This Utility Makes Installing Mac Apps From the Internet a Lot Faster

I'm always looking for Mac apps that speed up repetitive tasks, and Rapidmg is my latest find. It's a neat macOS utility that speeds up the app install process for many programs outside the Mac App Store. While you can download and install apps via Homebrew for the fastest possible experience, plenty of apps are unavailable for install via the package manager. Instead, they're available for download via your favorite developers' websites, where you can download a DMG (Disk Image) file to install the app. Rapidmg automates the process of installing apps from DMG files and executes a bunch of actions that will save you a fair bit of time.

What's the deal with DMG files?

The Mac's DMG format is similar to the ISO format on Windows, which can be used to mount virtual volumes, clone entire discs, and much more. It's a common way to distribute Mac apps online. To you, opening a DMG file appears as if you're launching the app itself, because it uses the app's icon and name. Once you open a DMG file, you'll see a small window containing the app's icon, which you drag into the Applications folder on your Mac. The DMG format allows developers the ability to customize the size and background of this window, creating some unique install layouts. 

This Aymeric on Software blog post does a great job documenting the history of the DMG file, in case you want to learn more about it.

How Rapidmg speeds up the install workflow

Credit: Pranay Parab

Once you open a DMG file, it'll be mounted as a volume, and you'll see the installation pop-up. You drag the app's icon to the Application folder to complete the installation. This installs the app, but you still have two more things to do. You need to unmount the volume (right-click it on the desktop and click Eject), and delete the unwanted DMG file, which serves no purposes after an app is installed. Rapidmg can automate this entire process for you. 

Once Rapidmg opens a DMG file, it'll automatically move the app to your Mac's Applications folder, unmount the volume, and delete the DMG file (if you want it to). To use it, install Rapidmg, and then right-click any DMG file. Select Get Info and under Open with:, select Rapidmg. You may click Change All to make Rapidmg the default app for opening DMG files.

With this done, just double-click any DMG file and Rapidmg will handle the rest for you. To streamline the process, launch Rapidmg, then click the gear icon in the top-right corner to configure it. Select the drop-down menu next to After Expanding, and choose Delete the disk image to get rid of the install file.

That's all there is to it! Rapidmg is a free download via the Mac App Store and you can use it for free for one week. After that, you can pay $1 to unlock the app forever.

As always, you should be cautious when you download Mac apps from unknown developers. While macOS has security protections to keep you from launching suspicious apps, you should still only download apps from reputed developers to avoid accidentally installing malware. Using Rapidmg is safe and it doesn't make you more vulnerable to security threats, but keep your guard up when downloading any apps from the internet.

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