"Operation not permitted" for root when trying to ls or chmod -R /Users/user/Desktop

Question

"user" can't do it either. Permission of Desktop/ is set to 700 and owned by "user". Here's the sderr output for ls -R command in the home directory:

ls: Desktop: Operation not permitted ls: AddressBook: Operation not permitted ls: CallHistoryDB: Operation not permitted ls: CallHistoryTransactions: Operation not permitted ls: com.apple.TCC: Operation not permitted ls: com.apple.sharedfilelist: Operation not permitted ls: CloudKit: Operation not permitted ls: com.apple.ap.adprivacyd: Operation not permitted ls: Calendars: Operation not permitted ls: com.apple.CloudDocs.MobileDocumentsFileProvider: Operation not permitted ls: com.apple.Home: Operation not permitted ls: com.apple.Safari: Operation not permitted ls: com.apple.news: Operation not permitted ls: Cookies: Operation not permitted ls: HomeKit: Operation not permitted ls: IdentityServices: Operation not permitted ls: Mail: Operation not permitted ls: Messages: Operation not permitted ls: CoreSpotlight: Operation not permitted ls: PersonalizationPortrait: Operation not permitted ls: Safari: Operation not permitted ls: Sharing: Operation not permitted ls: Suggestions: Operation not permitted

Transparency Consent and Control (TCC) is blocking it. This is based on the app (Terminal), not the user (/root) account. You need to grant Terminal full disk access in System Preferences -> Security & Privacy pane -> Privacy tab. — Gordon Davisson, Nov 13 '19 at 06:21

score 21 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 13 '19 at 07:36

21

You need to add Terminal to the list of apps that have Full Disk Access in the Privacy pane of System Preferences > Security & Privacy.

Unlock the padlock in the bottom left, and drag the Terminal app icon onto the window.

answered Nov 13 '19 at 07:36

benwiggy

35,635

I'm on Catalina and I confirm only giving permission to the Desktop was needed. I get no more error message. – Case39 May 11 '20 at 18:47
I've seen this form of answer several times, and while it does work it makes me wonder. Does giving an app full disk access mean another user using Terminal.app can bypass any security restrictions? Is it like chmod 4755 where it overrides or does it just give Terminal.app the option of accessing something that it still needs lower level permissions for? – synthesizerpatel Jun 09 '21 at 17:01
1

@synthesizerpatel No, it's not "root": it just removes the additional security layers that macOS has. owner/permissions still apply. – benwiggy Mar 18 '23 at 13:37

"Operation not permitted" for root when trying to ls or chmod -R /Users/user/Desktop

1 Answers1