One of the common routines taken after installing software, upgrading the system, or otherwise heavily modifying an OS X installation, is to run a permissions fix on the boot drive. This is generally done with Disk Utility or Terminal commands. However, if you have installed El Capitan, you will notice permissions fix routines are now missing. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Permissions
How to add system user accounts to a folder’s permissions in OS X
OS X is a user-based operating system where each user that access the system has a separate account that holds preferences and other settings for the user account to run, and also allows the system to implement security by using permissions to restrict filesystem access. While by default you might think of a user account as a human user, many background services like Web servers or database servers, run under special user accounts. These might be called “www,” “http,” or similar, and you can see some of these if you open Activity Monitor. Continue reading
Fix the inability to move files around in your Mac
While OS X includes password security to prevent unauthorized changes to both system settings and access to your Mac, these features should not intrude on your standard workflow. When you log in to your Mac, for the most part you should be able to work password free, so if you are constantly met with requests to authenticate when managing files, or are denied access to an action you are attempting to perform, then something is likely wrong. Continue reading
Fix the inability to access a file in OS X
For security and privacy, you will not be allowed direct access to some hidden system files and those in other user accounts on your Mac, but otherwise you should at least be able to see and read the files on your system, and especially should have full access to all files in your Mac’s home folder. However, there are times when you might find yourself barred from editing or reading files for which you ought to have full access. Continue reading
Prevent OS X requesting permission to delete files on external drives
If you have an external drive that you use with your Mac, and provided it is in a format that your Mac can read, then you by default should be able to access all of the files on it. However, there may be times when you are either barred from opening or accessing files or folders, or performing actions like deleting files may result in errors.
These error can include simple confirmation requests such as “Are you sure you want to delete the item“, or be full Continue reading
FAQ on fixing permissions in OS X
When you run into a slowdown or two on your Mac, or perhaps another problem, then one of the troubleshooting steps that is commonly and sometimes blindly recommended is to run a “Permissions Fix” routine in Disk Utility. This routine is fairly straightforward; however, depending on your system’s setup you may be curious about repeated errors and warnings, or otherwise wonder about what happens when you run a permissions fix routine. Continue reading
Understanding and adjusting default permissions in OS X
Every file and folder in OS X has permissions associated with it, which allow the system to grant or deny access to specific users and groups. You can see these permissions by getting information on a selected file or folder in the Finder, and then expanding the “Sharing & Permissions” section at the bottom of the window.
In this list, the top-most entry is the owner of the file, followed by the file’s default group, and then Continue reading
How to fix home folder permissions in OS X
If you run into odd slow-downs or problems with loading specific programs and services, then sometimes this can be caused by the inability of the program or service to access a necessary resource on disk, be it a preference file, or a core resource like a framework, font, or audio unit. In these cases you might see an error, but also might just see the problematic behavior. Continue reading
Preserve file permissions when copying in the Finder
When new files are created by programs in your account, they are inherently assigned your username as the owner, along with the default permissions for your account to access, which generally are full access for the owner, and then read-only access for the default group and everyone else. Continue reading