Alternative to Finder?

[Ambrosia7177]

Hello. I am looking for an alternative to Finder.

In the past I used Pathfinder, but my license expired and it seems a little pricey.

The reason I need an alternative is that I completely disabled Spotlight because it was rumored to spy on you and send your search data back to Tim Cook at Apple.

I have zero tolerance for spying, and I need to be able to search my packed HDD in an effort to find an old/lost copy of the Mojave installer which is messing me up tonight!

Should I go buy a license of Pathfinder, or is there something better and more affordable out there?

Thanks.

 

[TiggrToo]

rumored to spy on you and send your search data back to Tim Cook at Apple.

There's your problem.

Quit taking rumor as gospel truth.

I find it fascinating that you claim to be a journalist, yet you take rumor at face value and don't question it.

I've not heard of this rumor - is like to see what the claim actually is. Apple take privacy VERY seriously.

Irony: trusting a third party app over Apple...

 

[Fishrrman]

Pathfinder 7 working great here with Mojave.
You can still download this if you know where to look.
There's a trick to "keeping it alive"...

 

[Apple_Robert]

Spotlight doesn’t spy on you. That is absurd. It is safe to use.

You should have zero tolerance for bogus information, which you seem to have embraced.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I use tools from https://objective-see.com to monitor my traffic between my Mac and ANY web site. Rumors are usually just that... rumors.

Most people today do most of their computing on the internet, not in their local file explorer. The money to be made spying on people is their shopping behavior and how they spend their money online.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Pathfinder 7 working great here with Mojave.
You can still download this if you know where to look.
There's a trick to "keeping it alive"...

I think I know the "trick" to keeping it alive, as when I first started out with Macs in 2008, Fidner sucked!!

And I was poor at the time - wait, I'm poor now too?! - and so I would "milk" my trial copy for a while bfore I broke down and bought it.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Spotlight doesn’t spy on you. That is absurd. It is safe to use.

You should have zero tolerance for bogus information, which you seem to have embraced.

Oh really?

Safari and Spotlight Can Send Data to Apple, Here's How to Turn it Off

Wikipedia: Spotlight (Privacy Concerns)

How to Disable Spotlight’s Web Searches on Mac, iPhone, and iPad

(the list goes on and on...)


I may not be as knowledgeable about Macs as several people here at macRumors, but privacy and security is my life passion!!

What is absurb is how naive people are about how dangerous technology has become.

Only fools trust "Big Tech", and there are certainly lots of people on MacRumors who fall into that trap.

Do what you want on your Macs and in your own life, but my privacy and security are a #1 concern, so lay off the judgements and unfounded comments...

 

[BigMcGuire]

You realize what you linked are spotlight web searches which have to go to a web server to be processed to pull in data. I thought you were just talking about Finder in Mac OS (where this thread is located).

You can do spotlight searches from your iPhone, iPad, and outside of finder. And most definitely you can do web like queries from spotlight.

Unless you’re using snitching tools like I described: https://objective-see.com - you can’t be sure of anything or trust anything. Every web call I have to approve with these tools. Any update request to any IP address has to be approved and gets reported to me. You should be well versed in snitch-like tools. There are things you can enable on certain routers that do this as well - as well as running your own hosted VPN and firewalls. Knowing what connections to which IP addresses your computer has is vital to being absolutely certain about security.

I’m Security+ certified (along with other certs) and know a little bit about this stuff.

If security is your number one concern, then being in control of the pathway should be the focus, not using a third party tool that may be doing worse. What I like about Mac is that you can really go all out on some of these tools. In the end, the most secure computer is the one that is turned off and not connected to anything.


Some of the most intelligent people I know (many more times smarter than I am) in the Security Industry don’t even bother with any of this... they just use a throw-away VMware instance that they reset every day to do all their computing behind several hardware/software VPNs.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Oh really?

Safari and Spotlight Can Send Data to Apple, Here's How to Turn it Off

Wikipedia: Spotlight (Privacy Concerns)

How to Disable Spotlight’s Web Searches on Mac, iPhone, and iPad

(the list goes on and on...)


I may not be as knowledgeable about Macs as several people here at macRumors, but privacy and security is my life passion!!

What is absurb is how naive people are about how dangerous technology has become.

Only fools trust "Big Tech", and there are certainly lots of people on MacRumors who fall into that trap.

Do what you want on your Macs and in your own life, but my privacy and security are a #1 concern, so lay off the judgements and unfounded comments...

There is a difference between spotlight indexes that show the files on your device, and Spotlight internet web search. You didn’t state you were talking about the latter. As such, my comment was true and apropos.

For someone who states security is his life, you appear to have very little working knowledge of security and computers, given the history of your posting. You didn’t even know how to engage a hotspot between your devices in another thread.

Big Mac gave you the best tip with using a virtual machine and startling fresh each time.

You need to work on reading over your posts before submitting them. Time and time again, people find out after responding to your OP, that you were talking about something different.

 

[johannnn]

Dude just get Little Snitch and you will see that Tim doesn't spy on you.
And as the wikipedia page states, you can just disable Spotlight suggestions.
You're literally creating a problem that doesn't exist.

Besides, you say you want a Finder alternative. That's not what you what. You want a Spotlight alternative. For example, Find Any File doesn't use the Spotlight database.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

You realize what you linked are spotlight web searches which have to go to a web server to be processed to pull in data. I thought you were just talking about Finder in Mac OS (where this thread is located).

You can do spotlight searches from your iPhone, iPad, and outside of finder. And most definitely you can do web like queries from spotlight.

I cannot be everywhere or know everything. And I grabbed those links in haste to say that Spotlight does send some data back to Apple.

To be honest, I don't have handy the original articles that I read when I was hardening my Retinas a few years ago. But what I read seemed reliable, and it concerned me enough that I spent a day or two Googling to find how to disable Spotlight via the command-line (?).

Do my prior concerns apply in 2020? Who knows?!

But since I keep my HDD organized, I don't need to "search" for files - except kind of last night looking for a ghost copy of Mojave that turned out to never exist anyways?!

Unless you’re using snitching tools like I described: https://objective-see.com - you can’t be sure of anything or trust anything.

I agree, and that is a good reminder!

In the past I was going to buy "Little Snitch" but it seems to have escaped me, so I guess that is on my "To-Do" list now!

Every web call I have to approve with these tools. Any update request to any IP address has to be approved and gets reported to me. You should be well versed in snitch-like tools.

Yep. My bad. You got me there. (But again, I can only do so much as one person?! Keeping up with technology is a 24/7 job...)

There are things you can enable on certain routers that do this as well - as well as running your own hosted VPN and firewalls. Knowing what connections to which IP addresses your computer has is vital to being absolutely certain about security.

I am not a Networking expert, but I try to learn a little more every day.

I’m Security+ certified (along with other certs) and know a little bit about this stuff.

Congrats! You have a leg up on me!

All I can say - especially to all of my haters on MacRumors - is that while I am not formally trained in security, I sepnd A LOT of time reading about security, and privacy moreso. And, I know for certain that a lot of security "experts" don't know as much as they think.

How can I say that?

Because I am the membership chair for a local cybersecurity group of IT security professionals, and most of our board and membership would get their arses handed to them in a second if someone was after them...

When I have time, whcih is never, I hope to get my A+, Network+, Security+, CISSP, and some of the more "serious" certs that cost tens of thousands of dollars, but time is my enemy, so I make due for now...

If security is your number one concern, then being in control of the pathway should be the focus, not using a third party tool that may be doing worse. What I like about Mac is that you can really go all out on some of these tools.

Obviously I am a Mac fan, but I do not blindly trust anyone - and certainly not Corporate America.

Most of the privacy issues in this world are becasue of Corporate America, not hackers.

And most of the security problems in this world are because of Corporate America, not hackers.

So only a fool would blindly trust Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, etc.


I totally understand what you are saying, and hope you can see merit in my points as well...

In the end, the most secure computer is the one that is turned off and not connected to anything.

Agreed.

Some of the most intelligent people I know (many more times smarter than I am) in the Security Industry don’t even bother with any of this... they just use a throw-away VMware instance that they reset every day to do all their computing behind several hardware/software VPNs.

Yep. Good idea. I am working on getting there.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Wow what a reply! I’d love to have the discipline to run a resetting VMWare instance every day but I’m just too lazy. I definitely believe that there’s too much of a good thing - take germs for example. I wash my hands regularly, I wear a mask, I don’t like grease marks on my devices (washing my hands helps prevent this) - but I don’t go overboard. There’s diminishing returns, right?

To be part of this online world (even posting on Macrumors) we have to accept some cost.

 

[johannnn]

But since I keep my HDD organized, I don't need to "search" for files

Then just disable Spotlight indexing. You don't need a Finder alternative.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

There is a difference between spotlight indexes that show the files on your device, and Spotlight internet web search. You didn’t state you were talking about the latter. As such, my comment was true and apropos.

Since I don't have the source-code, I claim ignorance on how Spotlight does or doesn't work.

I do know that seemingly reliable artciles that I read two years ago spooked me.

Could my fears be unwarranted? Of course.

But I turned off indexing - I think via command-line - and I haven't really missed it.

However, tehre are times where being able to search my HDD would be nice, and I know that in the past peopels poke highly of Pathfinder - although the whole point of this thread is to determine which app makes the most sense.

For someone who states security is his life, you appear to have very little working knowledge of security and computers, given the history of your posting.

No one is forcing you to read my posts...

Since it sounds like you (and others) think I'm a fool, why waste time talking to me?

You didn’t even know how to engage a hotspot between your devices in another thread.

No, the issue was AT&T needed to reprogram my SIM card. That fixed things in a second. It had NOTHING to do with anything on my end...

Big Mac gave you the best tip with using a virtual machine and startling fresh each time.

Maybe some day I will try that.

You need to work on reading over your posts before submitting them. Time and time again, people find out after responding to your OP, that you were talking about something different.

But I'm a fool, remember? There is no hope for me... ;-)

 

[johannnn]

However, tehre are times where being able to search my HDD would be nice, and I know that in the past peopels poke highly of Pathfinder - although the whole point of this thread is to determine which app makes the most sense.

Find Any File

apps.tempel.org

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Wow what a reply! I’d love to have the discipline to run a resetting VMWare instance every day but I’m just too lazy. I definitely believe that there’s too much of a good thing - take germs for example. I wash my hands regularly, I wear a mask, I don’t like grease marks on my devices (washing my hands helps prevent this) - but I don’t go overboard. There’s diminishing returns, right?

To be part of this online world (even posting on Macrumors) we have to accept some cost.

And right now I am very satisfied with where I have dialed in my privacy and security.

It seems others have the issues with where I am at.

I will never reach the level of privacy and security that I want, AND still be able to breath and live life.

Then again, that is part of the challenge and why I love provacy and security. It's like solving an ever-changing puzzle!


Thanks for the reminder about "Little Snitch" and the like. I definitely forgot about that one.

Then again, can I justify spending $$$ on that when I am trying to stretch my savings until I can get back to work?

Moreso, can I justify focusing my time on learning and mastering a new tool when my primary focus is on getting my startup business done and online?

Alas, that is the challenge, and why I am far from perfect or in a perfect situation!

 

[TiggrToo]

However, tehre are times where being able to search my HDD would be nice

Then learn to use the command line.

If memory serves :

sudo find / -name "*something*.iso" 2> /dev/null

 

[Ambrosia7177]

@johannnn,

Find Any File

apps.tempel.org

So is "Find Any File" more trustworthy?

Or as others have said, am I just trading one master for another?

It sounds like a nice, simple program that might help me solve the problems I had with Finder/Spotlight.

The only bummer is apparently it cannot search file contents except plain-text docs...

 

[TiggrToo]

@johannnn,



So is "Find Any File" more trustworthy?

Or as others have said, am I just trading one master for another?

It sounds like a nice, simple program that might help me solve the problems I had with Finder/Spotlight.

The only bummer is apparently it cannot search file contents except plain-text docs...

As I stated in my post above: learn to use the command line.

I gave you a dogs-honest guaranteed privacy first method to do what you wanted, and you just ignore it.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I had a professor in college that knew terminal like the back of his hand. He was one of those professors that gave us a 1.5 hour exam on how to use VI as our first CS exam. He did everything in a Ubuntu server instance via terminal. That guy could find a needle in a haystack with jaw dropping amazing terminal commands.

Yeah I’m jealous. I will never be that great.

@TiggrToo is right about the privacy of using terminal commands. Definitely recommend that.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

As I stated in my post above: learn to use the command line.

I gave you a dogs-honest guaranteed privacy first method to do what you wanted, and you just ignore it.

Duly noted.

But since my time is limited, it would be easier to reply on an application until I have time to master command-line.

So that is why I asked about "Find Any File" and how safe it is...

 

[TiggrToo]

I had a professor in college that knew terminal like the back of his hand. He was one of those professors that gave us a 1.5 hour exam on how to use VI as our first CS exam. He did everything in a Ubuntu server instance via terminal. That guy could find a needle in a haystack with jaw dropping amazing terminal commands.

Yeah I’m jealous. I will never be that great.

@TiggrToo is right about the privacy of using terminal commands. Definitely recommend that.

I used to be a vi guru and could edit a file in zero seconds flat. Then I moved into Windows and lost most of that until I got my Mac and then found how much muscle memory I had actually retained over the years...
[automerge]1595101837[/automerge]

Duly noted.

But since my time is limited, it would be easier to reply on an application until I have time to master command-line.

So that is why I asked about "Find Any File" and how safe it is...

Do you trust a third party app with your privacy?

This is what’s so hard to grok here. You keep telling us how much you value privacy, then I give you a perfect solution to help you get the file in question, and you ignore it.

You asked earlier why you feel you rub people up the wrong way.

er, hello?

In the time you’ve wasted now since my first post about the CLI you could have tried the command out, asked for more advice (and received it) then get further with your real needs: locating files in the most privacy protected way.

You’re quite the enigma!

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I used to be a vi guru and could edit a file in zero seconds flat. Then I moved into Windows and lost most of that until I got my Mac and then found how much muscle memory I had actually retained over the years...

On my list of things to do is to become proficient with command-line (and Linux).

Realistically, it will never happen, because I happen to be backed up until like age 100 - but I'm paddling as fast as I can!!

Do you trust a third party app with your privacy?

Depends.

I am more likely to trust a start-up company than a mega corporation. (But anyone can screw you and your data.)

That's why all of this is soooo stressful...

This is what’s so hard to grok here. You keep telling us how much you value privacy, then I give you a perfect solution to help you get the file in question, and you ignore it.

You like to hop-scotch, don't you?

For all of my flaws, this is one of yours... You pick and choose what I say and come up with an alternative universe.

- I agree that learning command-line would be a great skill to have.

- And I trust you that I can search my HDD using command-line, although I never knew it was that powerful?!

- And I never refused to learn command-line, BUT I did say that I don't have time to go down that path.

- And I also said that using an application/GUI would be much easier for a time-constrained person like myself.

So for long-term, your advice is golden. Thanks!

But for now, it'll have to wait. (And since I fixed my Mojave issue, I really am okay with a crippled Finder, but it would be nice to actually search my HDD when I want, so finding another application to do so - since I am stil unsure of Finder/Spotlight - would be good.)

You asked earlier why you feel you rub people up the wrong way.

er, hello?

Okay, so I got an answer.

And let's break this down a bit...

- Please don't get pissed when I challenge people suggestions/thinking/advice. (I'm just being a good analyst.)

- Don't get mad when I ask for advice, get a solution, and don't take it. (Have you never worked for a boss that asks for ideas, but doesn't always take them?!)

- Understand that good solutions may not be the best solutions for the given moment (e.g. Command-line wins, but from a time standpoint it is a non-starter).

- I'm often here to debate ideas to get the best solutions, but I try to never make it personal, or to take people's advice for granted. (Maybe people get pissed because I sometimes don't take solutions that would be considerd a "9" because I'm shooting for an "11"...)


If I ever find time to learn Mac command-line, I'll be sure to look you up... ;-)

In the time you’ve wasted now since my first post about the CLI you could have tried the command out, asked for more advice (and received it) then get further with your real needs: locating files in the most privacy protected way.

Another disconnect...

Look, I researcrh the F out of everything I do. (I'm the kind of person that can spend 20 minutes analyzing which button to push in an elevator!) *LOL*

I know that annoys people, but truth is that I don't have to do my stuff over nearly as much as most people that get into a hurry.

Right now I'm brain-storming how to get a flipping twitter account before I die of old age - God knows why?!

And I'm trying to remember how to set up a new email account - required by Twitter - on my server because I lost my notes?!

And I am 3 hours late to getting back to my iMovie studies...

And my desk is so filled iwth Macs, hard-drives, thumb-drives, and paper that I can barely move.

>> THIS is one major flaw of mine - I take on way TOO MUCH stuff!!!

So while there is some truth into your "just do it" comment, I'm sorta already drowning today, and every day!

See?

You’re quite the enigma!

I don't mean to be, God just made me this way... 😊

 

[Erehy Dobon]

I had a professor in college that knew terminal like the back of his hand. He was one of those professors that gave us a 1.5 hour exam on how to use VI as our first CS exam. He did everything in a Ubuntu server instance via terminal. That guy could find a needle in a haystack with jaw dropping amazing terminal commands.

Yeah I’m jealous. I will never be that great.

That's just years of immersion in a Unix-y operating system. He was probably showing off a little.

Programmers code because they are inherently lazy or impatient. They would rather spend 10x the time to write a program than what it takes to execute the instructions manually because on the 11th instance, they have saved time.

That's why someone probably wrote Spotlight. "I have a great find/sed/awk/perl/whatever script that can find stuff on the local drive but it's a bit slow. If we shove everything into a database and index it I can run a much faster database query."

 

[johannnn]

@johannnn,



So is "Find Any File" more trustworthy?

Or as others have said, am I just trading one master for another?

It sounds like a nice, simple program that might help me solve the problems I had with Finder/Spotlight.

The only bummer is apparently it cannot search file contents except plain-text docs...

More trustworthy implies that Spotlight is not trustworthy, which is simply not the case. But this have been discussed already.

Yes, Find Any File is also trustworthy. Just buy LittleSnitch, or install LuLu for free, and take a look yourself.