A Closer Look at Apple’s OS X 10.3.6 Update

Apple released Mac OS X 10.3.6 last week on a post - election Friday good afternoon , with little tucket and the distinctive utile - but - sparserelease notes . The caller document 22 modification in Mac OS X 10.3.6 , which occur from closely 1,200 changed files in intimately 1,000 dissimilar directories or folders , many of them in bombastic megabucks or software system . Here ’s a close tone at what Apple has told users about what ’s inside the OS 10 update .

program Alterations

Mac OS X 10.3.6 changes two of the system ’s top - level app program and two graphical utilities . The biggest one is Safari , now up to variant 1.2.4 ( v125.11 ) . Although any Safari release is bound to fix oodles of tiny bugs , Apple mentions only one : the web web browser no longer waits forever and a day if your startup disk ’s name contains a non - ASCII case .

One other Safari change deserves note : Mac OS X 10.3.6 eliminates the web browser app ’s prison term - out value . Safari no longer gives up on a Web page or form after 60 seconds , a decidedly short time - out period that pass to all sort of unsupportable haxies ( likeSafariNoTimeout ) to extinguish it .

The other retool coating is — consider it or not — Calculator . Although it ’s not all that hefty a computer , Calculator has still gotten plenteousness of negative aid this year . situation likeMacFixItcontinue to collect reports of wrong rounding and crashes during currency conversion updates . Mac OS X 10.3.6 ’s new version of Calculator improve “ many calculating and conversion features . ” take down , however , that thehidden plug - insin the Calculator bundle may not work correctly .

The /Applications / Utilities folder incorporate new versions of both Installer and NetInfo Manager , though no going notes direct to any specific reasonableness for these update . We only learn far after the fact that Mac OS X 10.3.4 ’s revised Installer add together the entire “ patch update ” capability , so who fuck what kind of machination Apple is up to this time . The NetInfo Manager update is mostly revised codification of an obscure nature .

Sizing Up the System Library Folder

The Brobdingnagian bulk of what we know as Mac OS X lives in the /System / Library directory pecking order . As common , it find out plenty of changes in a big O update . A new variation of the Apple File Server software ( /System / Library / CoreServices / AppleFileServer.app ) in the Core Services folder belike fixes most of the AppleShare or AFP - related bug mentioned in the vent tone . Any such bugs not prepare there probably are squashed in revised AppleShare file system codification in the Filesystems folder . orchard apple tree remark lots of change , from the generic “ improves AFP service of process performance ” to make a bug that could preclude meshing - based applications from opening software in /internet / Applications or on other motorcar - hop on AFP volumes .

The Core Services brochure contains many of the program that Mac OS X uses to provide its own services . In Mac OS X 10.3.6 , we also discover an updated version of Classic Startup , undoubtedly to fix the unspecified “ issues that could cause Classic to unexpectedly quit when starting up”—that is , could cause Classic Startup to break apart . The Mirror Agent app ’s icon — the .Mac orb on top of a difficult disk — gives aside that it handles synchronizing an iDisk with a volume on your machine . It ’s also revised in Mac OS X 10.3.6 , probably to fix the documented germ that had not aright resize a local iDisk knockoff after you ’d shift your .Mac storage allocation in System Preferences .

Core Services also hosts a new version of Login Window , the program that ’s a lot more important than it expect . It not only displays the login window , it really lumber you in — all programme that you set in motion are sub - process of Login Window , which persist flow mutely in the background all the time . The new translation is in all likelihood what “ makes it sluttish to scroll through a recollective lean of user names in the login windowpane , ” and probably a separate issue that could have prevented lumber in via a mesh drug user account .

Mac OS X 10.3.6 also has new version of the Kerberos and Security Agent applications in the Core Services folder , plus a revise Security Agent plugin for Login Window , though no one outside Apple seems to know what that is . ( The Kerberos programme is a carry - over from Security Update 2004 - 09 - 07 , as Mac OS X 10.3.6 includes almost all post - Mac OS X 10.3.5 update . ) Finally , the Core Services folder holds the SystemVersion.plist data file that defines the newfangled OS release as Mac OS X 10.3.6 Build 7R28 .

Most of the change in the update ’s Frameworks folder are mysteries as well . Apple provide no setting for revisions to the Core Foundation , Carbon , DVD Playback , Directory Services , Disc Recording ( and Disc Recording human interface ) , FireWire Audio , IOKit gimmick driver , Kerberos , or LDAP frameworks , yet each one of them is update in Mac OS X 10.3.6 .

Mac OS X 10.3.6 includes an update kernel ( the /mach_kernel file ) . That ordinarily means a boatload of retool inwardness extensions , and that hold true this prison term as well . They admit lots of ATI and Nvidia prolongation , several Apple extensions with code name that only in - star sign engineer sympathise , audio update , IOKit kernel extensions , and even the raw iPod driver .

Either the revise kernel or one of the USB nub extensions must specify the “ kernel panic … that could occur when using an external , wireless USB broadband modem with Mac OS X 10.3.5 . ” It also seems likely that a display machine driver or inwardness extension fixes an often - reported bug where “ the display could sometimes remain colored when arouse from show sleep — the mouse cursor might come out , but normal social function could not be reconstruct — if using a projection screen saver word on a portable information processing system . ”

likewise , Apple notes that Mac OS X 10.3.6 “ ameliorate ColorSync calibrating ” for the 23 - inch Apple Cinema HD Display , but does n’t mark how . There ’s no newfangled version of the ColorSync utility , or of any ColorSync model , or even of Quartz or QuickDraw . However , the /System / Library / Displays / Overrides folder contain a wad of file for single display that hold updates to built - in display parameters , such as default preferences or built - in display profiles , so the change could be there — or in a display driver , though probably not in the Mac OS X core itself .

There are enough more changes in the System Library brochure , but none of them well map to one of the few document change . The Image Capture brochure has update drivers for some television camera as well as for read photos from medium card readers . The Login Plug - ins folder , obviously an adjunct to Login Window , has new MCX and Bezel Services plugins . The MCX functionality is not document , but we know the Bezel Services functions in Login Window are what provide those translucent indicators that promptly fade when you change system volume or display brightness from the keyboard .

The Private Frameworks folder has raw versions of an undocumented AppleVA fabric , as well as revised Disk Arbitration , Disk Management , Internet Connect , connection Config , and Password Server framework . There ’s also a raw MediaKit individual framework , the one that Cocoa uses to manage disk format and partitioning ; and an updated variant of the DesktopServicesPriv theoretical account , the individual Desktop Services package that contains much of the back - death code for the Finder . None of the freeing line hint at what might have changed in any of these constituent .

Finally , the System Library folder has the QuickTime BMP Update component from Security Update 2004 - 09 - 30 , a revised NFS inauguration detail for climb NFS volumes , and a revised SPPlatformReporter plug - in for the fabric that back up Apple System Profiler . All are update without notes or hints .

update Unix Folders

Not all of the changes to these folders are complete closed book . As with the Kerberos change , some of them are carried over from previous Security Updates , as almost all of the post-10.3.5 update are included in Mac OS X 10.3.6 . A passel of those files show up again in the standard Unix pamphlet , like /etc , /sbin , and /usr .

Mac OS X 10.3.6 might have a new adaptation of Samba , the open - author codification to provide window - compatible file sharing and printer sharing . Apple notes that in Mac OS X 10.3.6 , “ SMB / CIFS servers in /internet no longer suddenly disappear and reappear after the net change . ” Samba provide the SMB and CIFS services to Mac OS X , and its many statement are sprinkled throughout the Unix directory .

The /usr / sbin folder has batch more Kerberos code from security measure updates , plus Samba commands , a tcpdump revision from Security Update 2004 - 09 - 07 , the retool CUPS dæmon from Security Update 2004 - 09 - 30 , and a revised disk arbitration dæmon to go along with the similar private framework . It also has previous security update fix for IPSec , DNS lookups , and even a revise installer commandline tool to go with the revised Installer covering ( though not , oddly enough , a revise Installer private framework ) . Subfolders at bottom /etc have revised Indian file for Open Directory service and the Xinet dæmon .

induction Notes

Oddly enough , Security Update 2004 - 10 - 27 is not include in Mac OS X 10.3.6 — you need to install it separately if Software Update offer it to you . It ’s one of the least consequential security measures update ever and only affects systems with Apple Remote Desktop guest version 1.2 install . If it ’s not there , the installer courteously tells you that you ca n’t establish the update .

As for installing OS X 10.3.6 , a “ patch ” version , available to some Mac OS X 10.3.5 user via Software Update , contains only difference between the 10.3.5 and 10.3.6 interlingual rendition of data file changed in the update , and may be as small as 14 MB . The downloadable installers hold back full versions of all the updated file cabinet and are well larger—34 Mbit for the “ delta ” update you may install only over Mac OS X 10.3.5 , and 92 MB for the “ combo ” update you may instal over any version of Mac OS hug drug 10.3 .

Some people should use the combo updater even if offer a delta or while updater . If you have changed any of the files that belong to the OS , or especially if you ’ve supervene upon any Mac OS decade 10.3.5 files with their counterparts from an onetime reading of Mac OS X 10.3 , you should apply the combo updater . Otherwise , you could wind up with some files from honest-to-goodness versions that you install manually that do n’t work with Mac OS X 10.3.6 . you’re able to either restore the original versions of all the filing cabinet you putter with , or launch the combo updater instead of another one .

The Friday spill of Mac OS X 10.3.6 leaves Apple ’s customer in the lurch yet again . If they obeyed Software Update and installed Mac OS X 10.3.6 as soon as it shows up , they take a chance early - adoptive parent problems on a weekend , a time when Apple does n’t answer question . So , more than ever , take standard instalment precautions : machinate a full backup of your startup volume , take away or reinstall third - party service program that may intervene with the update . If you ’re extra paranoid , run a disk repair utility program first to check that no lingering HFS problems are wait to sting you .

Do n’t disrupt the initiation by launching new program , because that may seek to use system constituent that are only partly updated at the fourth dimension you need them . Similarly , do n’t taste adding or removing FireWire or USB devices during the update , just in fount that conduct the OS to try dynamically loading a machine driver that it had n’t needed before , and again catching the system with only part of 10.3.6 put in .

We ’ve seen no first- or second - hand problem reports with Mac OS X 10.3.6 since it ’s been available . Yet anecdotes can reveal thing Apple chose not to share , such as the fact that Safari 1.2.4 can re-start interrupted downloads , something we did n’t suppose to try on but works for us . If you install it now , take precautions . If you want to await a few days until some other reports judder out some possible struggle , no one will blame you . You ca n’t expect much more from a sparsely - documented 42 MB OS update relinquish late on a Friday afternoon with no ostentation or guidance from Apple .