Calling all UNIX GURU's

[sabunab]

I have a problem....

1 - I enabled the root user.

2 - I logged in as root, and got info on the hard disk icon. - then went to access and privileges and set to everyone / read and write, and apply to all enclosed folders.

3- Then logged back in as normal user, and found I had no priviledges at all, - couldnt even start classic.

4 - Now I cant log in as root anymore, because I disabled the root user- as the root user, and it wont let me change anything in netinfoManager.

I ran the 'Repair Privileges' application, thens elected the disk to fix, and it went through all of the files and appeared to have worked - it said it was sucessful.

Then I went to get info on some of the files on the HD, but it the access priveleges had not changed?

I also got the same 192 error when I tried to mount a .dmg file.
I also tried to log in as root again, but it still wouldn't let me in.

When I go into NetinfoManager, it lets me authenticate, but when I go to enable root user is says I must re-authenticate to make additional changes.
I guess that it doesn't re-enable the root, cause after that if I try to log in it doesn't recognise my password.

HELP !

I should not have changed all that stuff, I didn't even know what I was doing. OS X is a whole different ball game to OS 9.

Where can I go from here?

Is the only option left a re-install? - c'mon hit me with the bad news.

I fear the worst. - if this is the only option left, do you know where I can find a good article to guide me through the process

Thanks again for your time and thoughts on this matter.

Steve

[chemistry_geek]

Question: Why did you do this in the first place? Your Mac (OS X) was happily humming along until you did SOMETHING to it that wasn't necessary.

Solution: If no one else responds to your post here, technically in the wrong forum, ask again in the "Darwin: Unix Side of Mac OS X" forum. I'm sure someone there will help you. If they can't or won't, you can always startup into Mac OS 9 from a CD, copy your files somewhere else, and REINSTALL Mac OS X.

Comment: Lesson learned! Never mess around in the command line when you don't know what you're doing. Any UNIX guru here will tell you the same thing.

[gatorparrots]

Don't reinstall or panic. Apple has provided a utility for you to restore the default permissions (knowing that some users would shoot themselves in the foot):

http://download.info.apple.com/Mac_O...ileges.dmg.bin

About the Repair Privileges Utility

The Repair Privileges utility restores the privileges of Mac OS X system files and Apple-installed software to their default configuration. All previous modifications to the privileges of these files and directories will be lost. While this utility does not change permissions of third-party software (if third-party software has changed Apple-set permissions), that software may not work as expected after using the utility.

Use the Repair Privileges utility to resolve any of the following issues:

* "An error of type -192" alert message in Disk Copy when disk images fail to become available.
* "An error of type -108" alert message in Print Center when spooling print jobs.
* "You are running Classic without superuser (root) Privileges" alert message when trying to start up Classic and the System Folder is blessed.
* An Admin user cannot drag files to a folder to which they should have write access, for example, the Applications folder.
* Files are unexpectedly locked and cannot be unlocked in the Finder.

[aber421]

if the above doesn't work, i'd go with reformat.. those are always fun.. doesn't your computer feel fast afterwards?

[onan]

Really. I don't mean "I'm not sure how to fix that, but reinstalling would work," I mean "there is no way, short of manually setting the correct permissions on thirty-five thousand directories, to fix this problem."

Apple's Repair Privileges utility won't do what you need. It's designed to fix the ownership and setuid-ness of a couple hundred items which have particular requirements. It is not designed to fix every directory on the filesystem.

I'm sorry if I seem unsympathetic, but I think this is precisely the type of thing Apple had in mind when they left root access disabled by default.

After you've reinstalled, come back and ask us how to do whatever it is you were actually trying to accomplish, and we'll help you out. =)

[sabunab]

Hi Guys,

I really appriciate your comments.
It seems a re-install would be the best option.
Its silly to me, that everything else is working fine, but this stupid little thing I did means a re-install!

One thing I am a little unsure of is will I have to go back and change all of the permissions of all of the non system files, i.e mp3's and all of my work, about (45gb) worth !?! - Once I have done the re-install ? or will the permissions be reset when I copy them from the dvd back-up, back to the fresh hard drive?

I am actually OK using OS 9.2 for a while, as it does not rely on permissions - maybe I will wait until 10.2 comes out later this year to do the full re-install.....

What do you lot think?