How To Reinstall Terminal.app???

[patrickj]

So I'm still pretty much a Mac newbie. Got instructions from a software publisher that require entering a command in Terminal to fix an issue etc.

I just discovered terminal.app is not in /Applications/ Utilities. It does not show up anywhere if I search for it in Spotlight and Quicksilver. I'm logged in as an admin level user, so assume search should see / show all files. No idea why it's missing.

Anyway, I'm looking for the easiest way to reinstall it - I had initially assumed I might just find it on one of the Leopard install discs, but just read an Apple support forum thread that talked about /Applications folder being hidden on there etc.

Any suggestions for best way to reinstall / where to get terminal.app from would be mucho, mucho appreciated ...

[patrickj]

Blah - thought I had it sussed - DLed an app called Pacifist which let me look inside packages etc. on the Install discs. Found the /Applications folder under one of the Essentials packages, found Terminal.app, chose to 'install to default location' and cool, it put it into my /Applications/Utilities directory on the HD. But when I go to launch it I get this:

http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=4256&stc=1&d=1231474895

I guess my reaction now is WTF ??? This is on a MacBook running Leopard 10.5.5 btw.

[acosmichippo]

weird.

i'd try doing it myself, but my disc drive is busy at the moment...

[patrickj]

Thanks Hippo - have been on Apple discussion forums now too - found a lot of similar issues with 'missing' utils after an update or reinstall. Have seen a few suggestions about running 'combo updaters', but none with a 'hey that worked and we're back in Kansas now' type happy ending - and I have no clue how to run one of these as yet.

Computers = huge fun :)

[acosmichippo]

found this thread that might shed some light on the situation...

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1396002&tstart=45

[patrickj]

found this thread that might shed some light on the situation...

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1396002&tstart=45

Thanks again - saw that one earlier too. Only thing is, that guy talks about going to a second Mac and running some command-line stuff to see the /Applications folder etc. I don't have a second Mac around, and I've been able to see / extract from that folder - just cannot get it to launch now. Or maybe I missed something in there - I'm tired, so very possible ...

[acosmichippo]

no...

got a linux computer?

[patrickj]

no...

got a linux computer?

Nope. Had an old desktop dual-booting with a Linux build on it, but it got formatted and XPed a while back for my daughter's use ...

[patrickj]

Think I might have found what I need. Guy on Apple discussions said I needed to install this after the reinstall of Terminal:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/Mac_OS_X_10-5-6_Combo_Update
I had mentioned to him twice that I'm not at 10.5.6 yet, so was he sure about the recommend - met with silence. So went to that downloads section and searched for same file name, except with 10.5.5 swapped in and DLed that, as that's my OS version right now.

Gonna try it in the morning as whenever I try one last thing late & tired, it ends up kicking my ass :)

[acosmichippo]

gotcha. good luck.

why haven't you updated to 10.5.6?

[Ramesh]

Let me know if you got it working. If not, I'll see what I can dig up tomorrow (Saturday)

[patrickj]

So this morning I verified with guys on Apple discussion forums that it was cool to run the 10.5.5 combo updater thingie. Ran it successfully, restarted the Mac as required, and launched Terminal, or tried to anyway. This time no error message, no indication at all as to why it won't run, just no response.

My newbie guess on this is that it's maybe a permissions issue - but at this point to be honest, **** it - it strikes me that the 'it just works' Leopard OS should maybe sort its permissions out for itself via that updater package, or make it less than challenging to reinstall a single standard system utility.

So I downloaded the iTerm app - and ran my one simple command needed to fix a single issue in a single app.

Blah - I love my Mac, but there are occasional times where it seems to me the simplest of issues requires trekking up a mountainside and seeking out a freakin shamen to get answers ...

[acosmichippo]

have you tried to verify/repair the permissions on the disk with Disk Utility?

[patrickj]

have you tried to verify/repair the permissions on the disk with Disk Utility?

Nope. I used iTerm for the one tiny task I had and said bollocks to Terminal. Have never used that utility - is it easy to use? (much) Easier than reinstalling a system util???

[acosmichippo]

yeah, just search for "disk utility" in spotlight, highlight your "mac" partition, and click "repair disk permissions".

than grab a sandwich.

[patrickj]

yeah, just search for "disk utility" in spotlight, highlight your "mac" partition, and click "repair disk permissions".

than grab a sandwich.

Oh, does it want to do all? Can you select just a particular file / folder you want it to work on?

[Ramesh]

Oh, does it want to do all? Can you select just a particular file / folder you want it to work on?

No. It won't hurt it. Go ahead and run it. It'll only help.

[patrickj]

May give it a go later then. Thanks guys ...

[acosmichippo]

Ever figure it out?

[patrickj]

Ever figure it out?

I'm such a lazy twat. I've used iTerm when needed (very rarely) and still haven't got round to running that util to correct all permissions ...

Edit: Interesting that you cannot get Alfred Hitch****'s full name in, but twat gets past. I may refer to Al as Alfred Hitchtwat from now on :)