completely uninstalling SageMath

[James Propp]

How do I do a *complete* uninstall that (among other things) will “un-answer” the installation software’s questions about giving various system-privileges to SageMath? 

I installed SageMath-10-5 on my MacBook Pro (with a 1.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor running Sonoma 14.7) and declined to give SageMath any system privileges. I later learned this was a mistake so I want to go back to square one and get a fresh start. Unfortunately even when I put the software in the trash, delete .sage, and start the process over, the installer doesn’t give me a chance to change my earlier answers.

I tried installing SageMath-10-4 to see if that could "dislodge" my earlier answers (presumably stored in some dot-file somewhere) but that didn't help.

Sorry to be asking such a newbie question; I checked the FAQ etc. but can’t find the help I need. (Feel free to suggest other solutions to my problem that don't involve doing an uninstall/re-install.) Thanks!

[Dima Pasechnik]

Please provide more details on how exactly you installed SageMath, which  installer is this?

[James Propp]

I went to https://github.com/3-manifolds/Sage_macOS/releases , downloaded SageMath-10.5_x86_64.dmg , and double-clicked on it to start the installation. 

[John H Palmieri]

Maybe approach this from the Mac side? Something to try: install SageMath, then go to System Settings -> Privacy & Security. From there, click Full Disk Access, click the + sign at the bottom, and select SageMath to give it access. (I'm not 100% sure that "full disk access" is what is needed, but I think it is.)

[James Propp]

Thanks, John. I tried your idea, but SageMath isn't listed as one of the programs on the list of programs eligible to get full disk access.

[Dima Pasechnik]

The macOS app is mainly dealt with by Marc Culler - not sure whether
he reads this group, so I put him in CC.
He knows more about these annoying macOS details than other Sage devs, for sure.

HTH
Dima

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[Marc Culler]

Try going to: System Settings > Privacy & Security -> Files & Folders (or search for Folders)

That setting controls app access to special Folders, such as Desktop or Documents.

The SageMath app does not request or need Full Disk Access.  As far as I know it does not need access to any special folders either.  But if you choose to access a special folder,  e.g. If you select ~/Documents as the location for notebook files, that might cause the SageMath app to request permission to read Documents.

The SageMath app does request access to control Finder and System Events.  It needs that because it uses some AppleScript to create a Terminal window with Sage running inside.

Anyway, that Settings dialog should show you which apps have been granted access to which folders.  Since I have not denied access to any folders for any apps, I am not sure whether it also shows which apps have need denied access, but I think it does.  I am also not sure whether that is the place where you can restore the ability to control Finder and System Events.  So if those were the privileges that you denied, then more research may be needed.

It would be helpful to know which privileges you denied, if you can remember.

- Marc

[Marc Culler]

By the way, your answers to the privilege questions are certainly not stored in a dot-file anywhere and probably not in a file that you can access either.  Apple has many system databases that store information like that.  There are commands to access those databases but it is not a matter of editing a file.

- Marc

[Marc Culler]

I found the Settings panel you need to use to restore the ability of SageMath to control Finder and System Events.

It is System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Automation

On my system it shows that SageMath-10.5 has permission to control Finder, Terminal and System Events.

- Marc

[min jiang]

when i run this code:

R.<v> = LaurentPolynomialRing(ZZ, 'v')
W = CoxeterGroup('A3', implementation='coxeter3')
H = IwahoriHeckeAlgebra(W, v**2); Cp=H.Cp()
Cp.product_on_basis(W([1,2,1]), W([3,1]))
Cp.product_on_basis(W([1,2,1]), W([3,1,2]))

it will be wrong and the error msg is :

RuntimeError Traceback (most recent call last) Cell In [1], line 2 1 R = LaurentPolynomialRing(ZZ, 'v', names=('v',)); (v,) = R._first_ngens(1) ----> 2 W = CoxeterGroup('A3', implementation='coxeter3') 3 H = IwahoriHeckeAlgebra(W, v**Integer(2)); Cp=H.Cp() 4 Cp.product_on_basis(W([Integer(1),Integer(2),Integer(1)]), W([Integer(3),Integer(1)])) File /home/sc_serv/sage/src/sage/misc/lazy_import.pyx:409, in sage.misc.lazy_import.LazyImport.__call__() 407 True 408 """ --> 409 return self.get_object()(*args, **kwds) 410 411 def __repr__(self): File /home/sc_serv/sage/src/sage/combinat/root_system/coxeter_group.py:140, in CoxeterGroup(data, implementation, base_ring, index_set) 138 from sage.libs.coxeter3.coxeter_group import CoxeterGroup 139 except ImportError: --> 140 raise RuntimeError("coxeter3 must be installed") 141 else: 142 return CoxeterGroup(cartan_type) RuntimeError: coxeter3 must be installed

[James Propp]

Thanks Marc! Following your advice I went to System Settings > Privacy & Security -> Automation and found that SageMath had been denied control over System Events (by me, I assume). Allowing SageMath control over System Events permitted SageMath to use Terminal.app and solved my problem!

I must've gotten spooked by the program asking for control over system events; to my uneducated ears, this sounded like the sort of thing malware would ask for, so I figured I could initially run SageMath without it and then decide later whether I wanted to give SageMath that permission. I didn't realize I'd be disabling use of Terminal within Sage, and I didn't realize that there'd be no obvious way to walk back my choice! Maybe I'm the only person who's ever made this mistake, but if anyone reading this is involved with the wording of the installation guide, I think there should be a paragraph explaining what answers to give the installer, and why, and what to do if you change your mind.