I have had two similar issues, but with Catalina. One where Gimp (from = the Gimp website, not Macports) would not save a file to my Desktop and = the other where Apple=E2=80=99=E2=80=99s Screenshot facility = (Command-Shift-4) would not save to it, although it had always done so = automatically in High Sierra and earlier O/Ss. I got onto Apple = Support=E2=80=99s chat line about the first, and they suggested to = upgrade my Gimp, which I did and it worked. The failure to save a screenshot to my Desktop actually occurred during = the chat with Apple, but I was unable to investigate at the time. A day = later I wanted to take a screenshot and send it by email. Same problem. = All the usual Unix permissions on my Desktop seemed fine, but there is a = new extension called =E2=80=9Ccom.apple.macl=E2=80=9D which works some = kind of magic (ls -@ld ~/Desktop to see it). Nothing I did at the = command-line could fix the problem with my Desktop. Eventually I found the =E2=80=9Capproved=E2=80=9D method of making my = own Desktop accessible to me again. 1. Bring up a Finder window. 2. in the left-hand column, right-click on =E2=80=9CDesktop=E2=80=9D = and select =E2=80=9CGet Info=E2=80=9D from the popup menu. 3. Scroll to the bottom of the Info window and click on the tiny = =E2=80=9Clock=E2=80=9D icon. 4. When requested, enter your Admin password. 5. Click on =E2=80=9C+=E2=80=9D. A window listing Users and Groups = should appear. 6. Select one (e.g. yourself). This should now appear in the Info = window=E2=80=99s list, with Privilege =E2=80=9CRead only". 7. Click on the Privilege and select =E2=80=9CRead & Write=E2=80=9D = from the popup list. 8. Click on the little =E2=80=9Clock=E2=80=9D again, to close it. Not exactly =E2=80=9Cintuitive=E2=80=9D=E2=80=A6 I would say. Also = Apple=E2=80=99s action regarding my Desktop, when it installed Catalina = for me, is rather like a builder calling at my house to do some work, = then changing the lock on my front door in the process, not telling me = about this and then not leaving me a new key. I believe Apple=E2=80=99s = intentions are still good, but they are becoming careless of their = users=E2=80=99 interests. That works against them because I thought at = first that they are becoming like IBM in the "bad old days=E2=80=9D of = the 60s and 70s. I thought they were trying to =E2=80=9Cinfluence" me to = use only Apple products on my computer. Re Gimp, I now have Gimp 2.10.28 from Gimp=E2=80=99s website. It has = been upgraded to follow Apple=E2=80=99s latest security protocol. The = first time I asked it to save to my Desktop, I got a dialog box asking = permission and requiring an Admin password. After that it has been fine = and is now on the list of =E2=80=9Capproved=E2=80=9D applications in = System Preferences->Security and Privacy->Privacy->Files and Folders. Hope some of this helps. Ian Wadham. > On 17 Dec 2021, at 4:33 am, Lenore Horner = wrote: >=20 > I=E2=80=99m still struggling with letting Inkscape (I think Gimp too) = installed via MacPorts to be able to open files. I=E2=80=99ve searched = the mailing list archive for the last year for any mention of this and = found zip so apparently I=E2=80=99m particularly incompetent. Here=E2=80=99= s what I=E2=80=99ve tried. >=20 > Big Sur 11.6 > MacPorts base 2.7.1 > Just updated the tree and all anything listed as outdated. > inkscape-app @0.92_1, inkscape @0.92.5_9_x11, and xorg-server = @1.20.11_1 installed and active > r > In Apple -> System Preferences -> Security and Privacy -> Files and = Folders I cannot do any thing even having unlocked with an admin = password. > In Apple -> System Preferences -> Security and Privacy -> Full Disk = Access I have given the following access the following: > Inkscape (the terminal app found with Show Contents in the = Inkscape.app file in my MacPorts folder) > Xquartz > Terminal > X11.app > Inkscape.app (the Inkscape icon in the MacPorts folder) >=20 > I=E2=80=99ve shut down and restarted the computer and I=E2=80=99m = still getting "Could not read the contents of Desktop=E2=80=9D and a = parallel complaint for Documents. I know that a dialog box should pop = up asking for my permission to access my Desktop, Documents, etc. folder = and that those dialogs not popping up is a known (and unfixible I think) = issue. I thought granting full disk access was the only known = work-around, but full disk access to what? =20 >=20 > I have, by the way also tried the dmg from the Inkscape website for = version 1.1.1. I don=E2=80=99t get error messages with it, but it also = can=E2=80=99t open a file (spinning beachball of death). So that=E2=80=99s= not good either. =20 >=20 > Thanks, > Lenore