Repairing permissions - why doesn't OS X just do it automatically?

ss957916 said:

To repair permissions I just click a little "Repair Permissions" button. Don't know why nor what it actually does, but I understand that I should do it from time to time.

But if it's so important, why doesn't OS X just do it automatically?

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You can program the task in Automator...cant you?

Imagine how many less posts there'd be in this forum if it were done automatically...

Repair Permissions reads a permissions database, then checks the permissions of the items referenced in that database. If an item does not match, permissions are corrected (if you chose repair and not verify).

It only looks at items originally placed by the OS.

It is not necessary to repair permissions unless you are having a permissions problem. In other words, it is only "important" if you are experiencing issues related to permissions. That is why the OS X doesn't do it automatically.

sammich said:

Imagine how many less posts there'd be in this forum if it were done automatically...

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Hardly. This notion that permission repairs fix everything is out of hand. It is useful in very few cases. I honestly wish people would stop tossing it out as a solution. It is a very "noob-ish" thing.

Here is what goes down:

OP: I am having a problem
MRUser: Did you repair permissions?
OP never returns
Everything thinks repair permissions solved the problem
The end.

Because it doesn't need to be done nearly as much as some people like to do it? Read this, and the links at the end of the article too:

http://www.macworld.com/article/52220/2006/08/repairpermissions.html

sammich said:

Imagine how many less posts there'd be in this forum if it were done automatically...

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Now you're talking crazy stuff.

calderone said:

It only looks at items originally placed by the OS.

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What did you mean by 'originally' there?

From the wiki:

Repairing permissions involves checking the permissions of a set of files and folders on a volume with Mac OS X installed against a list of correct POSIX permissions, and correcting any discrepancies. The list of correct permissions is compiled by consulting the various bill-of-materials (.bom) files. Typically, these files are stored within reduced-size Installer package (.pkg) files in the Receipts folder in the local Library folder (/Library/Receipts) on the volume being checked. Whenever a user installs software that uses the Mac OS X Installer package format, a bill-of-materials file is created which can be consulted for future permission repair.

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It's always the darn flash player that gets repaired every time I run it.

I was under the impression that since 10.5 - macosx does repair automatically on start up if its needed. And always has - as long as your Mac was turned on at some ridiculous hour like 2am.

[not sure if you were replying to me, but since you didn't quote anyone else...]

sammich said:

From the wiki:

Whenever a user installs software that uses the Mac OS X Installer package format, a bill-of-materials file is created which can be consulted for future permission repair.

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Just highlighted those two words because i want to add that 3rd-party apps often use that procedure (such as Adobe). However, since late Jaguar (or thereabouts?) Disk Utility ignores any 3rd-party stuff which did not ship as part of Mac OSX (i.e., on the system install DVD). That wiki excerpt could leave the impression that any old bom sitting in the receipts area would be employed when a repair is run.

sammich said:

It's always the darn flash player that gets repaired every time I run it.

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For the record, the only Flash changes i've seen show up are that Adobe has tightened security (by removing admin group write privs), and Disk Utility insists on loosening it again (by restoring admin group write privs). Either way, there is no "problem" with Flash working (other than its normal funkiness ) due to those particular differences in permission. So really... the new Adobe settings are preferable, from a security standpoint.

The actual problem there is that the software update process in general has been failing to reeducate Disk Utility as to what the latest modes should be [a bug introduced when Leopard totally revamped the receipts database and perms enforcement policies.] Perhaps in the case of Flash, it's Adobe's fault for not tweaking the file Disk Utility references (idunno). I do know that all those CodeResources and SUID warnings which folks are supposed to just "ignore" are all due to a bug that Apple has yet to squash.

As the other poster mentioned, 9 times out of 10, you don't need to do it.

Yeah back when OSX was at 10.0 or 10.1, it was needed before/after any updates but things have progressed to the point that needing to repair permissions to actually fix something is a rarity

Chappers said:

I was under the impression that since 10.5 - macosx does repair automatically on start up if its needed. And always has - as long as your Mac was turned on at some ridiculous hour like 2am.

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You're confusing permissions repair with the running of the daily/weekly/monthly Cron maintenance tasks (now handled by "launchd" in Leopard and above).

my hp was having trouble connecting to the network....

.... so the online help said to repair the permissions. which i did. and now it works. so much for no longer needing to repair the permissions????

And, that's HP for you…
No one says that permissions repair never fixes anything - but it's much less likely to help, compared to how often it is suggested.