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My custom has always been to wait a bit to see what sort of problems get reported after any system software upgrade is released. I did install v10.2.4 on my Pismo PowerBook within a few days of downloading it, and it has worked as flawlessly as any X build yet on that machine, but after widespread reports of batteries being ruined and modem support being broken by 10.2.4 on certain late-model Mac portables, I thanked myself for having held off running the 10.2.4 updater on my December 2002 iBook, which is still running 10.2.1. There was also a widely reported issue with 10.2.4 corrupting the date settings on certain Macs. So, now I'm in wait and see mode with 10.2.5. This morning, MacFixIt is reporting kernel panics after restart , as the most worrisome glitch with this version so far. They suggest clean-reinstalling version 10.2.4 if this happens -- not a happy prospect. There are also refresh rate selection and image distortion issues being reported as well. There is also an issue with several very recent Mac models where after updating to Mac OS X 10.2.5 and waking from sleep, the image on the built-in or external display appears garbled.
Products affected include:
Apple has released a Knowledge Base article on this, saying that the workaround is to set the Displays preferences to the native resolution for your display before installing the update. For the full details, see: Apparently, it is wisest to use the humongous Combo updater rather than Software Update for the most reliable and bug-free upgrade experience. The downside of that for thise of us on dial-up connections is that the 10.2.5 Combo update file at 81.9 MB is even bigger than the 10.2.4 one was, and that took me 9 1/2 hours to download over my snail-slow dial-up connection. It would be helpful if Apple would make these system updater files optionally available on an FTP site, so that one could use an FTP client that supports resuming partially completed downloads in the case of dropped connections. Or perhaps making the updaters available in multiple segments as they used to do for some of the Classic Mac OS updates. The OS 10.2.5 update IS available from the online Apple Store on CD, but at the profiteering price of $19.95. That is a gouge for a *free* update on a CD that costs a few cents to a firm with Apple's volume purchasing economies of scale. Netscape will mail you a CD of their latest browser version for $2.99, which is more in the reality zone.
There are several OS X 10.2.5 update options, including automatic Software Update installation. Standalone installers are also available from Apple Featured Software at: As noted, two versions of the update installer available: Mac OS X 10.2.5 Update updates Mac OS X 10.2.4 to the new version. This document describes how to use this installer. 38.2 MB
Mac OS X 10.2.5 Update (Combo) updates Mac OS X 10.2 through 10.2.4 to version 10.2.5. 81.9 MB If you need to use the Combo installer, see technical document 25406, "Mac OS X: About the Mac OS X 10.2.5 Update (Combo)"
Enhancements delivered with this update include:
Digital hub and disc burning
Networking and Internet
Other
One hopes (but does not necessarily presume) that the battery, modem, and date bugs in 10.2.4 have been squashed.
For more information, visit:
Understanding Unix From Daniel Knight The Pfeiffer report doesn't address the G4 vs. P4/Macs vs. PCs/Mac OS X vs. Windows XP discussion in the least. It is completely unrelated to the finding that Adobe After Effects works better on PCs than on Macs. All the Pfeiffer report does is tell us what we already knew -- faster Macs are faster than slower ones. Remarkably, the speed boost even seems to correlate with things like processor speed and the number of CPUs in use. Gasp! This is about the dumbest thing I've seen Apple spend money on yet. Any idiot could come to the conclusion that a dual 1.25 GHz machine will be a lot faster than a 500 MHz single processor machine. The issue with After Effects isn't PowerPC/Mac OS X vs. Pentium 4/Windows XP at all -- it's the simple fact that After Effects is much better optimized for Wintel architecture. The performance difference is Adobe's fault and argues for Mac users choosing Apple's video editing software rather than switching to the Windows platform.
A lot more on this in Performance Preferred by David Nagel at
Hi Dan;
Point taken, but I think the most compelling argument in the report is not so much raw speed but the harmonious integration of hardware and software, and optimized workflows that characterize the Mac computing experience.
Charles
From Michael Watson
You don't "start up in root" (log in as root) to get rid of such files. You open a shell and use the sudo command to execute commands as root: mikey% sudo rm -rf /var/log/* . . . For example, will remove everything in /var/log, even though you normally wouldn't have permission to do so It will prompt you for your adminstrative password, and the sudo window will be open for five minutes (default). To close the sudo window, use: mikey% sudo -k Root does not need to be enabled for sudo to work. There doesn't even need to be a root password set. But since you still need to be the administrator /and/ have the administrator's password, it comes with the same level of security as if you needed to log out and back in as root. If you don't care about any of this security, you should go back to Mac OS 9 or use Windows.
-/-
Hi Mikey;
I freely concede that I'm a UNIX ignoramous, although I did manage to successfully install Linux on a PowerBook a couple of times.
To me, the whole point of the Mac OS is the GUI. I don't mind having the command line there, but I'm happier not to have to use it.
Thanks for the tutorial, although it seems like a lot of song and dance to have to go through just to trash an unwanted application installer, which I was able to do a lot easier just by waiting until the next time I booted into OS 9 and dumping it there.
I have to ask; do you really seriously believe that the security features are the only reason to use OS X? I mean, I , like presumably millions of other Mac users (I would suggest probably most Mac users) simply have no need or use for these elaborate security protocols.
I'm the sole user of my production machines. The only network I'm on is my own little Ethernet LAN, and I have a dial-up Internet connection. The security and multi-user hassles are just an annoyance and slowdown to me. Perhaps in the future I will have some use for them, but it would be nice if there were an option to globally defeat them.
Charles
The OS X Odyssey archives may be accessed here: Note: Letters to Moore's Mailbag may or may not be published at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context. Opinions expressed in postings to Moore's MailBag are those of the respective correspondents and not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Editor and/or Applelinks management. If you would prefer that your message not appear in Moore's Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published. CM
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