Repair Permissions
I updated my OS to 10.4.3 and repaired permissions. There was a lot of widgets stuff that came up. Well, I repaired permissions again a few days later and a lot of widget stuff came up. I thought this was curious, so I did another just to see. Again, the same exact stuff popped up. What is the deal here? Is this something that should worry me?
Comments
Repairing permissions checks file access settings for OS files. The settings it is looking for are coded to your version of the OS. Thus, due to OS changes or perhaps due to user changes, "repairs" may be required after updating your OS.
That said, there are exceptions. It seems that when certain special exceptions are made the Disk Utility application displays messages. These aren't errors, just notices that special permission rules are applied. There are many widget-related notes like these after installing 10.4.3.
So, there are some erroneous messages in 10.4.3, but it is still a good idea to run it after updates.
You should not be routinely "repairing permissions". Some people do it obsessively, and it's bogus.
I don't understand this whole 'repair permissions' issue at all. How does one know when they need to do this? I have an iBook G4 14" that I bought this past Sept. 4th, and upgraded to 10.4.3 on Oct. 31st. I have never 'repaired permissions,' and honestly don't know when or if I would know when I need, or should, do this? I'm assuming one would receive error messages of some kind to let one know there is an issue and permissions need to be repaired?
Since I have never 'repaired permissions,' but everything is working fine and I have received no error messages of any kind, should I be overly concerned about this?
Originally posted by Outsider
Repairing permissions is a placebo. It will fix a very limited set of problems in my experience, but it makes people feel good. So whatever. A good fsck however.
OK, I thought that repair permissions was apples cute front end for fsck...am I wrong?
Originally posted by a_greer
OK, I thought that repair permissions was apples cute front end for fsck...am I wrong?
No, fsck is the other side where it says repair disk. But you can't run it on a startup disk, only on non start up disks and firewire drives.
To run fsck on the start up disk you need to start up in single user mode (command line) and run fsck from the sbin directory. It'll give you instructions when you start up in SUM. There's no harm in running that and that's what people should be running more often. I'd do it at least once a year.