can't download software updates for mac os

[seaman123]

When I endeavor to download software updates on my ibook G4, I get the following message: " Make sure you have permission to write to /private/tmp/501/TemporaryItems/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate".
there are no permissions set (nothing is locked) on my system. How can I correct this problem. Or, can I reinstall OS without losing files or software? and if so...will this fix the problem?

[yellow]

A restart should fix this.. but we can try something else..

Open Terminal, type:

sudo rm -rf /tmp/501/TemporaryItems/

Hit Return, enter your admin password, and now try using Software Update as normal.

OR

sudo chown -R username /tmp/501

Where username is your account's short username. Hit Return, enter your admin password, and now try using Software Update as normal.

[seaman123]

didn't work?

[yellow]

Thank you for your help. However, none of the ideas worked. Response kept coming back as permission for 501...stuff?

Hmm.. try this then:

sudo rm -rf /tmp/501

Enter your admin password when prompted, then restart your computer immediately after the prompt comes back. /etc/rc.cleanup should be nuking everything in /tmp automatically. If you get responses other then a prompt, please copy and paste them here.

[kc0arf]

Hello,

I would try a disk repair --> Fix Permissions on the computer first. You may have other things out of whack. This tool is part of the Disk Utility tool found in the Applications --> Utilities folder.

Christian

[yellow]

That might help.. I cannot really tell, but it doesn't look like repairing of permissions will decend into /tmp any further then /tmp's root level. But it certainly won't hurt anything!

yellow% sudo grepbom "/private/tmp"
........./private/tmp
   ====> /Library/Receipts//BaseSystem.pkg/Contents/Archive.bom

yellow% sudo lsbom -p GUMF Archive.bom | grep "/private/tmp"
wheel   root    drwxrwxrwt      "./private/tmp"

[seaman123]

Thanks all. This site is terrific.
I ran a disk utility and repaired permissions. Everything worked fine after that. Awesome.
thanks.