Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Help with terminal syntax to delete a .kext file

gogreen1

gogreen1

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 20, 2017
271
15
I'm trying to delete the file /System/Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-50EF6388-7D0F-42FD-B946-38F4A6A88D0D/QuarantineRoot/Library/StagedExtensions/Library/Extensions/Soundflower.kext. I've seen and followed instructions for doing so with a sudo command in Terminal, but that's not working for me. I think I may have the syntax wrong. I'd appreciate someone showing me the correct syntax for the kernel extension removal command. Thanks.
 
gogreen1 said:
I'm trying to delete the file /System/Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-50EF6388-7D0F-42FD-B946-38F4A6A88D0D/QuarantineRoot/Library/StagedExtensions/Library/Extensions/Soundflower.kext. I've seen and followed instructions for doing so with a sudo command in Terminal, but that's not working for me. I think I may have the syntax wrong. I'd appreciate someone showing me the correct syntax for the kernel extension removal command. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Depending on the version of macOS you're running, the /System folder is protected from user changes and you might need to disabled SIP (System Integrity Protection) before being able to make changes.

Source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204899
 
  • Like
Reactions: gogreen1
gogreen1 said:
I'm trying to delete the file /System/Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-50EF6388-7D0F-42FD-B946-38F4A6A88D0D/QuarantineRoot/Library/StagedExtensions/Library/Extensions/Soundflower.kext. I've seen and followed instructions for doing so with a sudo command in Terminal, but that's not working for me. I think I may have the syntax wrong. I'd appreciate someone showing me the correct syntax for the kernel extension removal command. Thanks.
Click to expand...

After disabling sip if needed to check use the below.

Code: 
MacUser2525:~$ csrutil status


System Integrity Protection status: enabled (Custom Configuration).





Configuration:


    Apple Internal: disabled


    Kext Signing: disabled


    Filesystem Protections: disabled


    Debugging Restrictions: disabled


    DTrace Restrictions: disabled


    NVRAM Protections: disabled


    BaseSystem Verification: disabled





This is an unsupported configuration, likely to break in the future and leave your machine in an unknown state.

To delete in Terminal you need to use the -r switch with the rm command as a .kext is a directory structure to the file system so this is needed.

Code: 
MacUser2525:~$ sudo rm -r /System/Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-50EF6388-7D0F-42FD-B946-38F4A6A88D0D/QuarantineRoot/Library/StagedExtensions/Library/Extensions/Soundflower.kext


Password:


rm: /System/Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-50EF6388-7D0F-42FD-B946-38F4A6A88D0D/QuarantineRoot/Library/StagedExtensions/Library/Extensions/Soundflower.kext: No such file or directory


As you can see the file is not on my system.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gogreen1 and revmacian
Thanks, revmacian and MacUser2525. I followed the instructions--a few times, but even though I can still confirm the location, Terminal tells me the file doesn't exist. Am I doing something wrong?
 

Attachments

  • Soundflower.kext location.png
    Soundflower.kext location.png
    513.2 KB · Views: 253
gogreen1 said:
Thanks, revmacian and MacUser2525. I followed the instructions--a few times, but even though I can still confirm the location, Terminal tells me the file doesn't exist. Am I doing something wrong?
Click to expand...

You do nothing wrong the file does not exist on your system it tells you so, just like my output showed. The .kext file is there but not the file you try to delete.
 
Maybe you already do this, but just in case you are mis-typing the path for that file, be sure to try:
sudo rm -r
Be sure to type a single space after the -r, then drag the kext file into the terminal window. That will assure that the path to the file is entered correctly.
 
@gogreen1 Can I ask why are you trying to delete it? Last time I checked, SoundFlower was working even in Catalina.
 
bogdanw: I tried Soundflower, but uninstalled it--apparently, not completely. I just wanted a complete uninstall.

DeltaMac: I'll try again, but I think I'm doing it the way you suggest.

MacUser2525: EasyFind and Finder both show the file's location. So how could it not be there?
 
Have you tried searching to see if there are any "kext management utilities" that you could use for this task?

Fishrrman's "it always works!" routine for deleting problem files like this:
1. Boot from an EXTERNAL bootable drive (if you don't have one, MAKE one)
2. Click on the internal drive ONE TIME to select it. Then bring up "get info" and put a checkmark into "ignore ownership on this volume" in sharing and permissions.
3. Now you can delete almost anything on the internal drive. (be careful!)

I believe that if you're deleting a kext file, you ALSO need to locate and delete any "kext caches" that exist, because I think the cache maintains a copy of the kext for a "quick load" at the next bootup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gogreen1
gogreen1 said:
bogdanw: I tried Soundflower, but uninstalled it--apparently, not completely. I just wanted a complete uninstall.

DeltaMac: I'll try again, but I think I'm doing it the way you suggest.

MacUser2525: EasyFind and Finder both show the file's location. So how could it not be there?
Click to expand...

It shows the .kext file not the file inside you try to delete that is is not present. Now I know you want to delete the entire file.

Code: 
sudo rm -r /System/Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-50EF6388-7D0F-42FD-B946-38F4A6A88D0D/QuarantineRoot/Library/StagedExtensions/Library/Extensions/Soundflower.kext

To get rid of it and

Code: 
sudo rm -r /System/Library/Extensions/Soundflower.kext

In the event it is in the actual running directory used by the system location. Then

Code: 
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

To have macOS rebuild the startup caches to ensure nothing is still getting loaded from the removed .kext on the next boot.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gogreen1
SUCCESS! It's Gone! Terminal was still telling me "no such file or directory," so I went into Finder and started with the SystemMigration folder, drilled down to the file, and simply sent it to Trash. I rechecked with EasyFind to make sure it was gone. I don't know why I couldn't do that before. Maybe that was before I disabled SIP. Now I need to re-enable SIP. Thanks, all!
 
Last edited:
I have never heard that macOS migrates files to /System/Library/SystemMigration. Are you sure you the kext wasn’t in /Library/SystemMigration instead? There is no reason why macOS would put it there, as the whole point of the migration is to move obsolete files out of the system locations for you to discard. This would also explain why sudo rm -r <path> didn’t work, because this command should remove everything recursively at a specified path, whether file or directory.

In any case, disabling SIP should in most cases allow you to delete system files from within Finder also. Just be sure to re-enable SIP by executing this command: csrutil clear.
 
Well, it may have been there--but now it's gone. Yup--SIP is re-enabled. Thanks.
How did you get the circled blue around the commands in your post?
 
I turn SIP OFF on all my Macs, and LEAVE it off.
Macs ran great for almost 30 years without SIP.
Don't need it now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back