If you've been reading my blog, you know that I believe most "security" that is provided by an OS is more about protecting their market share than anything else. Making it impossible to run software not made or endorsed by them is a good start.
I've come yet another oh-so-typical case tonight. A foolish friend of mine has sent me Word documents. I do not have Word installed on my computer, never have.
So, people tell me, I can just use OpenOffice, and indeed I often try.
So I installed OpenOffice, and I get the popup:
"OpenOffice.app" can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer. Yes, of course, OpenOffice.org is an "unidentified developer" as far as Apple is concerned.
OK, so I got to security preferences, and it conveniently says:
"OpenOffice.app was blocked from opening because it is not from an identified developer."
and there is a button saying:
Open Anyway
But, no matter how many times I click on "Open Anyway", nothing happens. If, after having clicked on "Open Anyway", I go back and click on OpenOffice, I get the original "can't be opened" popup again.
OK, so time for the balls out option. Back at "Security & Privacy" I can check the box "Allow apps downloaded from Anywhere." This brings up a warning box, which also warns me that if I don't use this option for 30 days, it will be inactivated.
That's the problem in my life. I do so many different things, I often don't use apps for years, and when I go back it's like starting all over again, including messing with security malfunctions like this.
OK, so now I'm set, right?
Of course not. Not for the first 2 times I went through the whole sequence described above sequence. I still got the "can't be opened" popup.
The third time, just as I was writing this, it worked.
If I hadn't been writing this, I wouldn't have tried a third time.
I've come yet another oh-so-typical case tonight. A foolish friend of mine has sent me Word documents. I do not have Word installed on my computer, never have.
So, people tell me, I can just use OpenOffice, and indeed I often try.
So I installed OpenOffice, and I get the popup:
"OpenOffice.app" can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer. Yes, of course, OpenOffice.org is an "unidentified developer" as far as Apple is concerned.
OK, so I got to security preferences, and it conveniently says:
"OpenOffice.app was blocked from opening because it is not from an identified developer."
and there is a button saying:
Open Anyway
But, no matter how many times I click on "Open Anyway", nothing happens. If, after having clicked on "Open Anyway", I go back and click on OpenOffice, I get the original "can't be opened" popup again.
OK, so time for the balls out option. Back at "Security & Privacy" I can check the box "Allow apps downloaded from Anywhere." This brings up a warning box, which also warns me that if I don't use this option for 30 days, it will be inactivated.
That's the problem in my life. I do so many different things, I often don't use apps for years, and when I go back it's like starting all over again, including messing with security malfunctions like this.
OK, so now I'm set, right?
Of course not. Not for the first 2 times I went through the whole sequence described above sequence. I still got the "can't be opened" popup.
The third time, just as I was writing this, it worked.
If I hadn't been writing this, I wouldn't have tried a third time.
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