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Deleting itunes?

countermoon

countermoon

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 6, 2021
119
47
Twice I have tried to delete itunes from Mac OS 10.13.6 and twice I have turned on my computer the next morning to find my Mac out of my control again. I have to wait 38 minutes. A security update downloads for the second time (I see it in Installations in my System Report) despite having unchecked the options in App store/Software Update. I used Silent Knight last night to install (for the second time) the same security update from 2020.

So I really don't know what's going on here. The only thing I did different was delete itunes. Or tried to. It keeps getting installed with the security update. I delete itunes, then I get told that I have to install the 2020 security update—but I just installed it!
 
Final Score:
Apple 2
Countermoon 0

I don't know your reasons for wanting to uninstall iTunes, but I think you should give up. It will keep coming back, not only with updates, but upgrades, new computers... Apple always wins. You lose.

P.S. I'm still on Mojave, so the above might be outdated.
 
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There are some apps that (I reckon) Apple considers "essential" and as such make them difficult or impossible for the user to "delete" from the Mac.

If you don't like iTunes, don't use it.
Just ignore it.
Use something else.
(that is all, nothing follows...)
 
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Unsupported said:
Thanks for that detailed explanation. It really helps us to better understand your decision.

Have you tried deleting Mac OS 10.13.6 and reformatting your drive?
Click to expand...
I'm no stranger to sarcasm. The problems with itunes were documented a long time ago, so I thought it was unnecessary to repeat them. You can find them easily all over the internet.

I wanted a music player. That's why I bought Swinsian. It's what itunes used to be before Apple turned it into a cash cow, jack of all trades, master of none. It became a video player, a tool for buying music and movies, recommendations, and so on. The more complex the software, the more likely it will break down. Piling on features I don't need doesn't win points with me. I wanted a music player. That's all. As a music player, Swinsian gets the job done.
 
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"System Integrity Protection is a security technology in OS X El Capitan and later that's designed to help prevent potentially malicious software from modifying protected files and folders on your Mac. System Integrity Protection restricts the root user account and limits the actions that the root user can perform on protected parts of the Mac operating system...
System Integrity Protection includes protection for these parts of the system:

 
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rumorguy said:
"System Integrity Protection is a security technology in OS X El Capitan and later that's designed to help prevent potentially malicious software from modifying protected files and folders on your Mac. System Integrity Protection restricts the root user account and limits the actions that the root user can perform on protected parts of the Mac operating system...
System Integrity Protection includes protection for these parts of the system:

Click to expand...
I already disabled SIP.

When Apple says they are "protecting you", you should be a least a little bit skeptical.
 
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Reactions: Eddy Munn and Unsupported
OP wrote:
"I can't delete programs from my own computer. Nice."

That's correct.
On the Mac, there are some Apple apps that you CANNOT delete (or at least not without unintended and possibly severe consequences).

That pretty much leaves you with two choices:
1. learn to live with it
or
2. get another [non-Mac] computer on which you can delete anything you don't like.

Personal experience:
There are numerous Apple apps that I don't use, ever.
I just "leave 'em alone", and use the apps I DO need...
 
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I guess I'm showing my age. It didn't use to be this way. We used to be able to do what we wanted with our computers. You get used to the freedom, then someone comes along and takes it away, for reasons not particularly admirable. Apparently someone has beaten the spirit out of the younger generations, with their "go along with it" behavior. I have doubts that subservience and conformity are always the best solutions.
 
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countermoon said:
I guess I'm showing my age. It didn't use to be this way. We used to be able to do what we wanted with our computers. You get used to the freedom, then someone comes along and takes it away, for reasons not particularly admirable. Apparently someone has beaten the spirit out of the younger generations, with their "go along with it" behavior. I have doubts that subservience and conformity are always the best solutions.
Click to expand...
I’m also older generation. I understand you frustration. But, to me, life is too short to get frustrated over something I can’t control, but I can blissfully ignore.
 
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It's the old question. How much can one control? I still find the Mac OS superior to Windows or Linux by far. I'm not a cheerleader for any company, but the changes made since the death of Steve Jobs really are atrocious. Waiting on the computer, and essentially having it taken away from me, are two obstacles I always identified with Windows.

The idea of a personal computer was one you wouldn't have to baby all the time, that you could arrange your way. You plug it in like a toaster and get to work. But the people who thought that way are retired or dead. The bugmen took over. There's a lot more going on here than "complaining" or inability to accept "as is", which, as I suggested, isn't always the best solution.
 
OP wrote:
"Apparently someone has beaten the spirit out of the younger generations, with their "go along with it" behavior."

I'm probably older than you are. I've been using Macs since 1987.

I, too, remember when you could delete any app you wanted to from the Classic Mac OS, just by dragging it to the trash.

But those days are gone.

Up until Mojave, one could still boot from an external volume, and then erase just about any Mac app -- even if there were "consequences" for doing so.

But with Catalina, and the "secure system volume", that's no longer possible. Well, it still -might- be possible, but not without some major work that would risk making the computer unbootable.

I don't see Apple going back to the old ways at any time in the near future.
Or perhaps at all (in the remainder of my lifetime).
 
countermoon said:
I guess I'm showing my age. It didn't use to be this way. We used to be able to do what we wanted with our computers. You get used to the freedom, then someone comes along and takes it away, for reasons not particularly admirable.
Click to expand...
Are you 100% certain that you know all of the reasons for it? (you don't identify any) There are probably reasons they've moved in a particular direction that go way over my head. Just sayin.
 
Fishrrman said:
I'm probably older than you are. I've been using Macs since 1987.
Click to expand...

I might be even older than you! 🤪 Got my first Mac in 1985, Apple ][ in 1978, Apple //e, Apple /// at work, my dad had an Apple //c. And so it goes. Lots of fond memories about the old days of personal computing but no desire to return to them. I agree, there's just no reason to delete iTunes and no reason to let this be a source of frustration. Just don't use it. You gave it a good try but IMO it's time to put this behind you.
 
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The most irritating thing I've found with it is that it launches unprompted whenever my Bose headphones connect. I'm sure it's under the impression that I want some music, but actually I'm about to join a video call for work.

I found a handy tool called NoTunes which basically just kills it on sight whenever it launches. You can of course toggle this behaviour on and off, but this is a work laptop and all my media lives on a personal Mac. https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes
 
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Apps I don't use but may as well stay where they are:

Automator.app
Books.app
Chess.app
GarageBand.app
Home.app
iMovie.app
Launchpad.app
Mission Control.app
Photo Booth.app
Reminders.app
Podcasts.app
TV.app

What me, worry?
 
Personally, I think the "I can't delete iTunes off my computer and this is a horrible personal liberties-violating issue" is something only truly encountered by people who have never experienced what it's like to have their civil liberties actually trampled upon. Sheesh. Talk about #firstworldproblems. :rolleyes:

In any event, since the OP is clearly using an Intel-based Mac, if this is such a big deal, then do what I did years ago and liberate your data and migrate to something like Fedora 34, or Elementary OS. You'll be a lot happier.
 
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