[OS X TeX] 7 new i-Packages

[Gerben Wierda]

On Thursday, May 16, 2002, at 08:15 , Bruno Voisin wrote:

> Hello Gerben,
>
> I attempted to install the first two i-Packages (using "Open URL...") 
> and got the following error messages:
>
> ### bzip2.pre_install: Cannot write in directories 
> /usr/local/{bin,lib,include,man/man1}. Bailing out...
> Task terminated with status 1
>
> ### libpng.pre_install: Cannot write in directories 
> /usr/local/{bin,lib,include}. Bailing out...
> Task terminated with status 1
>

You are supposed to have write access in those directories. I you have 
not, you need to install the package as someone who has (e.g. System 
Administrator). You can do that by either logging in as root (if you 
have that account enabled) or use Pseudo.app to start i-Installer. Or 
you can make sure that you have write access in /usr/local, for instance 
by modifying it so that you have write access  for the group.

The packages itself do not require authentication, but they do need 
write access in /usr/local or subdirectories thereof.

As long as Apple does not upgrade it's Security Framework I am caught in 
a difficult position. If I use the framework to enable people to 
authenticate at will, I lose the possibility to interact with the 
installation process (e.g. aborting it). I also lose the possibility to 
handle normal output and error messages separately. Hence the 
'authenticating dedicated installers' which let you authenticate and 
replace themselves with an authenticated copy. It is ugly and not the 
best solution, security policy wise (you could accidentally leave an app 
running with admin privileges), but I need fixes to the Security 
Framework before I can do it 'right'.

Gerben


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