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ghporter · Dec 19, 2009, 01:07 PM

In preparation for a hard drive swap, I tried to back up my existing drive onto the new drive using Disk Utility. I said it could not verify the source due to a "bad file descriptor." Repairing permissions gave me a notice that permissions were repaired but that the SUID of something in my System/Library/CoreServices/Remote Management/ARDAagent package had been changed and would not be repaired. I'm assuming that's the file with the bad descriptor. The drive verifies fine.

It sounds like I'm going to have to either delete this remote management thing then try to back up again, or install fresh on the new drive. This leads to questions. Is Remote Management part of the OS, or is it something I've added later? Is it OK to delete anything in the ARDAagent or the package itself? If that's a bad idea, and I should go ahead with a fresh install, what's the best strategy for getting my apps installed and my data migrated?

Art Vandelay · Dec 19, 2009, 03:00 PM

Ignore the permissions error. It's normal and has nothing to do with your other problem. What is giving the bad file descriptor error?

Hal Itosis · Dec 19, 2009, 03:49 PM

It's becoming difficult to trust what Disk Utility says... isn't it?

ghporter · Dec 19, 2009, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

Ignore the permissions error. It's normal and has nothing to do with your other problem. What is giving the bad file descriptor error?

When I run Restore, I get through the source and destination selection, the verification that I want to erase the destination, and my password. The routine stops with the message that the source can't be verified because of a bad file descriptor. I've verified the disk twice and run Repair Permissions (assuming the descriptor problem could be related to permissions) probably at least 6 times.

I'm going to go ahead with the drive swap to night because it's the only time I'll have this weekend, but I'd like to know what's wrong.

Art Vandelay · Dec 19, 2009, 09:08 PM

So you're getting an error when you try to restore and before it actually starts restoring? Also, you don't get any errors when running Disk First Aid?

Hal Itosis · Dec 19, 2009, 11:01 PM

You could always try SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.
If either succeed, verify by booting from the result first.

ghporter · Dec 19, 2009, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

So you're getting an error when you try to restore and before it actually starts restoring? Also, you don't get any errors when running Disk First Aid?

Correct-it immediately says "Restore Failure Could not validate source - Bad file descriptor." Repair Disk ends with "The volume Volname appears to be OK."

I wonder if this "could not validate source" thing has to do with Time Machine. Everything I find online with anything about the error seems to be related to Time Machine.

Further research indicates that ARDAgent.app has a history of causing the error I received from Verify Permissions:
System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAgent
This seems to be an issue only because DU can't fix the app's permissions.

I've installed the disk and it's all running fine, though I booted from the old disk connected via USB (very nice-not even much slower than booting from an internal drive). So is my best bet to install Snow Leopard on the new disk and then migrate my files and apps?

Art Vandelay · Dec 20, 2009, 01:28 AM

Don't worry about ARD. It's not an error. Disk Utility is just posting an informational message about it. There is nothing wrong with it.

I'd just install SL and migrate your stuff over.

Simon · 04:01 AM

I'll second Art's advice. It's a warning. The nice thing with block copies is that it will restore exactly what you have now onto another disk. And if what you have now (even if there is a permissions error for ARD) works for you, what you get after the block copy will work for you too. The flip side is that block copying a volume with damaged files will replicate the damage. But since DU already says your volume is OK, you're good to go. Don't worry about it. DU should do what you want just fine.

ghporter · Dec 20, 2009, 10:28 AM

So a clean install of SL and migration it is. I haven't had the best of luck with the Migration Assistant moving my wife's iBook stuff onto her new MacBook; any pointers before I go crazy with migrating everything and have it go to the wrong spot or set up additional users I don't want?

ghporter · Dec 20, 2009, 02:22 PM

Well the install went fine. Took about half an hour, maybe a little more, and it presented no issues at all.

I wonder if I should just go about fresh installing the apps I know I'll want then add the ones I don't think about right away later...

Hal Itosis · 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

Don't worry about ARD. It's not an error. Disk Utility is just posting an informational message about it. There is nothing wrong with it.

While i agree that (most likely) nothing at all was wrong with ARDAgent on ghporter's disk... referring to an SUID Warning as an "informational message" is akin to calling a Beware Of Dog sign a Welcome mat. Seems like every day Mac users are learning to *expect and ignore* SUID warnings:

Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/
RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAgent"
has been modified and will not be repaired.

Let's not sweep the crud under the carpet with euphemisms like "informational message". The relationship between Installer, Software Update and Disk Utility leaves something to be desired. We should not be seeing that sort of um... information, unless something is actually wrong. [Software Update and/or Installer are not properly updating DU's permissions database... that's what's wrong, and users deserve to be educated of those facts.]

And now DU popped up a "bad file descriptor" informational message too?
What was that about then... did we ever find out?

ghporter · Dec 20, 2009, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by Hal Itosis

And now DU popped up a "bad file descriptor" informational message too?
What was that about then... did we ever find out?

Not a clue yet. I have decided not to sweat it and just do a clean install on the new drive. Whatever the goof is, I won't be replicating it on my new drive.

However, ARDAgent is part of OS X, so I don't think it's an installer issue. I think the Microsoft Remote Desktop app I installed may have had something to do with this, and since I don't need to use it anymore, I won't be too concerned about it.

Hal Itosis · Dec 20, 2009, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

However, ARDAgent is part of OS X, so I don't think it's an installer issue. I think the Microsoft Remote Desktop app I installed may have had something to do with this, and since I don't need to use it anymore, I won't be too concerned about it.

I wish we could blame Microsoft... but, it's a known flaw.
And folks are getting so accustomed to it... it's almost morphed into a feature.