Permissions oddity in Applications folder

I've noticed two Permissions oddities.
When I attempt to drag a downloaded application into the Applications folder, where it is "replacing" an existing file, an error message appears telling me I have insufficient permissions. I first need to remove the older application (if I'm moving a Folder the move requires me to enter my password - never saw that in Tiger, otherwise the command/delete functions w/o the password prompt) before I can move the new application into the folder (without need for password).
Also, I attempted to "update" an Application via the Internet. The developer attempts to reinstall an undated version, however mid-way an error prompt appears "insufficient permissions".
I looked at a number of Info panels for files in the Applications folder. Some have "System" (root level) and Admin (2nd level) listed, both "read and write". Others have "unknown" listed at the root level>Read and Write. Applications folder lists "System" at the Root Level. My admin account is called "Gemini". No where do I see this name.
Wondering what changes I can safely make in the Permissions (is there a Terminal command?) to eliminate this problem.
thanks

The Applications folder has special permissions set on it so that the preinstalled applications can't be deleted by accounts that otherwise are able to write to it; this only affects items owned by accounts other than yours. After dragging an application to the Applications folder, change its owner to your account from the Get Info window.
If you need to do this and aren't concerned with deleting preinstalled applications, try the following in the Terminal:
sudo chmod a-t /Applications/
(26846)

Similar Messages

Permissions problems in Applications folder

Recently my Mac has stopped asking for an admin password when I modify things in my Applications folder. The "Allow user to administer this computer" box is NOT checked for my account. I notice a wide variety of owner/group settings for apps in this folder, including myname/myname, myname/admin, myname/wheel, root/admin, root/wheel. "Verify Permissions" does not report any problems. Also, oddly, I can rename Stickies.app (for example) using the Finder, but not using Terminal, which reports "permission denied". I'm concerned that I may have compromised security somewhat... can someone explain what's going on and suggest a fix?

Try logging out and logging back in. Sometimes Finder is slow to adapt to permissions changes.

Permissions for Applications folder

I think that my permissions in the Applications folder are not right. I first noticed this when trying to upgrade/update software. In the past, I've just dragged and dropped the new software to the folder, where it replaces the old software. I get a dialog asking if I want to replace the item, I say yes, and that's that. Now, I get the dialog asking if I want to replace, but it is followed by a message saying that I don't have sufficient permissions.
I can manually drag the old item to the trash and delete it, then drag the new item into the folder. This makes no sense to me and I would like to be able to just replace the old with the new as I did before.
Checking the permissions with Get Info I see that I am designated as one of two "everyone" groups and I have "custom access". All of the items within Applications shows 4 groups/names:
everyone (custom)
system (read write)
admin (read write)
everyone (read only)
Yes, there are two "everyone" with different settings. I haven't figured out how to tell what the custom settings are, but there is a notation that "You have custom access".
I have tried manually resetting permissions for the entire folder. That didn't work. It appeared to be changing permissions, but nothing actually changed.
I tried logging in as root, but found that even there I could not delete any names/groups or change permissions for items in the Applications folder.
Questions:
Shouldn't I have full access to everything as root?
How do I change permissions for items in Applications so that I can replace them without having to manually drag items to trash then manually drag the replacement into the folder?
When did Mac's permissioning become as arcane and convoluted as Windows?
Sorry, ignore that last one. This has been a very frustrating journey for me.

Thank you! That worked. Here's the report:
I issued the Terminal commands you suggested in the other thread you linked to.
I then ran Disk Utility's Repair Permissions. It took about 30 minutes and returned 799,331 legitimate permissions errors, which it fixed. All were in the Applications folder.
I ran Disk Utility again and got no permissions errors. I did get some ACL errors in:
ACL found but not expected on "private/var/root/Library/Preferences".
ACL found but not expected on "private/var/root/Library".
ACL found but not expected on "private/var/root".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app/Contents/Frameworks/DUSupport.framework/Versions/Current".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app/Contents/Frameworks/DUSupport.framework/Resources".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app/Contents/Frameworks/DUSupport.framework/DUSupport".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app/Contents/Frameworks/DUSupport.framework/CodeResources".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/AppleScript/Example Scripts".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/QuickTime Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/DotMacKit.framework/Versions/Current".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/QuickTime Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/DotMacKit.framework/Resources".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/QuickTime Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/DotMacKit.framework/DotMacKit".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/QuickTime Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/DotMacKit.framework/CodeResources".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/Versions/Cur rent".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/Resources".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/iPodUpdater" .
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/CodeResource s".

10.5.8 Applications folder permissions problem

Hi all,
I'm running 10.5.8 on a MacPro.
Somewhere between 22 September and the 29 September, something on my computer changed the permissions on my applications folder after doing a apple or software update. (I found out the change using time machine)
They are now
System read & write
wheel Read only
everyone Read only
Because of this I need to enter my password to do any app upgrades, replacements or deletions.
Doing a repair permissions doesn't fix it.
I did a STFW and have done the following
running
ls -Olde@ /Applications
gives me
drwxr-xr-x+ 235 root wheel – 7990 10 Nov 00:54 /Applications
0: group:everyone deny delet
runnning
sudo chmod 775 /Applications
sudo chgrp admin /Applications
This put the Applications folder back to
System read & write
Admin Read & write
everyone Read only
but if I run repair permissions, it will put it back to "wheel read only".
This is starting to give me all sorts of other problems now. Installing a new app will put the wrong groups on the app the give me a few problems till I add Admin to the app.
I don't know what to try now.
Any Ideas?

System read & write
wheel Read only
everyone Read only
There have been a number of reports of this. The cause is still unclear, though an iTunes 10 update has been suspected - see this thread:
*Applications folder owner & permissions*
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2580261
if I run repair permissions, it will put it back to "wheel read only".
I think you are the first to document this, though others have reported that repairing permissions did not fix an already-existing problem. Something must be messed up in the installer receipts.
Somewhere between 22 September and the 29 September, something on my
computer changed the permissions on my applications folder after doing
a apple or software update.
Can you further pin down what else might have changed in your system at this time? You can get a dated history of installed software via System Preferences>Software Update, and Time Machine might give further clues.
In terms of trying to fix it, I guess you could try downloading and re-running the stand-alone versions of any suspect software updates, as well as running the Leopard OS X 10.5.8 combo update.
As things stand though, you have another reason not to run Repair Permissions routinely - you'd have to continue to manually fix /Applications each time afterwards.

Applications folder owner & permissions

I've just tried to move an application to the Applications folder and I got a prompt asking to authenticate because the folder can not be modified. I'm running as an admin and this is the first time that it has occurred.
I'm running 10.5.8 with all the security updates. Does anyone know if any of the recent updates has changed the owner and permissions of the Applications folder?
Now the owner and permissions in my Applications folder are:
system - Read & Write
wheel - Read only
everyone - Read only
Is this the same for everyone?
Thanks in advanced for any help.
Cheers

My Mac OS X 10.5.8 says
system - read & write
admin - read & write
everyone - read only
update (even though I was marked helpful)
This is from my Mac mini
/bin/ls -ldeO@ /Applications
drwxrwxr-x+ 43 root admin - 1462 Jul 23 19:19 /Applications
0: user:root allow add_file,writeattr,writeextattr
1: user:root allow add_file,writeattr,writeextattr
2: group:everyone deny delete
This is from my MacBook
/bin/ls -ldeO@ /Applications
drwxrwxr-x@ 100 root admin - 3400 Sep 11 21:06 /Applications
com.apple.FinderInfo 32
0: group:everyone deny delete
Why they are not the same, I do not know.
Message was edited by: BobHarris

Applications Folder Permissions Problem

I did a maverick clean install.
Everything seemed fine but now a few days later...
I am constantly told I have to authenticate
and this morning if I try and take anything out of app folder
I am told I don't have permission to do this.
suggestions?
can you be a little more specific.What are you doing when it asks to athenticate? For the Applications folder, that is normal, but... what are you moving and to where
For ten years, because I deal with a lot of apps
I have kept folders in my apps folder called:
- Archive (When an app is never getting used but it's not time yet to get rid of it...
the app goes in there.)
- A/V Apps
- Mind Map Apps
- 3rd Party Utilities
- Online Marketing Apps
- Social Networking Apps
However, since installing Mavericks...
If I try and drop an app in any of these folders...
I am not even asked to authenticate.
I am just told I don't have permission to perform this task.
When I get info on these folders...
- Apps Folder: admin R/W
- Archive: admin read only
- A/V Apps: admin read only
- Mind Map Apps: admin read only
- 3rd Party Utilities: admin R/W
- Online Marketing Apps: admin R/W
- Social Networking Apps: admin read only
1. I can't unlock the get info permissions window on any of these folders.
2. If I try to drag an item from one admin R/W folder to another admin R/W folder...
I am told I don't have permission to perform this task.
3. If I drag an item from any of these folders into the Apps folder, no problem.
At this moment, this problem seems isolated to the apps folder.
I can drag and drop without problem everywhere else.
Has the permissions structure of the Apps folder
radically changed with Mavericks?

Your ACLs have gone awry and need to repair your OS X installation. Use the Recovery Mode and reinstall OS X on top of your install and it should correct the errors.
I too have nested folders in my Applications folder and the structure migrated over from Snow Leopard to Mavericks intact. See picture below.
On a day to day basis I use my Mac as a standard user, which does not have permissions to modify the Apllications folder or its contents. However, when I install, move, trash or replace an App, Mavericks prompts me for an Admin user name and password.
When I 'move' an App from one Application nested folder to another, it 'Copies' it after authentication; hence I have to delete the original (once again after authenticating with an Admin name and password).
Now when I am logged into an Administrator account (which I rarely do), I can install, copy, move and delete Apps and folders at will without further authentication.
The above behaviour works as expected. Below is a pic of the permissions of my Applications folder. All enclosed items inherit the same permissions.

How do I move an App Store app to a user's application folder?

I have set up my mom with an older Macbook Pro of mine to save her from the evils of the PC. I set up two users, one for her and one for me; hers is uber simple (big icons, only the essentials in the doc) mine is crazy complicated. We share apps, of course, which was fine until I realized she is going to want to download Mah Jongg game apps and the like from the App Store, and I would LOVE it if I didn't have to have all that cluttering up the root Applications folder.
I already tried to move one app from root to her user's Applications folder and all that moved was an alias, the app stayed at root. So how does one move these things? Is there a way via the finder? Can I use terminal (and if so could someone spell out the command for me?)
Thanks in advance.

You might want to rethink moving the apps.
First the App Store knows what's installed by looking in the Applications folder. If the app is not there but is listed as purchased it will be prompting you to download it constantly.
Second Lion has really locked down the permissions on the Applications folder, even Admins (as you're discovered) have to jump through hoops to change stuff around. You'll need to change permissions on the folder at least to get the apps out. It will be a pain in the long run.
Again weigh the inconvenience of having an extra few apps in the Applications folder against what I described above.
regards

Can't make alias in Applications folder

Something has suddenly changed on my MacBook Pro (running 10.5.1), and I can't create an alias for anything in the Applications folder. If I do "Command-L", nothing happens. "Make Alias" on the File menu is grayed out. I am logged in as an Admin.
I've run Repair Permissions a few times, but that doesn't fix it. When I do "Get Info" on the Applications folder, I see permissions for _unknown, (unknown), and everyone. I don't see a listing for admins. I don't remember what used to appear before this problem started. The permissions for the Applications folder appear as drwxr-xr-x+.
Does anyone know a solution to this problem?
Thanks for any help.
Peter

Ok, I tried adding "admin" and "system". I unlock the panel, but when I click the "+" to add a user, the Finder closes completely, the screen goes blank except for the wallpaper, and then the icons and windows come back. I wonder if my OS install is damaged?
I was able to change the permissions on "Everyone" (which is already in the user list for Applications) to "Read & Write". This allows me to make Aliases. Not a good long-term solution, though.
I think I'll try re-installing Leopard and then reinstalling all the updates, and see if that brings back the correct users and permissions for the Applications folder. I hope it will also fix the problem I have with Finder crashing when I try to add users and permissions for an item.
Thanks,
Peter

Modifying the ownership of the content of the Applications folder ...

Hi,
Over time applications where installed by drag and drop, from either admin or non-admin user. Overtime admin user became non-admin user or vice-versa. Finally overtime the Applications folder's ownership gets really mixted up.
Is it a good idea to modify the ownership of the Applications folder's content ? By content I mean modifying the ownership of all folders and content inside the Applications folder ?
If yes, what sould be the permission/ownership of all the Applications folder's content ?
Thanks in advance.
Robert Lespérance

Don't change the ownership/permissions of the Applications folder itself, nor of any Apple applications.
Apple applications' permissions are owner:root read+write, group:admin read+write, and others:read only. As for third party applications that install by drag and drop: typically they are read+write for the user that installed them, and read only for all others. From a functional standpoint, the discrepancy is really not a big deal. But if you want to change everything so that third party apps' permissions match Apple apps' permissions, enter these Terminal commands while logged in to an admin account:
sudo chown -R root:admin /Applications/*
sudo chmod -R ug+rwX /Applications/*
It is generally good to log in to an account where the user does not have write access to applications; because a malware could modify the app without the user's knowledge in such a case. For this reason it is a good idea to use a non-admin account for everyday use, and only log in to the admin account when a certain task requires it.

Remove authentication requirment from applications folder

Hi whenever i try to copy an application to my applications folder it asks me for authentication, i don't this i want to be able to move applications into the applications folder without having to authenticate i am the admin of my computer, it was not like this in the past i don't remember if i have done something to make it like this. how do i remove this authentication requirement?
thanks.

abdu wrote:
By the way do you know what could have caused that thanks
no, I don't. in fact, I'm still confused by this. the permissions on the Applications folder are recorded in the permissions database and running repair permissions should have fixed this. the fact that it didn't means that you might have a problem with your permissions database. could you run "repair permissions" again? see what if anything happens to permissions on Applications.

Permissions issue with applications

I just upgraded to Snow Leopard and found that I was unable to change any of the icons of any of the pre-installed applications. Running 'ls -l /Applications' gave me this for every application:
drwxr-xr-x+ 3 root wheel 102 Jun 27 02:06 TextEdit.app
I took a look at the permissions for the Applications folder on a different hard drive that has Leopard installed, and here's what I got for every application there:
drwxrwxr-x@ 4 root admin 136 May 18 16:55 TextEdit.app
So I figured I'd just change the permissions on all my applications. After running 'sudo chown -R root:admin /Applications' and 'sudo chmod -R g+w /Applications/*', I was able to edit my icons again, so it looked like the problem was solved. However, repairing permissions in Disk Utility set everything back the way it was, and I was unable to change the icons of my apps again. From what I understand, wheel is the default group for root in OS X, and determines who can gain root access with su.
The only benefit I can see in having all the pre-installed applications only accessible to the root user is that it's harder to accidentally delete one of them, since you'll get a prompt asking for your user name and password if you try. Even that doesn't make much sense, though, since you can just put an application back if you do accidentally delete it. Can anyone else using Snow Leopard check if they have the same permissions for their Applications folder? Also, if these are the correct permissions, does anyone have any idea why this was changed in Snow Leopard?

V.K.: I tried your method, but Disk Utility set the ACLs back to normal as well. After I run the command, if I repair permissions I get this:
Repairing permissions for “10.6 Boot Disk”
ACL differs on "Applications".
Repaired "Applications".
ACL differs on "Applications/Utilities".
Repaired "Applications/Utilities".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/Utilities/QuickTime Player 7.app".
Repaired "Applications/Utilities/QuickTime Player 7.app".
ACL found but not expected on "Applications/Utilities/QuickTime Player 7.app/Contents".
Repaired "Applications/Utilities/QuickTime Player 7.app/Contents".
When it's done I'm back to not being able to change my icons.

"Appy permissions to enclosed" to the Applications Folder...

..now permissions repair takes around 4 hours to complete as I get "ACL found but not expected" on every file under my applications folder.
Please, how can I take this back? Also, it would be nice to have permissions to remove apps, as it is my machine and my account is an admin.

glad to have helped m8

Changing multiple file permissions - Applications folder

After using migration assistant in Snow Leopard and then changing the username of my primary user, all third party apps in my Applications folder require me to enter the admin password when moving, updating with Sparkle, etc. They don't seem to have a primary owner.
I saw the steps outlined here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1778969 for changing permissions on multiple files but I'm wary of doing this on the Applications folder.
Does anyone have any advice on how to fix this? I went through files individually and i'm still getting messed up permissions all over the place. Thanks!

DO NOT use "apply to enclosed items" on the main Applications folder! Do not use it on any system created folders. they often have hidden ACLs and using this button would propagate the ACLs to everything inside. this is the case for the main Applications folder. there is no easy way to do what you want because Apple changed the permissions structure in Snow leopard and the default applications no longer have read+write access by admin users by default. I would suggest you don't mess with permissions on Applications. if you ever need to update a 3rd party application simply delete the existing copy in /Applications and put the new one in. it will have correct permissions.

Permissions on /Applications folder after using copy items command in ARD

Hello!
I've used ARD to copy Applications on client machines. Copying works fine, but I've discovered permissions are wrong even I checked the Set item ownership to: Inherit from destination folder.
For example I copied the Google's Adnroid SDK bundle to client machines:
drwxr-x--- 4 admin admin 136 20 Mar 00:48 adt-bundle-mac-x86_64-20130219
So, no others have no access at all to the folder. I tried to fix it using the Get Info in Finder, but now the application won't even launch on standard user privileges - this may be caused by Gatekeeper.
How do I give the correct access rights?
I assume using the Get Info on Applications folder to Apply to enclosed items is not a good idea?

Hi Lisa!
You must be very specific with your paths: users/teachers/sites does not equal /Users/teachers/sites does not equal /Users/teachers/Sites. Pay attention to capitalization and prefex your paths with a slash to specify the startup disk.
If you must specify a path with a space in the name then escape characters won't be necessary. You can simply use _*/Applications/Folder with spaces in name*_.
Hope this helps!
bill

Changed permissions in Application folder

I am at a loss to explain what has happened in Lion/Applications folder. Since upgrading, if I attempt to move or delete an app, I must authenticate or cannot proceed. Never happened in Snow Leopard. I repaired permissions but still get same, restrictive warnings. Is this a new thing?

More than that has been taken away from "old hands". It seems Mac would rather you used it and when it comes to stuff like that let the machine do the thinking. It will even quit applications to make more memory avaiable if it deems fit.
The further we go in this direction, the more I want to dig my teeth into Terminal

Permissions oddity in Applications folder

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