After installing Firefox and some of its added software, NO SAFARI app.

Question

After installing and using Firefox and download some optional additions, including a password generator and flash suppressor, as well as a couple more recommended, I no long see my original desktop and cannot bring up Safari. Additionally, my Internet Connection at home stopped working. The latter could be some other problem, but the IDP Cox could not solve the problem over the phone and wont be to my house for three days. Now I am in a Library where Firefox worked, but Safari did not.
The ICON for Safair is not on the Dock and under applications it does not look right. When I use that one anyway, I get an error message that some essential parts are missing and I have to reinstall Safari. That seems to be drastic.
If this was Windows I guess that I might try to go back in time using the application that allows you to go far enough back by date to find a time when the computer worked.
What do I do in Apple? Obviously, I am a newer user and also fiddle around too much, I feel.
Any help will be appreciated. I guess I will have to come back to the library or to a coffee shop to read it on Firefox

Answer 1

Well, installing Firefox or any add-ons would certainly not cause this, since they are completely unrelated to system-level changes. You had to have done something to cause this, so I'm guessing that you fiddled with some things without know what you were doing or the ramifications of doing it.
For your information, that is a bad idea. Apple does quite a bit to hide the underpinnings of the OS from users, since there are over 168,000 files on the Mac, most of which you cannot see. But that doesn't stop people from deleting things randomly or clicking on the wrong file and hosing their system. You should try to stifle that urge to fiddle around unless you know exactly what you're doing, why, and what could happen if it doesn't work.
So, bottom line is that you'll have to reinstall Safari, and it does get a bit involved.
1. Go to HD/Library/Receipts and remove the receipt "Safarixxx.pkg", where xxx is any series of numbers following the word Safari.
2. Get your Mac OS X install disc and insert it into the drive. Browse the contents to the Optional Installs folder, then find the Safari installer inside of that. Double-click on the Safari package to start the installation process. If it gives you an error message, post back with exactly what it says.
If it finishes the installation, quit the installer and go to the Apple menu on the top left of your screen and select Software Update; it should tell you that there's a newer version of Safari and ask if you want to install it -- say yes to that.
When it's done, quit Software Update, go to HD/Applications and look for the Safari icon; click and drag the icon to the Dock, then try to launch Safari. If that works, eject your Mac OS X install disc and you should be set. Just don't fiddle around.
Mulder