How to remove x11 from OS X 10.9 Mavericks

Question

How to remove x11 from OS X 10.9 Mavericks

This question exists unanswered for 10.7. Since it is old, unanswered an unaccurate (I'm on 10.9) I'm posting this for 10.9.

How can I remove Programs > Utilities > X11.app from my system? I have no use for it. Dragging to the trash does not work, since OSX says "Cannot remove X11 since it's needed by the system."

Apple has a help page here, but that help page is not helpful since it does not address the question of removal at all: About X11 and OS X

So now what? X11 doesn't do anything is I click it, but I also cannot remove it. "It just works" not so much...

OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Aug 23, 2014 6:22 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 17, 2017 9:50 AM in response to Community User

Thanks BobHarris and Barney-15E for your replies. File is not locked and permissions are identical to the screenshot. Yet the error message remains.

So I still was unable to remove it. Did re-install XQuartz but nothing changes. X11 still can't be removed.

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Answer 2

BobHarris

Level 9

56,945 points

Aug 23, 2014 7:01 AM in response to Community User

X11.app was removed from Mac OS X (not sure what version, but it is not included in Mavericks). I do not know why you still have it. I can only guess that you have been doing upgrades, and it is just residual cruft.

I would first check Finder -> File -> Get Info against the X11 app to see if there are any permission problems. The following is from a Mac OS X Leopard system. I'm using it as an example:

Make sure it is not "Locked", and that the Sharing & Permissions look like the following. Use the Padlock in the lower right to enable changes.

If that does not work, see if you can drag the X11.app from the Utilities folder to the Desktop, your Downloads folder, your Home folder, anywhere but the Utilities or Applications folders. If you can do that, try rebooting and then deleting it.

If that fails, you can always try a Terminal session, but that is a bit more risky. The command would be:

sudo rm -rf /Applications/Utilities/X11.app

Password: your_account's_password

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Answer 3

Aug 23, 2014 7:35 AM in response to Community User

Babaqum wrote:

OSX says "Cannot remove X11 since it's needed by the system."

That's a HUGE clue. Just leave it alone. It's not causing any trouble.

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,318 points

Aug 23, 2014 10:01 AM in response to Community User

This is for xQuartz in Mountain Lion, but it probably is correct for Mav.

If you really have X11 which shouldn't be there, then I'm not certain.

Also, lso, that is a standard error message for the Applications folder. The system does not need X11.

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Answer 5

BobHarris

Level 9

56,945 points

Aug 28, 2014 6:44 AM in response to Community User

Then I refer you to the very end of my post

If that fails, you can always try a Terminal session, but that is a bit more risky. The command would be:

sudo rm -rf /Applications/Utilities/X11.app

Password: your_account's_password

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Answer 6

Aug 28, 2014 6:47 AM in response to BobHarris

He might not be able to use the Terminal. Since he seems to be on a mission to remove all the little pieces of OS X that he "has no use for" he probably already deleted Terminal.

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Answer 7

BobHarris

Level 9

56,945 points

Aug 28, 2014 7:21 AM in response to Chris Habig

No he is not. He is trying to remove an app that is no longer shipped with Mac OS X. X11.app used to be an optional Mac OS X install from the installation disks, then it was include with the standard install, then it was removed from Mac OS X, and the XQuartz X11 software was suggested for anyone that still wants to run X11 apps, or use their Mac as an X11 Display Server (such as myself).

But Applications -> X11.app should NO Longer Be On His Mavericks system. So it is perfectly OK for him to delete it.

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