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User profile for user: Alka Dua
Alka Dua Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Mac 10.15 service stopped working for Desktop/Downloads/Documents folders

Hi,


This is regarding the issue I am facing with Mac 10.15.


We have a C++ desktop application. We use xcode IDE.


My application a service which is launched by launch Daemon. This service application is bundled inside its corresponding GUI application's Contents/Resources Folder. The GUI application

creates some folders and service application watches these folders for any files dropped to it. I am unable to access privacy sensitive folders from this service. The call to opendir() fails.


I figured out that adding my application to full disk access enables my service to work. I have to add the GUI application to the full disk access, adding the service alone does not work.


Service application has some dependencies which are bundled in the GUI application's Contents/Resources folder.


Is it possible to add my GUI application to full disk access programmatically? can my GUI application prompt for full disk access at launch and every time I create a folder at the privacy sensitive location? Is there any API to know if my application already has “Full Disk Access”.


Or is there any other way to let my service work on the privacy sensitive location without adding to full disk access.


An early response will be appreciated. 


Thanks in advance


Alka

Posted on Sep 5, 2019 11:23 AM

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User profile for user: Bradley Ross
Bradley Ross
User level: Level 2
231 points

Posted on Oct 11, 2019 8:44 PM

It appears that this problem still appears in the production version of Catalina and has not been resolved. When LibreOffice tries to read a file in Documents, Desktop, or Downloads folder, a prompt appears asking if the user wants to give the application access to that folder. For GIMP, no message appears, and it appears almost impossible to provide access. After the access has been granted, it can be modified by using the Security & Privacy -> Privacy -> Files & Folders pane in System Preferences. When I look at the pane, there is a add(+)/remove(-) widget that is grayed out. I assume that the function of this was to add applications to the list that can be granted access to the restricted folders.


This means that developers need the following information.


What do developers have to do when packaging their applications so that they will have a prompt allowing access to the restricted folders instead of simply being told that the program is unable to read.


Is there any way to activate the widget to allow the addition of applications. (Yes, I have unlocked the lock on the System Preferences screen.)



I have now provided you with an example of the problem using production Catalina, as well as an application that doesn't have this problem. I therefore believe that it is still covered under the Developer agreement.

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User profile for user: Bradley Ross
Bradley Ross
User level: Level 2
231 points

Oct 11, 2019 8:44 PM in response to Alka Dua

It appears that this problem still appears in the production version of Catalina and has not been resolved. When LibreOffice tries to read a file in Documents, Desktop, or Downloads folder, a prompt appears asking if the user wants to give the application access to that folder. For GIMP, no message appears, and it appears almost impossible to provide access. After the access has been granted, it can be modified by using the Security & Privacy -> Privacy -> Files & Folders pane in System Preferences. When I look at the pane, there is a add(+)/remove(-) widget that is grayed out. I assume that the function of this was to add applications to the list that can be granted access to the restricted folders.


This means that developers need the following information.


What do developers have to do when packaging their applications so that they will have a prompt allowing access to the restricted folders instead of simply being told that the program is unable to read.


Is there any way to activate the widget to allow the addition of applications. (Yes, I have unlocked the lock on the System Preferences screen.)



I have now provided you with an example of the problem using production Catalina, as well as an application that doesn't have this problem. I therefore believe that it is still covered under the Developer agreement.

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User profile for user: rich279
rich279
User level: Level 1
12 points

Oct 29, 2019 2:15 PM in response to Bradley Ross

Hi Brandley,


We too are experiencing the same exact issue. We are not a Daemon process but we do need access to the user files and folders in particular the Documents folder. What I have noticed is sometimes the User Consent prompt appears and we are fine however other times the user concept prompt does NOT appear. This seems to be a bug on Catalina.


Have you worked around this issue?


There is some undocumented behavior that was touched in wwdc 2019 however it does not explain what is going on here.

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Mac 10.15 service stopped working for Desktop/Downloads/Documents folders

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