Groups > comp.sys.mac.system > #59403 > unrolled thread

Users folder being hidden with iTunes 11.2 installed and Find My Mac enabled?

Started by	Ant <ant@zimage.comANT>
First post	2014-05-16 19:51 -0700
Last post	2014-05-18 20:13 +0000
Articles	20 on this page of 21 — 12 participants

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#59403 — Users folder being hidden with iTunes 11.2 installed and Find My Mac enabled?

From	Ant <ant@zimage.comANT>
Date	2014-05-16 19:51 -0700
Subject	Users folder being hidden with iTunes 11.2 installed and Find My Mac enabled?
Message-ID	<2OednfTLYK4pU-vOnZ2dnUVZ_qudnZ2d@earthlink.com>

http://www.osnews.com/story/27734/iTunes_11_2_update_hides_Users_folder_on_OS_X 
from http://www.osnews.com/comments/27734

Is anyone else seeing this? I am scared to upgrade iTunes in Mac OS X 
10.8.5. :/
-- 
"Even an ant can hurt an elephant." --Proverb
    /\___/\         Ant(Dude) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
   / /\ /\ \                Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
  | |o   o| |
     \ _ /        If crediting, then use Ant nickname and AQFL URL/link.
      ( )         If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
A song (i/wa)s playing on this computer: Interactive - Forever Young 
(Red Jerry Mix)

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#59404

From	Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com>
Date	2014-05-17 03:02 +0000
Message-ID	<bto1q8Fr6npU1@mid.individual.net>
In reply to	#59403

On 2014-05-17, Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:
> http://www.osnews.com/story/27734/iTunes_11_2_update_hides_Users_folder_on_OS_X 
> from http://www.osnews.com/comments/27734
>
> Is anyone else seeing this? I am scared to upgrade iTunes in Mac OS X 
> 10.8.5. :/

Why? It's hidden - not deleted. It's still there, at /Users. It's not
like it prevents you from doing anything. And you can easily unhide just
as you would any other folder, for instance with this command: 

sudo chflags nohidden /Users

And Apple will likely fix the issue in a future update.

You literally have nothing to fear but fear itself.

-- 
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

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#59407

From	dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)
Date	2014-05-17 16:33 +1200
Message-ID	<1llst1j.14bn89hoiah2aN%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>
In reply to	#59403

Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:

>
>http://www.osnews.com/story/27734/iTunes_11_2_update_hides_Users_folder
>_on_OS_X
>
> from http://www.osnews.com/comments/27734
> 
> Is anyone else seeing this? I am scared to upgrade iTunes in Mac OS X
> 10.8.5. :/

There is no reason to be "scared".

If you have a specific need to access /Users/Shared, or the home or
public folder of other user accounts, then even if /Users is hidden, it
is easily worked around, e.g. by creating a symbolic link to the folder,
or navigating up to /Users from your home folder, or by using Go to
Folder in Finder, or by adding the folder in question to your Finder
sidebar.

I tested upgrading to iTunes 11.2 on a Mac running 10.8.5 with Find my
Mac enabled and the /Users folder was NOT hidden. I restarted to
double-check and it was still OK.

Unless there is yet another factor involved, it appears that the hiding
of the Users folder is a bug which only affects Mavericks. I've seen
reports so far of people encountering it when running OS X 10.9.2 and
10.9.3.

The solution is easy enough: disable Find my Mac until Apple releases a
fix for this bug.

If your /Users and /Users/Shared folders have already been hidden by
this bug, then you can make them visible again by:

1. In System Preferences > iCloud, disable "Find my Mac". (This bug has
nothing to do with "Back to my Mac".)

2. Try using Disk Utility to do a Repair Disk Permissions on your
startup volume.

3. If that doesn't work, then the following commands in Terminal will
restore the normal visibility and permissions.

sudo chflags nohidden /Users /Users/Shared
sudo chmod 755 /Users
sudo chmod 1777 /Users/Shared

(Step 1 is necessary. If you have iTunes 11.2 installed and Find my Mac
enabled on Mavericks, then these folders will be hidden and their
permissions modified again each time you restart the computer.)

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz

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#59408

From	dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)
Date	2014-05-17 16:43 +1200
Message-ID	<1llsuf8.vmb18q1hav1n5N%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>
In reply to	#59407

David Empson <dempson@actrix.gen.nz> wrote:

> Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:
> 
> >
> >http://www.osnews.com/story/27734/iTunes_11_2_update_hides_Users_folder
> >_on_OS_X
> >
> > from http://www.osnews.com/comments/27734
> > 
> > Is anyone else seeing this? I am scared to upgrade iTunes in Mac OS X
> > 10.8.5. :/
> 
> There is no reason to be "scared".
> 
> If you have a specific need to access /Users/Shared, or the home or
> public folder of other user accounts, then even if /Users is hidden, it
> is easily worked around, e.g. by creating a symbolic link to the folder,
> or navigating up to /Users from your home folder, or by using Go to
> Folder in Finder, or by adding the folder in question to your Finder
> sidebar.
> 
> I tested upgrading to iTunes 11.2 on a Mac running 10.8.5 with Find my
> Mac enabled and the /Users folder was NOT hidden. I restarted to
> double-check and it was still OK.

Update: Apple has just released iTunes 11.2.1, which apparently fixes
this bug, so no need to be scared at all.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz

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#59411

From	Ant <ant@zimage.comANT>
Date	2014-05-16 22:45 -0700
Message-ID	<teidnS7XteEZauvOnZ2dnUVZ_qadnZ2d@earthlink.com>
In reply to	#59408

On 5/16/2014 9:43 PM PT, David Empson typed:
> Update: Apple has just released iTunes 11.2.1, which apparently fixes
> this bug, so no need to be scared at all.

I just got an e-mail notification from Apple's security mailing list. 
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5434 ... Nice.
-- 
"Whence we see spiders, flies, or ants entombed and preserved forever in 
amber, a more than royal tomb." --Sir Francis Bacon in Historia Vitæ et 
Mortis; Sylva Sylvarum, Cent. i. Exper. 100.
    /\___/\         Ant(Dude) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
   / /\ /\ \                Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
  | |o   o| |
     \ _ /        If crediting, then use Ant nickname and AQFL URL/link.
      ( )         If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on this computer.

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#59416

From	Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca>
Date	2014-05-17 08:20 -0400
Message-ID	<84ednQo75oa5yerOnZ2dnUVZ_qadnZ2d@giganews.com>
In reply to	#59411

On 2014.05.17, 01:45 , Ant wrote:
> On 5/16/2014 9:43 PM PT, David Empson typed:
>> Update: Apple has just released iTunes 11.2.1, which apparently fixes
>> this bug, so no need to be scared at all.
>
> I just got an e-mail notification from Apple's security mailing list.
> http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5434 ... Nice.

Why do sentences like

     "... might appear to be missing after ..."

seem so inane to me?


-- 
"Big data can reduce anything to a single number,
  but you shouldn’t be fooled by the appearance of exactitude."
      -Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis, NYT, 2014.04.07

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#59488

From	billy@MIX.COM
Date	2014-05-18 20:11 +0000
Message-ID	<llb46e$hd$1@reader2.panix.com>
In reply to	#59416

Alan Browne <alan.browne@freelunchvideotron.ca> writes:

> > http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5434
> 
> Why do sentences like
> 
>      "... might appear to be missing after ..."
> 
> seem so inane to me?

Because they are.  Better to say what the problem
actually is.  Apple have been improving with this
but they are obviously not yet finished.

Billy Y..
-- 
        sub     #'9+1   ,r0             ; convert ascii byte
	add     #9.+1   ,r0             ; to an integer
	bcc     20$                     ; not a number

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#59492

From	J Burns <burns4@nowhere.com>
Date	2014-05-18 17:37 -0400
Message-ID	<llb97j$84n$1@dont-email.me>
In reply to	#59488

On 5/18/14, 4:11 PM, billy@MIX.COM wrote:
> Alan Browne <alan.browne@freelunchvideotron.ca> writes:
>
>>> http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5434
>>
>> Why do sentences like
>>
>>       "... might appear to be missing after ..."
>>
>> seem so inane to me?
>
> Because they are.  Better to say what the problem
> actually is.  Apple have been improving with this
> but they are obviously not yet finished.
>
> Billy Y..
>
I'll have to side with Apple on this one.  They aren't missing but might 
appear to be missing.

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#59410

From	JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca>
Date	2014-05-17 01:40 -0400
Message-ID	<5376f652$0$10573$c3e8da3$33881b6a@news.astraweb.com>
In reply to	#59407

On 14-05-17 00:33, David Empson wrote:

> If you have a specific need to access /Users/Shared, or the home or
> public folder of other user accounts, then even if /Users is hidden, it
> is easily worked around, e.g. by creating a symbolic link to the folder,

hiding a folder is security by obscurity and adds no security.

The question is: what the h_ll is an application meddling with root
level directories ? Upgrading itunes should only mess with what is
inside /Applications/iTunes and in /Library for whatever frameworks it
provides.

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#59412

From	Alan Baker <alangbaker@telus.net>
Date	2014-05-16 23:03 -0700
Message-ID	<ll6u3m$qb4$1@news.datemas.de>
In reply to	#59410

On 2014-05-17 05:40:33 +0000, JF Mezei said:

> On 14-05-17 00:33, David Empson wrote:
> 
>> If you have a specific need to access /Users/Shared, or the home or
>> public folder of other user accounts, then even if /Users is hidden, it
>> is easily worked around, e.g. by creating a symbolic link to the folder,
> 
> hiding a folder is security by obscurity and adds no security.
> 
> The question is: what the h_ll is an application meddling with root
> level directories ? Upgrading itunes should only mess with what is
> inside /Applications/iTunes and in /Library for whatever frameworks it
> provides.

Someone made a mistake. Mistakes happen.

My best guess about the nature of the mistake would be a space in a 
unix command that was intended to hide some other folder, so that 
"chflags hidden /Users/<something>/<something>" became "chflags hidden 
/Users /<something>/<something>"

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#59413

From	dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)
Date	2014-05-17 18:47 +1200
Message-ID	<1llszdp.eiv59ufhwk02N%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>
In reply to	#59412

Alan Baker <alangbaker@telus.net> wrote:

> On 2014-05-17 05:40:33 +0000, JF Mezei said:
> 
> > On 14-05-17 00:33, David Empson wrote:
> > 
> >> If you have a specific need to access /Users/Shared, or the home or
> >> public folder of other user accounts, then even if /Users is hidden, it
> >> is easily worked around, e.g. by creating a symbolic link to the folder,
> > 
> > hiding a folder is security by obscurity and adds no security.
> > 
> > The question is: what the h_ll is an application meddling with root
> > level directories ? Upgrading itunes should only mess with what is
> > inside /Applications/iTunes and in /Library for whatever frameworks it
> > provides.

The iTunes installer puts things in /Library, /System, /Applications and
also does some stuff in /Users/Shared.

> Someone made a mistake. Mistakes happen.
> 
> My best guess about the nature of the mistake would be a space in a 
> unix command that was intended to hide some other folder, so that 
> "chflags hidden /Users/<something>/<something>" became "chflags hidden
> /Users /<something>/<something>"

That was my theory as well.

I had a look inside the installer packages for iTunes 11.2 and 11.2.1.
The 11.2.1 postinstall script fixes the permissions and hidden folders
errors, but I didn't spot what was triggering the problem in 11.2,
especially how it was interacting with Find my Mac or recurring on each
restart (which suggests it was being done by something installed which
runs at system startup or login).

The only difference I spotted in the installed files (apart from version
numbers) was a change in size of
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreADI.framework

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz

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#59519

From	"Puffin Killer" <puffythekiller@telus.net>
Date	2014-05-19 16:59 -0400
Message-ID	<lldrbe$d76$1@dont-email.me>
In reply to	#59412


"Alan Baker"  wrote in message news:ll6u3m$qb4$1@news.datemas.de...

On 2014-05-17 05:40:33 +0000, JF Mezei said:

> On 14-05-17 00:33, David Empson wrote:
>
>> If you have a specific need to access /Users/Shared, or the home or
>> public folder of other user accounts, then even if /Users is 
>> hidden, it
>> is easily worked around, e.g. by creating a symbolic link to the 
>> folder,
>
> hiding a folder is security by obscurity and adds no security.
>
> The question is: what the h_ll is an application meddling with root
> level directories ? Upgrading itunes should only mess with what is
> inside /Applications/iTunes and in /Library for whatever frameworks 
> it
> provides.

>Someone made a mistake. Mistakes happen.

Yeah, and you were your parents biggest mistake.

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#59527

From	Alan Baker <alangbaker@telus.net>
Date	2014-05-19 19:09 -0700
Message-ID	<lledft$okm$2@news.datemas.de>
In reply to	#59519

On 2014-05-19 20:59:37 +0000, Puffin Killer said:

> "Alan Baker"  wrote in message news:ll6u3m$qb4$1@news.datemas.de...
> 
> On 2014-05-17 05:40:33 +0000, JF Mezei said:
> 
>> On 14-05-17 00:33, David Empson wrote:
>> 
>>> If you have a specific need to access /Users/Shared, or the home or
>>> public folder of other user accounts, then even if /Users is hidden, it
>>> is easily worked around, e.g. by creating a symbolic link to the folder,
>> 
>> hiding a folder is security by obscurity and adds no security.
>> 
>> The question is: what the h_ll is an application meddling with root
>> level directories ? Upgrading itunes should only mess with what is
>> inside /Applications/iTunes and in /Library for whatever frameworks it
>> provides.
> 
>> Someone made a mistake. Mistakes happen.
> 
> Yeah, and you were your parents biggest mistake.

LOL

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#59409

From	Andreas Rutishauser <andreas@macandreas.ch>
Date	2014-05-17 07:07 +0100
Message-ID	<andreas-D2BB38.07073717052014@news.individual.de>
In reply to	#59403

In article <2OednfTLYK4pU-vOnZ2dnUVZ_qudnZ2d@earthlink.com>,
 Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:

> http://www.osnews.com/story/27734/iTunes_11_2_update_hides_Users_folder_on_OS_
> X 
> from http://www.osnews.com/comments/27734
> 
> Is anyone else seeing this? I am scared to upgrade iTunes in Mac OS X 
> 10.8.5. :/

install iTunes 11.2.1 then that was released as a fix for the issue on 
May 16th

Cheers
Andreas

-- 
MacAndreas Rutishauser, <http://www.MacAndreas.ch> 
EDV-Dienstleistungen, Hard- und Software, Internet und Netzwerk
Beratung, Unterstuetzung und Schulung
<mailto:andreas@MacAndreas.ch>, Fon: 044 / 721 36 47

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#59423

From	Tom Stiller <clusterfux.upmon@gmail.com>
Date	2014-05-17 15:48 +0000
Message-ID	<btpemoF5j73U1@mid.individual.net>
In reply to	#59403

On 2014-05-17, Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:
> http://www.osnews.com/story/27734/iTunes_11_2_update_hides_Users_folder_on_OS_X
> from http://www.osnews.com/comments/27734
>
> Is anyone else seeing this? I am scared to upgrade iTunes in Mac OS X
> 10.8.5. :/
The problem was caused by the iTuees update and has been fixed in a supplemental
update released on Friday.

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#59426

From	Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies>
Date	2014-05-17 16:02 +0000
Message-ID	<slrnlnf211.2omu.g.kreme@amelia.local>
In reply to	#59403

In message <2OednfTLYK4pU-vOnZ2dnUVZ_qudnZ2d@earthlink.com> 
  Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:
> http://www.osnews.com/story/27734/iTunes_11_2_update_hides_Users_folder_on_OS_X 
> from http://www.osnews.com/comments/27734

> Is anyone else seeing this? I am scared to upgrade iTunes in Mac OS X 
> 10.8.5. :/

Why? A hidden /User folder will not affect you in the slightest.

My /System /Library and /Users folders are all marked hidden, so when I
look at the 'root' of my drive, all that is there is the /Applications
folder.

This has no effect on how I use the computer.

-- 
I never read much; I have something else to do.

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#59437

From	JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca>
Date	2014-05-17 16:31 -0400
Message-ID	<5377c710$0$1278$c3e8da3$b1356c67@news.astraweb.com>
In reply to	#59426

On 14-05-17 12:02, Lewis wrote:
>
> Why? A hidden /User folder will not affect you in the slightest.

The part I am uncomfortable with is  an application that messes with
stuff outside of the application areas without telling you.

BTW, iTunes still keeps installing an incompatible AppleUSBEthernet.kext
for Snow Leopard. So with each itunes updates, one has to go out and
mess with the system files to reinstall an older version that works.

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#59454

From	dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)
Date	2014-05-18 11:56 +1200
Message-ID	<1llub9l.ptqdvq1kifndjN%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>
In reply to	#59437

JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:

> On 14-05-17 12:02, Lewis wrote:
> >
> > Why? A hidden /User folder will not affect you in the slightest.
> 
> The part I am uncomfortable with is  an application that messes with
> stuff outside of the application areas without telling you.

iTunes is more than just an application. It has several system-level
components to support iOS devices, non-iOS iPods, other applications
integrating with iTunes, and interaction with the iTunes Store.

> BTW, iTunes still keeps installing an incompatible AppleUSBEthernet.kext
> for Snow Leopard. So with each itunes updates, one has to go out and
> mess with the system files to reinstall an older version that works.

Have you filed a bug report about it yet?

I'm looking forward to the hue and cry that will happen in a few months
when Apple releases iOS 8 along with a new version of iTunes which will
be required to manage or sync with devices running iOS 8.

Assuming the historic pattern holds (and I see no reason why it
wouldn't), that version of iTunes won't support Snow Leopard at all.

Those who are sticking with Snow Leopard indefinitely will need to stop
buying new iOS devices, and for existing devices either lose the ability
to sync them with the Mac, or not update them to iOS 8 or later (which
will expose them to known security issues, since Apple won't release
further iOS 7 updates for devices able to upgrade to iOS 8).

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz

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#59455

From	Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies>
Date	2014-05-18 01:17 +0000
Message-ID	<slrnlng2i1.eu4.g.kreme@amelia.local>
In reply to	#59437

In message <5377c710$0$1278$c3e8da3$b1356c67@news.astraweb.com> 
  JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:
> On 14-05-17 12:02, Lewis wrote:
>>
>> Why? A hidden /User folder will not affect you in the slightest.

> The part I am uncomfortable with is  an application that messes with
> stuff outside of the application areas without telling you.

iTunes is no more an Application than Safari or QuickTime, they are
required parts of the Operating system that install much more than just
an .app bundle.

-- 
'It's always a good thing to let a few tales spread, you know. Pour
encouragy le-poor encoura-to make everyone sit up and damn well take
notice.' --Eric

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#59477

From	JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca>
Date	2014-05-18 04:15 -0400
Message-ID	<53786c37$0$61476$c3e8da3$f017e9df@news.astraweb.com>
In reply to	#59455

On 14-05-17 21:17, Lewis wrote:

> iTunes is no more an Application than Safari or QuickTime, they are
> required parts of the Operating system that install much more than just
> an .app bundle.

Yet, it is "packaged" as an application (also avaialble on Windows) and
they don't really document all the system level changes installing a
minor new version of the itunes application does.

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csiph-web

Users folder being hidden with iTunes 11.2 installed and Find My Mac enabled?

Contents

#59403 — Users folder being hidden with iTunes 11.2 installed and Find My Mac enabled?

#59404

#59407

#59408

#59411

#59416

#59488

#59492

#59410

#59412

#59413

#59519

#59527

#59409

#59423

#59426

#59437

#59454

#59455

#59477