What applications are running?

[Gregg]

Ok, I have another simple question following my long delayed transition from OS9 to OSX. Maybe Dr. Mac covers this, but I haven't found it. Going from 9.2 all the way up to 10.5 is quite a jump. I didn't have years to adapt to new things in an incremental fashion. So, I'm bringing up something here that long time users of X might not even think about anymore, but it still bugs me.

Here goes... In OS9 and back as far as I go (to 7.1) there was a "Finder Menu" in the upper right hand corner. Its principal use was to switch between "running" applications. Even when no files were open, you could easily see that the application was still running, select it, and Quit.

No more! Now Spotlight occupies that corner of the Mac universe. So is the Dock the only way to "tell"? It's not very demonstrative. The behavior of an application's icon in the Dock is the same whether it's active or closed down.

I know that the active application (the one that's in front) has its own drop down menu, and you can Hide it, and hide the Finder to reveal whether another application is still running. That's more cumbersome than the old Finder menu was. Is there some other alternative, or something in the Dock that I'm not seeing??

Leopard 101 is still in session!

[dakota]

Just to the left of the Spotlight icon in the menubar  is the icon which tells you which app is active.  If you click on it, the menu will drop down showing which apps you can click on to open another app window.

[chriskleeman]

Uhh, I'm not sure if it's changed on Leopard, but in Tiger and Panther, there are little black triangles either underneath or to the side of the application icons on the dock, depending on where your dock is located. Mine's on the left side, so the the little black markers are on the left of the app icon when it's running on my machines... HTH,

Chris K

[Xairbusdriver]

For some reason many users never use one of the most useful app switching function built into the OS. Hold the command-key down and tap the tab key (don't hold the tab key down, but keep holding the command key). You will now see a list of all running apps. Tapping the tab key will now take you, sequentially, to each app, from left to right. Add the shift key, and you can go in the other direction. Stopping on any app's icon will bring that app "to the front." But when that app's icon is highlighted, at least the "Quit" command is available. Remember, you still have the command key down, so all you need to do is also press the "Q" key to Quit that app.

It's a simple but efficient, built-in "App Switcher" and it's free!

Of course, the Dock also shows what apps are running, if you make it visible.

Edited to fix all the stupid speling misteakz!

[chriskleeman]

Well, by gosh, I never used that one Jim, and just did it, and I that's much better than perusing the dock for the little black triangles!

Hence my signature below...

Chris K

[pendragon]

Without meaning to get too geeky, there are many applications that are running, but do not appear in the dock. For example, virus programs, Pith Helmet, Meteorologist, Spotlight, Little Snitch, and others that are running in the background.

To really know what is currently running, one must access Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.

[Gregg]

QUOTE(dakota @ Feb 6 2008, 04:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just to the left of the Spotlight icon in the menubar  is the icon which tells you which app is active.  If you click on it, the menu will drop down showing which apps you can click on to open another app window.

Not on this Mac. The time (and date, hidden) occupy that spot. None of the other icons up there reveal the running apps either. I looked real quick for the preference panel(?) that lets you customize the menu, but didn't see it. I'll take more time to look later.

QUOTE(chriskleeman @ Feb 6 2008, 04:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Uhh, I'm not sure if it's changed on Leopard, but in Tiger and Panther, there are little black triangles either underneath or to the side of the application icons on the dock, depending on where your dock is located.

Not on this Mac. My Dock is on the right side (yours being on the wrong side) and hidden unless I request its appearance. No little triangles anywhere.

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 6 2008, 04:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For some reason many users never use one of the most useful app switching function built into the OS. Hold the command-key down and tap the tab key (don't hold the tab key down, but keep holding the command key). You will now see a list of all running apps. Tapping the tab key will now take you, sequentially, to each app, from left to right. Add the shift key, and you can go in the other direction. Stopping on any app's icon will bring that app "to the front." But when that app's icon is highlighted, at least the "Quit" command is available. Remember, you still have the command key down, so all you need to do is also press the "Q" key to Quit that app.

That is cool! I'll have to remember that one.

QUOTE

Of course, the Dock also shows what apps are running, if you make it visible.

And how is that? My Dock doesn't show any difference in Icons of apps that are running vs. icons that I put there to have quick access to. Other than the latter, when an app is opened, its icon appears in the Dock and I recognize it as a "visitor" rather than a "resident" icon.

QUOTE(chriskleeman @ Feb 6 2008, 04:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, by gosh, I never used that one Jim, and just did it, and I that's much better than perusing the dock for the little black triangles!

That's why someone has to ask the basic questions around here.

QUOTE(pendragon @ Feb 6 2008, 06:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

To really know what is currently running, one must access Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.

Not sure I need to know that, but just how does one "access" Activity Monitor? Go there and double click the icon? Really, I just want to see the ones I have/had running on purpose.

[krissel]

Leopard does not have triangles to signify the active applications, it has a little light blue dot. By having it on the side and hidden, you won't see the dot. Also even if not hidden, you may have your monitor not properly set so the dot part may not be visible. I remember having to adjust my monitor cause I had the image a bit too large and the bottom of the dock did not show. Once I shrank the image I could see the triangles (in Tiger).

The Activity Monitor is in the Utilities folder. You can have a window open showing the apps running but I think that is overkill.

There are also third party apps that can give you a popout tab that will have running processes in it.

More on  the Dock:

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.a...59&seqNum=8

http://www.homotron.net/2007/12/change_leo...s_with_hid.html

[Gregg]

If the dot is on the right, yeah, it's not gonna be visible. Same thing if it's on the left when the Dock is on the left. Now, if that's the case, somebody screwed up. Should be left if on the right, right if on the left, top if on the bottom, bottom if on the top - can you put the Dock on the top???

Couldn't you "minimize" the Activity Monitor to the Dock? ...place it there as a "resident" icon???

With Jim's tip, I don't think I need a third party app.

I'll have to check out those links later...

:thanks:

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

can you put the Dock on the top?

Not in Leopard. And it required a third-party app even in Tiger.

QUOTE

if that's the case, somebody screwed up

Agreed, if you are not using an Apple monitor which should be setup to use the whole but not more than the whole screen. Or a somewhat out-of-'whack' monitor.

QUOTE

Couldn't you "minimize" the Activity Monitor to the Dock?

Not sure why not, clicking the yellow 'candy' dot does exactly that on my machine. But you can also drag any app's icon to the dock. That makes them "resident."

[Gregg]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 7 2008, 08:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But you can also drag any app's icon to the dock. That makes them "resident."

True. But my objective is to see whether a "resident" is running or idle.

[Mayo]

DragThing has an option for a "Process Dock" that shows only running apps. It is the dock that I use the most and I have it set-up as a "drawer" on the left side of the desktop.  Mouse over it and it slides out; move the cursor back to the desktop and only a minimal tab remains.  It can also be configured to reside on the desktop or to disappear completely until moused-over.

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

my objective is to see whether a "resident" is running or idle.

Well, the Dock is what most people use, if you can't see the tiny triangles below or beside the running apps, you neede to adjust your screen to fit inside the usable monitor. The only other way I know is the command-tab and the "Force Quit" method, however, neither of those will show the nonrunning but "resident" apps, since they don't display the Dock.

[Gregg]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 7 2008, 07:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

....neither of those will show the nonrunning but "resident" apps, since they don't display the Dock.

Ok. I know which apps "live" in the Dock.

I'd rather push the image to the limits than be able to see the little dots.

I think the Command+Tab thing is better anyway.

Just played with it a bit. It is indeed the case that when the Dock is on the left, the dots are on the left. I can see them. When the Dock is on the right, I can't see the dots, so they must be on the right. With the Dock on the bottom, you get the 3-D "shelf" and the dots are visible. I'm going to try it at the bottom (hidden) for awhile and see if I like it. There's more room for icons along the bottom, so maybe they won't get so tiny as fast.

[MamaMoose]

I troo use DragThing to show my open apps. They are in a drawer called Open Apps!!. Jim's (XABD) idea is also really nice. If you need to see everything running on your Mac follow pendragon's suggestion and open Apps>Utilities>Activity Monitor. It also a great deal of information such as what app is hogging the CPU, what app is stalling your system, etc. You canalsao "kill" any component showing in UM.

MamaMoose (hiding behind MaryJo)