Can't install packages anymore on Mountain Lion 10.8.2

If you have more than one user account, these instructions must be carried out as an administrator.

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.

Select "/var/log/install.log" from the file list. Post the messages from the last installation or update attempt, starting from the time when you initiated it. If you're not sure when that was, start over and note the time.

Post the log text, please, not a screenshot. If there are runs of repeated messages, post only one example of each. Don’t post many repetitions of the same message.

When posting a log extract, be selective. Don't post more than is requested.

Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into a message.

Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Edit it out by search-and-replace in a text editor before posting.

If you have more than one user account, these instructions must be carried out as an administrator.

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.

Select "/var/log/install.log" from the file list. Post the messages from the last installation or update attempt, starting from the time when you initiated it. If you're not sure when that was, start over and note the time.

Post the log text, please, not a screenshot. If there are runs of repeated messages, post only one example of each. Don’t post many repetitions of the same message.

When posting a log extract, be selective. Don't post more than is requested.

Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into a message.

Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Edit it out by search-and-replace in a text editor before posting.

Launch the Console application again.

Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left.

Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Try the action that you're having trouble with again. Post any messages that appear in the Console window.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

The purpose of this test is to determine whether your problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:

1. Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
2. When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
3. If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.

*Note: If FileVault is enabled under OS X 10.7 or later, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

for XQuartz 2.7.4 see:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread/4518431

try this:

root# installer -pkg XQuartz.pkg -target / -allowUntrusted -store

Hello! I had the same problem installing Oracle's Java (started with JDK 7u10 and continued with JDK 7u11) on my Mac mini running OS X 10.8.2 Server and I think I found a solution.

I guess the same happens when installing (some) other packages too... at least the ones trying to put files in /Library/LaunchAgents (see below).

The culprit is a somehow corrupted or missing "LaunchAgents" folder in the /Library folder (please note: NOT /Users/username/Library).

JDK's installer package tries to put the symbolic link "com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist" in this folder and if it's not found, the install process fails.

What I've done is:

1. move the "LaunchAgents" alias/generic file to the Trash (if it exists) on your /Library folder (you will be prompted for administrator password, this is normal since you are acting on a System's folder);

2. create a new folder in /Library and name it exactly "LaunchAgents" (without quotes). Re-enter your administrator password;

3. IMPORTANT: launch Disk Utility, select you System's boot partition and click on repair permissions. This will change the owner permissions of the folder you just created from your user's name to "system" (root);

4. (reboot your Mac). Maybe not necessary, but I''ve done it;

5. relaunch JDK's installer and it will go just fine.

The weird thing is that JDK's package installs the "com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist" symbolic link in both /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons: it sounds redundant, but I'm not expert enough to confirm this is a bug.

I also don't know if the /Library/LaunchAgents folder was corrupted by last OS X update or something else (maybe JDK7u10 installer?). I have an iMac running OSX 10.8.2 (client) and have not such problem with it!

Hope that helps...

Cheers!

Aueua