• Privileges and Ownership
  1. Folder Privileges
  2. Ignore Privileges
  3. You Don't Have Enough Privileges
  4. Empty
  5. Empty Stubborn Trash with the Terminal
  6. Root Access
     
     
• Networking- In-Work
• OSX Utilities
• Terminal Commands

Privileges and Ownership

1. In OSX you log-in as a specific user. Every file and folder has an owner. Your log-in status determines your ability to access the contents of files. Although this may seem similiar to file sharing in OS9, there is a huge difference- File Ownership.. There was basically no file ownership under OS9, just folder access privileges. In OSX each file has an owner and privileges assigned to it. (MW10-02 p48)
   
   My experience with OSX indicates that it is best to use one primary User Account, expecially if you have multiple computers that are networked. Each computer should have a unique name. But you log onto that computer as a user. I keep a spare user account for troubleshooting problems. But I stick to my primary user name.
   
   Select and file/folder
   • Use Show Info (Cmd I) and select "Privileges".
   • Privileges are categorized into 3 groups: owner, groups, and everybody else.
   • Owners can modify privileges of files and folders in their directory.
   • Netinfo Manager- use it to see a complete list of assigned groups and create new groups.
   • Copy file- when file is copied, the privileges of the copy change to match those of the destination location.
     
     
     
2. Folder privileges have priority over the privileges of the files located within the folder.
   
   
3. Ignore Privileges Show Info (Cmd I) Ignore Privileges On is supposed to turn off enforcement of privileges but it does not work correctly?
   
   
   
4. Select Repair Permissions in the OSX Disk Utility on a regular basis.(Applications>Utilities> Disk Utility)
   
   
   
5. You don't have "sufficient privileges" Even as an administrator, you can run into files not owned by you that will not let you delete, move, and/or copy them. I've run into this when I deleted one of my duplicate user accounts. This can also happen if file was locked while running OS9.
   • Try unlocking the file. (Show Info Cmd I)
   • Make sure you are an Administrator- Open Users System Preferences. "Admin" should appear next to your name.
     • Note: Administrators can assign administrator status to other users.
     • Highlite the user name and click Edit User.
   • Reset Password- If you ever forget your Administrator password, boot from the OSX CD and select Reset Password. Select your account name and create a new password for yourself. The only thing that keeps your admin status safe is the assumption that you are the only one with access to an OSx CD??
   • Drop Nuke (freeware www.divnull.com/products.html) unlocks and deletes any file or directory of files dragged onto it. (Note- I could not get this to work for me)
   • Start up from the OSX install CD and run Disk First Aid. A problem may be preventing the file from being deleted.
     
     
     
6. Empty Stubborn Trash with the Terminal (reference MW 10/01 page 53)
   • Terminal Commands- Terminal access is faster but more complicated.
   • See Root Access, next section. Log-In as Root is easier but requires logging out and logging back in.
   • See all the OSX Utilities- Programs like BatChmod that can change file ownership and has a Force Empty Trash feature.
     
     
     
7. Log-in as Root (MW 10-02, p52) If you are blocked from modifying a file in the System folder or deleting the trash due to insufficient privilieges you need Root Access. OSX is designed to protect the contents of the System folder. Administrators can't hurt the System.
   • Root Access is the all-powerful, all dangerous, do-anything-you-want access to your computer.
   • These messages may call for Root Access- "You don't have sufficient priviliges" or "The item XX can't be moved because system cannot be modified".
   • Warning! As a Root user, you hold the integrety of your OSX system in your hands. Don't be careless! You should only log in as Root to take care of specific problems (in this case emptying the trash). When your finished, log back in as a plain-old admin user, and disable the Root account.
     
     
   • Method 1- Setup a Root Account and Log-In to OSX as Root.
     1. Open NetInfo Manager (located in the Applications/Utilities folder).
        • Select Domain/Security/Enable Root User.
          
          
          
          
          
          
        • Name will be "Root", plus a root password.
        • You may be asked for your admin password to authenticate.
        • Your root password should be different than your admin password. Don't forget it.
          
          
     2. Open System Preferences from the Apple Menu
        • Select Login/Login Window
        • Select the button for "Name and password entry fields"
          
          
     3. Log Out from the Apple Menu
        • A Name and Password field will present itself.
        • Log in by typing "root" into the Name Field
        • Your Root Password goes into the Password Field
          
          
     4. Now you can flex your Root Muscles to delete stubborn trash.
        • You should be able to empty the trash from the Finder.
          
          
     5. To Disable Root
        • Log Out of OSX
        • Log In as a User (not Root!)
        • In NetInfo Manager- Select Domain/Security/Disable root User.
   • Method 2- (MA 04-02,p22) Updated 08/02 Pseudo by Brian Hill ($15 shareware) which grants root access in a limited way, circumventing the need to log in as root. It allows access to applications and folders.
     • Launch Pseudo.
     • Open the hard drive with OSX on it (by double clicking its icon on the destop).
     • Navigate through the following folders: System>Library>Core Services. In the Core Services folder there are two copies of the Finder. Do a Get-Info on each one (Command-I). Identify the one of type: Application (not Classic Application)
     • Drag the Finder (of type: Application) onto the Pseudo Icon. Enter your administrator password when asked.
     • The Finder icon in the Dock will bounce. The Desktop will change to a default background and a new window will open. This window and all subsequent windows opened will have root privileges associated with them.
     • Dump files into trash and empty the trash.
     • When finished, hold Command-Option-Escape keys. Select force quit the top Finder in the Force Quit window. This will quit the Root-enabled Finder and restore the desktop to its normal backgound.

Networking- In work

OSX Utilities

• Disk Repair Utility Warning! Don't run older versions of disk-repair utilities unless they specifically say they can fix OSX. Pre-OSX versions can actually corrupt data.
  
  
• BatChmod by Arbysoft (freeware) posted 5/11/03. BatChmod is a Cocoa utility for manipulating file and folder privileges in Mac OS X (10.1 recommended). It allows the manipulation of ownership as well as the privileges associated to the Owner, Group or others.
  
  
• ChangeFileFolderProps by Bryan Blackburn (freeware) posted 5/11/03. Allows you to change the attributes of files and folders (ownership, permission like "can read" or "can write," and certain system flags) with a graphical interface instead of the Terminal.
  
  
• CronniX- posted 1/04 Cron is a utility built into OSX that can be scheduled to runs maintenance tasks such as Repair Permissions and Unix maintenance scripts. Some of these items may be scheduled in the early hours of the morning. With Mac Janitor, you can perform the tasks yourself or you can set up Cron to run these tasks when you know your Mac will be awake. CronniX is a utility that allows you to set the schedule. Cronnix web site. (Dec2003 MacWorld p72) Also check out Macaroni 2.0.
  
  
• Disk First Aid survives as part of Disk Utility in OSX.
  
  
• Disk Warrior- by Alsoft $80. Posted 1/04. Now available for OSX and considered the best Disk Utility by many.
  
  
• DMG Fixer (freeware)
  
  
• Drive 10 ($70 www.micromat.com) OSX native disk repair.
  
  
• Drop Nuke (freeware) unlocks and deletes any file or directory of files dragged onto it. (Note-I had trouble getting this to work.)
  
  
• Get Info ($10 shareware) allows the administrator to change the owner and group of any file and modify read, write, and execute permissions.
  
  
• Macaroni 2.0 Posted 3/04 by Atomic Bird is a utility ($9) that insures that your OSX's Unix maintenance tasks are run. (Remember that these tasks are usually run by OSX in the early morning. If you shut off your Mac at night, these tasks don't get run.) Whenever you start up your Mac, Macaroni checks to see if any of these Unix tasks are overdue and runs them.
  
  
  
• MacJanitor- by Brian Hill (freeware) Posted 10/03 Have you heard of CRON? It's a Unix tool included with OSX, short for Chronograph that can schedule and perform routine system-maintenance tasks. Tasks such as deleting log files, updating system databases, and more. The problem is that by default, these tasks are auto scheduled to happen early in the morning. But if your Mac is shutdown at night, this utility never runs. Two ways to approach this problem. Go to MacDevCenter.com and click on Learning the Terminal in Jaguar Part 1 to learn how to do it in the terminal. Or launch MacJanitor, select a Cron job and have MacJanitor do all the Terminal work for you. Or use CronniX to shedule these tasks to happen automatically when your computer will be awake.
  
  
• OpenUP Decompress installer files (.pax.gz) (freeware)
  
  
• Pseudo by Brian Hill ($15 shareware) which grants root access in a limited way, circumventing the need to log in as root. It allows access to applications and folders. Drag the item onto Pseudo and it will ask for your Admin password.
  
  
• Synk X- Listed as Freeware. Keeps files and folders on different computers synchronized. Link at Version Tracker.
  
  
• Super Get Info by Bare Bones Software. ($20 shareware)
  
  
• Run File System Check (fsck)- Restart and hold the down the Apple/S keys. This goes into the single-user mode. A long block of white and yellow text against a black background will appear. This is a variant of OSX's Unix command-line interface.
  • When the scrolling stops, type: "/sbin/fsck -y" and press return. This starts a Unix repair function called file system check. In OSX, Apple has added Disk Fist Aid code to this function. If fsck makes any repairs, a message appears "File system was modified".
  • Run fsck again, until the message no longer appears.
  • Once all repairs are made, type: "reboot" and press return.
    
    
• xFiles by Brian Hill ($20 shareware) A utiility that allows the Creator code assigned to the document to be eliminated.
  
  
• New XRay by Ranier Brockerhoff ($10 shareware)posted 5/11. XRay is a flexible and powerful "Get Info" program for Mac OS X (10.1 and up). Access via the Finder's contextual menu, icon drag&drop or the Services menu. Will accept third-party plugins for feature expansion.

   

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