[tightsocks]

com.apple.kextd[10] Can't create kext cache under / - owner not root.

This just started happening after the 10.6.5 update via Software Update.
Ran repair permissions after the update.

Another strange thing is that non-admin users now have write access to the top level of the startup volume (bit not the subfolders such as Library and System - I don't think that non-admins have ever been able to write there previously...)

Is this a botched install?

[besson3c]

So you're saying that you can run "touch /test" and not generate an error message?

What is the owner of the kernel extension generating that error message, or do you know? If you don't, do you suspect this is creating problems for you? This could simply be a bug in that kernel extension that might be completely harmless.

[tightsocks]

Seems that I over-reacted with regard to the console message. It was also present for me under 10.6.4 I guess I will assume that it is harmless as besson3c suggests.

I am still a bit confused by the seemingly new ability of standard users to write to the top level of the main volume on 10.6.5

[reader50]

Select your volume in a Finder window, and Get Info. Check the permissions, see who owns the HD root directory. It should be 'system' (ie - root). 'admin' should have read & write, while 'everyone' should have read only.

My answer comes from a Leopard install.

[tightsocks]

[besson3c]

I don't know why you have an "admin1" group and who is in it, but your HD perms should be more like:

system: read/write
admin: read only
everyone: read only


I wouldn't change this though until you figure out what groups you are in, you don't want to lock yourself out.

[CharlesS]

That looks like "admin1" is a user, not a group. He named his admin user "admin1". Makes sense.

Changing that to system/admin/everyone should solve that for you. You can't lock yourself out since you still have the ability to enter an admin username/password to get root privileges and change it however you want.

[besson3c]

Yeah, sorry, I misread that display... The single silhouette icon refers to the user, duh

[tightsocks]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

The single silhouette icon refers to the user, duh

Right, I have an admin account named 'admin1', however the above screen cap was taken from within my day-to-day standard user account.

[tightsocks]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

That looks like "admin1" is a user, not a group. He named his admin user "admin1". Makes sense.

Changing that to system/admin/everyone should solve that for you.

I don't seem to be able to do that.
'system' does not seem to be an option in the 'Sharing and Permissions' pop-up in Get Info for me...

[CharlesS]

If the Get Info panel won't work, you can use the Terminal:

sudo chown root:admin /

[tightsocks]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

If the Get Info panel won't work, you can use the Terminal:

What the heck is going on with my set-up that causing this...?!

Why is this happening in the first place?
Why can't it be fixed via the normal Get Info panel?

I just want to have a normal system...

[CharlesS]

Apparently the Finder's Get Info dialog doesn't let you chown things to root, something I didn't know before. Maybe Apple thinks that allowing that would cause users to accidentally shoot themselves in the foot. The Terminal command will work.

[tightsocks]

Used the Terminal.
All is well now.
Thanks very much for the help!

I am still convinced that the 10.6.5 update process was responsible for this...