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I am an idiot (and a dangerous one)

Palad1

Palad1

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 24, 2004
647
0
London, UK
Hello Ladies and gentlemen.

Here's what happened to me this morning.
I tried uninstalling all simbl plugins from /Library/Application Support/Simbl/Plugins using the Finder's column view.

So I click on my selection, check out the content of another window, get back to the finder (click to focus), then, shift-backspace confident that simbl plugins will go to the trash. I am asked for the admin password, which seems reasonable since the files are located in /Library and not ~/Library.

While the process takes its sweet time deleting two miserable files, I start wondering why quicksilver cannot find the audio preferences...

Yup, that's it, I deleted my whole /Library folder like a complete and utter noob.

Luckilly I was able to recover some parts of it, but some vital parts (preferences) are gone forever. Is there some kind of 'repair install' Tiger can do?

I think I'm in for a nice system reinstall, then I'll have the pleasure of reading this thread yet again ;)

So the things we have learned today:
1/ Do double-check twice why you are entering the admin pass
2/ Finder sucks
3/ If you ever hear some advice on OSX from Palad1, just ignore him :)
 
What does shift-delete do? On my US Mac, Apple-Delete trashes files. I don't understand exactly what you did, or why the files did not go to trash.

Tiger's "repair install" is the Archive & Install feature. You boot off the DVD, and when you get to a screen that has an options button, you click it. You will be given a list of alternative install options, including the option to make an archive of your old system, re-install, and then transfer your user back over. This should solve your issues, since it's /Library that you trashed. You'll be left with a folder in the root of the hard drive containing the previous system install; you can delete it when you are comfortable you don't need anything held in it.
 
oh man, sorry to hear that. always try to back your HD up as an image or something. good luck!
 
For this issue the Archive and Install (both Preserving User/Network settings, and not preserving settings) will not allow you to regain full functionality of the OS. If you can turn the computer on and boot to the desktop you need to immediately back-up your information, then perform an erase and install.

This article directly from Apple tells you exactly which files are preserved for both types of instillations: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120

You may be able to use your OS with relative functionality and even with restoring some of the files that you found in the trash. However your OS is no longer stable and you have to erase and install to regain stability.
 
kwood said:
For this issue the Archive and Install (both Preserving User/Network settings, and not preserving settings) will not allow you to regain full functionality of the OS. If you can turn the computer on and boot to the desktop you need to immediately back-up your information, then perform an erase and install.
Click to expand...

I either think you didn't understand this knowledge base note, or I am missing what you mean completely. I think this is completely wrong.

There are two archive / install options.

The one preserve version moves the user files back. The other one doesn't. But both of them completely recreate the rest of the operating system installation. The only time they would ever fail to correctly install the operating system is if the hard disk partition / format integrity is compromised.

One might have to re-install some existing applications that put their things in /library. But doing it over an archive/install will not be any worse than doing it over an erase/install....

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be acerbic. If I'm misunderstanding the point you're making, and I'm wrong, I'd really like to understand why. But I don't think I am / do.
 
There are technically 3 types of instillations. Two are an Archive and install, and the other is an Erase and install. The erase and install does exactly what it says erases everything, rewrites the file structure then installs the OS. If you boot to the install disc, select your hard drive and click on the options button (OS X 10.2+) there are the 3 install types. If you select the Archive and install by default Preserving User and Network settings is also selected.

The difference between the 2 is outlined in that article I originally quoted. The large list outlines and Archive and install where preserving user and network settings is not selected. Later on in the article it outlines the additional files that are archived when preserving user and network settings is selected.

In both Archive and install options the “/Library” is preserved.
When you perform an Archive and Install installation, the following items are moved to /Previous Systems/Previous System 1... .../Library (All items here except /Library/Application Support, which is left untouched on the Mac OS X volume)
Click to expand...
As a result the links to other drivers and extensions are not reinstalled. The stability of your applications and possibly the OS as a result is compromised.
 
Actually, now that I read and reread that a few times, I realize I am incorrect. The “/Library” actually is moved to that previous system folder,and reinstalled as outlined in the article. My apologies for the incorrect information, I added the word “not” when I read it the first few times.
 
kwood said:
Actually, now that I read and reread that a few times, I realize I am incorrect. The “/Library” actually is moved to that previous system folder,and reinstalled as outlined in the article. My apologies for the incorrect information, I added the word “not” when I read it the first few times.
Click to expand...

I figured that's where you got mixed up. It *is* slightly confusing. :eek:
 
Thanks for the information!

I had lots of stuff in my /Library, so I opted for a full reinstall and a manual backup to a firewire drive...

I'm still amazed it only took one hour to get a whole system back + all the apps that I use.

The OSX (and NeXT) Application Bundle may waste some space on disk (no shared deps) but it's a real lifesaver when restoring apps from a backup.

Cheers,
Palad1
System Trasher
 
Out of curiosity, did you try Cmd-Z after doing the delete? As long as the trash hadn't been emptied yet, that should have restored all of the "deleted" files. At least it does for me in Finder.
 
Yeah, I tried that, but it restored only parts of my library.

I lost parts of the Applications folder as well, which seems real weird since I'm pretty sure I deleted the library itself... Maybe a symlink gone horribly wrong? :confused:

So now, I have setup an 'everyday' account witout admin privileges, as well as an admin account named "Destroyer Of Worlds". I'm not using the latter, although the username sure is tempting ;)

I know I tinkered without RTFMing because I assumed lots of things worked the same as BSD but I think I still have to learn the 'Mac' personality of the OS.

Cheers,
Palad1
 
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