10.5: A fix for hidden Unix files showing in file system root

Nov 20, '07 07:30:03AM

Contributed by: matte

Have you just reinstalled Mac OS X Leopard? Are you one of the unlucky ones that now has visible Unix files in your root file system? I sure did, and after digging around a little, it seems to be a bug in the Mac OS X installer -- but it only happens when you install a clean copy of Leopard (not updating). The question however, is how to get rid of them.. Obviously, deleting the folders is NOT an option.

Here's how you hide them:

  1. Insert your Leopard DVD
  2. Choose Open Apple Install Discs in Pacifist
  3. Choose the Leopard DVD
  4. Find and Extract the following two files to a directory of your choice:
  5. Open Terminal and cd to the folder you extracted the files to.
  6. Run this command sudo ./SetHidden / hidden_MacOS9.
  7. Enter password and reboot your Mac once the command has executed.
After rebooting, the unix folders and links should now be hidden from the root file system again, just like in Tiger.

[robg adds: I did a clean install on one of my machines, and didn't see this bug. However, I have seen it reported elsewhere, so here's one possible fix.]

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