How To Reinstall Terminal.app???

patrickj · 01-08-2009, 10:43 PM

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 · 01-08-2009, 11:22 PM

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:

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

acosmichippo · 01-09-2009, 01:01 AM

weird.

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

patrickj · 01-09-2009, 01:04 AM

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 · 01-09-2009, 01:04 AM

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

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....6002&tstart=45

patrickj · 01-09-2009, 01:11 AM

Originally Posted by acosmichippo

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

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....6002&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 · 01-09-2009, 01:18 AM

no...

got a linux computer?

patrickj · 01-09-2009, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by acosmichippo

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 · 01-09-2009, 01:33 AM

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/M...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 · 01-09-2009, 03:02 AM

gotcha. good luck.

why haven't you updated to 10.5.6?