Hi:

Recently I downloaded the latest ONYX app from CNET.

A pop-up window appears that asks the user to give ONYX permission to "take control" of the computer.

Approach with caution, I'd say.

I would not trust CNET's site. Try downloading OnyX directly from Titanium.

That's pretty extreme, and probably undeserved.

CNet's Download.com's behavior, as reported by alternaut, is truly reprehensible, but I very much doubt they're pushing spurious software.

(Doesn't their d/l site access devs' d/l avenues, same as VT did and MacUpdate does?)

If the dialog box reported by MG is “OnyX is trying to control you computer using accessibility," then the meaning is completely non-sinister.

OnyX relies on AppleScript for some of its functions. Many normal actions in OS X can be automated through built-in AppleScript commands, but many cannot. Some of those falling into the latter category can, however, be accomplished via simulation of actual user input actions: the clicking of buttons, the selection of menu items, etc.

This is known as GUI-based scripting, and it makes use of OS X's "accessibility" features. In versions of OS X prior to Mavericks, the ability to run GUI-based scripts required the System Preferences -> Accessibility [or, earlier, Universal Access] pane's Enable access for assistive devices checkbox to be checked. Once that was done, any application could access those features in its scripts, and that setting (apparently) survived system upgrades.

In Mavericks, though, for security reasons, that's no longer the case. Each application wishing to use these accessibility features must be duly authorized to do so by the user. See OS X: Using AppleScript with Accessibility and Security features in Mavericks for full details.

If any aspersions are to be cast, they should probably be aimed at whoever at Apple was tasked with the wording of the dialog box.

Thanks a bunch, dkmarsh! The dialogue box is exactly as you described.

P.S. I looked into System Preferences/Security and Privacy under the PRIVACY tab + Accessiblilty. I noticed that SKYPE as well as ONYX is listed as requesting the same authorization. FWIW: I have not checked the SKYPE box, but have had no issues using that application as usual.

However, I cannot use ONYX unless its box is checked.

Thanks, again, for the detailed explanation.


UPDATE: As an experiment, I trashed the ONYX from CNET and downloaded directly from TITANIUM's site as suggested by jchuzi above.

I get the following message when I try to open the app: "ONXY 2.8.1 app can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer." No dialogue box appears to allow authorization for the Titanium-site version.


So . . . back to CNET.

-------------------------- ANOTHER UPDATE -----------------------

Re: However, I cannot use ONYX unless its box is checked.

My mistake. I THOUGHT that ONYX was doing its thing after I checked the accessibility box in Systems Preferences to authorize the application for use on my computer. The ONYX dialogue box appears showing the "Progress Bar", as expected (i.e. like the previous version of Onyx with Mountain Lion).

However, after 30 minutes, the process had still not completed. (It usually takes less than 15.) So I clicked on the dock icon and noticed that ONYX was "not responding." So I forced quit the application.

The honeymoon is over for "Mavericks and Onyx." Perhaps there never was a marriage between the two from the get go.

I find it really weird that the d/l from the dev was different than the one you got through CNET; as I said above, I'm pretty certain that CNET d/l's originate at the dev's Web site.

Am I mistaken?

(Can't experiment in Snowy.)

That is a simple fix. In System Preferences > Security & Privacy under the General Tab, click on the padlock at the lower left corner of the window, enter your administrative password and then you can choose to
allow apps downloaded from…

• Mac App Store
• Mac App Store and identified developers
• Anywhere

So far I have not encountered any app that provides its own dialogue box to change the Security & Privacy Setting.

Thanks for trying.

However, even with ANYWHERE, I still get the ONYX is "not responding" when I try to run it . . . whether I use the app downloaded directly from Titanium or the version from CNET.

P.S. The version from CNET comes with a separate "installer" for the app while the version from Titanium does not.

I think it's time to e-mail Titanium and link them to this thread.

By the way, you ought to read up on that "installer" here.

FWIW I just downloaded OnyX 2.8.1 for Mavericks from http://www.titanium.free.fr/downloadonyx.php. It was a drag and drop install (although there is an uninstaller in the menu), and as far as I can tell with cursory testing it works as advertised. (After convincing System Preferences > Security & Privacy to let it run that is.)