Putting software on your Mac OS X-powered machine can be a beautifully painless process involving nothing more than clicking a link to initiate a file transfer. Or it can be like this:

1. Launch the Adobe InDesign 2.0 installer.
2. Click ‘Continue’.
3. Accept the license agreement.
4. Enter the serial number.
5. Click ‘Install Now’.
6. Select an installation folder.
7. Click ‘Install’.
8. “No other applications can be running…” Close other applications.
9. Click ‘Continue’.
10. “Installation was successful…” Click ‘Quit’.
11. Restart.
12. Launch Safari.
13. ‘www.adobe.com’
14. Support » Downloads
15. Products » InDesign » Macintosh
16. Check updates for version 2.0, none required.
17. Check updates for version 2.0.1, download the 2.0.1 update.
18. Check updates for version 2.0.2, download the 2.0.2 update.
19. Download the Long Document Performance update.
20. Download the Memory update.
21. Download the Text update.
22. Download the Excel Import Filter update.
23. Launch the 2.0.1 update.
24. Click ‘Continue’.
25. Accept the license agreement.
26. Click ‘Install’.
27. “No other applications can be running…” No other applications are running.
28. Click ‘Continue’.
29. “Installation was successful…” Click ‘Quit’.
30. Launch the 2.0.2 update.
31. “…type your passphrase.” Type it, click ‘OK’.
32. Accept the license agreement.
33. Click ‘Install’.
34. “No other applications can be running…” Fuck you.
35. Click ‘Continue’.
36. “Installation was successful…” Click ‘Quit’.
37. Search for the file to replace with the Long Document Performance update.
38. Replace it.
39. Search for the file to replace with the Memory update.
40. Replace it.
41. Search for the files to replace with the Text update.
42. Replace them.
43. Search for the files to replace with the Excel Import Filter update.
44. Replace them.
45. Move all the used update installers and folders to the trash.
46. Move the installer and updater log files to the trash.
47. Launch InDesign 2.0.2.

This rant was inspired in no small part by Dive Into Mark’s “How To Install Windows XP In Five Hours or Less”. It shouldn’t be this complicated.