/etc /usr /bin /sbin /tmp /var private /core all showing up in Macintosh HD

Create a plain text file named .hidden and place it at the top level of the startup disk with the names of those folders inside it, log out, and log back in. The usage of the mv command from the Terminal in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder may be needed to put the file in the proper location.

(27262)

Thanks! That worked perfectly. I wonder what the problem was.

The catalog file (part of the hfs filesystem) records for those directories isn't set correctly. The .hidden file can exits for backward compatibility(for earlier os versions updated) and will hide those directories.

On my system the "hidden" flag is set for those files and there is no /.hidden file.

From the terminal type:

stat /bin
234881057 546211 drwxr-xr-x 40 root wheel 0 1360 "Dec 22 08:25:38 2007" "Nov 10 13:24:25 2007" "Dec 24 14:16:32 2007" "Sep 10 15:35:37 2002" 4096 0 0x8000 /bin

The "hidden" flag is the 0x8000 (bit 15 set) just before /bin -- I can turn that flag off...

sudo chflags nohidden /bin

stat /bin
234881057 546211 drwxr-xr-x 40 root wheel 0 1360 "Dec 22 08:25:38 2007" "Nov 10 13:24:25 2007" "Dec 24 14:25:39 2007" "Sep 10 15:35:37 2002" 4096 0 0 /bin

The hidden flag is now off (the "0" just before /bin) and the "bin" directory now shows up in the finder.

To make it hidden again:

sudo chflags hidden /bin

stat /bin
234881057 546211 drwxr-xr-x 40 root wheel 0 1360 "Dec 22 08:25:38 2007" "Nov 10 13:24:25 2007" "Dec 24 14:27:34 2007" "Sep 10 15:35:37 2002" 4096 0 0x8000 /bin

And the hidden flag is set again and bin no longer is visible in the finder.

I don't know why those flags are not set in your system, but it appears that Leopard uses those flags instead of the .hidden file (even though the .hidden file seems to still work).\

BTW you can hide any directory or file by setting the hidden flag.

FWIW, an easier way to see the flags is with the "ls -lO" command, where "ls" is the list command, "l" is the lower case letter 'ell' requesting long-form output option & "O" is the upper case letter 'Oh' requesting the command option to show the flags.

For the root level, the complete command would be:

ls -lO /

with the "/" following the final space being the usual forward slash notation for the root directory.

On my system the "hidden" flag is set for those files and there is no /.hidden file.

There's no .hidden file on my system either.

How about?

GetFileInfo /bin
directory: "/bin"
attributes: aVbstclinmedz
created: 09/23/2007 21:51:43
modified: 11/04/2007 12:50:55

SetFile -a v /bin

or back to hidden with

SetFile -a V /bin