Reset the system immutable flag on a file : help with chflags

Question

Level 1

5 points

Reset the system immutable flag on a file : help with chflags

I send out the following with the send UNIX command via ARD to lock the wallpaper on some client machines per their request :


chflags schg /Users/student/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist

Works great .... except it is proving quite a challenge to reverse this command...

I try logging in as root and run :


chflags noschg /Users/student/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist

Which which should set it back?
I've tried that, logging in as Single-User..... no dice there either...

Anyone know how to remove this immutable flag?

Mid-2007 MacBook, Mac OS X (10.4.10), 4GB iPhone

Posted on Mar 9, 2010 11:06 AM

Reply

Answer 1

etresoft

Level 9

56,656 points

Mar 9, 2010 11:23 AM in response to Sky Larking

Try deleting it or moving it and then logging out that user. Not all tools respect those flags. This seems like something MacOS X Server should be able to do. If you are on a budget, you might try replacing that file with a link to a root-owned facsimile.

Reply

Answer 2

Niel

Level 10

741,851 points

Mar 9, 2010 11:25 AM in response to Sky Larking

You need to go to each computer, start it up with the Command and S keys held down, run:

mount -uw /

and then the second chflags command. As a security measure, a computer in Single User mode closes its network connection.

The only other way is to wipe the entire drive.

(50718)

Reply

Answer 3

Sky Larking Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 9, 2010 11:53 AM in response to Niel

@Niel
Thanks very much, that worked perfectly.

Message was edited by: Sky Larking

Message was edited by: Sky Larking

Reply