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Apple File System in macOS High Sierra Won't Work With Fusion Drives (arstechnica.co.uk)

Posted by msmash on from the beware dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: MacOS High Sierra will come out of beta and roll out to the public next week. If you have previously installed the beta version, you may need to take extra steps before installing the release so your Fusion Drive-toting machine doesn't experience any negative consequences. Apple announced that the new Apple File system (APFS) won't immediately support Fusion Drives and will only support systems with all-flash built-in storage in the initial release of High Sierra. Those who tested out the beta versions of macOS High Sierra had their Fusion Drives converted to the new APFS. However, support was removed from the most recent beta versions, and it isn't coming back with the public release of High Sierra. Apple provided a set of instructions to help those users convert their Fusion Drives back from APFS to the standard HFS+ format before installing the High Sierra update. The instructions include backing up data using Time Machine, creating a bootable installer, reformatting the machine using Disk Utility, and reinstalling the operating system update.

12 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Re:And this is news? by saloomy · · Score: 5, Informative

    It is news because some people with Fusion Drives expected to be upgraded to the new release and the new filesystem, but now won't. They may be developers, integrators, or whatever, and this lets them know that APFS is delayed for their kit until later.

  2. Re:And this is news? by Sherman+Peabody · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apple's new operating system does not support a feature that they currently sell at a premium because they don't offer large flash drives. That's a significant failure on their part and affects many people who should read this article as advice not to upgrade.

    That's news.

  3. Uhm, That's kinda why it is called a BETA... by MikeDataLink · · Score: 4, Interesting

    That's what happens when you join a beta. The vendor learns things, fixes bugs, delays features, and makes changes.

    I mean seriously. Not trying to be a troll. How is this news?

    --
    Mike @ The Geek Pub. Let's Make Stuff!
    1. Re:Uhm, That's kinda why it is called a BETA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Thats a nice howdoyado for the people beta testing it for free for you.

      Beta testers that expect no inconveniences... seems like the Reality Distortion Field has survived Jobs.

  4. Re:That's courage! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

    So... it's a brownies file system?

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  5. Re: And this is news? by that+this+is+not+und · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Translation: "I don't want to hear about it. It's bad news about Apple and I don't want you to hear it, either."

    Sorry to diasppoint you.

  6. Fusion drive by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Having read a lot of 1950s and 1960s science fiction, I can confidently say that the usual fusion drive is operated by an engineer with a slide rule, not by a computer of any kind.

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  7. Something must be wrong if they removed support by JoeyRox · · Score: 2

    You don't provide device support with a filesystem in a beta and then remove it in the GA release unless something significant was found wrong with it. Like fundamentally wrong with it rather than just a collection of bugs. If I was a beta tester with a fusion drive I would be rather worried now about the state of my data.

  8. Re: And this is news? by NominalLoss · · Score: 2

    Did you even read the summary? It is coming OUT of beta and is a PUBLIC release. Presumably, if you update and have a fusion drive it won't work. So, if you were unaware, that would be a rude surprise, correct? This is important news that needs to be released, otherwise - DESPITE the PUBLIC RELEASE - your hardware might not work. Turn your fanboy down a couple notches.

  9. Re: marketing wank translation by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

    Outside of Apple circles, that's called a SSHD - solid state hard drive. It does not give the best of both types of media.

    No, Fusion drive is not SSHD. SSHD is what Seagate does and provides a NAND flash cache with a 1TB or so spinning drive.

    Fusion Drive is a MacOS X feature that combines an SSD and an HDD together into one volume. In typical shipped configurations, it was a 128GB Samsung 840/850 Pro combined with a standard spinning rust hard drive. It is integrated into the OS X volume manager, and if you Boot Camp, one of the things Boot Camp does is break the Fusion Drive because it doesn't work on Windows. (By breaking it, it turns it into an SSD and HDD).

    While you're right about comments about SSHDs, realize they were done by Seagate and were available in 8GB NAND/1TB configurations, while Apple sells Fusion drive configurations as a 128GB/1TB or 128GB/3TB configuration. (The Mac Mini supports 2 2.5" drives, so a Fusion Drive is one 2.5" SSD one HDD).

  10. Re:And this is news? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

    I'm not a fanboy. Why would I waste my time watching an hour long ad for Apple's shit?
    And clearly, the results are shit don't work.

    Then why do you feel compelled to comment?

    Shit DOES work; there are ZERO horror stories coming from the Public Beta. Apple is just hedging their bets.

  11. Re:And this is news? by jedidiah · · Score: 2

    Except that was a piss poor engineering choice. This mess goes to prove it. They took a device that was designed to be a black box and messed that up.

    They shot their own foot with that nonsense.

    They overcomplicated a situation that didn't need to be.

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.