How To Fix Zsh Permission Denied On Mac [100% Working]

Table Of Contents:

What is the “ZSH Permission Denied” Error on Mac?

How to Fix the zsh Permission Denied Error on Mac?

Step 1: Check the File Permissions

Step 2: Modify the File Permissions

Step 3: Change Directory Ownership

Step 4: Give Terminal Full Access

Step 5: Apply Permissions to All Items in a Folder

Conclusion

Stuck with the “zsh Permission Denied” error on Mac?

Well, this error typically occurs in the Terminal app when you’re trying to open a file located in the root. zsh is a popular choice among power users and developers who work with the command line interface frequently.

It is available on many Unix-based operating systems, including macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, and more.

This error can occur due to a variety of reasons, including incorrect file permissions, ownership settings, or system configurations.

In this post, we have listed a variety of solutions that you can use for fixing this issue via simple troubleshooting.

Let’s get started.

What is the “ZSH Permission Denied” Error on Mac?

The error usually occurs when you are trying to execute a file or command without the necessary permissions. This error message can occur in the Zsh shell, which is the default shell on macOS.

There are several reasons why this error can occur, but the most common reason is that the file or command you are trying to execute does not have executable permissions. This means that the file or command cannot be run by the user who is trying to execute it.

How to Fix the zsh Permission Denied Error on Mac?

To fix this error on Mac, you can try the following steps:

Step 1: Check the File Permissions

• Open the Terminal application on your Mac. You can either use the Dock or head to the Utilities folder to launch Terminal on macOS.

• Now, navigate to the directory where the file you want to check is located using the cd command.
• Once you’re in the directory, type the following command and press the Return key:

ls -l

• The ls -l command will list all the files and directories in the current directory along with their permissions, ownership, size, and creation/modification dates.

Image source: Mac World

• Look for the file you want to check and examine the permission field. The permission field is the first field in the output and consists of ten characters. The first character represents the file type, and the remaining nine characters represent the file’s permissions.

So, if you see an “x” character in the permission field, it indicates that the file has executable permissions. If you don’t see the “x” icon then you may not have the access to change or modify the file.

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Step 2: Modify the File Permissions

Here comes the next step to fix the zsh permission denied error on Mac. If the file does not have executable permissions, you can add them using the “chmod” command.

For example, if the file is named “myfile.sh“, you can run the following command to add executable permissions:

chmod +x myfile.sh

Once your run this command, Mac will automatically add the executable permissions to the respective file.

Step 3: Change Directory Ownership

Type the following command to change the ownership of the file or directory to a new owner:

sudo chown newowner filename

Replace “newowner” with the username of the new owner and “filename” with the name of the file or directory you want to change ownership for.

For example, if you want to change the ownership of a file named “example.txt” to a user named “john“, then you would type:

sudo chown john example.txt

If you’re prompted to enter your password, type it in and press Enter.

Once the “chown” command has been executed, type ls -l again to confirm that the ownership of the file or directory has been changed.

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Step 4: Give Terminal Full Access

One potential reason for being unable to open a file using commands in the Terminal is that the Terminal may not have complete access to the drive.

To resolve this, you can navigate to the Privacy panel within System Preferences, select Security & Privacy, and add Terminal to the list of authorized applications that can control your Mac.

This should grant the Terminal the necessary permissions to open the file using commands.

Step 5: Apply Permissions to All Items in a Folder 

To apply changes to all items in a folder or disk on your Mac, first, select the folder or disk and then open the Get Info window by selecting File followed by Get Info.

Subsequently, unlock the lock icon by clicking on it, and provide administrative credentials when prompted.

Next, click on the Action pop-up menu and select the option “Apply to enclosed items“.

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Conclusion

Encountering the “zsh permission denied” error on your Mac can be frustrating, but it’s a common issue that can be resolved using several simple solutions.

Whether it’s changing the file permissions, modifying the user account settings, or granting Terminal access to your Mac, there are various ways to fix the error and regain access to the file or directory in question.

By following the steps outlined in this post, you should be able to troubleshoot the error and continue using your Mac with ease.

As always, it’s important to exercise caution when making changes to your system and seek professional assistance if necessary.

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