Deleting Mac browsers

April 2, 2006 9:38 PM

I want to (sometimes) delete all browsers on my Mac. But sometimes, I want them back. Help me.

During the weekdays, I want to completely kill my browser so I am not tempted to start browsing online. I've tried taking it off my dock, removing it from my Quicksilver catalog, but I will eventually break down and just launch it Old Skool (via the Finder, gasp!). So I want to delete all browsers from off my computer during the weekdays. Because if there's some way to switch it back on, I'll switch it one. So I want to delete it.

But I want it back on the weekends. I need to give myself a time to relax and check out ask.mefi for all your wisdom.

Part one: can I safely delete Safari from off my computer? If so, can I re-install it without reinstalling the whole OS?

Part two: Is there another non-overcomable (except when I'm at home on weekends) way to block the web (not email) on my laptop?

posted by terceiro to computers & internet (13 comments total)

If you have someone else in your household who you could trust you could set up a "weekday" profile and a "weekend" profile. The weekday profile would have no browser available to it. And on Friday, your trusted person could log you into the weekend profile (you wouldn't know that password).
posted by visual mechanic at 9:45 PM on April 2, 2006

I cannot think of any reason why you cannot remove Safari from your system entirely and do no damage to the operating system. The only thing it might cause damage for you in — and not damage per se, but operating system confusion — would be if you wished to install an update that included an update of Safari. So I would make sure Safari is reinstalled prior to any system update you install, that's all. And, yes, you can reinstall it without a reinstall of the whole OS.

Since you're planning to delete all web browsers, you need a way to reinstall it. This suggests to me either that you need to figure out a way in which it's archived but inaccessible to you on weekdays, or you need to delete it but then find a way you can reinstall it without web access. Theoretically, you could use the 'wget' or 'curl' command-line tools to pull it off Apple's website from the Terminal, but that could be tricky, especially if Apple changes its location on you.

Thus, I'd frankly resort to social engineering. Place Safari on a CD. Place that CD somewhere where it is extremely annoying or difficult for you to have to get to during the week. (I, for example, am doing this with my credit cards — I am renting a very small safe deposit box and putting them in there, which involves a walk of several city blocks to get to.)

Then, make that trip to get to it.

The only other way I can think of doing this is with a willing accomplice who has access to your machine. You could place Safari in a disk image (a virtual disk) and encrypt that disk image with a password you don't know about. Your friend would have to type that in. That friend would only give you the password on Friday. They'd have to make a new password for you every week.

That's about the only way I can think of doing this for you, if you're looking to go about things in this particular fashion.
posted by WCityMike at 9:50 PM on April 2, 2006

Clarification: you use Disk Utility to make these encrypted disk images.
posted by WCityMike at 9:51 PM on April 2, 2006

You mentioned using a laptop -- can I assume you are using a wireless router / access point?

Many routers allow you to set access times (number of hours, days of the week, etc.) when the internet will be available for access. Check the config screen (which can be set via your browser) for these settings.
posted by jca at 9:56 PM on April 2, 2006

Yeah — but the problem, jca, is that he needs something that is extremely difficult for he himself to revoke. A router screen can easily be gone back into with a moment's worth of typing.
posted by WCityMike at 10:00 PM on April 2, 2006

I can't help but think that there must be parental control programs that do exactly this, but I'm not a mac user and don't know exactly where to look.
posted by JMOZ at 10:35 PM on April 2, 2006

Can you run your browsers off a jump drive (with all of your bookmarks and preferences on there as well)? That way, if you can just keep your hands off the jump drive, you'll be ok (this one may also require an accomplice).
posted by jmgorman at 11:04 PM on April 2, 2006

1. Set up a cronjob that (as root) does "chmod 0 /path/to/safari/binary" on sunday night and "chmod 755 /path/to/safari/binary" on friday afternoon. There's no need to actually remove the files if they are not accessible.

2. Change the root password and throw away the new one. Use only the normal user account in your day to day activities.
posted by Rhomboid at 11:05 PM on April 2, 2006

Last time I checked Safari was not available as a separate download, so you'd have to rely on install disks to get it back (and I'm not sure how easy that is).

Other than that, if you create a barrier yourself (any kind) you of course will be able to revert it as soon as your urges get the better of you. Maybe you should talk to your ISP.
posted by beno at 11:42 PM on April 2, 2006

Here's my solution, based on WCityMike's suggestion:

1. Create a zip archive (via the contextual menu) of Safari
2. Copy safari.zip to external HD
3. Delete Safari.app off my computer
4. When in need of web, use another computer

I still have my email and my (only) six or so RSS feeds. I have a browser built into my RSS reader as well as DEVONthink, but they are too much of a hassle for procrastinative, addictive web browsing.

Yes, self control would be great. But my work trumps my idealism every day. So, it's off to work I go.
posted by terceiro at 1:29 AM on April 3, 2006

Change the network preferences to use a non-existent proxy (disabling all browsers). Click the Network Preferences lock to require admin access to edit it.

Set up a separate admin account on your system and make your own into a non-admin. Give the admin password to someone else.
posted by cillit bang at 2:16 AM on April 3, 2006

Could it be easier to remove the source of Internet connection? modem/router or even just the ethernet cable? to make it harder to access, give it to someone far away, or lock it in a safe deposit box? I dunno. Learn self control.
posted by Sonic_Molson at 4:04 AM on April 3, 2006

You could always copy all your browsers, their preferences and bookmarks, etc. to a CD-R and mail it to yourself parcel post every Monday. When it arrives on Thursday, reinstall. But travosurus nails it. Just step away from the web browser. It's easy to break web addiction. I do it a hundred times a week.
posted by fourcheesemac at 9:17 AM on April 3, 2006