1324079 - Unable to update browser on Mac, need permission

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 394984

(Toolkit :: Application Update, defect)

Description

[Steven]

Running Firefox 45.0.1 on macOS 10.11.6; haven't been able to apply any updates since that version because of a permission error. Browser console shows:

AUS:SVC getCanApplyUpdates - testing write access /Users/spotte/Library/Caches/Mozilla/updates/Applications/Firefox/update.test
AUS:SVC getCanApplyUpdates - testing write access /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/update.test
AUS:SVC getCanApplyUpdates - unable to apply updates. Exception: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]"  nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)"  location: "JS frame :: resource://gre/components/nsUpdateService.js :: getCanApplyUpdates :: line 362"  data: no]

Comment 1

[Molly Howell (she/her) (no longer active)]

Stephen, got a Mac update permission error here, and I don't really know enough to debug these. Do you have a few cycles to check it out?

This machine belongs to a Mozilla employee who's here in the Portland office, so I can help with troubleshooting.

Comment 2

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

There are cases where Mac OS X will change the permissions of the mac bundle (e.g. Mac OS update and other cases as well) as well as other users than the user that performed the install causing this. Bug 394984 addresses these cases so this should be fixed in Firefox 49. I suggest just reinstalling the latest and if it happens again with the fix from bug 394984 then please open a new bug.
https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/new/