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"Dropbox needs to change permissions" message on startup
Lately, every time I start my Mac (OS 10.14.6) I get a message that reads (in full):
"Dropbox needs to change permissions for the Folder: /Users/[name]/Dropbox
Enter your password to allow this"...
Hi Rachel R.2,
Can you try following commands in terminal:
sudo chflags -R noschg "/Users/$USER/Dropbox" sudo chflags -R nouchg "/Users/$USER/Dropbox" sudo chown -R "$USER" "/Users/$USER/Dropbox" chmod -R u+rw "/Users/$USER/Dropbox"
Will be asked for your password (sudo).
Hope this helps. :wink:
You mentioned the initial 2 commands (at the very beginning) got process without errors. But there are still some special attributes set to the containing folder ( drwxrwxr-x@ ). 🤔 Can you confirm that both commands pass successfully, without errors?
Following is the full sequence of commands and outcomes:
[192-168-1-152:~] drmarkcart% sudo chflags -R noschg "/Users/$USER/Dropbox"
Password:
[192-168-1-152:~] drmarkcart% sudo chflags -R nouchg "/Users/$USER/Dropbox"
[192-168-1-152:~] drmarkcart% sudo chown -R "$USER" "/Users/$USER/Dropbox"
chown: /Users/drmarkcart/Dropbox/My Mac (Mark-Carters-Macbook-Retina-3.local)/Desktop/Incompatible Software/qmasterd: Operation not permitted
[192-168-1-152:~] drmarkcart% chmod -R u+rw "/Users/$USER/Dropbox"
chmod: Unable to change file mode on /Users/drmarkcart/Dropbox/My Mac (Mark-Carters-Macbook-Retina-3.local)/Desktop/Incompatible Software/qmasterd: Operation not permitted
I'm suspicious because seems the immutable flag is still on the folder (the folder is locked), which is something really strange after successful commands completion (their purpose is to clear such flag - to unlocks the folder). See what can be seen in the Finder's Info window for this folder. Try unlock it in some other way. Let see what are those flags exactly. Post the result of following little bit modified command:
ls -ld@ "/Users/drmarkcart/Dropbox/My Mac (Mark-Carters-Macbook-Retina-3.local)/Desktop/Incompatible Software"
Result is:
[192-168-1-152:~] drmarkcart% ls -ld@ "/Users/drmarkcart/Dropbox/My Mac (Mark-Carters-Macbook-Retina-3.local)/Desktop/Incompatible Software"
drwxrwxr-x@ 3 drmarkcart staff 96 26 Mar 2019 /Users/drmarkcart/Dropbox/My Mac (Mark-Carters-Macbook-Retina-3.local)/Desktop/Incompatible Software
com.apple.macl72
com.dropbox.attrs26
Everything else seems normal.
Try also following:
sudo chmod -RN /Users/drmarkcart/Dropbox
Result is:
[192-168-1-152:~] drmarkcart% sudo chmod -RN /Users/drmarkcart/Dropbox
chmod: Failed to clear ACL on file qmasterd: Operation not permitted
[192-168-1-152:~] drmarkcart%
@mcarter wrote:
PS: One thing you can try as a workaround, if there is nothing you want to sync in "Incompatible Software" folder, is move this folder outside your Desktop. Put it on some place outside of any sync scope.
That worked - I am no longer receiving requests for my password on startup or reboot. Thanks for your persistence.
I also did a search on problems deleting qmasterd:
It looks like it can only be deleted when the system is not running so I will try deleting it from the recovery drive.
mcarter wrote:...
PS: One thing you can try as a workaround, if there is nothing you want to sync in "Incompatible Software" folder, is move this folder outside your Desktop. Put it on some place outside of any sync scope.
That worked - I am no longer receiving requests for my password on startup or reboot. Thanks for your persistence.
...
Hi mcarter,
Yes, 😉 Now you will not be asked for you password continuously!
mcarter wrote:...
I also did a search on problems deleting qmasterd:
It looks like it can only be deleted when the system is not running so I will try deleting it from the recovery drive.
Seems, the folder isn't SIP protected. We haven't checked this protection for the file. Could be assumed it is. Such a protection is active only on system device/partition/volume. If you can move the folder on other (non system) place. you could do whatever you want (including deletion of containing files). Other way, if you can't move folder out of your system partition, could be turning the SIP protection off temporary. And of course, if you boot up from a recovery drive, the place where 'qmasterd' is in will not be on system place in that time (in the same time system place is different and/or SIP is turn off). Do whatever is most convenient for you. 😉
Good luck.
Thanks again for your help (and persistence).
