How to Open Applications With Root Privileges on a Mac

You can open any Mac application with root privileges, as long as you have an administrator password. As always, do not use root access unless you know what you are doing, as you could cause serious damage to the application or to your computer.

ethod1

From an Admin Account

1

Know the risks. Most graphical applications are not designed for root access. Limit yourself to specific tasks you understand well, or you may end up with inaccessible files, application crashes, or security vulnerabilities.

2

Open Terminal. Log into an administrator account on your computer. Go to Applications → Utilities and launch Terminal.

• This administrator account must have a non-blank password, or Terminal will not allow you to access root privileges.^[2]

3

Try the quick way. The sudo command lets you launch applications with root access, but it requires the path to the executable file within the application package. Most default Mac applications, as well as many third-party programs, organize the package contents the same way, so it's worth trying this:^[3]

• Enter sudo "\file path from hard drive to application.app/Contents/MacOS/application name".
  For example, to open iTunes, type sudo "/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunes" and press ⏎ Return.
• Enter the password for the administrator account you are currently logged into. Press ⏎ Return.
• If the command works, the application should open with root privileges. If Terminal says "command not found," continue to the next step.

4

Open the application's package contents. If the quick way didn't work, locate the application in Finder. Right-click (or Control-click) its icon and select Show Package Contents from the drop-down menu.

5

Find the executable file. You should now see one or more folders inside the application. Locate the executable file inside this folder. This is usually inside /Contents/MacOS.

• The executable often has the same name as the application, but it could have another name, such as "run.sh."
• The executable file icon is usually a black square with the word "exec" in small letters.

6 Type sudo into Terminal. Type sudo followed by a space. Do not enter the command yet.

7

Drag the executable file into the Terminal line. This should automatically insert the file path to the executable file.

8 Confirm the command with your password. Hit ⏎ Return. Enter the password for the administrator account you are logged into, and press ⏎ Return again. The application should launch with root privileges.