Adobe Flash Player (General install error) *****! Mach_Kernal missing?

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Level 2

255 points

Adobe Flash Player (General install error) *****! Mach_Kernal missing?

Never had a problem updating Adobe Flash Player over the last maybe 10 times, It downloads to 50% and then bottoms out with a (general install error) message. So the I uninstalled and tried to re-install to no avail.

I don't know if I updated since updating to 10.8.5 but I read that the (Mach_Kernal) was found on people's (Documents) folder and some people deleted this but I don't remember if I ever got this when I updated. This was a blunder when updating to 10.8.5 and Apple was aware of it.

If that file isn't there is will cause Adobe Flash Player to fail.

I tried several Sudo commmands in Terminal to find the invisible (Mach_Kernel) file but when I type that in it just comes up with a message (No such thing found) Then I tried another Sudo command which would install it if it was missing and it comes up with the same thing (no such file or directory found).

Anyone know where this file resides and what folder it's in and can direct me exactly how to get to it to find out if it's still on my machine? As I said the Sudo commands came up with no results.

Thanks for your responses!

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Nov 23, 2013 2:29 PM

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Answer 1

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 23, 2013 3:14 PM in response to abombaci

Open the Terminal application in the Utilities folder. Type:

cd /

Then type:

ls

You should see output similar to this:

Note that in the above, ls is a lowercase L, not a 1 (one).

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Answer 2

abombaci Author

Level 2

255 points

Nov 23, 2013 9:59 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Ok I should see this but what if I don't then what would tha that mean? Every Sudo command I typed in so far concerning Install Adobe or Mach_Kernal so far all reads up to (no directory or file or command found something to that nature).

So in essence no matter what Sudo command I type in and then put in my password (and I know it's invisible when you type in your password) I don't come up with zilcth?

In other words what am I looking for here. The Mac_Kernal is found or not? after copying & pasing this command. Can it be copied & pasted from what you gave me?

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Answer 3

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 24, 2013 10:55 AM in response to abombaci

There's no need to use a sudo command at all. All I've done is show you how to list the root of the drive, which is where the mach_kernel will be, as shown in the screen grab of my output.

Launch Terminal and type cd / (cd followed by a space, and then the forward slash), and press Enter. That will move you from your user account, where Terminal starts at by default, to the root of the drive. Then type ls and press Enter. ls is simply short for "list". The output should be pretty much the same as what I show above. mach_kernel should be part of the list.

Though you don't really need to do this to prove the mach_kernel exists. The fact that Mac boots/restarts and is working proves it's there. It wouldn't, otherwise.

But this is a wild goose chase anyway. The existence of the mach_kernel has nothing at all to do with the success or failure of installing the Flash Player.

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Answer 4

abombaci Author

Level 2

255 points

Nov 27, 2013 3:45 PM in response to Kurt Lang

I dont get anything saying mach_kernel

Here's what I get:

Applications Users dev private var

Library Volumes etc sbin

Network bin home tmp

System cores net usr

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Answer 5

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 27, 2013 4:36 PM in response to abombaci

Now I am indeed confused. That file should be there. In fact, has to be.

The only way it should be possible for the mach_kernel file to be gone, and the Mac still be usable, is if a user deleted it when the file was visible, and has not yet restarted their computer. For that time, the kernel is still in RAM and doing its thing. The next restart shouldn't work.

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Answer 6

abombaci Author

Level 2

255 points

Nov 27, 2013 9:20 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Did restart and it worked. Even had checkbox to open up all windows to this thread again and it opened right up to here.

The reason I got the Flash Player not being able to be installed because of no Mach_Kernel was because I went to the Adobe boards and a guy from this forum was on their and asked some other guy you didn't delete the mach_kernerl file did you when you updated to 10.8.5 did you. He says a lot of people didn't realize it but they did.

And the guys yes I don't know whether I did or I didn't and it was a hidden file that showed up in a lot of people's documents folder that they deleted.

When the guy says he reinsalled his operating system he says that he was finally able to install Adobe Flash Player and left if off with a comment saying the thing? Don't delete the Mach-Kernel file. So how do you figure I'm still hauling?

I just can't get that Flash Player installed without the (general installation error). It downloads to 50% and then times or bottoms out with the error (general install error). I just can't install it and I don't remember if I updated it or not since the 10.5.8 update. So I have no clue Kurt.

I notice in in your results (cores) doesn't come up.

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Answer 7

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 28, 2013 8:50 AM in response to abombaci

Don't delete the Mach-Kernel file. So how do you figure I'm still hauling?

That is a very good question. The mach_kernel is the core of UNIX, which OS X sits on top of.

This has turned to bizarre. I can only think the mach_kernel has had some sort of special flags set on it to hide it even in Terminal.

Try a simple "fix" first. Launch Disk Utility and do a Repair Permissions on the startup disk. Then go back to the Terminal and list the root of the drive. If mach_kernel now shows up, then try installing the Flash Player again.

If you still don't see it, I'd reinstall the OS.

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Answer 8

abombaci Author

Level 2

255 points

Nov 28, 2013 11:33 AM in response to Kurt Lang

Nope, never showed up and here I am still alive. If I reinstall the OS I might be dead though so I think I'd rather suffer without Flash Player.

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Answer 9

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 29, 2013 8:00 AM in response to abombaci

I would be concerned that a major component of the OS appears to be missing. It's not that difficult to correct, just a bit time consuming.

1) Make a full backup of the drive.

2) Boot into Recovery mode by restarting and holding down Command+R. Choose the option to reinstall the OS.

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Answer 10

abombaci Author

Level 2

255 points

Nov 29, 2013 1:15 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Hi Kurt,

Your not going to believe what happened to me. Last night I went into recovery to re-install a fresh copy of Mountain Lion. I believe is on the startup disk right. So I go to disk utility, erase the startup disk drive per Apple's instructions in an Apple article and then it go back to recovery to start the fresh install of Mountain Lion.

Stupid me while it starts the download for Mountain Lion screws around and sees startup disk in the left hand corner while it's just starting to download. I clicked on (startup disk) just to see what it would say and it wipes out the whole recovery partition. So then no more recovery utility box download or anything. Only way to power off the computer was from the power button.

So then I go to boot up my machine to see a folder with a blinking question mark (?). I says "Oh Boy Now I Really Blew It. No more startup disc or recovery partition. So then I power off again and hold down the (command + R) to try to see if I could do anything and it boots to (Internet Recover) asked me for my network and the password. As you know Internet Recover boots off Apple's servers. Shows a globe and a progress bar under it. Took about 6 hrs over wireless and finally brought back the recovery utility box.

The bad news when you boot off internet recover it installs the OS that came pre-installed with the machine which was Lion (not Mountain Lion). I bought my computer with Lion so it installs what came with your computer when you bought it. So I had no choice to download a fresh copy of Lion again. Then I go to past purchases to re-download (Mountain Lion) over it and then It would set the recovery back to Mountain Lion. I press on the button and I can no longer download Mountain Lion. Then I click on the left on Moutain Lion name and it says this is no longer available in the U.S. store. I keep trying to press the button but it doesn't download. So I log out of the app store and log back in again and try to press it again. And then when logged back into the Mac app store a box comes down and asks me to sign-in to iTunes and then I get a message we cannot complete your request at this time. Please try again later.

So what I end up with is Lion, and iTunes 6.4.3 or something like that when I had iTunes 10.7 the last release to have Coverflow. So then I click on updates and it offers me iTunes 13.3 not (10.7) and I says crap! Then I notice my iLife (iPhoto, iMovie,) are still able to be re-installed under past purchases but my Garage Band said the same thing as Mountain Lion. (This item is no longer available in the iTunes U.S. store)

So now I'm stuck with Lion and iTunes 6.4.3. Lost iTunes 10.7 and Lost Garage Band. I e-mailed Mac App store support and told them I couldn't re-download my Mountain Lion and that I was *issed!

So now if I go to restore from a Time Machine backup that will probably bring Mountain Lion, Garage Bank and iTunes 10.7 back but that would not be a clean install but what it might do is change the recovery partition from Lion back to Mountain Lion.

Then I might be able to re-do a clean install of Mountain Lion again but it will be offering me iTunes 13 and might bring back Garage Band but I'm not sure. I screwed myself by re-inalling a fresh copy of Lion. Had I not messed with the thing when it started to download Mountain Lion again I might have been OK.

So if I restore from Time Machine as I said it woulnd't be a clean install and just bring the same crap back as before. It would restore Garage Band and my iTunes 10.7 but those other old cluttered files will come back and also the missing Mach_Kernel will return.

What I have to find out is when Mountain Lion 10.8.4 was released befpre (10.8.5 came out with the missing Mach_Kernel and when iTunes 10.7 came out and find out if the 10.7 installer is still avaiIable on Apple's site can go back in time if I find out when (10.8.4) was released and then update back again to 10.8.5. Course this brings all the crap back with it again. Wipe it clean again when it resets the recover utility from Lion back to Mountain Lion and try to fresh install again then update to 10.8.5 but I don't know what version iTunes it will install. It might auto install this new iTunes 13 and I don't want that.

Apple control freaks. I'm stuck.

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Answer 11

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 29, 2013 1:42 PM in response to abombaci

I take it you didn't perform step one and clone your current setup to another drive? If you did, you can boot to that and clone it back to the main drive. You'll at least then be back where you started.

Then I click on the left on Mountain Lion name and it says this is no longer available in the U.S. store.

I've seen more than a few people note that message in these forums, but it makes no sense. You can still purchase Lion and Mountain Lion directly from Apple. When you do that, you get a code for the App Store which initiates a download of your purchase. Checking my App Store account just now, Mountain Lion, Lion and Lion Server are all there. I have no trouble downloading any of them.

Apple fixed the 10.8.5 download (and the Software Update files) very shortly after the bug that left the mach_kernel file showing was discovered. So that shouldn't happen again.

I'm going to try and send a few others this way. Get more ideas into the mix.

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Answer 12

abombaci Author

Level 2

255 points

Nov 29, 2013 2:19 PM in response to Kurt Lang

I don't know what you mean by clone your setup. Exactly what the whole OS? on an external drive. I do have an external drive but don't know how to back up the whole OS.

But the whole OS is backed up on Time Machine. But if I do a re-install from that it'll bring back my lost stuff but will also bring back the old crap again. So what good would it do.

Plus No! I searched the App store and OS X Mountain Lion woulnd't even come up. Plus drop down box from the top of the browser tells me this is no longer available in the App Store and I searched anyways and when I type it in the search box it just sits in the search box with no results. Where did you end up finding it because if you did then I might be able to re-dowload it. I have the button in my past purchases and it won't download.

Where did you read that Apple fixed this 10.8.5 Kernal problem? Well it wouldn't do me any good if I brought it back from Time Machine because the error is in the back up. Maybe I could go back further in time to 10.8.4. My backups in Time Machine go back to November 4th of last year but I don't know when 10.8.4 was released. If I can figure that out, the I can go back in time to that date before the 10.8.5 mess up. I wanted to do a fresh install but now it offers me iTunes 13.3 boo! and all the crap that would come back from that backup not a clean install.

Furthemore if it's in your past purchases (You should't have to pay for it)! Why would I pay for it when it's in my past purchases with a download button?

The guy from the Mac App Store already replied to me and says if I want to buy Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion? I never had Snow Leopard. My system originally came with Lion I e-mailed him back and told him he doesn't even understand my problem.

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Answer 13

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 29, 2013 2:48 PM in response to abombaci

I don't know what you mean by clone your setup. Exactly what the whole OS? on an external drive. I do have an external drive but don't know how to back up the whole OS.

You use a separate partition (much preferably on a different physical drive) to make an exact copy of your current startup drive. At any time, you can choose to boot to it. Time Machine is a nice idea in that it automatically keeps various iterations of your data for you so you can go back to older versions of a document and such, but is (in my personal opinion) the clumsiest way possible to restore a hard drive.

You can create a clone with Disk Utility, SuperDuper!, or Carbon Copy Cloner. The last two are third party apps which can perform extra abilities to make clone backups easier. I use the registered version of SuperDuper! myself, but CCC works just as well.

Once you make a clone of your startup drive, it is just what it implies. You have an exact copy of whatever drive you clone to another drive/partition. So instead of going through the very roundabout way of restoring a drive by reinstalling the OS and attaching a Time Machine backup to the reinstall on the fly, you simply boot to your clone and copy it back. Done. Takes way, WAY less time to get back up and running.

But if I do a re-install from that it'll bring back my lost stuff but will also bring back the old crap again. So what good would it do.

Yes, that could be an issue, but at least you'd be back to your last Time Machine backup state.

Plus No! I searched the App store and OS X Mountain Lion woulnd't even come up.

Open the App Store app and click on Store > View My Account. Click on the Manage link to unhide redownloadable purchases. Unhide Mountain Lion so it appears under the Purchases tab again.

Where did you read that Apple fixed this 10.8.5 Kernal problem?

A few users noted it on these forums about a week after the bug was noticed. They said the 10.8.5 update and full download of ML were fixed. I haven't checked it myself. It's very easy to properly hide the mach_kernel file if necessary.

Enter this in Terminal, or copy/paste the line below into Terminal:

sudo chflags hidden /mach_kernel

It will then ask for your admin password to complete the command. After that, the kernel should be hidden.

Well it wouldn't do me any good if I brought it back from Time Machine because the error is in the back up.

Yes, that is what would happen. I don't think you have any control over an OS/Time Machine reinstall. You will always be put back at your last backup state.

Furthemore if it's in your past purchases (You should't have to pay for it)! Why would I pay for it when it's in my past purchases with a download button?

You absolutely should not have to. Once purchased, it's yours. I've got Lion and Mountain Lion on bootable USB drives I made from the downloads. I can boot my Mac to those at any time and reinstall the OS. I'm going to do the same thing with Mavericks, just haven't done it yet.

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Answer 14

abombaci Author

Level 2

255 points

Nov 29, 2013 6:54 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Whada ya know? We've succeeded in getting it installed in 2 ways. It finally installed on Lion. Then I didn't like Lion so I went and did another restore from a previous Time Machine backup that told me 10.8.5 and It was 2 o 4 10.8.5's ago. Restored from time machine backup tried to re-install Adobe again and succeeded this way also.

But wait! Now we have to do the 10.8.5 supplemental update. This was the very last 10.8.5 in Time Machine. We're going to update and uninstall Flash Player and see after this update that was already done is going to kill the install again. As I told you I didn't go right to the very last 10.8.5 but the maybe 2nd or 3rd to the last.

The last with the supplemental update and Safari 6.1 (the backup I made was with Safari 6.0.5) and that was 3 10.8.5's ago. Now we have to do those updates including the supplental 1.0 update all over again. Then were going to uninstall and re-insall and see what happens.

After I restored Mountain Lion from the Time Machine backup what I did was go back to disc utility and just see if it would boot into recovery (BUT IS DID NOT). IT BOOTED INTO THAT (INTERNET RECOVERY FOR SOME REASON WHICH TAKES LIKE 6 AND HALF HRS) SO I STOPPED THERE AND MAY KEEP WHAT I GOT. EVERYTHING I LOST IS BACK.

Just don't have a clean slate that's all but everything and all setting are the same and Adobe's now installed. Now we have to do the updates and uninstall and see if it will re-insall without the error. It could have been that last 1.0 Supplemental update that killed it. We'll see what happens.

And no my Mountain Lion update button is no way hidden and you want to know something else? Now that I restored from time machine I pressed on the button and it said I have Mountain Lion 10.8.5 already installed. (WOULD YOU LIKE TO INSTALL IT AGAIN)? 😁

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Answer 15

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,008 points

Nov 30, 2013 8:39 AM in response to abombaci

Whew! At least you're back to your last point (minus two days). Very, VERY strange that the Internet Recovery didn't create a new Recovery partition. That's one thing every version of OS X from Lion forward does every time you install the OS.

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