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I am on macOS Sierra version 12.10.16. I downloaded an application. This app has .dmg extension. I would like to install it without using sudo or without being one of the sudo users.

When I do hdiutil attach <image>.dmg from Is there a command to install a dmg, it doesn't work.

If I do it using GUI I get this error message:

Modifying “Applications” requires an administrator name and password.

How do I install a .dmg file without being a sudo user?

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  • What application are you trying to install? It appears that installation will require administrative privileges. You cannot bypass authentication using CLI.
    – Nimesh Neema
    Mar 31, 2018 at 15:51

1 Answer 1

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.dmg is not an app, it is a disk image. If you double-click the file, it should mount a virtual disk in the Finder. From there, you will be able to drag and drop the image into your applications folder.

Since you don't have admin rights on the computer you're using, you'll need to drag it into your user Applications folder (/Users/yourname/Applications/, needs to be created manually)

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  • 4
    It doesn't necessarily have to be in ~/Applications, you can put it anywhere. For instance, you can just drag it to your desktop.
    – Barmar
    Mar 31, 2018 at 23:50
  • Very true. The OP wanted to move the file into /Applications, so I was just pointing out that ~/Applications was a suitable alternative.
    – jsm
    Apr 1, 2018 at 13:18

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