KVR Audio

jackson881 · Post by **jackson881** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:27 pm

Over the years, I've installed several plug-ins that had permissions issues during installation.
I now pretty much have almost every folder set to "Read & Write" for system/wheel/everyone.

If I am the only user of this computer, is this safe?

Is there an easy way to set all permissions on a Mac back to their defaults?

Are there any general guidelines for what folders should be manually set to "Read & Write"?

Thanks!

plexuss · Post by **plexuss** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:59 pm

What macOS are you using? I was led to understand that as of some version in the last few years, file perms were no longer used/needed and were handled by some other method. Do some googling...

fese · Post by **fese** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:59 pm

Wouldn’t the the “Computer Setup and system configuration” sub-forum be better suited for a post like this?

jackson881 · Post by **jackson881** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:54 pm

plexuss wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:59 pm What macOS are you using? I was led to understand that as of some version in the last few years, file perms were no longer used/needed and were handled by some other method. Do some googling...

I'm on 10.14

I tried googling but couldn't find anything definitive.

jackson881 · Post by **jackson881** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:55 pm

fese wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:59 pm Wouldn’t the the “Computer Setup and system configuration” sub-forum be better suited for a post like this?

Apologies! I can lock this and post there if you'd like.

Calenberger · Post by **Calenberger** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:06 pm

No, keep it open and watch how it will be derailed by the usual suspects...

F93F418D-A9B5-4404-A7E7-A82E18B7B5F3.jpeg

fese · Post by **fese** » Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:32 pm

jackson881 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:55 pm
fese wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:59 pm Wouldn’t the the “Computer Setup and system configuration” sub-forum be better suited for a post like this?
Apologies! I can lock this and post there if you'd like.

No need to apologize, I just meant that you’d get maybe more/better answers because people interested in such topics flock there

kidslow · Post by **kidslow** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:01 am

jackson881 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:27 pm Over the years, I've installed several plug-ins that had permissions issues during installation.
I now pretty much have almost every folder set to "Read & Write" for system/wheel/everyone.

If I am the only user of this computer, is this safe?

Is there an easy way to set all permissions on a Mac back to their defaults?

Are there any general guidelines for what folders should be manually set to "Read & Write"?

Thanks!

I don't think Plexuss is correct about any changes to the OS that would invalidate permissions. Yes Apple would make changes to lock them down and make existing permissions potentially more restrictive. I'm not sure they've done away with the old school unix file/folder perms as you describe.

I assume by every folder you mean not just every one in your home but all the system ones too.

Is this safe, not really. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it but don't maintain any illusions your system is secure. If you "air gap" it and never connect it to the Internet, it would be more secure. The risk you have now is more that system folders are writeable than that your home folders are. Is it unsafe? Depends on who wants access to the system and why. You could be vulnerable to a vengeaful ex- or ransomware, etc, but would take some doing. You are exposed within the realm of what bots and malware are capable of, even on a Mac. If you know what Launch Daemons are, any process on your system could now write a file into the system LaunchDaemon folder, which would get started automatically by the system without you knowing. Say the daemon that gets installed and launched is a keylogger or a bulk encryptor as part of a ransomware scheme? You have one less line of defense right now against those things.

Is there an easy way to reset permissions: Doubtful. I wouldn't even try. The most complete way to address this would be to do a fresh install of the OS and restore your home folders from backup. When you're ready to upgrade to Catalina, that's what I would recommend to do. On any upgrade Apple will likely fix permissions problems on the system folders, but a fresh install makes completely sure. If Apple did leave your home folder unchanged (which I think they would) -- or if you restore those from a backup, you could just do a recursive change permissions on your home and remove write access to "everyone". That would be unlikely to break anything. See above. It's not the home folder that's the big problem.

No guidelines that I'm aware of when it comes to file/folder perms on a mac and music software and plugins. What I would say is typically don't give "everyone" (or in unix parlance "other") write access to a folder unless there is an explicit need and then just that one folder, and never system folders. Most installers require you to enter an admin password so they can install without needing filesystem write access. That's why they ask for your password during install.

teilo · Post by **teilo** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 5:00 pm

Redundant.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:24 pm

I'm using EDIT: 10.15.5 ("Catalina"). I set myself as owner on a couple things, "Plugins" for one, contents follow, but wasn't allowed to for Applications. I think this latter is probably normal (kind of rings a bell), but it def isn't true that permissions can't be set by user per se.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:29 pm

There are applications which make permissions settings easier, or at least one, which I forget the name of. I wouldn't approch trying to make a computer more secure by permissions, not at all. I just like to delete things like plugins w.out needing permission, because IKMM.

You're going to run into the OS saying no if you get very peligroso up in there. Trying to bypass that seems a bad idea.

jackson881 · Post by **jackson881** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 3:37 pm

kidslow wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:01 am

Wow, that was such an amazing response. I really appreciate you taking the time. You pretty much addressed everything I was worried about.

Thanks, kidslow!

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:52 pm

Just set myself as owner, of the entirety of Documents (contents follow) here. MBP 16.1, Catalina.

Anyway, if the goal is to reset permissions on a home folder with an admin account established:

Start up in Recovery mode by holding Command-R.

Once in Recovery mode, open Terminal from the Utilities menu.

There, type repairHomePermissions and hit Return/Enter

.
Now you're in the Repair Home application.

Select the correct user account from those offered, and enter the admin password for that account.

Then click on the Next button.
Once that has completed, click on the Exit button.

In the main Recovery mode window, select Reinstall macOS, and click on Continue to reinstall macOS in its entirety.
Once that is complete, restart in normal mode.

NB: this is not a clean reinstall, it does however refresh system files.
If this is insufficient you're looking at wiping the drive and reinstalling clean.

https://eclecticlight.co/2020/03/28/app ... ons-again/

What folders have you manually changed "Read & Write" permissions? (Mac)