Firefox said it would update itself on launch, and then promptly vanished from my program list and desktop, though the file remains in cdrive program files, how do I restore functionality?

Question

I fired it up on switching on the computer, firefox then posted the usual installing updates, firefox will start in a few seconds message, and then the icon promptly vanished from my desktop screen and the program list in the startup menu, though the program files are still listed on the hard drive. I waited awhile, and then rebooted the computer, to find its still vanished.

Answer 1

The unix commands you need are:
GetFileInfo
SetFileInfo
and maybe find
for cryptic details use the man command
Macintosh-HD -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal
man SetFileInfo
You may use the SetFileInfo command to set the file type & the program which will open the file.
# This little gem will do a get info on all files in a directory.
mac $ ls  | xargs -I {} GetFileInfo "{}"
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/oddadocodd"
type: ""
creator: ""
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/01/2011 14:53:22
modified: 05/01/2011 14:53:22
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/one.docx"
type: ""
creator: ""
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/01/2011 13:57:48
modified: 05/01/2011 13:57:48
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/oneLineFile"
type: "TEXT"
creator: "!Rch"
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/07/2011 14:27:17
modified: 05/07/2011 14:27:17
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/oneLineFile.txt"
type: "TEXT"
creator: "!Rch"
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/07/2011 14:27:49
modified: 05/07/2011 14:27:49
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/three.docx"
type: ""
creator: ""
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/01/2011 13:58:03
modified: 05/01/2011 13:58:03
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/two.docx"
type: ""
creator: ""
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/01/2011 13:57:56
modified: 05/01/2011 13:57:56
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/weirder.doc.docx"
type: ""
creator: ""
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/01/2011 14:50:03
modified: 05/01/2011 14:50:03
# well, ! is a funnie character so we escape it.
mac $ SetFile -t TEXT -c \!Rch two.docx
mac $ GetFileInfo two.docx
file: "/Users/mac/playdoc/two.docx"
type: "TEXT"
creator: "!Rch"
attributes: avbstclinmedz
created: 05/01/2011 13:57:56
modified: 05/01/2011 13:57:56
mac $
mac $ date
Sat May  7 14:40:56 EDT 2011
mac $