bash: id command not found

Question

Level 2

208 points

bash: id command not found

when I issue id command in Terminal on my iMac or my Macbook Air I get something like this (MacBook air):

User-MacBook-Air:~ user$ id

uid=502(user) gid=20(staff) groups=20(staff),12(everyone),33(_appstore),61(localaccounts),79(_appserverusr) ,80(admin),81(_appserveradm),98(_lpadmin),100(_lpoperator),204(_developer),401(c om.apple.access_screensharing)

user-MacBook-Air:~ user$

But in my MacBook Pro:

Oryx:~ user$ id

-bash: id: command not found

Oryx:~ user$

both have ML10.8.2 installed.

This problem is causing some applications not to recognize an admin.

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Dec 13, 2012 9:58 AM

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Answer 1

alkhater Author

Level 2

208 points

Dec 13, 2012 10:42 AM in response to alkhater

I forgot to say that both computer have the same $PATH

echo $PATH

/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 13, 2012 10:47 AM in response to alkhater

Is that a late-2012 MacBook Pro?

/usr/bin/id 755 root wheel

If it is missing on your MacBook Pro, replace it with a copy from your MacBook Air.

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Answer 3

alkhater Author

Level 2

208 points

Dec 13, 2012 10:59 AM in response to VikingOSX

No, my MacBook Pro is 2009.but what is:

/usr/bin/id 755 root wheel

Is that a command or what? and what exactly I should replace?

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Answer 4

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 13, 2012 2:37 PM in response to alkhater

In the Mac OS X (including Mountain Lion) operating system, executable system commands are stored in specific filesystem locations. The PATH environment variable indicates the order that that these system locations are searched. The id(1) command that bash (on the MacBook Pro) could not find, is located in the filesystem location: /usr/bin.

When your bash script, on your MacBook Pro indicated that it could not find /usr/bin/id, it meant that the bash shell did not know how to search for id. Unless you specifically deleted /usr/bin/id, it remains on your system, as part of the standard installation.

You can look for “/usr/bin/id,” (without the quotes or comma) in Spotlight. Or, you can launch the Terminal application by pressing Command+Shift+U, and double clicking the Terminal icon. Type only the bold text at the terminal prompt.

which id

/usr/bin/id

id

Returns information about your user id, group, and groups affiliation

If the which command produces the above output, the id command is on your MacBook Pro and the problem is inherent to your shell script.

Exit the Terminal application. Post back here with the above results.

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Answer 5

alkhater Author

Level 2

208 points

Dec 13, 2012 2:56 PM in response to VikingOSX

I looked into /usr/bin in my MacBook Air and found id but not in my MacBookPro. So as you suggested, I copied it and issued the command :

/usr/bin/id 755 root wheel

and my application (MAMP Pro which used to say I need to be an Admin. which I am) run OK.

Thanks a million for you help.

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Answer 6

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 13, 2012 3:19 PM in response to alkhater

The correct Terminal command that you needed to run after copying id back into your MacBook Pro is the following:

sudo chmod 755 /usr/bin/id && sudo chown root:wheel /usr/bin/id

This is a privileged, compound command that sets the file permission on id, and if that was successful, it then sets the ownership to root wheel. The sudo command will prompt you for your login password, but will not echo anything to the terminal as you type your password.

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Answer 7

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 13, 2012 3:56 PM in response to VikingOSX

That command string wrapped and should be all on one command line.

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