Difference between library and library

Files which are specific to your user account and ones which apply to all accounts on the computer, including system-level ones.

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The Macintosh HD version is the actual computer Library. The Home folder version is specific to your account.

/System/Library is a good place to store fonts, screen savers, Dashboard widgets, and other things that all local users have access to. ~home/Library is for stuff that is for your own user account only (cache and preference files, widgets for your use only, etc).

Essentially none. There are three Library folders:

• Macintosh HD/System/Library/
• Macintosh HD/Library/
• Macintosh HD/Users/youruseraccount/Library/

The first belongs exclusively to the operating system and is accessible only to the root user; The second belongs to all users on the computer but is only accessible to the admin and root users; The third belongs to the specific user. It is accessible to the specific user and the root user.

Generally, you should never attempt to access the first Library unless you really know what you are doing and why you are doing it. Under most conditions you should have no reason to access the second level Library. You can access the Library folder in your user account, but there usually is no need to do so, and you should know what you are doing if you do access it.

Why did you give three ways to access the library and then dissuade people from using any of them?

Why did you give three ways to access the library and then dissuade people from using any of them?

Not to put words in Kappy's mouth, but messing with these libraries unless you know what you are doing, is a very quick way to disable your Mac, break an application, or mess up your user account.

Then again, the best way to learn something is to "Break It". Just know you can break it, have taken precautions, such as current backups, then have fun 🙂

I wanted to add a couple fonts to my font folder, so I did this by going to my home -> library -> fonts. Is this the best way to add fonts?

Hi bobbydigital80,

That's an OK way to add fonts if you want to keep them private to your user account only. No other users can access any fonts you put there.

Put them in /Library/Fonts for all users to be able to access them.