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    Adding software and admin accounts

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by savechief, Nov 21, 2008.

  1. savechief

    savechief Notebook Enthusiast

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    New iMac as of yesterday. I set up the initial Admin account, and then a standard user account that I automatically log into when the computer starts. When installing software (software updates in this case), I'm asked for the administrator name and password.

    Is it always going to be like this? I would like the account I log into to not have the ability to royally jack things up, but I don't want to have to enter a login and password for simple things like software installs and updates.

    John
     
    savechief, Nov 21, 2008
    #1
  2. The_Shirt

    The_Shirt Notebook Evangelist

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    That's actually what an admin account is for...so others cannot instal/remove hardware. I haven't played with my Mac enough to know if you can do like Windows....right click and "run as administrator"...
     
    The_Shirt, Nov 21, 2008
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  3. ClearSkies

    ClearSkies Well no, I'm still here..

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    afaik, this deal with software updates and installations is a safety feature built into OSX. If you are running from the admin acct, then only a password is requested. Just something you have to live with for the benefits of Apple software :).

    Sometimes OSX isn't quite like Windows, but this is a far cry from UAC asking you to confirm on *every* single action you try to take.
     
    ClearSkies, Nov 21, 2008
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  4. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    Installations which require the modification of OS X system folders or folders to which your account has no permission to access will result in a prompt. For normal apps, which involves copying the .app file to a location on your HD, will not result in such a prompt (unless you're trying to paste it into a restricted folder).
     
    Budding, Nov 21, 2008
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  5. savechief

    savechief Notebook Enthusiast

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    The software that I have downloaded is packaged as a .dmg. I double-click that, then drag the app into the Applications folder. This is when I get the prompt to Authenticate. So I guess this method is not considered "normal", and instead is a modification of the OS X system folders?
     
    savechief, Nov 21, 2008
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  6. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    The Application folder is a folder which requires admin privileges to modify since its contents are accessible by all users.
     
    Budding, Nov 21, 2008
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  7. Robgunn

    Robgunn Notebook Evangelist

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    You have two conflicting interests here. To avoid 'royally' jacking things up you need to restrict access by tightening things down. Software updates don't happen everyday, and unless you are installing a lot of software every single day than you are just going to have to live with the security prompts. If you don't like it, run as an admin user 24/7 and forgo the security features.

    The applications folder resides in the root folder. So you need admin privileges to modify it in anyway.
     
    Robgunn, Nov 21, 2008
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