400kb package takes me 3x master password, wants too many access to the system

Native Access feels like Microsoft Windows: whenever I want to work, it interrupts me with downloads and updates. That’s a creativity killer.
For a 400 KB package, the installer asked three times for my master macOS Tahoe password — two times too many. Please fix this, or at least enable fingerprint (Touch ID) authentication so we don’t waste working time. If that’s not possible, mention it clearly in the menu.
macOS warned me repeatedly that the helper app wanted to access System Preferences. I understand that some permissions are required, but this is my workstation — security and control come first. Any software we use here must stay lean and compliant with cybersecurity standards.

I shouldn’t have to write this for a 400 KB install.

Find more posts tagged with

Native Access

Accepted answers

All comments

Maciej Repetowski

You are not alone in this feeling. Native Access is a very invasive piece of software. It is a necessity, but not a welcomed one…

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/50545/400kb-package-takes-me-3x-master-password-wants-too-many-access-to-the-system

Alas the resident Customer Care expert (also Mac expert) , @Jeremy_NI , will not be back before about a week , but if anyone could comment on the subject then he could/can.

Vocalpoint

"For a 400 KB package, the installer asked three times for my master macOS Tahoe password — two times too many. Please fix this, or at least enable fingerprint (Touch ID) authentication so we don’t waste working time. If that’s not possible, mention it clearly in the menu"

Respectfully - I believe a lot of what you are seeing is directly related to the paranoid security musings of your OS and has little to do with NA. I am on Windows - and never get asked for anything.

I fire up NA - it opens, I do my thing (install this and that) and I am out.

If you are being peppered for a MacOS password relentlessly - that's a Apple thing to sort out.

Kymeia

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/260098#Comment_260098

On Mac once NA is installed and the necessary permissions granted it doesn’t need to ask again. That only happens if permissions were not granted on install, but that is the same with any installer. At the very least you need to grant any installer permission once on Mac, to write to the hard drive (except for things installed through the AppStore) Then if it needs also put put anything on an external drive is asks for that too, and finally if it needs network access, for example to check authorisations with a server, it needs to ask for that too. I had to do those 3 checks just this morning with an Omnisphere updater, so this is by no means just Native Access, but these are also all things Native Access does need for it to function, but once granted as I said it should not keep asking (unlike any other installer)

The thing is if people really want control over what goes where, then it is better it does ask, I would rather be asked than have installers just put stuff where they want or to access the network without my explicit permission. I don’t think people can have it both ways.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/260100#Comment_260100

Agreed with everything here 100%. However IF how you lay this out is true:

"Once NA is installed and the necessary permissions granted it doesn’t need to ask again"

Which of course makes complete sense. However IF the OP is being inundated with password asks - there is clearly something else going on here - and has zero to do with NA.

And if this same PW sequence occurs for other products like Omnisphere etc - then this is clearly just how the OS works.

The OP needs to accept that.

Kymeia

The Omnisphere updater is a bit unusual, most installers on Mac just need permission once, but Spectrasonics have made users run it from the .dmg (sort of like an iso, a mounted virtual disk) so it needs some extra permissions, plus I have my STEAM folder on a SSD so it has to ask to access that too (whereas for NA you can set that in advance and grant it full disk access so it doesn’t need to ask after that). Anyone who has opted not to give those permissions in advance though will be asked, but this is giving users choices and control really.

Maciej Repetowski

No, it shouldn’t ask again, after initially granting access to disk, network, etc.

Unless NA is being updated, then it asks for a password again, just once.

By invasive, I meant NI deamon running constantly as a background process.

DunedinDragon

macOS warned me repeatedly that the helper app wanted to access System Preferences. I understand that some permissions are required, but this is my workstation — security and control come first. Any software we use here must stay lean and compliant with cybersecurity standards.

Well that statement tells you everything. If you have cybersecurity standards to comply with that's up to you to configure the software to comply with them. No outside vendor can predict what those are. In Windows it's pretty easy. We can just run Native Access as Adminstrator and it works seamlessly with no interuptions in my workflow as long as I have a good internet connection.

Vocalpoint

And this:

"Native Access feels like Microsoft Windows: whenever I want to work, it interrupts me with downloads and updates. That’s a creativity killer."

Struck me as odd as well.

Native Access is not capable of interrupts of any kind. Its usage is strictly manual in nature and must be initiated by the user.

If one does not want their creativity interrupted - simply do not go into NA at all - until you are feeling non-creative.

Quick links

Unanswered questions