about it. That would make vintage MacOS very usable - and I've been using the hell out of my SE and my LC475 recently as I write a game. What? You say why don't I use my modern Mac to write it and cross compile? Don't wanna.
Click to expand...
I just hold my finger on option to close the previous window. Realise it is an extra action, but my hand is generally on the modifier keys anyway.
 
VMSZealot said:
I know that this is a bit controversial but I wish that there was a an extension for Finder that gave it a Finder similar to MacOS X. Double clicking on a folder shouldn't open a new window, and column view would be nice too. I suspect that the reason this doesn't exist (except as a separate, standalone, application) is that it would be too hard to implement. Interleaving windows would be great too. And… actually, that's about it. That would make vintage MacOS very usable - and I've been using the hell out of my SE and my LC475 recently as I write a game. What? You say why don't I use my modern Mac to write it and cross compile? Don't wanna.
Click to expand...
While on the topic of how phipli navigates the Finder - I also navigate with the keyboard a lot, mainly by cmd+up and CMD+down. If you're not aware, cmd+up will go to the parent folder even if it is closed, so if you navigate using cmd+opt+up/down, it gives a fairly OSX like experience... If from the keyboard.

There is also the whole "cmd+click" on the folder name for a popup menu of the parent directories.
 
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