From time to time, I'll be on my Macbook using a program that accesses the network – whether Firefox, or Sony's Reader Library – really, it seems like it could happen with any program that accesses the network – and for no reason that I can discern so far (that is, it happens intermittently) the OS X firewall dialog pops up to ask me the question:
[OS X firewall dialog] Do you want the application "Reader Library.app" to accept incoming network connections? Clicking Deny may limit the application's behavior. This setting can be changed in the Firewall pane of Security preferences. [Deny] [Allow]
Except it doesn't actually let me click anything before it disappears! That is:
- the dialog pops up, ...
- then goes away by itself a second later,
- then pops up again, ...
- then goes away by itself a second later,
- etc.
It happens a few times before stopping. It wouldn't be so maddening to be interrupted if I could just be allowed to click "Allow" and make the darn thing go away for good.
In Security preferences I have the firewall turned "On", and I would like to keep it that way.
Has anybody seen this problem, found the source, and figured out a solution or workaround?
UPDATE: I had found these message threads confirming the issue: MacRumors.com - Firewall application exceptions: dialog disappears strangely, and Apple - Support - Discussions - Annoying Firewall Allow / Deny Dialog. As of March 27th, 2010, there's still no solution reported at either of those links.