Mac OS X: Some applications are not selectable when using Limitations, Capabilities, or Parental Controls

Some applications do not work properly with the Accounts preference option known by the names "Limitations" (10.2), "Capabilities" (10.3), and "Parental Controls" (10.4). Mac OS X 10.4 will actually warn you when such an application is selected, by giving the alert message:

"Application_Name does not work with the limitations you have selected."

However, Mac OS X 10.2 and 10.3 do not have this warning. If you set a user to have "Some Limits" or a "Simple Finder," and then allow access to one of these particular applications before quitting System Preferences, that application will no longer be selected in the Allow list the next time you open System Preferences and access this user's account. This affects Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server versions 10.2 and later.

Note: This issue sounds similar to one involving unbundled applications, but is different.

If you have an application that exhibits this behavior, contact the developer of the application to report this issue.

Software developers should note that Cocoa applications must have a unique Bundle ID, and Carbon and Classic applications must have a unique Creator code as stated in the Mac OS X Developer System Overview documentation.