Macintosh HD is sometimes read-only?

[dgill]

My main (root?) directory was set to read-only for awhile, and I don't know why. I created several folders there recently, then could not modify them for several days. Now, it's read/write again.

Any ideas?

 

[JeffCGD]

sounds like time to boot from your OSX install CD and run the fix permissions operation in disk utility (from the drop down menu on the installer)

 

[oldfogey]

Apple's 10.2.3 update correctly set the permissions for the root directory to read+write for the owner (root), read only for the group (admin) and others. But if you downloaded, for example, the Quicktime 6.1 update, it set the permissions back to read+write for group, which causes sendmail to throw a wobbly.

Probably other Apple updates would do the same.

It looks like repair permissions also does this, but I don't know what would happen if you just loaded the 10.2.3 update and then ran repair permissions (ie before allowing the Quicktime update to change them yet again).

 

[svejk]

Most Apple Software Updates render / group writable (maybe world, I don't remember). They chose user non-outfreakedness over security in thhis instance. Since I use sendmail as a local relay (loopback only) and like reasonable security, I added a chmod line to the init script. Software update only breaks my permissions until the next reboot. Of course, unless the update requires a reboot, I ussually do it manually.