mc installs as root with root-only permissions under Sierra. So when mc runs as user, it can't save anything

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

Basically, all installed config files and directories are created rw(x)------ and so you can only save anything about a mc or mcedit operation when "sudo mc". The install does set things up in the user folder, but the permissions are wrong.

This is compounded by mc claiming it is saving things in ~/.config/mc, when it is actually trying to save to ~/.local/share/mc

Made it pretty hard to find out WTF was going on.

Folders should be created with the username with rwx------ or with root rwxrwxrwx

Config files should be created with the username with rw---------- or with root rw-rw-rw-

--fyngyrz

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

1st line s/b: "can only save", sorry

[mf2k (Frank Schima)]

In the future, please Cc the port maintainers (port info --maintainers mc), if any.

[mkae (Marko Käning)]

Replying to fyngyrz:

1st line s/b: "can only save", sorry

I fixed that for you.

[mkae (Marko Käning)]

This is what I see on a Sierra VM of mine:

marko$ ls -la .config/mc/
insgesamt 4
drwx------ 4 marko staff  136 Sep 21  2014 .
drwx------ 3 marko staff  102 Sep 21  2014 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 marko staff 3141 Sep 21  2014 ini
-rw-r--r-- 1 marko staff    0 Sep 21  2014 panels.ini

This means, I can't reproduce both of your findings.

Perhaps you might want to try chown or rm the folders in question?

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

Oh, I have the install fixed now - I went in via sudo and changed everything. I installed macports using sudo, according to the instructions, but I don't use the machine that way, of course.

it was very straightforward. I installed macports; then I installed mc. No other complications.

[mkae (Marko Käning)]

Still, I am puzzled, as I have no idea how you ended up with root-owned folders in your user directory. Happy to hear that it is fixed now.

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

well, when you are sudo, you are root. Since macports insists on a sudo install... that's what you get.

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

okay, I see you have closed this. nm then.

[mkae (Marko Käning)]

(Ooops, I though I had submitted this comment earlier, but it was still dangling in the comment editor unsent:)

OK, you ran mc as root in your user's home dir which left mc thinking that it should place its files in the user's home dir. So the root shell wasn't a login shell then...

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

I did this, (handwaving the command line details, but this, in this order:)

sudo install macports.
sudo port install mc.
mc

Which, IIRC, was what the instructions said to do. Yes? ...so mc was running as me - not root. But had been installed as root, because sudo

[mkae (Marko Käning)]

That is very odd. Shouldn't happen like that.

Can you reproduce that?

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

well, I can't now, I'm all installed and set up

But I assure you, that's what happened. :)

[mkae (Marko Käning)]

You could uninstall and reinstall! ;)

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

was a new install of Sierra. very 1st thing I did was install macports and mc. Can't live w/o mc

[fyngyrz (Ben)]

well, I could, but I'm way downstream from all that now, with other stuff installed, apps installed, etc. In my case, it's not broken, so... not inclined to break it. If you can't reproduce, that's ok, if it comes up again you'll know about it. I appreciate your time.