How To View Files In A Mac Dmg File

Posted on by

DMG is a file of Apple Disk Image. The Apple Disk Images are disk image files commonly used by the Mac OS X operating system. When opened, an Apple disk image is 'mounted' as a volume within the Finder. Several Apple proprietary disk image formats can be used to create these images, including the Universal Disk Image Format (UDIF) and the New Disk Image Format (NDIF). Apple disk images usually have the .dmg file extension.

  • Dec 13, 2019  Open a DMG file in Windows. Though there isn’t much you can do with a.dmg file within Windows, there are ways to open the platform within your computer. Despite the differences between the core of Mac OS and Windows 10,.dmg files can be read with the assistance of third-party apps.
  • DMG files are native to Mac OS X and are structured according to Universal Disk Image Format (UDIF) and the New Disk Image Format (NDIF). They can be accessed through the Mac OS Finder application by either launching the DMG file or mounting it as a drive. DMG is also referred to as the Apple’s equivalent to MSI files in Windows PC.

Jul 09, 2018  Dmg files are disk image files which can be mounted to access the data. On a mac just double click dmg file to mount it and access it in finder. On windows and Linux you will need third party software to access the content of a dmg file. Transmac is one such software for Windows.

Apple disk images allow secure password protection as well as file compression and hence serves both security and file distribution functions; they are most commonly used to distribute software over the Internet.

Universal Disk Image Format (UDIF) is the native disk image format for Mac OS X. Disk images in this format typically have a .dmg extension. New Disk Image Format (NDIF) was the previous default disk image format in Mac OS 9, and disk images with this format generally have a .img (not to be confused with raw .img disk image files) or .smi file extension. Files with the .smi extension are actually applications that mount an embedded disk image, thus a 'Self Mounting Image', and are intended only for Mac OS 9 and earlier. A previous version of the format, intended only for floppy disk images, is usually referred to as 'Disk Copy 4.2' format, after the version of the Disk Copy utility that was used to handle these images. A similar format that supported compression of floppy disk images is called DART. Apple disk image files are published with a MIME type of application/x-apple-diskimage.

Different file systems can be contained inside these disk images, and there is also support for creating hybrid optical media images that contain multiple file systems. Some of the file systems supported include Hierarchical File System (HFS), HFS Plus, File Allocation Table (FAT), ISO9660 and Universal Disk Format (UDF).

Open/Extract DMG File on Windows

How to view files in a mac dmg file free

Easy 7-Zip opens/extracts DMG file easily on Windows. The Easy 7-Zip was developed based on 7-Zip. 7-Zip is a famous open source file archiver. The Easy 7-Zip is an easy-to-use version of 7-Zip. The open source freeware keeps all features of 7-Zip and adds a few useful features that makes the software more user-friendly.

Easy 7-Zip works on Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/2008/2003/XP/2000 (both 32-bit and 64-bit compatible).

  1. Free Download Easy 7-Zip
  2. Install Easy 7-Zip by step-by-step instructions
  3. The installation will associate DMG with Easy 7-Zip automatically
  4. Double-click on DMG file to open DMG file with Easy 7-Zip

    5. You will see files or folders within the DMG file then, click button Extract to extract the DMG file.
  5. Alternatively, Right-click on DMG file on Windows Explorer

    6. And then, choose Extract files..., Extract Here, or Extract to 'folder' to extract the DMG file.
  6. Done

How To View Files In A Mac Dmg Files

Easy 7-Zip Download Links:

You can install and use other alternative freeware that opens/extracts DMG file without burning the DMG file to disc. For example:

  • Free DMG Extractor
  • HFSExplorer
  • PeaZip

Open/Extract DMG File on Mac

B1 Free Archiver opens/extracts DMG file on Mac. B1 Free Archiver is a free software for creating archive folder and extracting archive file. B1 Archiver works on all platforms - Windows, Linux, Mac and Android. The freeware supports most popular formats including DMG.

B1 Free Archiver is compatible with:

  • Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
  • Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
  • Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
  • Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

Alternative freeware that opens/extracts DMG file on Mac.

  • Apple Disk Utility
  • Keka
  • GUI Tar

Open/Extract DMG File on Linux

You can use command mount to mount DMG file as a virtual drive.

First, you must login as a root user, and then create a directory for DMG image

# mkdir -p /mnt/macimage

Use mount command as follows to mount DMG file called image.dmg:

# mount -o loop -t hfsplus image.dmg /mnt/macimage

If the DMG is HFS file system, use:

# mount -o loop -t hfs image.dmg /mnt/macimage

Change directory to list files stored inside an DMG image:

# cd /mnt/macimage
# ls -l

Unmount the DMG image, type:

# umount /mnt/macimage

Alternatively, you can use p7zip to extract the DMG file. p7zip is the Unix command-line port of 7-Zip, a file archiver that archives with high compression ratios.

Install p7zip-full on CentOS and Fedora

# yum install p7zip-full

Install p7zip-full on Debian and Ubuntu

$ sudo apt-get install p7zip-full

List directories and files in DMG file

$ 7z l image.dmg

Extract DMG file on Linux

$ 7z x image.dmg
Copyright © 2013-2017 James Hoo All rights reserved.

Mac users have enjoyed a long run of fairly virus-free computing, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted that there is no virus. While Apple has kept a close grip in the App Store, some malware, on rare occasions, still make it up there. Likewise, the macOS Gatekeeper is only useful when you do not override its settings, but that will restrict you to only install apps from the App store. So if you download an app that didn’t come from the App Store, how can you check whether it is safe to install?

About Suspicious Package

Suspicious Package is a special-purpose utility program designed to check macOS packages – software files that install application programs. Packages typically contain several components, including the app itself, scripts that automate the installation process, and other files the program needs. Although the macOS packaging system is an efficient way for developers to organize all the pieces that go into an app, it’s also possible for hackers to subvert it by inserting their own malicious programming. Suspicious Package allows you to inspect the contents of any macOS package, potentially heading off a malware infection.

Download and Installation

How to view files in a mac dmg files

The Suspicious Package app is available for download directly from mothersruin.com. To install it, you may have to temporarily bypass the macOS Gatekeeper which normally prevents you from installing non-App Store programs by accident. In “System Preferences” go to “Security & Privacy -> General -> Allow apps downloaded from:” and change the setting to “App Store and identified developers.” When you open the Suspicious Package dmg file, you’ll see the warning, “SuspiciousPackage.dmg blocked from opening because it is not from an identified developer.” Click the “Open Anyway” button to install the program.

Quick Look

How To View Files In A Mac Dmg File Windows 10

The “Quick Look” feature displays a package summary from the Finder without having to launch the Suspicious Package app itself. This is a handy time-saver if you have several packages to check. To use Quick Look, highlight the package you want to evaluate from the Finder, then find the Quick Look item in the Finder’s File menu, or press “command + Y.”

Check a Package

To check a package you’ve downloaded, launch Suspicious Package. From the “File” menu, select “Open,” then browse your Downloads or other folder for a package file to inspect. Suspicious Package analyzes the file, then displays a set of tabs: “Package Info,” “All Files,” and “All Scripts.” If the app detects problems with the package, the Review icon indicates a warning.

How To View Files In A Mac Dmg File Free

Package Info

The Package Info tab gives an overview of what’s in the package. It shows how many items are installed, how many scripts it uses, and whether it is signed or not. It lists when the package was downloaded and the browser name. Finally, if the package has problems, Package Info shows the number of warnings given.

All Files

Resembling a Finder window, All Files shows all the files stored in the package, including the application itself, supporting files, and folder organization. Click on any folder to see its contents.

All Scripts

The All Scripts tab lists all the macOS shell scripts used to install the package. Each script is a mini-program containing text commands used to copy, create, and delete files. Click on a script name to see the instructions. The File menu includes options to edit a script, should you want to.

Unsigned Packages

When using Suspicious Package, you may see a warning that says the package isn’t signed. Package signing is a feature Apple developed so software developers can “stamp” their programs with a digital signature officially tying the application to the people who wrote it. The signature gives confidence that the software is legit and not a cheap knock-off. In fact, Apple requires signatures for all software in the App Store. Some developers, however, don’t spend the extra effort needed to sign their software. Many unsigned packages, including open-source and freeware programs, are actually okay to use. On the other hand, if you’re buying Mac software from a major vendor, the absence of a signature is a big red flag.

Conclusion

The vast majority of Mac programs are free of malware. However, programs downloaded from third-party sites carry a small risk of spyware and other unwanted baggage. Though primarily aimed at technical users, Suspicious Package lets anyone evaluate macOS software for malware and other problems. The app clearly reveals the contents of a software package before you install it. Especially for Mac people who don’t use the App Store as their only source for software, Suspicious Package makes a worthy addition to your Mac toolbox.