Overview
About 15% of first-time installs hit errors. This guide covers 6 common causes and how to fix them quickly.
1) Use an admin account. 2) macOS 10.15+ with >500MB free disk. 3) Download from the official site/GitHub.
Cause 1: Permissions (most common)
macOS security can block install/launch if permissions are missing.
Symptoms
- “No permission” when dragging to Applications.
- “Unidentified developer” or “App is damaged”.
- DMG double-click does nothing.
Fix steps
Check admin
id -Gn | grep -w admin # should output admin
Remove quarantine
sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/ClashX.app
Grant Full Disk Access
- System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access.
- Add
ClashX.appand enable it.
After first launch fails, click “Open Anyway” in Privacy & Security.
Apple Silicon note
Rosetta (if prompted)
/usr/bin/pgrep -q oahd && echo "Rosetta installed" || softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
Recent ClashX builds are native on Apple Silicon; Rosetta is rarely needed.
Cause 2: macOS Version
Old systems can block the app; very new betas may break it.
| ClashX | Minimum macOS | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| ClashX 1.95+ | 10.15 Catalina | 13 Ventura |
| ClashX Pro 1.95+ | 11 Big Sur | 14 Sonoma |
On beta macOS, use the latest ClashX release and reinstall if signature errors appear.
Cause 3: Corrupted Download
Incomplete downloads lead to “file damaged”.
Redownload
- Download from the official site or GitHub Releases.
- Verify checksum if provided; avoid intercepted proxies.
Cause 4: Security Blocks
Gatekeeper/MDM/security apps may block launch.
System Settings
- Privacy & Security → Security section.
- Click “Open Anyway” for ClashX if shown.
- Disable third-party blockers (Little Snitch/Lulu) or add allow rules.
Cause 5: Not Enough Disk Space
Ensure >500MB free; macOS can fail silently when space is low.
df -h /
du -sh ~/Downloads/ClashX*.dmg
Cause 6: Version Conflict
Old configs or helpers from previous versions can cause launch errors.
Clean reinstall
killall ClashX
rm -rf ~/.config/clash
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.west2online.ClashX
rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.west2online.ClashX*
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.west2online.ClashX
open /Applications/ClashX.app
If you have custom rules, back up ~/.config/clash before cleaning.
Prevention
- Always use the latest official build.
- Grant Full Disk Access and keep helper installed.
- Keep macOS updated to a stable release (not early betas).
- Ensure adequate disk space before installing.