02-28-2026, 08:12 PM
@NakedApe
Here's what i found out with why mv might not work properly on your system. Reason #1 sounds like it might be an issue, if it's a permission thing which is off by default.
While there isn't an "ARM-specific" block, modern macOS versions (which all ARM Macs run) have strict security protocols that often block the Terminal from interacting with the Trash folder.
Common reasons why mv file ~/.Trash/ fails:
1. Missing Full Disk Access
By default, the Terminal does not have permission to modify "protected" folders like ~/.Trash/, leading to "Operation not permitted" errors.
Fix: Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access and toggle the switch for Terminal to ON.
2. Incorrect Trash Path for External Drives
Each drive on a Mac has its own hidden trash folder. If the file you are moving is on an external drive, ~/.Trash/ (which is on your internal startup disk) might not be the correct destination for a simple "move".
Fix: For files on external volumes, the path is usually /Volumes/[DriveName]/.Trashes/[UserUID]/.
3. Folder Ownership or Corruption
Sometimes the .Trash directory itself has incorrect permissions or has become corrupted.
Verify: Run ls -ld ~/.Trash to see the permissions. It should be owned by your username with rwx permissions.
Fix: If it's missing or broken, you can recreate it by running mkdir ~/.Trash (though you may need to delete a corrupted one first with sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash).
4. Better Alternatives for CLI Deletion
Moving files to the Trash via mv is technically a "move," not a "delete." Most power users prefer these methods:
Permanent Delete: Use rm -rf [filename] to delete immediately without the Trash.
Third-Party Tools: Install trash via Homebrew (brew install trash), which allows you to run trash [filename] to safely send files to the system bin exactly like the Finder does.
Here's what i found out with why mv might not work properly on your system. Reason #1 sounds like it might be an issue, if it's a permission thing which is off by default.
While there isn't an "ARM-specific" block, modern macOS versions (which all ARM Macs run) have strict security protocols that often block the Terminal from interacting with the Trash folder.
Common reasons why mv file ~/.Trash/ fails:
1. Missing Full Disk Access
By default, the Terminal does not have permission to modify "protected" folders like ~/.Trash/, leading to "Operation not permitted" errors.
Fix: Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access and toggle the switch for Terminal to ON.
2. Incorrect Trash Path for External Drives
Each drive on a Mac has its own hidden trash folder. If the file you are moving is on an external drive, ~/.Trash/ (which is on your internal startup disk) might not be the correct destination for a simple "move".
Fix: For files on external volumes, the path is usually /Volumes/[DriveName]/.Trashes/[UserUID]/.
3. Folder Ownership or Corruption
Sometimes the .Trash directory itself has incorrect permissions or has become corrupted.
Verify: Run ls -ld ~/.Trash to see the permissions. It should be owned by your username with rwx permissions.
Fix: If it's missing or broken, you can recreate it by running mkdir ~/.Trash (though you may need to delete a corrupted one first with sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash).
4. Better Alternatives for CLI Deletion
Moving files to the Trash via mv is technically a "move," not a "delete." Most power users prefer these methods:
Permanent Delete: Use rm -rf [filename] to delete immediately without the Trash.
Third-Party Tools: Install trash via Homebrew (brew install trash), which allows you to run trash [filename] to safely send files to the system bin exactly like the Finder does.