OS 10.5.8 released

[bkshepard]

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received for doing a system update was to use the following steps:

1. Download the combo updater to your desktop
2. Disconnect any unnecessary peripherals like interfaces, camera docks, etc.
3. Reboot your computer in "safe" mode (hold down the shift key when you hear the startup chime until you see the spinning gear)
4. After the computer boots up (it takes longer for a "safe" boot) Repair Disk Permissions
5. Run the installer
6. Reboot and confirm that all is working properly with the OS
7. Shut down, reconnect all the peripherals you disconnected in step 2 and then reboot.

It takes a lot longer this way than by just allowing Software Update to do its thing, but since I started doing it that way, I have not had a problem with an OS update.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Wow, Brian, that seems like a lot of work... I have always plopped the installer on the desktop and let 'er rip. Except for user error, I've always had pretty good luck with updates. Of course, it's always better to be safe than sorry and many pro Mac guys and gals do exactly what you said. But I guess I'm too old and fat to bother climbing under my desk to disconnect stuff - unless I'm hiding from the wife


(Anybody else remember doing this???)

[bkshepard]

You're right, it is a lot of work and time. I had an installer completely screw up a machine once, though, and that was REALLY a lot of work and time. So being the type-A that I am, I always use this approach whenever it's a system update. I tend to not do it for the other updates, just the system ones.

Ah yes, the ol' Duck-N-Tuck, I remember it well! In fact when I was little, I lived for awhile in Baltimore. Since we were within "blast radius" of Washington D.C., our elementary school actually had a bomb shelter. Not only did we do fire drills, we did bomb drills. I remember one of our teachers telling us that not only should we duck-n-tuck, but we should cover ourselves with a raincoat because that would keep the radioactive fallout from getting on us!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I remember one of our teachers telling us that not only should we duck-n-tuck, but we should cover ourselves with a raincoat because that would keep the radioactive fallout from getting on us!

Teachers were so much smarter then...

Of course the old joke was in case of nuclear attack: Get under a desk or chair, put your head between your legs; and kiss your ass goodbye. LOL

[HCMarkus]

I believe Apple changed the way OS Update works with the introduction of Leopard. As you will have noticed if ever you have simply allowed Software Update to do its thing, when system updates are applied, the Mac actually shuts the OS down before the installation begins. As such, the Mac is in a clean slate state when the new software is installed. I have had zero problems updating Leopard from Software Update. While the steps described by BKShephard are admirable, and probably don't have any negative implications (other than the time they require), they may no longer be as necessary as once was the case.

[James Steele]

I believe Apple changed the way OS Update works with the introduction of Leopard. As you will have noticed if ever you have simply allowed Software Update to do its thing, when system updates are applied, the Mac actually shuts the OS down before the installation begins. As such, the Mac is in a clean slate state when the new software is installed. I have had zero problems updating Leopard from Software Update. While the steps described by BKShephard are admirable, and probably don't have any negative implications (other than the time they require), they may no longer be as necessary as once was the case.

I'm here to tell you though, that for the first time EVER I got burned doing the Software Update route with 10.5.8. It really whacked out DP. Playback was weird. Play button stuck down... all sorts of unhappiness. I ran the combo updater and then ran Apple Jack and all is good again, but Software Update messed me up somehow, I'm sure of it.

[nick danger]

I use software update for everything except system upgrades, and it works fine. But I download the combo updater for system updates.

Even still, I had some anomalies immediately after updating 10.5.8, but they cleared themselves up after a second restart.

[HCMarkus]

My Mac restarted twice automatically as a part of the upgrade to 10.5.8. No issues with the update, but I admit that I use Tiger for all my audio work.