Download and Install Problem

[tzus]

For the past few days I have been unable to download and install s/w from web sites.

For example: I have just d/l'd Image Optimiser from:

http://osxdaily.com/category/mac-os-x/

Having unpacked the s/w and attempted to run it all that happens is that the icon appears in the Dock and bounces up and down for several minutes and then quits. It refuses to Force Quit but if you click on it; it quits. I have tried d/l's from various ligit' sites and experienced the same problem.

I am using a 2007 iMac with the latest version of Lion and Safari. I have 3 Gb of memory.

Can NE1 help?

[benwiggy]

There is a bug in OS X which may affect third-party sandboxed apps used to un-extract compressed files -- apps such as TheUnArchiver.

Long and short is: the extracted files have Apple's quarantine flag set on them.

You can remove them with the following line of code:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine directoryName

where directoryName is either the app or its enclosing folder. Instead of typing the app or folder name, you can drag it onto the Terminal window, which will supply the name for you.

Alternatively, use another app to extract the files from the compressed archive.

[tzus]

Thank you. You are correct in assuming my problem stemmed from using the Unarchiver app. I have ditched that and all is now well.

Once again many thanks for your invaluable help.

[benwiggy]

TheUnarchiver is an excellent utility app -- the problem is caused by a bug in OS X and Apple's insistence that MAS apps are sandboxed.

If you download TheUnarchiver from outside the Mac App Store, it will work fine, as that version is not sandboxed. I would recommend that as a solution, rather than deleting The Unarchiver altogether.

[tzus]

Thanks, I'll do that!