While developing a macOS application that lists folder contents I found that macOS Monterey does not list folders properly. Some files and folders are simply skipped.
For example: /Applications/Utilities contains 22 items when I look in the Finder:
Activity Monitor.app
Adobe Application Manager
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud Experience
Adobe Genuine Service
Adobe Sync
AirPort Utility.app
Audio MIDI Setup.app
Bluetooth File Exchange.app
ColorSync Utility.app
Console.app
Digital Colour Meter.app
Disk Utility.app
Feedback Assistant.app
Grapher.app
Keychain Access.app
Migration Assistant.app
Screenshot.app
Script Editor.app
System Information.app
Terminal.app
VoiceOver Utility.app
But when using /bin/ls /Applications/Utilities only 7 are shown:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 0 May 9 23:30 .localized
drwxr-xr-x@ 4 root wheel 128 Oct 9 2019 Adobe Application Manager
drwxr-xr-x@ 8 root wheel 256 Oct 21 2020 Adobe Creative Cloud
drwxrwxr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 Oct 21 2020 Adobe Creative Cloud Experience
drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 128 May 20 13:01 Adobe Genuine Service
drwxrwxr-x@ 5 root wheel 160 Oct 21 2020 Adobe Sync
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 64 Oct 21 2018 Feedback Assistant.app -> /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Feedback Assistant.app
At first I thought I missed the fact that .app files are really folders and therefore not shown, but /bin/ls /Applications DOES show all apps.
I also considered permissions may be different but even when running using sudo nothing changes. Even granting the Terminal full disk access in the System preferences changes nothing.
What is going on?
