CFPreferencesAppSynchronize failed

In article
<a324b77a-303c-4c44-8f7c-41bb459a0bd9.TakeThisOut@u12g2000prd.googlegroups.com>,
p2 <pradip.patel.TakeThisOut@einfochips.com> wrote:

> Hi
>
> I wrote following code. Also, I have created com.p1.myapp.plist from
> admin user at /Library/Preferences and has 666 permission.
>
> SInt kColor = 5;
> const CFStringRef kAppName = CFSTR("com.p1.myapp");
> const CFStringRef kPrefColor = CFSTR("color");
> CFNumberRef value = CFNumberCreate(NULL, kCFNumberSInt8Type, &kColor);
>
> CFPreferencesSetValue( kPrefColor, value, kAppName,
> kCFPreferencesAnyUser, kCFPreferencesCurrentHost);
>
> CFPreferencesAppSynchronize(kAppName); // this will fail ,return
> false in Non- admin
>
> above code is working in Tiger Non-Admin but failed in Leopard Non-
> Admin
>
> Is there any change ?
> My target is to change preferences for Any user(/Library/Preferences/)
> from non-admin account , How can i achieve this ?
>
> p2

I think you're wrong about it working for a non-admin user in Tiger,
since:
a) It's documented that you can't save such changes: "Note that you can
only save preferences for ³Any User² if you have Admin privileges."
b) I've been using that routine since (at least) 10.2 and it has behaved
as documented.

So I'd say either it's not saving or your 10.4 user *is* an admin
despite what you think.

Your options are:
a) Only save this change when running as an admin user; if the synch
fails, fall back to user-local storage.
b) Write someplace else, essentially recreating a portion of the
CFPreferences API.
c) Use some form of privilege escalation like a single-purpose setuid
tool running as root to save this setting.

I advocate course (a) unless it's critical that this value be identical
for all users. (b) and (c) both have shortcomings that are beyond the
scope of this message - the increased complexity in comparison to (a) is
probably the least of your worries.

--
"Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?"
- Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix

On Jun 24, 4:23 pm, Gregory Weston <u... RemoveThis @splook.com> wrote:
> In article
> <a324b77a-303c-4c44-8f7c-41bb459a0... RemoveThis @u12g2000prd.googlegroups.com>,
>
>
>
>
>
>  p2 <pradip.pa... RemoveThis @einfochips.com> wrote:
> > Hi
>
> > I wrote following code. Also, I have created com.p1.myapp.plist from
> > admin user at /Library/Preferences and has 666 permission.
>
> > SInt kColor = 5;
> > const CFStringRef kAppName = CFSTR("com.p1.myapp");
> > const CFStringRef kPrefColor = CFSTR("color");
> > CFNumberRef value = CFNumberCreate(NULL, kCFNumberSInt8Type, &kColor);
>
> > CFPreferencesSetValue( kPrefColor, value, kAppName,
> > kCFPreferencesAnyUser, kCFPreferencesCurrentHost);
>
> > CFPreferencesAppSynchronize(kAppName); // this will fail ,return
> > false  in Non- admin
>
> > above code is working in Tiger Non-Admin but failed in Leopard Non-
> > Admin
>
> > Is there any change ?
> > My target is to change preferences for Any user(/Library/Preferences/)
> > from non-admin account , How can i achieve this ?
>
> > p2
>
> I think you're wrong about it working for a non-admin user in Tiger,
> since:
> a) It's documented that you can't save such changes: "Note that you can
> only save preferences for ³Any User² if you have Admin privileges."
> b) I've been using that routine since (at least) 10.2 and it has behaved
> as documented.
>
> So I'd say either it's not saving or your 10.4 user *is* an admin
> despite what you think.
>
> Your options are:
> a) Only save this change when running as an admin user; if the synch
> fails, fall back to user-local storage.
> b) Write someplace else, essentially recreating a portion of the
> CFPreferences API.
> c) Use some form of privilege escalation like a single-purpose setuid
> tool running as root to save this setting.
>
> I advocate course (a) unless it's critical that this value be identical
> for all users. (b) and (c) both have shortcomings that are beyond the
> scope of this message - the increased complexity in comparison to (a) is
> probably the least of your worries.
>
> --
> "Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?"
>    - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Hi

I cann't get..it's like to save for individual user.

But I want to save from admin as well as from nonadmin..
Can you please tell me which is the common access path for all users
to save and update preferences ?

please look because it work for 10.4 and not for 10.5

p2

On Jun 24, 4:23 pm, Gregory Weston <u....DeleteThis@splook.com> wrote:
> In article
> <a324b77a-303c-4c44-8f7c-41bb459a0....DeleteThis@u12g2000prd.googlegroups.com>,
>
>
>
>
>
>  p2 <pradip.pa....DeleteThis@einfochips.com> wrote:
> > Hi
>
> > I wrote following code. Also, I have created com.p1.myapp.plist from
> > admin user at /Library/Preferences and has 666 permission.
>
> > SInt kColor = 5;
> > const CFStringRef kAppName = CFSTR("com.p1.myapp");
> > const CFStringRef kPrefColor = CFSTR("color");
> > CFNumberRef value = CFNumberCreate(NULL, kCFNumberSInt8Type, &kColor);
>
> > CFPreferencesSetValue( kPrefColor, value, kAppName,
> > kCFPreferencesAnyUser, kCFPreferencesCurrentHost);
>
> > CFPreferencesAppSynchronize(kAppName); // this will fail ,return
> > false  in Non- admin
>
> > above code is working in Tiger Non-Admin but failed in Leopard Non-
> > Admin
>
> > Is there any change ?
> > My target is to change preferences for Any user(/Library/Preferences/)
> > from non-admin account , How can i achieve this ?
>
> > p2
>
> I think you're wrong about it working for a non-admin user in Tiger,
> since:
> a) It's documented that you can't save such changes: "Note that you can
> only save preferences for ³Any User² if you have Admin privileges."
> b) I've been using that routine since (at least) 10.2 and it has behaved
> as documented.
>
> So I'd say either it's not saving or your 10.4 user *is* an admin
> despite what you think.
>
> Your options are:
> a) Only save this change when running as an admin user; if the synch
> fails, fall back to user-local storage.
> b) Write someplace else, essentially recreating a portion of the
> CFPreferences API.
> c) Use some form of privilege escalation like a single-purpose setuid
> tool running as root to save this setting.
>
> I advocate course (a) unless it's critical that this value be identical
> for all users. (b) and (c) both have shortcomings that are beyond the
> scope of this message - the increased complexity in comparison to (a) is
> probably the least of your worries.
>
> --
> "Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?"
>    - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

also one more question ,
Can I change the /Library/Preferences permission ? is it feasible ?
how?

p2

In article
<7001248a-c287-43c9-a160-088658f9b54c DeleteThis @y22g2000prd.googlegroups.com>,
p2 <pradip.patel DeleteThis @einfochips.com> wrote:

> On Jun 24, 4:23 pm, Gregory Weston <u... DeleteThis @splook.com> wrote:
> > In article
> > <a324b77a-303c-4c44-8f7c-41bb459a0... DeleteThis @u12g2000prd.googlegroups.com>,
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  p2 <pradip.pa... DeleteThis @einfochips.com> wrote:
> > > Hi
> >
> > > I wrote following code. Also, I have created com.p1.myapp.plist from
> > > admin user at /Library/Preferences and has 666 permission.
> >
> > > SInt kColor = 5;
> > > const CFStringRef kAppName = CFSTR("com.p1.myapp");
> > > const CFStringRef kPrefColor = CFSTR("color");
> > > CFNumberRef value = CFNumberCreate(NULL, kCFNumberSInt8Type, &kColor);
> >
> > > CFPreferencesSetValue( kPrefColor, value, kAppName,
> > > kCFPreferencesAnyUser, kCFPreferencesCurrentHost);
> >
> > > CFPreferencesAppSynchronize(kAppName); // this will fail ,return
> > > false  in Non- admin
> >
> > > above code is working in Tiger Non-Admin but failed in Leopard Non-
> > > Admin
> >
> > > Is there any change ?
> > > My target is to change preferences for Any user(/Library/Preferences/)
> > > from non-admin account , How can i achieve this ?
> >
> > > p2
> >
> > I think you're wrong about it working for a non-admin user in Tiger,
> > since:
> > a) It's documented that you can't save such changes: "Note that you can
> > only save preferences for ³Any User² if you have Admin privileges."
> > b) I've been using that routine since (at least) 10.2 and it has behaved
> > as documented.
> >
> > So I'd say either it's not saving or your 10.4 user *is* an admin
> > despite what you think.
> >
> > Your options are:
> > a) Only save this change when running as an admin user; if the synch
> > fails, fall back to user-local storage.
> > b) Write someplace else, essentially recreating a portion of the
> > CFPreferences API.
> > c) Use some form of privilege escalation like a single-purpose setuid
> > tool running as root to save this setting.
> >
> > I advocate course (a) unless it's critical that this value be identical
> > for all users. (b) and (c) both have shortcomings that are beyond the
> > scope of this message - the increased complexity in comparison to (a) is
> > probably the least of your worries.
> >
> > --
> > "Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ...
> > burning?"
> >    - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> also one more question ,
> Can I change the /Library/Preferences permission ? is it feasible ?
> how?

The short answer is: Don't.

The long answer is: It depends when/where you want to change it. If you
want to do it on your machine just once up front, chmod is your friend,
albeit a scruffy, disreputable one that your parents don't like you
hanging out with. If you need your program to be able to do it at
arbitrary times after installation (because the permissions will be
reset on that directory if the user runs a Repair Permissions process or
installs an OS update) you need to see option (c) above. At which point
the real answer would just be to use that technique to write your pref
without compromising the security and stability of the system.

--
"Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?"
- Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix

In article
<9e734c7c-9d01-4e15-8d7e-d204cdee1bd7.DeleteThis@a32g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
p2 <pradip.patel.DeleteThis@einfochips.com> wrote:

> > Your options are:
> > a) Only save this change when running as an admin user; if the synch
> > fails, fall back to user-local storage.
> > b) Write someplace else, essentially recreating a portion of the
> > CFPreferences API.
> > c) Use some form of privilege escalation like a single-purpose setuid
> > tool running as root to save this setting.
> >
> > I advocate course (a) unless it's critical that this value be identical
> > for all users. (b) and (c) both have shortcomings that are beyond the
> > scope of this message - the increased complexity in comparison to (a) is
> > probably the least of your worries.
>
> Hi
>
> I cann't get..it's like to save for individual user.
>
> But I want to save from admin as well as from nonadmin..
> Can you please tell me which is the common access path for all users
> to save and update preferences ?
>
> please look because it work for 10.4 and not for 10.5

I still say it's working for 10.4 because you're not running in the
environment you think you are.

I also still say (a) is the best course unless your program really
*needs* that preference value to be universal. Frankly, I can only think
of a couple of situations where that's the case, and almost all of those
can be handled at installation time.

The only location that it guaranteed to be world-writable on a Mac OS X
system is /Users/Shared. The biggest problem is that the closest we have
to guidelines for writing there is "don't." This can kind of be inferred
by the lack of a domain constant referencing it, and there are very
strong feelings in some quarters about software blindly writing to that
directory.

If (a) isn't viable for you, the correct option is (c). But it's also
the most difficult. Look at the documentation and sample code for the
Authorization API.

--
"Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?"
- Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix