LucidFS (macFUSE)

macFUSE is a macOS kernel extension used to create virtual filesystems. It's built and maintained by Benjamin Fleischer. (More information: https://osxfuse.github.io).

LucidFS is a macFUSE-based system extension distributed by LucidLink. Installing LucidFS is part of installing PostLab, which allows you to connect to Drive's cloud storage, making it behave like a locally mounted volume on your Mac.

Since LucidFS is a system extension, you must approve it to load in macOS before Drive will connect. The steps for approving LucidFS in macOS vary based on:

  1. Your Mac - is it Apple silicon or Intel?

  2. Which version of macOS you're using.

If your Mac is managed through MDM, stop now and contact your System Administrator. The following steps below will not apply when using MDM.

Apple Silicon and Reduced Security

On Apple silicon, you'll first need to set your Mac's security policy to "Reduced Security" to be able to load signed kernel extensions. If you're on Intel, you can skip to Approving LucidFS in macOS.

Apple's use of "Reduced Security" language is misleading. With it, your Mac's security is on par with the level of security you've come to expect with previous versions of macOS.

  1. Shut down your Apple silicon Mac.

  2. Press and hold down the power button until your Mac boots. Your Mac will either send you directly into macOS' Recovery environment, or you'll see an Options button leading to that.

  3. Log in with your user account and select the disk you want to use.

  4. In the menu bar, go to Utilities, then select Startup Security Utility.

  1. Click Security Policy...

Select the disk and click Security policy

  1. Select Reduced Security, then enable: Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers .

  1. Click OK.

  2. In the menu bar, select Shut Down.

  3. Turn your Mac back on (press but don't hold the power button this time), then log in.

Approving LucidFS in macOS

In PostLab, go to POSTLAB CLOUD > Drive, then click Connect next to your Team's Drive.

If LucidFS isn't approved to load on your Mac:

  • PostLab will notify you - System Extension Blocked

  • macOS will also notify you - System Extension Blocked or System Extension Updated

Confirm which version of macOS you're using with PostLab, then follow these steps to approve LucidFS to load in macOS:

  1. In the System Extension Blocked or System Extension Updated dialog, click Open System Settings.

    • If you clicked OK instead, click Open Security & Privacy System Preferences in the installer.

  2. System Settings will launch, taking you to Privacy & Security > Security.

  3. Under the System software from developer "Benjamin Fleischer"… prompt, click Allow.

  4. Two Privacy & Security dialogs will appear:

    1. In the first Privacy & Security dialog (Privacy & Security is trying to modify your system settings.), enter the password from a local macOS Administrator account, then click Modify Settings.

    2. In the second Privacy & Security dialog (Privacy & Security needs to authenticate to continue.), enter your macOS account’s password, then click OK.

  5. Restart your Mac. It may restart multiple times.

LucidFS is now loaded and you can connect to Drive. ✅

Still no success?

Try loading the extension manually in Terminal:

sudo /usr/bin/kmutil load -p /Library/Filesystems/lucidfs/lucidfs.fs/Contents/Extensions/11/lucidfs.kext

If that returns an error like system policy prevents loading and/or doesn't load LucidFS, your computer is very likely under IT management policies that prevent kernel extensions to load. Talk to your IT department first, they'll know what to do.

Questions

I followed all the steps to approve LucidFS to load in macOS, but PostLab or macOS keeps telling me System Extension Blocked. What can I do?

If your Mac is managed through MDM, stop now and contact your System Administrator.

Starting in macOS Big Sur, the local kernel extension (i.e. kext) database in macOS may not retain your decisions on approving third-party system or kernel extensions to load in macOS. If macOS doesn't load LucidFS despite multiple approvals from you, you can safely reset macOS' kext database, which revokes approval for all third-party kexts installed on your system volume.

Once you reset the local kext database, you can log back into macOS and approve any/all system or kernel extensions installed on your Mac.

  1. Quit PostLab (Force Quit, if necessary).

  2. Power down your Mac.

  3. Once your Mac is fully powered down, power up your Mac again in Recovery mode.

  4. Choose your system volume, log in with a macOS Administrator account, then launch Terminal.

  5. Use this command to reset your Mac's Kernel Extension database:

    1. kmutil trigger-panic-medic --volume-root /Volumes/(SYSTEM VOLUME)

      • If your system volume has a space in its name (e.g. Macintosh HD), enclose the volume name in quotation marks (e.g. "/Volumes/Macintosh HD").

    2. Press the (Return) key.

      • If you entered this command correctly, you'll see this response, All third party kexts have been unapproved and uninstalled from /Volumes/(SYSTEM VOLUME).

  6. Restart your Mac.

Once you log into macOS, you'll likely be greeted with multiple dialog boxes saying...

  • System Extension Updated

  • System Extension Blocked

...along with confirmation that you triggered the Panic Medic Boot.

You've successfully reset your local kext database in macOS.

Now you can approve LucidFS, and any other existing system or kernel extensions, to load in macOS, then connect to Drive.

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