Mac OS X Leopard - ARCAism

Folder Name Purpose
Extensions Extensions are items that add functions to the system. Extensions generally
enable specific hardware features. Warnings about not messing with
/System/Library/ items apply doubly here!
Favorites This is a carryover from older versions of OS X. I’ve yet to find a single use for
it in Leopard.
Filesystems Leopard has an architecture that allows file system plug-ins. The items in the
Filesystems folder provide Leopard with the ability to read and write to
various file system formats.
Filters Contains Quartz filters. These filters provide various means of manipulating
an image’s appearance.
FontCollections Font Book allows you to group fonts into various “collections.” This data is
stored in the FontCollections folder.
Fonts These folders are where all your fonts are stored. /System/Library/Fonts/
stores all the primary system fonts that Leopard needs. /Library/Fonts/
contains most of the other fonts that you wish to make available to all users
and all applications. Any fonts stored in ~/Library/Fonts are available to
you, but not other users.
Frameworks Frameworks are the essential building blocks of most applications in
Leopard. Most applications rely on a number of native OS X frameworks in
/System/Library/Frameworks. Additionally, many third-party applications and
utilities will require additional frameworks that will be installed in
/Library/Frameworks.
Graphics Like the Audio folder, the Graphics folder contains Image Units and Quartz
plug-ins that provide additional graphics capabilities to many Quartzenabled
graphics apps.
Image Capture This folder contains plug-ins and support devices that allow for the
acquisition of images from external sources (scanners, digital cameras, etc.).
iMovie This folder contains iMovie plug-ins and sound effects.
CHAPTER 2 THE FILE SYSTEM 31
Internet Plug-Ins The Internet Plug-Ins folder contains the plug-ins for Safari and other
applications. These allow the browser to display specific types of content
inline, such as Flash, Java, and QuickTime.
iTunes This folder may contain iTunes plug-ins (such as visualizer plug-ins), audio
plug-ins, and other files, including iPod and iPhone updates.
Java The various Java folders contain the various core Java runtime libraries and
extensions.
Keychains The Keychains folder in ~/Library contains your keychains. These are the
system’s built-in technology for storing passwords and authentication
information. These files are highly encrypted. The way to open and manages
a keychain file is through the Keychain Access utility.
LaunchAgents This directory contains launchd files that cause applications or services to
activate when a user logs into the computer.
LaunchDaemons The contents here are similar to those in the LaunchAgents folder; however,
items in LaunchDaemons will activate when the system starts whether or not a
user logs in.
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