Comment by Kovah

15 days ago

I really wish Apple would allow us to swap out the Finder with something else, so files open in that other app instead of the Finder. This works reasonable well on Windows, where I "replaced" the Explorer with Directory Opus.

8 comments

Kovah

Cockbrand 15 days ago

This used to be possible, I remember that I replaced Finder with some other app many years ago. I strongly assume that this doesn't work any more, though.

xp84 14 days ago
Yeah. Path Finder was a common power user tool.
I recall you used to be able to flip some bit somewhere to allow you to Quit the Finder, but I assume that's disappeared inside the encrypted and signed partition where Apple keeps all the things us stupid users shouldn't be allowed to touch.
But even then, you'd want more than just that, as when you tell the OS to "Reveal" a file or open a folder, that's the association I'd want to be able to change.
Honestly I'd really prefer the Windows XP File Explorer to the pile of crap the Finder has turned into.
- andrekandre 14 days ago
  
  > I recall you used to be able to flip some bit somewhere to allow you to Quit the Finder
  you can still do this with a hidden preference using command line:
  defaults write com.apple.finder QuitMenuItem -bool true; killall Finder
  [0] https://www.defaults-write.com/adding-quit-option-to-os-x-fi...
  > But even then, you'd want more than just that, as when you tell the OS to "Reveal" a file or open a folder, that's the association I'd want to be able to change.
  yep, that should just be a normal setting like default browser (one thing i like about linux nowadays)
  
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- Cockbrand 14 days ago
  
  Ah yes, thank you for reminding me - of course, it was Path Finder! You could even have it respond to "Reveal". Not sure any more if it was by renaming Path Finder to /Applications/Finder, or by changing its Bundle id to com.apple.finder, or some other trick.
  
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