homebrew-cask: uninstalling casks with 'login items' can fail on macOS 10.14 'Mojave'

General troubleshooting steps

  • I have retried my command with --force and the issue is still present.
  • I have checked the instructions for reporting bugs.
    • None of the templates was appropriate for my issue, or I’m not sure.
  • I ran brew update-reset && brew update and retried my command.
  • I ran brew doctor, fixed as many issues as possible and retried my command.
  • I understand that if I ignore these instructions, my issue may be closed without review.

Description of issue

uninstalling casks with ‘login items’ fails on macOS 10.14 ‘Mojave’

Command that failed

brew cask uninstall --force 1clipboard

Output of command with --force --verbose --debug

$ brew cask uninstall --force --verbose --debug 1clipboard
==> Uninstalling Cask 1clipboard
==> Uninstalling Cask 1clipboard
==> Un-installing artifacts
==> 3 artifact/s defined
#<SortedSet:0x00007fc694226f98>
==> Un-installing artifact of class Hbc::Artifact::Uninstall
==> Running uninstall process for 1clipboard; your password may be necessary
==> Quitting application ID com.ngwin.1clipboard
==> /bin/launchctl list
==> Quitting application ID com.ngwin.1clipboardhelper
==> /bin/launchctl list
==> Removing login item 1Clipboard
==> /usr/bin/osascript -e tell\ application\ \"System\ Events\"\ to\ delete\ every\ login\ item\ whose\ name\ is\ \"1Clipboard\"
36:86: 
execution error: Not authorised to send Apple events to System Events. (-1743)
Error: Failure while executing; `/usr/bin/osascript -e tell\ application\ \"System\ Events\"\ to\ delete\ every\ login\ item\ whose\ name\ is\ \"1Clipboard\"` exited with 1. Here's the output:
36:86: execution error: Not authorised to send Apple events to System Events. (-1743)


Follow the instructions here:
  https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask#reporting-bugs
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/system_command.rb:97:in `assert_success'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/system_command.rb:46:in `run!'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/system_command.rb:21:in `run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/system_command.rb:25:in `run!'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/artifact/abstract_uninstall.rb:160:in `block in uninstall_login_item'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/artifact/abstract_uninstall.rb:158:in `each'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/artifact/abstract_uninstall.rb:158:in `uninstall_login_item'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/artifact/abstract_uninstall.rb:58:in `block in dispatch_uninstall_directives'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/artifact/abstract_uninstall.rb:55:in `each'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/artifact/abstract_uninstall.rb:55:in `dispatch_uninstall_directives'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/artifact/uninstall.rb:7:in `uninstall_phase'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/installer.rb:441:in `block in uninstall_artifacts'
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/set.rb:674:in `each'
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/set.rb:674:in `each'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/installer.rb:438:in `uninstall_artifacts'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/installer.rb:391:in `uninstall'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/uninstall.rb:22:in `block in run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/uninstall.rb:12:in `each'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/uninstall.rb:12:in `run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/abstract_command.rb:33:in `run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli.rb:93:in `run_command'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli.rb:157:in `run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli.rb:122:in `run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cmd/cask.rb:7:in `cask'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb:87:in `<main>'
Error: Kernel.exit
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli.rb:168:in `exit'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli.rb:168:in `rescue in run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli.rb:145:in `run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli.rb:122:in `run'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cmd/cask.rb:7:in `cask'
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb:87:in `<main>'

Output of brew cask doctor

$ brew cask doctor
==> Homebrew-Cask Version
Homebrew-Cask 1.7.1
Homebrew/homebrew-cask (git revision f78c; last commit 2018-08-03)
==> macOS
10.14
==> SIP
Disabled
==> Java
N/A
==> Homebrew-Cask Install Location
<NONE>
==> Homebrew-Cask Staging Location
/usr/local/Caskroom
==> Homebrew-Cask Cached Downloads
~/Library/Caches/Homebrew/Cask (8 files, 418MB)
==> Homebrew-Cask Taps:
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Taps/homebrew/homebrew-cask (4014 casks)
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Taps/homebrew/homebrew-cask-versions (191 casks)
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Taps/homebrew/homebrew-cask-eid (11 casks)
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Taps/homebrew/homebrew-cask-fonts (1164 casks)
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Taps/homebrew/homebrew-cask-drivers (152 casks)
==> Contents of $LOAD_PATH
/Library/Ruby/Gems/2.3.0/gems/did_you_mean-1.0.0/lib
/Library/Ruby/Site/2.3.0
/Library/Ruby/Site/2.3.0/x86_64-darwin18
/Library/Ruby/Site/2.3.0/universal-darwin18
/Library/Ruby/Site
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/2.3.0
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/2.3.0/x86_64-darwin18
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/2.3.0/universal-darwin18
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/x86_64-darwin18
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/universal-darwin18
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib
/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew
==> Environment Variables
LC_ALL="en_US.UTF-8"
PATH="/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/shims/scm"
SHELL="/bin/bash"

Output of brew tap

$ brew tap
homebrew/cask
homebrew/cask-drivers
homebrew/cask-eid
homebrew/cask-fonts
homebrew/cask-versions
homebrew/core
vitorgalvao/tiny-scripts

About this issue

  • Original URL
  • State: closed
  • Created 6 years ago
  • Reactions: 1
  • Comments: 15 (14 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

i just updated to ‘18A347e’. now i got a dialog asking if “terminal” can control system events. if i click yes it works. if i click no, i get the error as mentioned.

the problem is, if you click no by accident, the dialog won’t appear again, and it won’t work unless you manually go to System Preferences => Privacy => Automation => Terminal and check “System Events”

+2
core-code on Aug 3, 2018

@webknows you can edit the cached copy of the caskfile to get any offending cask to uninstall

edit /usr/local/Caskroom/CASKNAME/.metadata/CASKVERSION/WEIRDIDENTIFIER/Casks/CASKNAME.rb and uncomment the offending secttion, e.g. the loginitem thing in this case

+1
core-code on Jan 14, 2019

well, ideally ‘brew’ should detect that its action has been blocked by Mojave (…)

Agreed.

We use AppleScript for login_item, quit and trash. Are they all going to be affected by this?

I don’t have a machine to test, but I’m pretty sure the answer is “yes, but it doesn’t matter”. Permission is given on an per-app basis, so if you give permission for one of these actions, all will be allowed (the reverse also being true).

It looks like the system works like what we already had (since at least Sierra) in terms of permissions, but it’s tighter in what it allows by default.

+1
vitorgalvao on Aug 4, 2018

well, ideally ‘brew’ should detect that its action has been blocked by Mojave security and kindly ask the user to go to System Preferences => Privacy => Automation => Terminal and check “System Events” instead of failing super cryptically

+1
core-code on Aug 3, 2018

this is 18A336e but i’ll update to the latest one later today and re-test.

+1
core-code on Aug 3, 2018
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