How To Turn Off Launch App From Net Warning?

[Ormond]

So, I was just wondering....

In Yosemite, every time I launch any app I've downloaded from the Net I get the "this app was downloaded from the net, are you sure?" warning alert? How do I get rid of this??

In Snow Leopard, the warning would appear the first time you launched a new app from the Net, but not every time you launch such an app. So now that I'm only 5 years behind the cutting edge, I be confused.

Thanks!

 

[honestone]

Unfortunately, it happens to me also.. However, it only happens the first time such an app is launched. It has to do with (I believe) Apple's GateKeeper software. For example, last week I downloaded V15.31 of the 5 Office 2016 apps I use, and for each one, when the download completed, I got that question. Also, within the last 4 days, I have downloaded the following:

V6.6.1 of 1Password
V1.0.3 of HandBrake
V3.2.4 of Onyx (earlier today)
V1.9.0 of GrandPerspective
V1.x of Funter

For all of them, I got that question. And I am on OS 10.12.3, the latest version of Sierra. I got that same question when I was using El Capitan.

These links discuss GateKeeper in detail:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491

https://its.uiowa.edu/support/article/4038

Not sure if selecting that third option, Anywhere, will turn off that message you (and I) are getting.

Also, it looks like that message has to do with "File Quarantine":

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201940

 

[honestone]

After all that (those Gatekeeper links contain useful security-related information), it looks like there is a way to do it:

http://osxdaily.com/2010/03/29/disa...-open-this-file-warning-dialogue-in-mac-os-x/

For Sierra, that "Anywhere" option no longer exists. So, one can use the Terminal command mentioned in that link, even for those versions of the Mac OS that still have that "Anywhere" option.

I guess it depends upon how much protection you want. Myself, I am going to leave things are they are, as that question is an extremely minor inconvenience. But, the extra protection is worth it.

 

[Ormond]

I found this on one of those pages, might help.

If you have multiple user accounts on your Mac, the user account that downloaded the file is the only user account that can remove the quarantine attribute on a file. All other user accounts can open a quarantined file, but they are still presented with an alert asking "Are you sure you want to open it?" every time they open the file.

Still don't see how to remove the quarantine attribute of a specific app. All I want is what I've had for years in Snow Leopard, one warning per app, automatic. One warning per app seems useful, endless warnings seem pointless.

Oh well, I'm checking this off as one more way Apple is "upgrading" by downgrading, or whatever they call reverse progress at Apple. I'm guessing this has something to do with Apple gradually forcing everyone in to the Mac App Store, like it or not. As example, the removal of the "allow apps from anywhere" option in Sierra.

 

[honestone]

Still somewhat confused by your inquiry. Is it the case where once that alert for an app appears for the first time, it is never to be presented again with subsequent downloads of the app (typically updates)? If that's the situation, I did not see how that could be done. I just saw a way, via that terminal command, to turn it off permanently. There is a way to do it on a per app basis, but I got the impression you wanted to do it all the time.

As for the removal of "Allow apps from anywhere" option in Sierra, one can still bypass Gatekeeper in another manner. Once the app is installed, when you open it the first time, instead of double clicking, right click on the app. A menu will appear, with Open at the top. Select that, and you're good to go.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Maybe this: Bypass the Application Downloaded From the Internet Warning in OS X

C

 

[honestone]

Maybe this: Bypass the Application Downloaded From the Internet Warning in OS X

C

Yeah, it looks like that Terminal command will work on an app by app basis.

 

[Ormond]

Aha, thanks Cory!

 

[Ormond]

I can confirm that works. Well done Cory. Very easy, though it will warn you and require a password.

Can't get it to work with GraphicConverter. I believe the issue is a space in the app name, like this.

GraphicConverter 10

Tried all versions of that name, no go.

I'm guessing there is some special syntax for indicating a space in Terminal?

 

[honestone]

I know you will not thank me for this, but why the version number? The link Cory provided was for iExplorer, and that example did not have a version number. In fact, most links that mention this leave off the version number of the app.

The command would be:

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/GraphicConverter.app

 

[Cory Cooper]

Actually honestone, if the app itself has the number in its name like GraphicConverter 10 does, then you have to include it.

I believe you would use a "\ " to add the space in Terminal as in:
sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/GraphicConverter\ 10.app

C

 

[honestone]

For GraphicConverter, that is not correct. Here is a link that talks about it:

https://www.lemkesoft.de/mac-fotobearbeitung-mac-diashow-mac-grafikprogramm-mac-bildbetrachter/

Notice how many versions there are. If, though, your suggestion works, I wonder if the message that the op did not want to see would be for version 10 only. For subsequent 10.x versions, would the message appear, or not?

Onyx is a similar product:

http://www.titanium.free.fr/onyx.html

Yes, there are version numbers that are specific to a Mac OS. But, for example, when I clicked on the Download tab next to Onyx 3.2.4, the name of the downloaded file was Onyx.dmg. That would be the same name for that file downloaded no matter which version it is.

From my understanding, names for apps typically do not have a version number as part of the name. I suspect there are exceptions, but for the most part, the version number is not part of the downloaded name. Maybe GraphicConverter is different, but I'd be surprised, given all the versions that have come out for that app.

Here's another example. I just downloaded SuperDuper! v2.9.1, but the name of the downloaded file is SuperDuper!.dmg. So, I suspect that if I do not want to see that message, the command would be:

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/SuperDuper!.app

And for Onyx, it would be:

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Onyx.app

 

[Ormond]

I believe you would use a "\ " to add the space in Terminal as in:
sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/GraphicConverter\ 10.app

That works, thanks Cory!

I can't believe what a dumb question that was for me to ask. Duh... I only spent 10 years all day every day perl coding, where I escaped spaces about 10 million times. I turned 65 on Monday, and it looks like senility wastes no time in making itself known.

Oh, one more thing...

Does anybody know where I live? It's around here somewhere right?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Glad it worked. I tested it on my Mac as well.

For a standard install of GraphicConverter 10, it is correct, as the title of the app is actually GraphicConverter 10:

It doesn't necessarily reference what the version is, or what the DMG/installer is titled, it depends on what the application is named in the Applications folder.

C

 

[honestone]

Hmm, learn something new everyday! That seems a strange way to name an application that has so many versions. But I guess that is the way with this app.

 

[Cory Cooper]

I agree, it is different that Thorsten added the version number this time. It could be so that end-users can differentiate and have multiple versions installed simultaneously. Of course, one can always delete the 10 from the name, as it shouldn't affect the operation of the app. Also, you would need the "\ " for apps like Google Chrome and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

C

 

[honestone]

Yeah, I see what you are saying. I have both of those apps, and it says "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" and "Google Chrome" for their respective names.

So, just to confirm: for that command to be effective, one must have the exact name of the app as it appears in the Applications Folder (after installation), without any changes. A command such as:

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Malwarebytes.app

or:

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Google.app

would not work to stop that message appearing for Malwarebyes Anti-Malware, and Google Chrome. Correct?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Correct.

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Malwarebytes\ Anti-Malware.app
sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app

Those would work.

C

 

[Ormond]

I'm wondering why Apple didn't just put a check box in the dialog that said, "Don't show this warning again". That seems a pretty standard convention. Or, the way it worked on Snow Leopard seemed perfectly sensible, once you've allowed the app to run once the warning goes away permanently.

I'm thinking here of the millions of non-nerdy Mac users who will be annoyed by the warning every day for however many years. For example, my wife would never do anything in Terminal no matter what it was, she doesn't even know Terminal exists. And if she did try, when Terminal threw up the warning that she didn't understand she would bail.

It's not a huge deal, only a button click. But I'm curious if there's a reason why app warnings have been made harder. Speculation welcomed.

I'm wondering if we're headed for a future when only apps from the Mac App Store will run on Macs. Is Apple maybe anticipating a future when Mac viruses will become a bigger issue?

 

[honestone]

Correct.

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Malwarebytes\ Anti-Malware.app
sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app

Those would work.

C

Thanks, Cory. Glad I would not need to do that for quite a number of my apps, like AppCleaner, SuperDuper!, Onyx, VueScan, etc. The command would be more "generic", like for example:

sudo xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Oynx.app

Too bad it's not that generic with apps such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and GraphicConverter 10.

Actually, it looks like that naming convention for GraphicConverter has been in effect for some time. I downloaded V9.7.6 from their site. The name of the download in my downloads folder was "gc9_build2108.dmg". But after double clicking on that file to "expand" it, the subsequent file name that would be installed inside the Applications folder is GraphicConverter 9.

Contrast that with SuperDuper!. The latest version is v2.9.1, but the name of the downloaded file in my downloads folder is "SuperDuper!.dmg", and after double clicking on that, the name of it in the Applications folder is SuperDuper!.