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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."

17 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. :)

      --
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  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

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    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. 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.
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    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.

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  5. Downloading it right now on XP by pyrrhonist · · Score: 4, Funny

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

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    Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  6. 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.

  7. 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.
  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.

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    - Sherman
  9. 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!

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      taken! (by Davidleeroth) Thanks Bingo Foo!
  10. 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.

  11. 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...

  12. 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 :)

  13. 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.
  14. 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

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