Fix: ‘Terminal Operation Not Permitted error’ issue on Mac

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There are many interesting commands and operations available on the Mac’s ‘Terminal Operation Not Permitted error’. It’s an amazing tool that gives the user complete control over their Mac device. Utilizing SIP (System Integrity Protection) commands is one such instance.

However, users occasionally encounter problems like operations that are not allowed. It’s critical to realize that over the course of a single year, macOS experiences numerous upgrades, facelifts, and changes. Currently, users of macOS, including macOS Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave, frequently experience this problem.

Therefore, Mac users frequently encounter the error “operation is not permitted,” along with another particular error zsh: Command not found. But don’t worry; we’ll discuss the reasons why this error might happen.

We’ll also look at a few potential solutions for this, which is more important. As usual, macOS is very exclusive; while some users may find that a particular fix works for them, others may need to experiment with other solutions. But for most Mac users, our general fix method works.

Fixed: ‘Terminal Operation Not Permitted error’ issue on Mac

Modify your Security settings

1. Open Apple menu and go to System Preferences.
2. Navigate to Security & Privacy > Privacy.
3. Now click on Full Disk Access in the left pane.
4. Click the lock icon and enter your administrator password.
5. Click the Plus icon and go to the following directory:
   • /Applications/Utilities/
6. Select Terminal.

Check if the file is locked

1. Open the Terminal.
2. Enter the following command:
3. chflags nouchg path/to/the/locked/file

Disable System Integrity Protection (SIP)

1. Restart your Mac.
2. As soon as the computer starts restarting, press and hold the Command + R.
3. Go to Utilities > Terminal.
4. Run the following commands:
5. csrutil disable
6. reboot

Enable Full Disk Access

Through the System Preferences, you can grant full disc access to the terminal. By doing this, the system will have the ability to change all of the files and folders that are present on your system. The “Operation not permitted” error message won’t appear after that.

1. From the menu bar, go to Apple > System Preferences.
2. Click on Security & Privacy settings.
3. Click on the lock and enter your admin password to allow new changes.
4. Navigate to Privacy.
5. Select Full Disk Access from the left panel.
6. Now, click ‘+’ to give selected applications full disk access.
7.  Select Terminal from the list of applications and Open it.
8. Go back to Full Disk Access and make sure that the Terminal is marked for full access.
9. If prompted, Quit & Reopen the terminal.
10. Finally, click on the lock to save your changes.

Change File Directory

1. From the menu bar, click on Go > Computer.
2. Select your main disk drive (by default, named Macintosh HD).
3. Then, press Shift + Command + . (period) to view hidden files.
4. Now, navigate to usr > bin folder.
5. Copy the required file(s) and paste it on usr > local > bin folder. 
6. Restart your computer.

Why does Terminal say Operation not permitted

Some Mac users claim that the Terminal functions properly on macOS High Sierra and earlier versions, but that when they update to macOS Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, or Ventura, they experience the “Operation not permitted” error. The new security feature called Full Disk Access is to blame for this.

For other applications without full permissions, some data on a Mac will not be accessible. Full Disk Access requires applications to be granted full permissions in order to access user-protected files. Additionally, when installing apps on macOS 10.13 and earlier, the Full Disk Access permission is automatically granted.

The “Operation not permitted” error may also be brought on by another macOS feature called SIP, in addition to Full Disk Access (System Integrity Protection). System-owned files and directories are shielded from unauthorised changes thanks to a mechanism that was added in OS X 10.11. The message “Operation not permitted” will appear if you attempt to edit any protected contents in the Terminal.

FAQ

How do I reset my Mac Terminal?

On the Mac’s keyboard, you can instead press control + option + command + R. The Terminal screen will be deleted along with everything else from your Mac if you choose the hard reset option. When finished, a black screen will be visible.

What is the default Terminal on Mac?

Zsh is the default shell. New Terminal windows and tabs can open with a different shell. Select Terminal > Settings, then click General in the Terminal app on your Mac. Choose “Command (complete path)” next to “Shells open with,” then type the full path to the shell you want to use.

Should I use bash or zsh on Mac?

The Z shell, also known as zsh, is a Unix shell that adds more features to bash, which is macOS’s standard shell. Use of zsh over bash is advised. Additionally, installing a framework using zsh is strongly advised because it makes managing configuration, plugins, and themes much easier.

Is Terminal on Mac the same as command prompt?

You can use a command prompt to manage your Mac by using the Terminal app. How come you would want to do that? Well, perhaps because you’re accustomed to and prefer working with a command line in a Unix-based system. A Mac command-line interface is called Terminal.