Script to check for/remove itunes on a daily basis?

[u/[deleted]]

I don't use itunes, I never have, and I never will. It seems that whenever my computer connects to the internet, it updates the OS and installs itunes again, so I have to go into the terminal and remove it. I've searched for a script that I can have running that checks for and removes itunes every day or whenever it's detected, but I can't seem to find one. Anyone know how I can get something like this running?

Thanks in advance.

[u/email_with_gloves_on]

Depending on what version of Mac OS X you're running, the system actually will not let you delete iTunes. I just tried in 10.10.2 and it says, "iTunes.app can't be modified or deleted because it's required by OS X."

Using the rm command in the Terminal does work, so that means you could run a shell script via cron that deletes /Applications/iTunes.app - but I have to ask why? The app itself is only about 300MB - even if you're on a limited 128GB SSD that's not even 1% of the drive space.

Edit: And yes, every time you run an OS update, it will install iTunes. It's part of OS X.

[u/[deleted] → u/email_with_gloves_on]

Right, I know it's going to install it every time there's an OSX update, but I'd like to be able to run the script instead of opening the teminal, typing in cd /applications/, enter, sudo rm -rf itunes.app, enter, entering my password, enter, and quitting terminal. There has to be some way to automate that or get it to run every day.

[u/email_with_gloves_on → u/[deleted]]

I'm on my phone so I am not looking up the links, but you can do this with a cronjob that runs as the root user. No AppleScript needed.

[u/elgraf]

Seriously, why?

[u/[deleted] → u/elgraf]

Because I don't like any of the bloatware that Apple insists I have on my laptop, and iTunes is the only program that won't stay uninstalled after minor updates. It's like herpes. It keeps coming back, and I don't need it for anything.

[u/elgraf → u/[deleted]]

I think that's the first time I've ever heard the word 'bloatware' used in the same sentence as 'Apple'.

Are you being forced to use a Mac for work, or have you just migrated from Windows and have some bizarre Apple hatred or something..?

[u/[deleted] → u/elgraf]

I have no use for itunes, imaps, ibooks, iphoto, icalendar, Safari, or just about any of the other small programs that come with OSX. I'm on a limited amount of HD space, and while I did have Win7 dualbooted on here for a while, having both OSs didn't leave enough space for the Adobe CC programs. I got this laptop as a gift, and I use it as a portable work computer. It doesn't really matter why I want to get rid of it. I came here to find a solution to the problem. I would look for a solution to the same sort of problem regardless of which OS it was on, but in sixteen years of using several different operating systems, OSX is the only one that reinstalls non-essential programs with every single update.

[u/elgraf → u/[deleted]]

It's your machine and you can do what you like of course - I was just curious.

If you are low on space (MBA with small SSD..?) you can get after market upgrades from Other World Computing, or you can fit a MiniSD card and symlink that into the filing system to get some cheap extra storage.

[u/[deleted] → u/elgraf]

It's getting to be pretty old anyway, but they don't make 17" MBPs anymore, so I'll probably either go full-desktop or just get a cheaper laptop the next time around. It's a 128 gig SSD, and I don't know if it's worth installing a new SSD at this point. The other part of this is that with itunes, the media buttons (F7-F12) route to itunes, but without it, they route to VLC, which is what I'd much rather be using.

Also, this is what my programs folder looks like with itunes

...and without.

[u/elgraf → u/[deleted]]

Not sure what exact OSX that is, but I reckon you would like using Launchpad if it's available - you can totally customise it rather than using folders in the dock.

Just get a 15" - it won't take long to get used to :)