error "launch path not accessible"

Question

error "launch path not accessible"

I'm stumped. On my laptop I created a folder action that uploaded photos dropped into the folder using the "Upload to FTP" automator action. It works fine, uploading a photo file to three ftp sites when dropped in the folder.

I set up the same folder action on my iMac, using the same information. When the action runs it hits an error when it comes to the "Upload to FTP" action and gives the error "launch path not accessible"

I'm stumped. Any idea how to debug this?

21.5" iMac; 13" MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Jul 14, 2010 11:08 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 14, 2010 11:52 AM in response to switcher98223

Additional information:

I initially downloaded and installed the "Upload to FTP" action on the lap top. I "moved" that file into the library of the iMac without doing an "install". Realizing that could be a problem, I deleted every reference I could find on the iMac and tried to start from scratch. I downloaded and installed the action on the iMac and completing wrote the automator folder action from scratch.

It seems there might be some remnant of my first "drag & drop" of the action from the laptop to the iMac that is causing this problem, but I just don't know where to look.

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Answer 2

Jul 14, 2010 2:45 PM in response to switcher98223

Problem solved.

I found this thread, while not exactly on point, put me in the right direction. http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10291847

It turns out, automator was using the first action file I incorrectly copied over from my laptop (I think I put it in my user library, but I'm not sure of the exact error). Even though I had reinstalled the action fresh on the iMac, automator did not "see" that. So I moved the correct automator FOLDER with action to the trash. Cleared out all other remaining mentions of the action (that's how I found it in another library), "put back" the folder from the trash and restarted Automator. The folder action now works.

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Answer 3

kriss9

Level 1

4 points

Dec 18, 2014 11:17 AM in response to switcher98223

This is actually a filesystem permission error and occurred from me on Mac OS X 10.10 (although I am system guy and probably screwed up my directory structure somewhere along the way).

I had to get into the nitty gritty. For me, the error was occurring on /var/folders (see your log in ~/Library/Logs/FlashPlayerInstallManager.log) . It reported an error with bogus file permissions for /var/folders/....

My solution was to

1) Login on command line as root.

2) backup the existing /var/folders directory (mv /var/folders /var/folders-bak)

3) mkdir /var/folders

4) chmod 777 /var/folders

5) Run install. Let it fail.

6) cd /var/folders

7) find . -exec chmod 777 {} \;

8) Re-run install. Install succeeded.

9) Restore /var/folders from previous (mv /var/folders-bak /var/folders)

Last step very important, or you'll likely be going to the Apple store to have someone boot up to terminal and restore original /var/folders (which even they will just likely want to restore your OS)

YMMV

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Answer 4

Rickle77

Level 1

4 points

Nov 11, 2016 8:31 AM in response to kriss9

Helpful, it worked! However I don't think it's a proper fix.

After doing it, lots of errors are thrown up in console about the /var/folder from console. Also, upon reboot, it didn't work any more.

I think what it highlights more than anything is that there are permission issues at a system level rather than a user level. The machine I did it on had been set up using "Migration Assistant" which is probably the culprit.

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