This Security Update, available OSX’s preference pane, delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users. This update includes the following components: Apache 1.3, Classic, Mail, Safari, Windows File Sharing.
Apple Releases Security Update for Mac OS X
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Hi,
Would someone mind describing OSX’s update system. A screenshot would be really nice, too. Can it be set to automatically download and install updates? On a schedule? What does it update? Can it manage third-party software as well?
Thank you.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/softwareupdates.html
You can set it to check daily, weekly, monthly, or manually. It will download and install updates in the backround. Right now it only manages Apple updates, as is all system updates as well as Apple applications updates (almost all 3rd party applications have their own auto-updaters), but back in the OS 9 days it would also handle 3rd party updates. There are a few rumors going around that they will bring back 3rd party updates soon, but who knows. No reason not to, I guess. Just one of those features they haven’t rewritten yet from when they rewrote the operating system to OS X.
> Can it be set to automatically download and install updates?
Yes. Any updates from Apple that haven’t being installed they will be shown in a list view and the user can choose to install them all or not.
>On a schedule?
Usually, the default is the system will automatically check out the update server a few times a day and suggest an update, but on its preference panel you can tell it to check it out once a week, or never.
>What does it update?
Apple application software, OSX and security updates.
>Can it manage third-party software as well?
No. It is an OS update, only apple software shows up there.
For third party applications users just use VersionTracker.com. Mac OS X software doesn’t have dependency problems because most software is carefully compiled to work out of the box and in the case of the very few OSS software that doesn’t come with Fink (e.g. SDL games, or some TheKompany Qt apps) everything is statically linked so the user doesn’t have to mess up with additional libraries. Fink uses apt-get and .debs for package management, but very few OSX users have Fink installed anyway, the majority of the users just use the native OSX apps from VersionTracker which work out of the box.
The whole system works very well IMHO.
http://homepage.mac.com/evantaylor/softwareupdate.png
Thanks everyone for the info.
Evan, the fonts look very nice in your screenshot.
Upgraded, now my laptop won’t get online…great
“Upgraded, now my laptop won’t get online…great”
How did you post?
Here is info on the rumor that Apple may allow 3d party updates through the OS X Software Update tool:
http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/12/20031205111716.shtml
As hard to believe as it may be, some people have more than one computer these days
http://homepage.mac.com/evantaylor/softwareupdate.png
Evan, what font are you using for your web browsing? [the font on osnews.com on your screenshot looks very clean]
is that lucida grande?
thanks
“Evan, what font are you using for your web browsing? [the font on osnews.com on your screenshot looks very clean]
is that lucida grande?
thanks
”
That font is the default in OS X for this site. It looks like that on the three Macs I have with me here at the moment.
no one else is complaining, not even on apple’s support disscussions.
Lucida Grande is the default font for Safari iirc … plus system-wide antialiasing is on by default
If it’s the same as on mine (it sure looks the same), it is Verdana.
Verdana is the first font listed in the font tags in the pages source. Times is my default Safari font.
“Gee, I don’t use his computer everyday, so I can’t really answer a stupid question like that. But it does look quite different from my computer that I look at, which is why I complimented it. FOAD.”
I thought you were under the impression that he had done something to it. Didn’t mean to sound cocky, I thought you saw something I had missed.
Just assumed the worst because it was moderated down.
The fonts do in fact look nice, and I’m impressed. I’m sure it comes down to personal preference, but it looks much nicer than the default fonts with Fedora Core 1, and pretty similiar to the fonts in Windows XP with ClearType (probably a touch better).
There is also an AirPort 3.3 update available too.
I haven’t really made this public yet, but I notified Apple of it shortly after Panther came out, and got no response….
There is a bug in screen effects when you’ve got the password protect enabled. Sometimes, the keybord focus will switch from the username/password dialog to the last window active on the desktop.
It is a bit disconcerting to see your password float across in your IRC channel…..
But the real vulnerability is that using this exploit, with a terminal window open underneath, someone could run commands…..
Be very careful when typing your password to turn off screen effects….make sure it’s echoing the dots in the input field.
you see on OS News is not necesserally the font… but instead OS X’s text antialiasing
Completed update, no malfunctions at this time. I love it when that happens!
And I am a very happy chappy. Btw, this replaces the previous security patch, so if you have 10.3.2, you only have to back up 10.3.2 patch and this security patch if you need to re-install MacOS at a later date.
Jimbo, I think what Randall is trying to get at is that there are some foolios out there spreading crap about Apple updates destroying their machines. There are legit gripes but the easy give away was that Jay Contonio (IP: —.ph.ph.cox.net) referred to his PowerBook as a laptop. I don’t know a single Mac user that refers to the Mac as a PC or as a PC compatible let alone refer their PowerBook as a laptop. I guess you can argue semantics but us Mac users are crazy that way. Then again, Jay could be right, Mac users are not afraid to apply updates as soon as they come out.