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I#m running OS X El Capitan and want to symlink /Users to /home

sudo ln -sf /Users /home

fails with

ln: home/Users: Operation not supported

Why does this fail?

Could this be related to other OS X restrictions? Such as when trying to write to /usr/share ...

Operation not permitted

klanomath
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Jim H.
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3 Answers3

3

System Integrity Protection doesn't prevent you creating sym links in / because the root of the file system is not protected!

But the root of the OS X file system already contains an invisible volume/mount point home created by /etc/auto_master (and /etc/auto_home). Your intension to create an equally named sym link there conflicts with this and is therefore forbidden.

Network users who login to the local machine will have their home directories mounted in /home according to the details in /etc/auto_home.

klanomath
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0

Create an alias instead of using ln. To do it, right click the required folder and click create alias, then drag this shortcut folder to your desktop or home folder as you want.

Glorfindel
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Dr.Sherif Omran
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-1

Likely System Integrity Protection?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204899

You can disable it and verify this I suppose.

  • http://www.techrepublic.com/article/pro-tip-how-to-disable-system-integrity-protection/ –  Feb 16 '16 at 21:15
  • followed the instructions at http://www.techrepublic.com/article/pro-tip-how-to-disable-system-integrity-protection/, "csrutil disable" command reports success. however, the symlink creation still fails w/ the same message. –  Feb 16 '16 at 21:27