Resolved El Cap Beta Testers: Custom Folder Icons

[Jess13]

I asked previously here at MR about using custom icons in El Cap and was told that it is possible to temporarily shut off System Integrity Protection which permits you to change icons. That's good. What about setting new folders to always use custom icon by default? I use LiteIcon to perform this in Yosemite; what is the fix for El Cap, if there is any? I want to upgrade from Yosemite for many of El Cap's benefits, but I can't stand default Apple folders in Yosemite and El Cap. Argh!

System Integrity Protection

https://developer.apple.com/library...acOSX/WhatsNewInOSX/Articles/MacOSX10_11.html

A new security policy that applies to every running process, including privileged code and code that runs out of the sandbox. The policy extends additional protections to components on disk and at run-time, only allowing system binaries to be modified by the system installer and software updates. Code injection and runtime attachments to system binaries are no longer permitted.​

 

[Jess13]

Anyone?

 

[Macdctr]

I asked previously here at MR about using custom icons in El Cap ...

you mean like this?

 

[redheeler]

Boot into Recovery (hold down Command-R at startup until the Apple logo appears), and in Utilities > Terminal run the following to disable rootless:

csrutil disable

And to re-enable:

csrutil enable

After this it will be possible to change system folder icons.

 

[Jess13]

you mean like this?

If the blue and white custom icon for your folders was automatically applied to new folders, yes. Not where you had to individually change each folder icon manually to the custom icon. If your custom folder icon for new folders was applied automatically for each new folder created, how did you set it up? In Yosemite, I use LiteIcon for creating Generic folders with custom icon automatically applied:

 

[Jess13]

Boot into Recovery (hold down Command-R at startup until the Apple logo appears), and in Utilities > Terminal run the following to disable rootless:

csrutil disable

And to re-enable:

csrutil enable

After this it will be possible to change system folder icons.

Yes, thank you. But how is that going to work for creating new Generic folders with custom icon automatically applied? In Yosemite, I use LiteIcon and all new folders automatically have custom icon without me being required to change each new Generic folder icon manually.

 

[ssn637]

After disabling SIP I simply replaced the SystemVersion.plist with one "faking" OS X Yosemite, then ran LiteIcon to replace my folder and application icons and restored the original SystemVersion.plist when done.

 

[Jess13]

After disabling SIP I simply replaced the SystemVersion.plist with one "faking" OS X Yosemite, then ran LiteIcon to replace my folder and application icons and restored the original SystemVersion.plist when done.

And this works for new Generic folders ⎯ they have the custom icon automatically applied for each new folder created? If yes, would you please post the code for your “fake” Yosemite plist? Please also tell me where I replace the SystemVersion plist, what folder it is in. Thank You.

 

[ssn637]

And this works for new Generic folders ⎯ they have the custom icon automatically applied for each new folder created? If yes, would you please post the code for your “fake” Yosemite plist? Please also tell me where I replace the SystemVersion plist, what folder it is in. Thank You.

The SystemVersion.plist is located under /System/Library/CoreServices and looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>ProductBuildVersion</key>
<string>15A263e</string>
<key>ProductCopyright</key>
<string>1983-2015 Apple Inc.</string>
<key>ProductName</key>
<string>Mac OS X</string>
<key>ProductUserVisibleVersion</key>
<string>10.11</string>
<key>ProductVersion</key>
<string>10.11</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Just replace the two entries with "10.11" to "10.10" after having saved the original somewhere safe. Then run LiteIcon to change the icons of any folders or applications you like.

 

[Jess13]

The SystemVersion.plist is located under /System/Library/CoreServices and looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>ProductBuildVersion</key>
<string>15A263e</string>
<key>ProductCopyright</key>
<string>1983-2015 Apple Inc.</string>
<key>ProductName</key>
<string>Mac OS X</string>
<key>ProductUserVisibleVersion</key>
<string>10.11</string>
<key>ProductVersion</key>
<string>10.11</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Just replace the two entries with "10.11" to "10.10" after having saved the original somewhere safe. Then run LiteIcon to change the icons of any folders or applications you like.

Thank You, Very Much! Doing this first thing once El Cap is released publicly.

 

[Jess13]

Confirmed.