Cannot install anything on Catalina 10.15.1

[JPNFRK7]

Been trying to fix installation errors in Catalina and cannot seem to fix them. Seems to be a problem with the /private/tmp folder. Installations of any app fail.

Here is the error from a Virtualbox install:

Spoiler: Installer error

Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: @(#)PROGRAM:Install PROJECT:Install-1000
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: @(#)PROGRAM:Installer PROJECT:Installer-965.1
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Hardware: MacBookPro13,2 @ 2.90 GHz (x 4), 16384 MB RAM
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Running OS Build: Mac OS X 10.15.1 (19B88)
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Oracle VM VirtualBox 6.0.14 Installation Log
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Opened from: /Volumes/VirtualBox/VirtualBox.pkg
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Package Authoring Error: <background> has an unsupported MIME type: image/data
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Package Authoring Error: <background_scaling> has an unsupported MIME type: X-NSObject/NSNumber
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Package Authoring Error: <background_alignment> has an unsupported MIME type: X-NSObject/NSNumber
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Package Authoring Error: <layout-direction> has an unsupported MIME type: X-NSObject/NSNumber
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Failed to load specified background image
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Could not load resource readme: (null)
Nov 24 14:57:34 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Could not load resource license: (null)
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: ================================================================================
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: User picked Standard Install
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Choices selected for installation:
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Install: "Oracle VM VirtualBox"
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Install: "Oracle VM VirtualBox Kernel Extensions"
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Install: "Oracle VM VirtualBox"
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Install: "Oracle VM VirtualBox Command Line Utilities"
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Install: "FUSE for macOS core package"
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: ================================================================================
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Configuring volume "Macintosh HD"
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Free space on "Macintosh HD": 97.77 GB (97773465600 bytes).
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Create temporary directory "/var/folders/ch/0km22wk126341h4khp34lwdr0000gn/T//Install.2782p188Uo"
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: IFPKInstallElement (4 packages)
Nov 24 14:57:42 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: PackageKit: Enqueuing install with framework-specified quality of service (utility)
Nov 24 14:57:43 RossRacing7x-MB installd[452]: PackageKit: ----- Begin install -----
Nov 24 14:57:45 RossRacing7x-MB installd[452]: PackageKit: Install Failed: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory" UserInfo={NSFilePath=/private/tmp/PKInstallSandbox.XXXXXX} {
NSFilePath = "/private/tmp/PKInstallSandbox.XXXXXX";
}
Nov 24 14:57:45 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Install failed: The Installer encountered an error that caused the installation to fail. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.
Nov 24 14:57:45 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: IFDInstallController 2A93DA0 state = 8
Nov 24 14:57:45 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: Displaying 'Install Failed' UI.
Nov 24 14:57:45 RossRacing7x-MB Installer[2782]: 'Install Failed' UI displayed message:'The Installer encountered an error that caused the installation to fail. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.'.

All installations end up failing halfway through and returning similar errors.

Running "file /private/tmp" in terminal results in this "/private/tmp: broken symbolic link to private/tmp".

Anyone have any fixes for this or am I erasing and starting MacOS over?

 

[casperes1996]

So, since /private/tmp is not a symlink on Mojave, I believe the issue here has to do with Catalina splitting the system volume and the user volume into to logical partitions. I assume the private/tmp resides on the opposite one to where the installer is trying to install to, but there's supposed to be a symlink connecting them. I run Mojave because I still need 32-bit support a bit longer, but I'd recommend trying to manually link the /private/tmp directory to its counterpart on the other volume, if one exists. Otherwise just create the directory I guess. If no luck, yeah, reinstall.

 

[JPNFRK7]

Finally fixed it by following these instructions minus the repair part. Seems to be downloading and installing pkgs and downloading Windows support software for Bootcamp now (real reason this was affecting me).

Link to convo that fixed it for me: https://superuser.com/questions/113...y-in-macos-unable-to-correct-permissions-oper

 

[ambhaiji]

is this somekind of "intentional bug" by apple to stop people from using windwows or are they just getting dumber now

 

[Rothan Jamali]

hey when i try to delete the tmp file it says

rothan@Rothans-MBP ~ % sudo rm -i /tmp
Password:
remove /tmp? y
rm: /tmp: Read-only file system
please help me.

 

[Taz Mangus]

hey when i try to delete the tmp file it says

rothan@Rothans-MBP ~ % sudo rm -i /tmp
Password:
remove /tmp? y
rm: /tmp: Read-only file system
please help me.

Why are you trying to delete /tmp?

 

[okebaja]

@Taz Mangus Why are you asking this question, obviously you did not even read the thread?!

There's a solution to a problem posted here. But the solution does not work: "Read-only file system" is displayed by the system. Also, on the other command I am getting "rm: /private/tmp: is a directory".

So the solution does not work or some step is missing.
@JPNFRK7 What are we doing wrong or how can this be resolved?

 

[Taz Mangus]

@Taz Mangus Why are you asking this question, obviously you did not even read the thread?!

Yes you are correct my reply was out of context. At the time it just seemed odd that the poster was trying to remove the /tmp directory and referring to it as a file.

 

[JPNFRK7]

hey when i try to delete the tmp file it says

rothan@Rothans-MBP ~ % sudo rm -i /tmp
Password:
remove /tmp? y
rm: /tmp: Read-only file system
please help me.

@Taz Mangus Why are you asking this question, obviously you did not even read the thread?!

There's a solution to a problem posted here. But the solution does not work: "Read-only file system" is displayed by the system. Also, on the other command I am getting "rm: /private/tmp: is a directory".

So the solution does not work or some step is missing.
@JPNFRK7 What are we doing wrong or how can this be resolved?

I honestly have no clue why it is saying "Read only file system". Luckily, I was able to find where I pulled those instructions from. Something may have changed since Nov2019 when I posted this. The other way I was able to fix this issue above (while cumbersome) was to do a full erase and not restore a backup. Obviously make sure you have a backup of your data before trying any of this.

https://superuser.com/questions/113...y-in-macos-unable-to-correct-permissions-oper.

I did remove the instructions from my post and replaced with the link above as to avoid anymore confusion.

 

[Taz Mangus]

I honestly have no clue why it is saying "Read only file system". Luckily, I was able to find where I pulled those instructions from. Something may have changed since Nov2019 when I posted this. The other way I was able to fix this issue above (while cumbersome) was to do a full erase and not restore a backup. Obviously make sure you have a backup of your data before trying any of this.

https://superuser.com/questions/113...y-in-macos-unable-to-correct-permissions-oper.

I did remove the instructions from my post and replaced with the link above as to avoid anymore confusion.

Those instructions in the link you posted refer to MacOS 10.11 (El Capitan) not Catalina. So much has changed in the way Apple now locks down the OS from users. And I understand why they are doing it because users can easily botch how a system operates if they don’t know what they are doing.