Apple → [OS X] Can't move apps from "Applications" to a sub-fo

Okay, I finally got my Mac at work upgraded to 10.8 and just tried to move some apps, i.e. Chess, but it won't allow me. It does prompt for the admin password but then fails with

"Chess” can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by Mac OS X.

I can copy Photo Booth to a sub-folder but it won't allow me to delete the original copy in Applications and gives the same message as above.

Is there a way around this ?

Hm. I'll be damned it's required by OS X.

solution - command line

»osxdaily.com/2012/02/05/ ··· -x-apps/

The Finder doesn't let you move or delete some default apps.

The Terminal, on the other hand, will let you do anything you want.

Got it - using the command-line is fine for me too (many years of Linux experience)

That's all well and good, but could very well wreak havoc with a future OS update. It expects the applications bundled with the system to be where it put them.

In other words, say you move Mail.app to a subfolder, and then OS X 10.8.3 contains an update for Mail.app... it's going to get all sorts of messy.

If you're a Unix guy, then you'd understand - you wouldn't move /bin/ls to /opt/directorytools, and so don't move the apps that come with the OS.

Going to create yourself a lot of pain by fucking with the apps. Seriously bad idea.

You sure ? I trashed "Mail" a long time ago with no ill-effects. I think there was (1) update out of 3-4 maybe that put it back.

Let's say, instead of trashing it, that you put it somewhere else...

... and then OS X 10.8.3 comes along and installs a new mail.app (that's assuming you use the "full" instead of "delta" update. If it's the Delta update, it's even worse.)

Now you'd have two Mail.apps.... which one gets launched when you click on a mail message or a mailto: link in your browser? Now you're using, say, a 10.8.0 Mail.app which is expecting certain versions of libraries that were replaced in 10.8.3.

Just an example.

... if you use Delta updates, it's even worse. You might end up with bits n pieces of things.

Just a bad idea overall ....

I moved it first and waiting for hell to break loose... After a few weeks, nothing blew up :-D Then I really did trash it.

I use Thunderbird but Calendar insisted on opening Mail (silently) to deal with invitations, i.e. sending them to others mainly. I tried every solution I could find to get it to stop and short of removing it, nothing worked. After removing it, everything Calendar related still worked fine. I don't know if it used Thunderbird to send invites now that it had no choice or if it sent them via commandline.

What is a full update vs a delta update ? Well, I know what they probably mean. Delta would basically be a "patch". Didn't know users had the option...

Deleting them entirely or even moving them won't cause you harm with a couple of caveats. 1 it is required by other aspects of the OS. 2 you want to continue using the application. Mail for example, if you are running 10.6 and moved it to another folder, then ran the latest security update. Mail will no longer launch.

You can set up an alias in another directory. You can at least access the application from wherever you want.