05-22-2005, 07:21 AM

Hi All,

This is really two questions:

1. How do I stop OSX (Tiger) from annoying me by asking for my password on a single user machine when I try to install something, and,

2. How do I stop it from always giving me an alert (and then waiting for my reply) when downloading something that may contain an application?

Thanks for your help

05-22-2005, 08:28 AM

1. if theres only one account, this can't be done. its part of the security of os x.
2. what browser are you using?

05-22-2005, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Macman

1. if theres only one account, this can't be done. its part of the security of os x.
2. what browser are you using?

First of all, thanks for your quick reply! I'm using Safari as a browser.

05-22-2005, 08:37 AM

hmm, thats odd. what is the format of the files you are downloading?

05-22-2005, 03:24 PM

With 10.4.1 update safari will ask permission to download an application. I suggest you leave this enabled. Without it enabled websites can automatically install a program without your knowledge. Basically a Mac version of spyware. If that doesn't scare you enough, without it enabled the programs installed also get root permission. Which means they can do whatever they want on the machine. If you really don't like it I would suggest using Firefox. Or you can go to safari prefs and disable the alert.

Hope this helps.

05-22-2005, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by jeremyjones

With 10.4.1 update safari will ask permission to download an application. I suggest you leave this enabled. Without it enabled websites can automatically install a program without your knowledge. Basically a Mac version of spyware. If that doesn't scare you enough, without it enabled the programs installed also get root permission. Which means they can do whatever they want on the machine. If you really don't like it I would suggest using Firefox. Or you can go to safari prefs and disable the alert.

Hope this helps.

Actually Safari does that since 10.4. With 10.4.1 came an additional security concerning widgets. It is a way to give the user control about what is being downloaded. Might be an inconvenience, but most all working security measures are inconvenient in one or another way. As far as I know, there's no way to turn it off.
But still, no program can get root access that easily. After all, the root account is, by default, disabled in OS X.

05-22-2005, 05:00 PM

Your right about the root account. I was meaning admin rights not root. But in 10.4 there was not a message about downloading apps. That was one of the great things about 10.4.1 is that it asked your permission before downloading apps in safari.

To disable and enable the feature is below.
Preferences -> General -> Open "safe" files after downloading (uncheck)

10.4.1 fixed this without unchecking it. It will still prompt you. Any other corrections or do I need to post my sources.

05-23-2005, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by jeremyjones

Your right about the root account. I was meaning admin rights not root. But in 10.4 there was not a message about downloading apps. That was one of the great things about 10.4.1 is that it asked your permission before downloading apps in safari.

To disable and enable the feature is below.
Preferences -> General -> Open "safe" files after downloading (uncheck)

10.4.1 fixed this without unchecking it. It will still prompt you. Any other corrections or do I need to post my sources.

If you're asking for it:
The "Open safe files after downloading"- option has nothing to do with the message asking for permission to download. It only means that, when checked, "safe" files like for example DMGs are opened immediately after downloading, without any warning. Nevertheless, when you try downloading a file that might start or mount itself (i.e. DMG), you always got a question if you're sure you want to download it, even in 10.4, and started themselves automatically if the option was checked. The only executable filetypes that did not trigger that permission question were dashboard widgets, which, without you even noticing it, simply downloaded and installed themselves. And you needed to uncheck the above mentioned option to avoid that. That's the security issue that has been fixed, as widgets now also will ask if you allow them to be downloaded.

05-23-2005, 03:29 PM

I was talking about widgets the entire time. The question was asked what type of application and there was no response. I simple fix by you would of been that the previous post is right only for widgets not for all apps. I assumed the entire post was about widgets since a lot of post have been about them. Plus the post never said what apps he was talking about. But anyway, thanks for your rude comments on a simple typing error by myself. Go back and read all my comments and every comment is true for widgets. I wish there were more people like you on the forums.

05-24-2005, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by jeremyjones

I was talking about widgets the entire time. The question was asked what type of application and there was no response. I simple fix by you would of been that the previous post is right only for widgets not for all apps. I assumed the entire post was about widgets since a lot of post have been about them. Plus the post never said what apps he was talking about. But anyway, thanks for your rude comments on a simple typing error by myself. Go back and read all my comments and every comment is true for widgets. I wish there were more people like you on the forums.

I do agree that there was a little misunderstanding. As the original question was about apps in general, not just widgets, I thought your reply was for all apps. Taken only for widgets, you are, of course, right.

Nevertheless, when have I been rude?! You were the one making the unnecessary comment about my "corrections". It wasn't a correction, I just wanted to clear out the difference between root and admin (you might not believe it, but lots of people out there do not know the difference) and my comments were about apps in general, as was the initial question:

Originally Posted by Emerson

2. How do I stop it from always giving me an alert (and then waiting for my reply) when downloading something that may contain an application?

My intention was not to correct you, and I was by no means rude...unlike your remarks.

05-24-2005, 01:36 PM

Lets call it a misunderstanding and leave it at that. I do appreciate you correcting my post. If no one will correct mistakes then it wouldn't be a good forum. I misinterpreted your comment as being rude. Sorry about that.

05-24-2005, 01:58 PM

Members correcting members and in a civilized manner. This is good! Just another reason I like this place.
Sorry I know off topic but just had to say that

05-24-2005, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by iNAP

Members correcting members and in a civilized manner. This is good! Just another reason I like this place.
Sorry I know off topic but just had to say that

Yeap, and the misunderstanding was settled in a civilized manner too... :cool: