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No matter how many times you insist it is. Not surprisingly, I am in complete agreement with John Gruber on this issue, even though TUAW insists on making John's position look quite different than it really is.

Oh, and this line?

For example, you might learn that repairing permissions with Disk Utility won't change the permissions to any of your user-centric files -- it's meant to restore application and system file preferences to their as-delivered condition

, (emphasis added) That's rather misleading, (the "preferences" bit is just completely wrong. Preferences != Permissions), since TUAW doesn't specify what kinds of applications. However, it's not like information on how Repair Permissions is available, right?

Oh wait.

Well, it's not like there's anywhere you can find a list of what Repair Permissions looks at, right?

Oh crap.

Here's a list of what strings /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DiskManagement.framework/Versions/A/Resources/DiskManagementTool | grep Receipts gives me on Mac OS X 10.5.2:

• /Library/Receipts/BaseSystem.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/Essentials.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/AdditionalEssentials.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/BSD.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/BSDSDK.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/X11User.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/X11SDK.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/CommonAccessCard.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/CommonCriteriaTools.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/Internal.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/FatLibraries.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/DevDocumentation.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/DevExamples.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/DevSDK.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/DeveloperTools.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/Java.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/DevInternal.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/DevFatLibraries.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/AddressBook.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/Automator.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/Mail.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/MigrationAssistant.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/OxfordDictionaries.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/iCal.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/iChat.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/MicrosoftIE.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/Safari.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/iTunesX.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/iTunes.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/AdditionalFonts.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/AdditionalAsianFonts.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/BrotherPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/EpsonPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/CanonPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/LexmarkPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/GimpPrintPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/ElectronicsForImagingPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/RicohPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/XeroxPrinterDrivers.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/QuickTimeStreamingServer.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/ApplicationsServer.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/ServerFatLibraries.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/ServerInternal.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/ServerAdminTools.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/ServerSetup.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom


• /Library/Receipts/ServerEssentials.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom

So what TUAW should have written was:

For example, you might learn that repairing permissions with Disk Utility won't change the permissions to any of your user-centric files -- it's meant to restore specific Apple application and system file permissions to their as-delivered condition

That would be a lot more correct. Oh yeah, and stop misrepresenting Gruber's position on Repair Permissions. That should be done too.

Technorati Tags:
Dumb is faster than light, Mac OS X, Troubleshooting, John Gruber, Daring Fireball, Repair Permissions

Comments

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Posted by: chuckgoolsbee | February 26, 2008 5:49 PM

But...but...repairing permissions cures cancer, solves world hunger, and puts an end to wars!!

Posted by: DTNick | February 26, 2008 6:21 PM

Thanks for the feedback, John. I've updated Dave's post with your suggested corrections.

I'm not sure how quoting a Daring Fireball headline and linking to it = misrepresentation of Gruber's position on Repair Permissions, but clearly we rubbed folks the wrong way. Sorry about that.

Posted by: Michael T. Rose | March 5, 2008 9:45 PM

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