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OS X: I downloaded from the Internet

arogge

arogge

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 15, 2002
1,065
33
Tatooine
Arrr! "OpenOffice.org is an application downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?" Really, Apple? Yes, I'm sure I want to open it. That's why I spent 30 minutes downloading, installing, placing Aliases for, and have been running it for the past few months! Why is there no Shut Up option on this stupid error message box, and preferably the whole stupid function so that it never pops up again? This has to be one of the dumbest "features" in Apple's software. Whose idea was it to put this "feature" in the operating system, and leave no obvious way to turn it off permanently? Maybe next it'll tell me that I may be sending unencrypted e-mails, and that my messages could be hijacked. :mad:
 
Considering that the greatest threats to the security of your computer come from unauthorized sources of executable code, and considering users' tendency to mindlessly execute malware that comes to them from random, unauthenticated sources, I would submit that this warning is worthwhile, even though you--an experienced user downloading something known--might be inconvenienced by having to click one more time.
 
It's not an error message. It's a security feature. Much like Vista/7's UAC. It can be turned off. Why don't you Google it instead of ranting about it?
 
Are you getting the message:
1) Every time you open OpenOffice, or
2) Every time you open - for the first time - any application downloaded from the internet?

I'm pretty sure that that #1 means that there is something wrong with the installation of OO. Perhaps you dragged the DMG to the applications folder instead of a proper installation? I don't know, and I don't use OO - so can't give you more details.

If #2, then that is working as designed. The first time you open something for the first time, and it asks and the question, and it is something you didn't download (knowingly) it will have earned it's keep.
 
That only happens the first time you launch a new downloaded app. Are you running it from your Downloads folder?
 
spblat said:
Considering that the greatest threats to the security of your computer come from unauthorized sources of executable code, and considering users' tendency to mindlessly execute malware that comes to them from random, unauthenticated sources, I would submit that this warning is worthwhile, even though you--an experienced user downloading something known--might be inconvenienced by having to click one more time.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I like the warnings and it doesn't bother me.

-aggie- said:
...or making it look like you downloaded OSX with a poor title.:eek:
Click to expand...

Agreed, it is a very misleading title.
 
I clicked on this thread with my katana in hand, ready to slash somebody for major piracy.

I do agree with the OP that is does get rather annoying, but I realize it's for security. I'm okay with being annoyed if it keeps my Mac healthy.
 
snberk103 said:
Are you getting the message:
1) Every time you open OpenOffice, or
2) Every time you open - for the first time - any application downloaded from the internet?

I'm pretty sure that that #1 means that there is something wrong with the installation of OO. Perhaps you dragged the DMG to the applications folder instead of a proper installation? I don't know, and I don't use OO - so can't give you more details.

If #2, then that is working as designed. The first time you open something for the first time, and it asks and the question, and it is something you didn't download (knowingly) it will have earned it's keep.
Click to expand...

I had a problem with that warning in several applications, that would not go away. It turns out there is a meta-tag the system use to identify fresh d/ls. Since the tag is attached to the application file, it cannot be altered if there is any kind of permissions restriction on the file or its folder. If can temporarily you turn off permissions for the volume where the application resides, you can launch it, let the meta-tag get cleared, then turn permissions back on.
 
Intell said:
It's not an error message. It's a security feature. Much like Vista/7's UAC. It can be turned off.
Click to expand...

It is an error message when it suddenly starts happening for the only apparent reason that I installed a point update for the software, and now it won't go away. I found a hack to get around it, but why isn't that option made available there in the pop-up box? Something like, "Yes, I know what this executable is, now don't tell me about it again." I shouldn't have to hack the OS to shut off a nanny feature, especially on an OS that is supposedly so secure compared to Windows XP and its thousands of compatible worms.
 
snberk103 said:
Are you getting the message:
Click to expand...

I installed the point update from an regular admin account, overwriting the original package in /Applications. Now other users on the same machine are hitting this annoying error message every time they try to run the software from their user accounts. I guess that I should have installed it from the root account as usual. The error message doesn't happen when I run the software from the admin account used to copy the package to /Applications. I wonder if I missed that advice in the ReadMe file.
 
arogge said:
It is an error message when it suddenly starts happening for the only apparent reason that I installed a point update for the software, and now it won't go away. I found a hack to get around it, but why isn't that option made available there in the pop-up box? Something like, "Yes, I know what this executable is, now don't tell me about it again." I shouldn't have to hack the OS to shut off a nanny feature, especially on an OS that is supposedly so secure compared to Windows XP and its thousands of compatible worms.
Click to expand...

arogge said:
I installed the point update from an regular admin account, overwriting the original package in /Applications. Now other users on the same machine are hitting this annoying error message every time they try to run the software from their user accounts. I guess that I should have installed it from the root account as usual. The error message doesn't happen when I run the software from the admin account used to copy the package to /Applications. I wonder if I missed that advice in the ReadMe file.
Click to expand...

I don't know the ins-and-outs of how this works. But I do know that this is not the intended behaviour.

Do you still have Apple Care? If so, call 'em up. Thats what they are for. If you don't, head over to the Apple support forums. As much as I like Mac Rumours, for really arcane support I use the Apple forums. More signal, less noise.
 
Why is this thread in the Community Discussion forum?


(It's about the OS. Mac OSX doesn't say it's for tech support requests only. It's for anything having to do with the OS.)

Anyway, you got it off your chest. Sometimes that's all you can do, 'cause it can't be changed. Good luck anyway, maybe someone will give you the solution.)
 
Last edited:
Chappers said:
Irritating maybe but security to remind you just in case
Click to expand...

I'd suggest that Apple could do better about it. "The package APPLICATION was downloaded over your network from address IP by USER on DATE. It replaced executable APPLICATION_OLD, dated DATE_OLD and located in ./Applications. There ARE or ARE NOT any dependency conflicts detected. Do you want to use the new executable? You will not receive this notification again unless a conflict has been detected. If a problem should occur, your system administrator can roll back this installation to the previous version within one week."

What Apple did is to dumb it down to "The Internet could be dangerous" and then made it so that the single notification now becomes an error message that won't go away. Is a warning against bullying on the Internet to come next in the form of a content scanner? I'm more worried about a software patch causing unintended operation or failure, right when I'm trying to read an important document or send a file over the network.
 
paddy said:
Relax, it only involves pressing ok. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Click to expand...

It's not small when other system users are getting annoyed every day, and guess who gets to clean up the mess. :eek: I'm probably going to end up reinstalling the application because of this problem. Why didn't Apple provide a way to shut off the popup message? It did for the crash reporting, and also with the Always Allow for application access to Keychain, but not for this.
 
I wish OS X (and Windows for that matter) had some form of System Prefs -> Security -> Advanced -> *answer arbitrary nerd question* -> "check this box to leave me the *@#% alone"

This would be gold in Windows. I used to really despise XP because it'd give you about a half dozen systray tooltips when you plugged in a USB thumb drive.
 
JoeG4 said:
I wish OS X (and Windows for that matter) had some form of System Prefs -> Security -> Advanced -> *answer arbitrary nerd question* -> "check this box to leave me the *@#% alone"

This would be gold in Windows. I used to really despise XP because it'd give you about a half dozen systray tooltips when you plugged in a USB thumb drive.
Click to expand...

Haha, I like it. That really is a good idea, some notifications, especially those in windows are just obnoxious
 
Fix for bug

There seems to be a known bug starting with Lion where some Apps display this message every time they are opened. For me, some apps was OpenOffice.org See here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3193518?start=60&tstart=0

I was able to fix this, not by turning off the message using Onyx, as one person suggested (didn't work for me in Mountain Lion), but by making sure all the files in the application were owned by the account that I use.

sudo chown -R cworth:admin /Applications/OpenOffice.org.app
 
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