Slashdot Mirror


Apple Releases 10.3.5

derphilipp writes "Apple just released 10.3.5 via software update. On the list of changes were - among others - new graphic card drivers, support for reading filesystems and a better samba support. Its size is 43 MB and its available via softwareupdate. Happy updating." Update: 08/09 22:46 GMT by T : EverLurking writes to note that Apple has also released the 5.3MB "'Security Update 2004-08-09' for OS 10.3.4 (along with OS Update 10.3.5) via software update that patches the security hole in the libpng libraries that could crash applications opening up malformed PNG images."

39 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. More detailed update list: by eviltypeguy · · Score: 5, Informative

    I think most people will find this update list a bit more informative than the story submitter gave:

    - Improved support for NTFS formatted volumes
    - Improved reliability for user logins and mounting of home directories in a networked environment
    - Updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
    - Improved Bluetooth compatibility for Apple Wireless Keyboard/Mouse and Bluetooth phones
    - Additional FireWire and USB device compatibility
    - Improved font management
    - Updated Mail and Image Capture applications
    - Improved compatibility for third party applications
    - Previous standalone security updates

    1. Re:More detailed update list: by sinclair44 · · Score: 5, Informative

      The URL given in Software Update is http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n25791 . For those that tried it earlier, the article actually exists now. :)

      --
      Omnes stulti sunt.
    2. Re:More detailed update list: by SILIZIUMM · · Score: 3, Informative
  2. Technote on update by hawaiian717 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Apple has a technote out with the update:

    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=257 91

    --
    End of Line.
  3. Full update information.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    is on this page. Here's the part you care about:

    Enhancements

    These are some of the enhancements included with the Mac OS X 10.3.5 Update.

    Bluetooth enhancements

    Bluetooth FIle Exchange now works better with Bluetooth-capable Hewlett-Packard printers.

    Resolves an issue in which an application that's performing an asynchronous Bluetooth operation could quit unexpectedly, if the computer went to sleep before the data transfer was complete and the "Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer" preference setting was disabled.

    Addresses an issue in which Bluetooth File Exchange could unexpectedly quit if you tried to copy several files but one or more of them already existed at the target location.

    Networking, Internet enhancements

    If you had difficulties connecting to the Internet with a Comcast cable modem and your account uses DHCP configuration (as opposed to PPPoE), then this update can help you connect more easily. If it doesn't, contact Comcast for further assistance. (An example of this issue would be that your computer can't get an IP address when connected to the cable modem, and your Network preferences are set to configure via DHCP.)

    Improves the way Safari handles certain kinds of GIFs, including ones that could cause Safari to quit unexpectedly. Reintroduces shorter server pathnames; the overall limit remains 89 characters, but now only 24 characters (instead of 39 with Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.3.4) are reserved for the beginning of the pathname. More...

    Other enhancements

    Image Capture can now import MPEG-4 movies (.MP4) from compatible digital cameras.

    Resolves a potential data loss issue after renaming a Mail mailbox file.

    Addresses an issue for Mac OS X 10.3.4 in which Installer might unexpectedly quit when installing software that has a Japanese name.

    Corrects an issue in which analog speakers connected to a PowerBook or iBook during sleep sometimes didn't produce sound after waking the computer.

    Resolves an issue with Mac OS X 10.3.4 in which the internal microphones of some iBook (Dual USB) computers would not be available to applications or Sound preferences.

    Allows the "Attach" button of Eudora version 6.0 and 6.0.1 to work as expected.

    Improves support for NTFS-formatted volumes.

    Updates the libpng (Portable Network Graphics) component.

    Includes recent Security Updates.

  4. Let's see... by Spudley · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Okay. Let's see...

    Microsoft releases a patch for Windows that fixes bugs. The patch is 250 meg.

    The next day, Apple releases an update for OSX that adds new features. The update is 43 meg.

    Compare and contrast.

    --
    (Spudley Strikes Again!)
    1. Re:Let's see... by meta-monkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Ummm...there's a metric shit-ton of new features in SP2, and very few in 10.3.5.

      Don't get me wrong, I'm about to run Software Update right now, but let's be fair.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    2. Re:Let's see... by Yaztromo · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Ummm...there's a metric shit-ton of new features in SP2, and very few in 10.3.5.

      To be fair, Apple has already released 3 OS X 10.3 updates this year.

      Microsoft, on the other hand, released Windows XP SP1 on September 9, 2002, and SP1a on February 3, 2003.

      So in a year and a half since the last update, I'd expect there to be a whole lot more features than between updates only 2 months apart.

      Yaz.

    3. Re:Let's see... by Armchair+Dissident · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you're going to be fair, be fair. Windows XP is to PC's as OS X 10.1 is to Macs. Both were initially released in 2001. OS X has seen a "metric shit-ton of new features" since 10.1.

      --

      The ways of gods are mysteriously indistinguishable from chance.
  5. libPNG also updated by Hungus · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Interestingly not part of the 10.3.5 update, but separate, is the libPNG update described below

    libpng (Portable Network Graphics) Fixes CAN-2002-1363, CAN-2004-0421, CAN-2004-0597, CAN-2004-0598, CAN-2004-0599

    Impact: Malicious PNG images can cause application crashes and could execute arbitrary code

    Description: A number of buffer overflows, null pointer dereferences and integer overflows have been discovered in the reference library for reading and writing PNG images. These vulnerabilities have been corrected in libpng which is used by the CoreGraphics and AppKit frameworks in Mac OS X. After installing this update, applications that use the PNG image format via these frameworks will be protected against these flaws.
    --
    Bad Panda! No Bamboo for you! In matters of importance ACs will not be responded to. Want to say something critical,OK
    1. Re:libPNG also updated by .com+b4+.storm · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually, it is part of the OS X update, according to the knowledge base article. The separate security patch is probably for people who want the security fix without the risk of a brand new system update that hasn't been widely tested yet.

      --
      "Wow, you're like some kind of superhero able to ward off happiness and success at every turn."
      -- Ryan Stiles
  6. Downloading it right now on XP by pyrrhonist · · Score: 4, Funny

    Because, it's smaller than XP SP2...

    --
    Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  7. Just installed it... by boredMDer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just installed this on my G3 iBook, seems to have all gone okay.

    No major speed increases it seems, but I swear the dock seems a bit more responsive then it did before. This is with 384 MB RAM, by the way.

    Before the dock would stutter when I opened up my normal amount of apps on boot (6, 7), but now it responds smoothly when I roll my mouse over it (magnification on) and the icons are bouncing.

  8. 12" 1.33Ghz PowerBook owners, rejoice! by General+Sherman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Maybe I'm just insane, but 10.3.5 has finally fixed the problem where the third or fourth 3D app launched would have seriously negative performance. It also nudges up the 3D performance in general, instead of getting 70FPS in BZFlag I now get 85.

    You rock apple.

    --
    - Sherman
    1. Re:12" 1.33Ghz PowerBook owners, rejoice! by MichaelKVance · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And yet there's a known & fixed inefficieny in the 7500/8000/9000 Radeon drivers that /still/ hasn't been released. Grrr.

      m.

      --
      "Sebastian you're in a mess. They called you King of all the Hipsters, is it true or are you still the Queen?" -- B
  9. Nokia 7610 Sync by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    It seems iSync still doesn't recognize my Nokia 7610. I was hoping 10.3.5 would fix that.

    1. Re:Nokia 7610 Sync by jimmyharris · · Score: 3, Informative

      I read about this issue this morning (though I don't have a 7610, it still stayed in my head).

      Much the same thing is happening with users who bought Nokia's 7610 mobile phone, expecting that it would naturally sync with the Mac. It doesn't and, according to a recent post at discussions.info.apple.com, it won't, at least not until Apple changes the technology iSync uses to communicate with Symbian devices like the 7610.

      The Nokia 6600, 3650 and 3660 used a program called mRouter. The 7610 uses different software, which requires iSync to switch to SyncML. But nobody knows when that might happen. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a sync tool that worked with the executives of Microsoft, Apple and Nokia?

      From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/09/10920 22394057.html

    2. Re:Nokia 7610 Sync by Xyde · · Score: 3, Informative
      iSync DOES use SyncML and it always has. I specifically remember Steve Jobs raving on and on about SyncML at the keynote where iSync was introduced (10.2 beta demonstration if I recall)

      If there's any specific problem with iSync not working with Nokia mobile phones, I'd wager it would be Nokia's problem, and their nonstandard bluetooth implementations (why use oh, say, the bluetooth headset profile for a bluetooth headset when you can break compatibility with everyone else by running it over the serial profile?)

      If I'm wrong about anything in this post, someone please correct me as I don't like to be misinformed...

    3. Re:Nokia 7610 Sync by __aafkqj3628 · · Score: 3, Informative

      I had the same problem with my Nokia 7650 when Panther originally came out.

      You can hack around in the SymbianConduit and iSync configuration files for a bit to trick iSync into thinking it's really a phone that it can sync with. I did that for my 7650 and it worked fine.
      However, I'm not sure what changes have been made to the SymbianOS since then.

    4. Re:Nokia 7610 Sync by Ilgaz · · Score: 2, Informative

      Knowing from my brothers phone (7650), the newly released Nokias, especially Symbian based ones ship with err.. crap firmware.

      You should check the firmware issues on web. Not just for iSync , e.g. 7650 has smtp auth capability after firmware update...

  10. All's well so far... by ChaosWing · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm posting this from my updated Powerbook G4, so I assume it went OK and didn't break anything. I can't vouch for any spectacular performance boosts or anything, but I'm gonna throw everything I have at it right now and see if anything's broken. Hopefully it won't, like, explode or anything.

    1. Re:All's well so far... by dfj225 · · Score: 2, Funny

      *sizzle*...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

      That is the sound of a man destined to never have children.

      --
      SIGFAULT
  11. An automatic change by skahshah · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just installed it. Automatically changed my monitor's resolution from 1280 x 1024 to 1600 x 1200! I decided to trust it.

    1. Re:An automatic change by Bingo+Foo · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wow! I can't wait to see if that works on my PowerBook too!

      --
      taken! (by Davidleeroth) Thanks Bingo Foo!
  12. Just installed it by SILIZIUMM · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just installed it on my iMac DV+ 450 and saw some changes so far. First, Darwin was upgraded to version 7.5.0. Then, if you go to the system preferences, a new row (Other) is added with an icon labelled "Hardware". For me, it shows infos about the CPU and let me choose if I want to desactivate the L2 cache (combobox with "512KB" or "None"). Safari was upgraded too, now running as 1.2.3 (v125.9). That's about it for now...

    1. Re:Just installed it by SD_92104 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Well, the "Hardware" system pref pane most probably is part of the developer "CHUD Tools" and has been there before as soon as you installed those...

  13. Thank goodness by Tom7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... support for reading filesystems

    Thank goodness. I've been having a hell of a time with these write-only filesystems.

  14. Funny they mention Comcast by TheHonestTruth · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I had a bitch of a time getting Comcast modem set up under WinXP. After calling comcast and having them troubleshoot it for 20 minutes, during a reboot I said "it's too bad you guys don't support set up under Macs." The tech replied, "what do you mean? Sure we do." "Yeah, but not OS X, right?" "No, we support 9 and X." Popped the disc in my iBook, 1, 2, 3 done. Much easier than my Win machine.

    -truth

    --

    I had a steady B+ in my AI class until I failed the Turing test...

  15. Re:10.3.5 Server is out TOO ! by stoney27 · · Score: 2, Informative

    And with the 10.3.5 server the server tools are updated to 10.3.5 :) If they are installed on your machine, client or server re-run software update to find the server tools ready to install.

    -S

    --

    It is said that a child learns wisdom from the parent,
    but the truly wise parent learns joy from the child
  16. Re:43 MB ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Read some of the links to the Apple notes above. Basically the size is dependent on what security updates have already been installed on your computer. Additionally, if you went via Software Update instead of the standalone installer, you might need to go back to Sofftware Update as it mentions some of the packages need other packages installed first, and so might appear afterwards.

    See here for details about "delta updates" through Software Update, and here for details about the 10.3.5 update specifically.

    Now to actually update my machine :)

  17. Nice by The+Lost+Supertone · · Score: 3, Informative

    Well I updated, hopefully this will fix the problems I had after 3.4, I always thought of going back to 3.3 but was always just to lazy. Anyway 3.5 seems to be running well, I noticed it seems to take more RAM on launch. not a big deal I still have a good couple hundred of megs left, but Activity monitor shows more than a quarter on start up of my memory is being used, before it looked like an exact quarter. Strange. I'm glad they fixed the problem with Safari it crashed a bit much for my taste a while ago. Haven't had the problem recently though. Don't think it broke anything yet. Fireworks still seems to work so I'm thankful :)

  18. Download size can vary by neoguri · · Score: 2, Informative

    Apparently the download size can vary: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=257 99.

    Having multiple macs, I guess this means I can't reuse the package. Darn.

    1. Re:Download size can vary by CountBrass · · Score: 2, Informative

      From the article you provided a link to ;-)

      If you just want to download an update once, you probably want to use a "Combo" update installer version, available from Apple Downloads.
      --
      Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
  19. OS X Still Incorrectly Draws Portait Image Preview by dnahelix · · Score: 2, Interesting

    When the 'show icon preview' box is checked in the 'Show View Options'
    pane, the preview icon for images with a portrait aspect
    ratio (taller than it is wide) are incorrectly drawn.

    View an image of it happening here.

    This is a screen shot of two folders I made.
    Each one has a set of images that are named to match their size
    (in pixels).
    'show icon preview' is on for both of these folders.
    The icon size is set to 128 pixels.

    As anyone can see, the landscape images have correct previews,
    but the portrait images get smaller. It appears the more narrow
    the image is, the smaller the preview.
    It is not using it's 128x128 icon space.
    The 8 x 128 image is so narrow, it's preview icon disappears altogether!


    I've written Apple and sent them the link... *sigh*

    I'm sick of all my portrait images having tiny thumbnails!
    10.3.5 - Bug Still There!








    --
    Slashdot Eds Link Anonymous Posts With Logged Posts
    They Are Vermin Feeding On Each Other's Feces.
    I Hate \.
  20. Re:OS X Still Incorrectly Draws Portait Image Prev by __aafkqj3628 · · Score: 2, Informative

    How did you write them? If you didn't use the BugReporter, chances are that their engineers will never see it.

  21. NTFS and Samba by kalidasa · · Score: 2, Informative

    Anyone know just what the NTFS improvements are? ALso, are there any Samba improvements (for instance, Windows 2003 Server connectivity out of the box?).

  22. USB iPods by tverbeek · · Score: 2, Informative

    The full support for USB iPods with iTunes sounds like good news to me.

    --
    http://alternatives.rzero.com/
  23. user friendly!! by Akimotos · · Score: 3, Funny

    For two days now, I have been trying to install the hot XP SP2 security update on my Powerbook running OS X. But without luck.

    But guess what? This update by Apple was just a matter of minutes.

    Phew!! Apple sure rules in the field of userfriendlyness...

  24. RAID changes by scruffyMark · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Looks like there might finally be RAID 5 in the works in OS X. No mention of it in any documentation I've seen, but (!!!) among the installed files with 10.3.5 are:
    • /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app/Contents/PlugIns/RAID.dumodule/(...)
    • /System/Library/Extensions/MegaRAID.kext/(...)
    • /usr/sbin/megaraid
    • /usr/share/man/man8/megaraid.8

    None of the megaraid stuff is in 10.3.4. The disk utility plugin was there, it's just been updated.

    The megaraid manpage seems to indicate support for RAID level 5; but the GUI in disk utility still only offers the old 0 and 1.

    So, does anyone know - does the megaraid command support more features than the kernel extension has available yet, or is it just that the GUI isn't there yet? Maybe they just don't put a GUI on it except in the server edition (sneaky buggers!) - anyone with OS X server out there that can check?

    And, in general - anyone out there with a bunch of blank disks they can play around with and see if they can make a RAID 5 set?

    If anyone has OS X server around, and if they're interested, these md5 sums are from the regular OS X; maybe we could compare results:

    807ecfca34f30598207553f1e4a15d28 /usr/sbin/megaraid
    8cc344ea9edce9138acf8803e267e3f6 /System/Library/Extensions/MegaRAID.kext/Contents/ MacOS/MegaRAID

    --

    What is the robbing of a bank, compared to the founding of a bank? -- Bertolt Brecht