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Apple Posts Security Update 2002-11-21
Znonymous Coward writes "Apple has released Security Update 2002-11-21 for Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) via the Software Update utility. The update 'fixes potential vulnerabilities introduced in BIND, the domain server and client library software package from Internet Software Consortium (ISC), that is shipped with Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server. BIND version 8.3.4 addresses the recently-discovered potential vulnerabilities where an unauthorized person may disrupt the normal operation of the DNS name service. BIND is not activated by default on Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server.'"
Your definition of 'all the time' would appear to be different from what I understand it to be. To me, 'all the time' would mean that after _every_ update I would have to reboot. This is not the case. Currently in Software Update I see two updates available for me to install - Internet Explorer 5.2 Security Update and QuickTime. Of these, only QuickTime requires an update. I dont really see how QuickTime should require an reboot, but it is a rather integral part of the OS. Rebooting after security updates that dont involve core OS changes also seems a little wierd.
For example, I have no interest in Airport updates.
:-) )
You may already know this, but if you dont want to see updates for certain packages, highlight the offending package in the Software Update window and hit Command-minus, or go to the File menu and click "Make Inactive". The package wont bug you to update again until you make it visible.
Of course I still wouldn't just apply a software update on a production machine till a few days have passed, and the bug reports start flowing in...(Or if you have the luck to have a testing box sitting at your desk to futz with...
You obviously don't understand much about UNIX.
Of the Software Updates I've installed from Apple, the following required a reboot:
* BIND (no comment on why Apple shipped ver. 8 instead of ver. 9 - but since it's not enabled by default, what possible reason could Apple have to require it to reboot?)
>> The OS's resolver library, which is compiled against BIND 8.
* Mac OSX Update 10.2.2 - Shouldn't this be self-explanitory since the update also included a new and updated kernel?
* Security Update 9/20/2002
I did *not* have to reboot for:
- Backup 1.2.1
- Quicktime 6.0.2
- Stuffit Expander Security Update 7.0
- Airport Software 2.1.1
- iTunes 3.0.1
Now, why might there be a reason where one might have to reboot?
Well, since files are referenced on disk based on their inodes; then if a file is opened by the system, simply overwriting the file will not be sufficient since a new version will have different inode references.
The old references don't get released until the file closes. Since the kernel typically has the resolver library opened, this can't happen until the system reboots.
So, to characterize Apple in the same vain as M$ with regards to requiring reboots after software updates, is extremely misguided.
(And by the way, the same applies to Linux users - but if a linux users updated their BIND version and didn't reboot, their system will continue to use the old library's version until a reboot subsequently occured.)
It sounds like your Desktop preferences file was corrupted somehow. Try opening the file /Users/ellem/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop .plist (there's no space in that filename) in a text editor (it's just XML). If it looks messed up, you should probably just delete it and let the Finder regenerate it for you, using the defaults.
I was going to post my plist for you, but Slashdot won't let me.