Slashdot Mirror


Mac OS X 10.2.4 Is Out

J. Ventura writes "Mac OS X Update 10.2.4 has been relased. The 10.2.4 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: Address Book, Classic compatibility, Finder, FireWire, Graphics, OpenGL, and Sherlock. It includes AFP and Windows file service improvements, as well as audio, disc recording, graphics, and printing improvements." Get it via Software Update.

29 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Watch your network settings... by cespi · · Score: 4, Informative

    Installing 10.2.4 screwed my network settings. I have my Network preferences panel set to "Manually" configure, but after the upgrade, OS X lost it's memory. The panel still showed the settings correctly, and I repeatedly hit "Apply," but it would not set the parameters.

    I had to resort to ifconfig, route, and hand editing /etc/resolv.conf

    Thanks Apple!

  2. Don't forget... by mgaiman · · Score: 5, Informative

    After the update, it is probably a good idea to fix your permissions (which can be done via the Disk Utility).

    1. Re:Don't forget... by wtmcgee · · Score: 5, Informative

      definately. this usually makes a huge difference, because things just seem to get screwed up from time to time after big software updates. i don't know enough about all that to know *why* they get screwy, but i do know the first thing i do after a OS update is permission repair.

      obviously, if you want to be super 31337, you can just type sudo diskutil repairpermissions / in console.

      --
      *** For a better tommorow, change your life today ***
    2. Re:Don't forget... by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 4, Funny

      obviously, if you want to be super 31337, you can just type sudo diskutil repairpermissions / in console.

      Actually, the super 31337 among us just copied-and-pasted what you'd already typed. ;-)

      --

      I write in my journal
  3. Yay! by asparagus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They fixed the bloody bug where everything on the desktop got moved when you dropped something on the edges.

    OSeXy!

    -Brett

    1. Re:Yay! by asparagus · · Score: 4, Informative

      Forgot to inclue the KB article.

      10.2.4 fixes:
      http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n107362

  4. Much faster by Rouxfus · · Score: 5, Informative
    I was about to switch back to Eudora, which I'd been using since 1994. I gave Mail a try for the last couple of months because of the Junk mail filter, but I was starting to wonder if Eudora and Spam Sieve wouldn't give me my speedy email back. Mail was slow changing from email to email.

    10.2.4 seems to have fixed the problem - much snappier performance in Mail, and NetNewsWire (going from headline to headline was sometimes sluggish.)

    No problems on the update that I've noticed so far...

  5. not without issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    hmmm... trashed my php install on my desktop machine (overwrites httpd.conf) and now my TiBook can't boot because of kernel panics.

    I thought I'd be more pissed, but frankly I've had so few update problems with OS X I figure I must be ahead.

    I

  6. Changes in httpd.conf by MonsterChicharo · · Score: 4, Informative

    The update replaced Apache's httpd.conf and saved the old version as httpd.conf.applesaved. The problem is that the new httpd.conf has the PHP module commented out, and apparently the PHP module is not included. Anyone else having this problem or my installation that is broken?

  7. short list of bugs? by cpeterso · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've always been impressed that Apple's patches for Mac OS X fix such a short list of not-too-serious bugs. Microsoft's Windows service packs, on the other hand, often fix hundreds of serious bugs. And Windows service packs seem to get increasingly unstable in later service packs.

    1. Re:short list of bugs? by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Note that Apple don't appear (to me at least) to tell the truth about what bugs they've fixed. I think 10.1.2 was really buggy for me. It used to kernel panic, fail to wake up from sleep and generally be unreliable. With 10.1.3 these problems went away. No mention of any of this in the detailed description of what they'd fixed.

      --
      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    2. Re:short list of bugs? by bo-eric · · Score: 5, Interesting

      If you want the really detailed changelog for why kernel panics go away, check the Darwin cvslog.

      --

      -- Free speech is only free if your time is worth nothing.
  8. Rendezvous doesn't seem to be the Eric version by AnamanFan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "Rendezvous-enabled computers that have Personal Web Sharing turned on appear in the Safari Rendezvous bookmark collection."

    Taking a quick look at the Rendezvous bookmarks on Safari, I see a bookmark for each user made on my mac ("User's website") and then the one made by Eric Christopher is still present. Admitabally, it doesn't seem that they used Eric's mod, but I can't be 100% about it.

    --
    AnamanFan - Trying to find the Truth, one post at a time.
  9. Re:iChat Changes by PeekabooCaribou · · Score: 3, Informative

    Apple uses a .plist file to add certain things to the Dock. It does stuff like "Change the pathname of this Dock app", or "Insert this app after the Finder". It was probably applied after your update.

    I believe it's located in the Dock.app bundle, if anybody wants to poke around.

    --
    "I'll say it again for the logic-impaired." -- Larry Wall.
  10. No, this will most certainly not happen... by daveschroeder · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...to everyone, and the fact that it happened to this one poster is a fluke. As far as that goes, it shouldn't happen to *anyone*, but as with every OS update, there will be a very, very small subset of people who say "it fouled up my x" or "totally screwed my settings for y", but the vast, vast majority of people have no problems at all.

  11. Bluetooth Serial Utility by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... is included. Handy.

    --
    If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
  12. It now includes Apple's mod_rendezvous by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Check out my HOWTO for enabling PHP (written for newbies) and some (scarce) info on Apple's mod_rendezvous.

  13. Re:Mail bug by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 4, Funny
    Anybody know if they fixed the bug in mail where if you mistakenly create two accounts with the same email address and delete one it deletes all the associated emails?

    Actually, I fixed that bug myself.

    Here's the patch: don't do that again.

    Sorry for the flip comment, but c'mon... did you really want to test that particular 'feature' again just to see if they fixed it?

    --
    If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
  14. Re:Mac OS 10.2.4 by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 4, Informative
    Finder is now Cocoa

    Oh, boy. Here we go again. Raise your hand if you're unclear on what Cocoa and Carbon mean. Okay, now pay attention:

    [localhost:~] twirlip% otool -L Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder
    Carbon.framework
    QuickTime.framework
    PowerPlant.framework
    DesktopServicesPriv.framework
    URLMount.framework
    DiskArbitration.framework
    DiskImages.framework
    CoreFoundation.framework
    IOKit.framework
    SystemConfiguration.framework
    Security.framework
    libSystem.B.dylib

    --

    I write in my journal
  15. Re:Java still old by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apple's Java 1.4.1 is in developer preview now. If you want it, you can get yourself an ADC account-- they're free; sign up here-- and go to the "Download Software" area of the ADC site.

    Java 1.4.1 is at developer preview 8 right now, so it's not Sir Crashalot or anything, but it's not finished, either. No lifeguard on duty; swim at your own risk.

    --

    I write in my journal
  16. Re:What about laptop power management??? by brass1 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Try resetting the PMU. You'll have to reset the time, but it seems to correct a large number of problems with power management.

  17. Re:Mail bug by itwerx · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's actually pretty easy to do if you have your own domain and have a bunch of dummy accounts setup so you can "send as" each one. Whenever you make a new one you have to put in the correct mail server info (so it will send) and it will default to the settings it already knows about from the original account.
    It's easy enough to change to something bogus for the username (since one never needs to collect through more than one account, only send) but if you forget you're hosed! The only way to undo your mistake is to backup the mail folder, do your delete and then restore it...
    A minor annoyance once one is aware of it but a bit of a pisser the first time.

  18. Re:Mail bug by Onan · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's a much easier way to send mail from multiple addresses: in the account config, specify as many addresses as you like, comma-separated. They'll all appear in the account pop-up menu at compose time, using the first by default.

    It's quite useful, though I can't imagine how anyone's expected to figure out that it's there. And still not quite as flexible as being able to just edit the From: field directly, of course.

  19. 10.2.4 startup panic FIX by punka · · Score: 5, Informative

    Those of you that installed Apple's preview IP over Firewire drivers back in the day might have the same problem I did:

    Kernel panic upon reboot.

    Apparently they broke the kext's support in 'updating firewire'

    Just reboot holding down apple-s , that'll drop you into single-user mode, run the obligatory /sbin/fsck -y then /sbin/mount -uw /
    then get rid of the FirewireIP kext by
    mv /System/Library/Extensions/IOFireWireIP.kext/ /
    Trash it or do what you will with it after you successfully reboot.
    Hope this helps!

  20. Re:Much faster -- Mails not the only thing... by Rouxfus · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I think the post-update speed bump most people percieve is due to re-starting and getting rid of their swap files. Whenever a unix system starts swapping memory out to disk it's gonna slow down. I keep an eye on the number of swap files - when it goes from one to two, I re-start machine, uptime be damned - once there's more than one swap file the system gets -s l o w- in my experience.

    The easiest way to track the number of swap files is to use the "Go To Folder" command in the Finder's Go menu, and type "/var". Drag the "vm" folder to the right side of the dock (bottom if the dock is oriented vertically). Now you can click and hold on that folder in the dock and the pop up dock menu will show you the swap files. Another way is to run Memory Stick.

  21. 10.2.4 broke the Linksys WPC54G AirPort2.kext hack by nsayer · · Score: 3, Informative

    10.2.4 comes with AppleAirPort2.kext version 3.0.3. This version appears to perform an extra check designed to thwart those of us who have managed to get the 3.0.1 version of the driver to talk to Linksys WPC54G and WMP54G cards.

    If you have used this (admittedly unsupported) hack to get 802.11g for older hardware, you might want to move the 3.0.1 kext out of the way and put it back. At least until this extra check is found and neutralized.

  22. Re:10.2.4 broke the Linksys WPC54G AirPort2.kext h by nsayer · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, that didn't take long.

    The procedure to get your WPC54G to work with Apple's AirPort2 driver is a little more advanced now (it involves patching the driver), but it once again works.

    here is where you can get the details.

  23. Re:solid release...Some more Objective Numbers by EverLurking · · Score: 5, Interesting
    OK, here's my anal retentive self doing rough stopwatch timings for various application launch times under 10.2.3 and 10.2.4

    Yeah, I wanted to know if it was just my perceptions being fooled by my expectations after installing a OS upgrade or if this was indeed a real effect. Hardware: Powerbook G4 667 MHz Gigabit Ethernet,768 MB RAM, 30 GB HD

    10.2.3 => Cold Boot = 1:06, Shutdown 0:45, Login 5-7sec, Logout 6-15sec

    10.2.4 => Cold Boot = 1:07, Shutdown 0:15, Login 6sec, Logout 5sec

    The shutdown time has definitely been trimmed, but most of us OS X users will not be enjoying this speed advantage much as...we just don't have to shut down that much when the sleep/wake state is so quick and stable to use unlike my WinBlows computers.

    The following times are in seconds, timed from when icon clicked on in the Dock to when the application window was fully loaded and ready to go.
    (Task or App--10.2.3 1st run/Subsequent run--10.2.4 1st run/Subsequent run)
    Safari----11.5/03.5--14.0/03.0
    Chimera--12.0/5.1--11.0/05.2
    Mail------05.5/03.5--05.3/02.2
    Address--03.0/02.8--05.3/02.0
    iCal------04.0/03.5--04.0/04.0
    Sherlock--14.5/12.2--12.0/08.2
    Word-----05.5/02.5--05.0/03.0
    iTunes----05.2/02.2--04.5/02.0
    iPhoto----05.8/04.2--05.2/04.0
    QTPro----02.0/01.5--02.8/01.0

    Sorry the formatting is so lousy, /. won't let me do a table. Also, the errors are like +/- 0.2-0.3 sec depending on if I was reaching for my beer during the timing and missed seeing the window pop up.

    Sure it ain't scientific, but I think this update has gotten things moving along a tad faster, as have all the other .1, .2, .3 updates. Which is nice as many other OS's just seem to become more bloated with each iteration.

    DaveC

    --
    There are no stupid questions...just stupid people.
  24. Civ players take note by TravelSizedMonkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

    From the "Other Enhancements" section:

    Improves compatibility with Firaxis Civilization III when the application's "Quartz text rendering" option is enabled.

    And who says Apple doesn't care about making the Mac a gaming platform?