Downloading Iso Files (Programmes) and Using them

1. Iso Image Files

Ne0the1 wrote:

I have downloaded some Iso files which are intended to be programmes

No. An .iso is a raw disc image, not a programme. It may, however, contain programmes, just like the disc it images.

Ne0the1 wrote:

I thought an ISO was just a disc image

Correct.

Ne0the1 wrote:

once the contents were burnt to a disc they would play as intended

Correct, as long as the file system is compatible. Moreover, it's not necessary to burn an .iso file to CD. It can be mounted under Mac OS X as virtual disc, using DiskImageMounter (which is the default), again, as long as the file system is recognised by the operating system.

Shootist007 wrote:

ISO files are for Windows and will not run on any Mac running just OS X.

Incorrect; .iso disc images can be mounted under Mac OS X without any additional software. The application DiskImageMounter is part of the Mac OS X core services. Moreover, .iso images can be created and manipulated with hdiutil, Mac OS X's disk image utility. From its manpage:

Raw disk images from other operating systems (e.g. .iso files) will be recognized as disk images and can be attached and mounted if OS X recognizes the filesystems.

Shootist007 wrote:

All Mac programs are compressed as DMG files.

Incorrect. Mac OS X programmes may be distributed in a variety of formats. A .dmg (Mac disk image, which may or may not be compressed) is one of them. They can also be distributed in various archive formats, such as zip, gz, tar, sit (obsolescent), and, of course, pkg (based on xar), which is used mostly by Apple.

Shootist007 wrote:

to my knowledge OS X can not create ISO files

Incorrect. See above.

eww wrote:

Mac software is seldom or never distributed as .iso files.

Correct.

2. AutoRun

Ne0the1 wrote:

When clicking on the cd icon mounted on the desktop, it just displays the contents of the CD and does not launch the programme.

You're thinking in terms of Windows and AutoRun. This does not exist under Mac OS X, because it's a significant security risk (in fact, it's being restricted under recent versions of Windows). There are some automatic actions (configurable in System Preferences > CDs & DVDs) which can be performed by the system, but no equivalent of AutoRun.

If you want to run software on the CD or disc image, you need to interact with it (eg, double-click) yourself. If the CD was intended to run software automatically, then it must have been designed for Windows, not Mac OS X. If you require more information, you need to give us details about the contents of the respective CD.

In all likelihood they are programs designed to run in the Windows operating system, and won't run in the Mac OS. Mac software is seldom or never distributed as .iso files.

ISO files are for Windows and will not run on any Mac running just OS X.

All Mac programs are compressed as DMG files.

Yes positive. As there are NO Mac OS X programs distributed in ISO format.

to my knowledge OS X can not create ISO files. When make an image in OS X it creates (DOT).DMG files.

Read my edit above.