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Error: Cannot write to /usr/local #3930

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x2on opened this issue Jan 18, 2011 · 14 comments
Closed

Error: Cannot write to /usr/local #3930

x2on opened this issue Jan 18, 2011 · 14 comments

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@x2on
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x2on commented Jan 18, 2011

I can't install any formula.

I get always this error message:
brew install wget
Error: Cannot write to /usr/local

I installed brew with:

 ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://gist.github.com/raw/323731/install_homebrew.rb)"

I installed git with brew without problems.
But now i can't install any formula with brew install xyz
@x2on
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x2on commented Jan 18, 2011 

sudo chmod g+w /usr/local
sudo chgrp staff /usr/local

And it works... Perhaps the install script doesn't this correctly?

@fannar
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fannar commented Feb 4, 2011

@X20N: This fixed it for me. I just did brew update and then the permission problem appeared. Something broken in brew.

@ghost
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ghost commented Mar 30, 2011

Can this be of help?:

alias fixbrew='sudo chown -R $USER /usr/local'

@adamv
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adamv commented Apr 5, 2011

Did MindTooth's command help?

@adamv adamv closed this as completed Apr 5, 2011
@alexbuijs
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I had a similar problem and for me MindTooth's command did fix it

@leshill
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leshill commented May 6, 2011

Just as an FYI, some OSX installs like 'Instant On' which comes with Airfoil 4.0.2 will reset permissions on /usr/local.

@adamv
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adamv commented May 6, 2011

You should write to Airfoil and tell them to stop doing that.

On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 3:57 PM, leshill
reply@reply.github.com
wrote:

Just as an FYI, some OSX installs like 'Instant On' which comes with Airfoil 4.0.2 will reset permissions on /usr/local.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub:
#3930 (comment)

@leshill
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leshill commented May 6, 2011

Have done, wanted it in the thread just in case someone else ran into it.

@dareiff
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dareiff commented May 8, 2011

I think that's exactly what happened to me, leshill. Thanks!

@kch
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kch commented Jun 19, 2011

shouldn't brew doctor detect this?

leshill added a commit to leshill/homebrew that referenced this issue Jun 19, 2011
@leshill
Check /usr/local for writablity
fac7714 
- Airfoil during the install of InstantOn changes /usr/local to
  root:wheel ownership
- [closes Homebrew#3930]
@joshuajabbour
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Both x2on and MindTooth's solutions work. Is there a preferred one? Wouldn't x2on's allow other admins to install too?

(I commented here on this old issue because this is still a problem on a brand-new Mac w/ Lion. Posting this "fix" somewhere more accessible might be helpful.)

@strangnet
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I had the same issue on Lion, but only changing permissions and ownership wasn't enough. Not until I manually created /usr/local/Cellar was I able to run brew install wget and get it to work.

@Artform
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Artform commented Mar 12, 2013

Deleting /usr/local/Cellar/ and manually creating it worked for me. I'm still having other issues installing on Mountain Lion.

@devmanuj
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This worked for me:
sudo chown -R $(whoami):admin /usr/local

@Homebrew Homebrew locked and limited conversation to collaborators Oct 16, 2015
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Check /usr/local for writablity leshill/homebrew