Auto-generated Application Support folders

metalleg

I keep strict control over the files and directories on my machine and today I noticed that 1Password 8 (8.10.3) on macOS (13.2.1) creates the following directories in Application Support whenever it launches:

• Arc/User Data/NativeMessagingHosts
• Google/Chrome Beta/NativeMessagingHosts
• Google/Chrome Canary/NativeMessagingHosts
• Google/Chrome Dev/NativeMessagingHosts
• Microsoft Edge/NativeMessagingHosts
• Microsoft Edge Beta/NativeMessagingHosts
• Microsoft Edge Canary/NativeMessagingHosts
• Microsoft Edge Dev/NativeMessagingHosts
• Vivaldi/NativeMessagingHosts

And inside each of these is the file com.1password.1password.json.

I see that the JSON file is a setting file for the 1Password browser extension and points to the local location of the browser helper app. However I don't have any of these applications installed so I do not want their folders in my Application Support folder (I know I am a bit pedantic about this sort of thing). Preferably whatever script it is that 1Password 8 runs on launch should first check if these directories exist before placing the JSON file in them.

Is this the right place to post this?

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1Password Version: 8.10.3
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: macOS 13.2.1
Browser:_ Not Provided

Dave_1P

Hello @metalleg! 👋

The folders that you're seeing are native messaging files that the 1Password desktop app uses to communicate with the 1Password browser extension.

1Password creates the native messaging files for all supported browsers since they're required in order for the desktop app to communicate with the browser extension in those browsers. If 1Password only installed native messaging files for currently installed browsers then a browser installed after 1Password was installed wouldn't have the native messaging files and the 1Password extension in that browser wouldn't be able to communicate with the 1Password desktop app.

The native messaging files for the browsers that you're not currently using can be left where they are, they won't cause any issues and take up almost no space.

-Dave

metalleg

Hi @Dave_1P, thanks for the reply.

Currently 1Password 8 creates those files and directories every time it launches (I've tested it by deleting the folders). So in the case of a user installing a browser after having installed 1Password, the browser would be able to communicate with 1Password the next time they would launch 1Password.

1Password 8 is an electron application right? So I am assuming there is a startup script that creates these files which means that checking if the directories exist before creating the files should not take any more than this:

fs.access("/path/to/directory", (error) => {
  if (error && error.code === "ENOENT") {
    // Directory not found
  }
});

The reason I mention this is because I keep my Application Support directory organized (I keep any application specific files in the application's folder under Application Support) and find having skeleton folders of applications that I do not have installed frustrating (similar to how Windows 10 had the "3D Objects" folder that you couldn't remove).