Filed under: Tips and tricks, Software Update, Troubleshooting
The Dangers of Updating: Don't Do Anything While Optimizing
Gruber points to this post by Rosyna at Unsanity regarding a bug in Apple's Software Updater. According to Rosyna, "when you see the 'Optimizing System Performance' phase of a software update, Mac OS X is really updating prebinding. Updating prebinding has a very, very nasty bug in it... If multiple processes are updating prebinding at the same time, then it is possible for a system file to be completely zero'd out. Basically, all data in the file is deleted and it is replaced with nothing." Yikes! Rosyna claims most of the problems that arise from software updates are manifestations of this bug. The upshot: "When 'Optimize System Performance' appears during the update process do not touch your computer and definitely do not launch any applications." I know some are inclined to blame the Unsanity APEs for pretty much any and everything, but I think it's worth considering what Rosyna has to say.In response to this Gruber points to a old post of his own on updating (we even mentioned it back in the day). Basically, Gruber advises waiting a full day until after the update is released, then installing the update clean (with no other applications running), letting it finish, and then rebooting. These seem like prudent steps, and probably worth the hassle in order to avoid the prebinding bug.
Update: fixed.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Appleologist said 9:33PM on 3-17-2007
Yep. This happened to me a few years ago. Ended up erasing and installing with no backup. Luckily it was just the system "b-tree" that was corrupted and all my data was able to be saved. Learned my lesson...
Reply
Tournevis said 10:05PM on 3-17-2007
This happened to me Wednesday, in between two classes. I had to give my evening class sans computer. What a pain.
Luckily for me, I did not loose any data and I only had to reinstall the system. Easy. But not quick, nor simple.
Reply
Zer said 10:12PM on 3-17-2007
We all know Unsanitys APEs killed Kennedy.
Reply
Dan Dickinson said 10:22PM on 3-17-2007
And Apple's official policy is they automatically drop all crash reports that show APE as being loaded.
http://lists.apple.com/archives/carbon-dev/2007/Mar/msg00225.html
Reply
Wheels said 11:29PM on 3-17-2007
"We all know Unsanitys APEs killed Kennedy."
Damn. She was a babe, too. Always wondered what happened to her.
Reply
uros said 12:57AM on 3-18-2007
*sigh* ... these 10.4.9 bugs make me want Leopard even more...
p.s. the only bugs I've encountered so far: system volume is twice as loud..... and the OS X Dictionary and the Ctrl-Cmd-D command are now useless :(
p.p.s. not really sure if doing less during the update could have prevented this... it just appears that this is a buggy update.
Reply
Matt Carrell said 2:19AM on 3-18-2007
I have found this process always ensures a smooth update:
1. Fix permissions before performing any update.
2. Shut down everything(!) except Finder if doing an OS update. Otherwise, just shut down the applications that are specifically being updated.
3. Run the update, but use the update option from the menu that keeps the installer package (incase you need to reinstall an unsuccessful update).
4. DO NOTHING DURING THE ACTUAL INSTALL PHASE.
5. When it's done, restart the computer, run permissions fixing again.
IF you encounter the bizarre Mac does not finish the restart bug (forever swirling on the white screen before log-in), after 15 minutes, give up, it's having this kind of error.. Simply hold power until off. Then when you start up, all will be well.
I have never had to reinstall the OS once because of a bad update, using this exact procedure every time!
Reply
Nick said 5:29AM on 3-18-2007
"3. We all know Unsanitys APEs killed Kennedy."
It's badly-written unsafe software that numerous people both within and outside Apple have strongly advised against and that has caused any number of well-documented problems. Here is one example of a professional opinion on it:
http://www.glorifiedtypist.com/2005/11/labor_saving_devices.html#comment-21
Moreover, the "developer" quoted has such a poor understanding of security that even his colleague, Jason, felt obliged to distance himself from the absurd and ill-informed opinions he expressed here:
http://groups.google.com/group/moabfixes?lnk=srg
He's a nutcase when it comes to security.
But none of this is to the point. For the OP is about OS X updates not the ludicrous "APE".
John Gruber's advice on that seems sound.
Reply
Harald Hanche-Olsen said 12:57PM on 3-18-2007
There's one thing about this I don't quite get. It is well known among unix sysadmins that some tasks are best done in single user mode, system upgrades being one of them. If Apple can safely do a system upgrade while in multiuser, that's fine, but if the final part of the upgrade is not safe in multiuser mode, the obvious solution is not to do it! Instead, that part should be deferred to after the reboot, and the task finished while the system is still in single user mode. If course, since this will make the boot seem to take unusually long, reassuring words should appear on the screen, preferably along with a progress bar. If yet another reboot is required after that, then just let the system do it. So why isn't it done this way! It's hardly rocket science after all.
Reply
trav said 10:03AM on 3-18-2007
I thought prebinding was depricated in 10.4, since it no longer reduced launch times
Reply
MxSix said 1:15PM on 3-18-2007
I wouldn't suggest using applications during ANY of the update process.
Reply
sriracha said 4:37PM on 3-18-2007
Here's the process that's always worked for me:
1. Do nothing to prepare, aside from maybe quitting running applications. Do not repair permissions; do not clear caches; do not sacrifice virgins.
2. Run the update in Software Update. Wait for it to finish.
3. That's all.
Reply
Kyle said 5:13PM on 3-18-2007
Rosyna is a girl, by the way.
Reply
Howard Jeffrey said 7:36PM on 3-18-2007
#13:
I agree. Old school rule #1:
"When installing software: LEAVE THE F**KING COMPUTER ALONE! Can you do that for five minutes while the crap installs?"
I have been using these apple things since the eighties and have never had to reinstall system software or reformat a drive or anything. Kind of why I still use them:-)
Reply
bobics said 7:06AM on 3-19-2007
I'm pretty sure updating prebinding doesn't only occur during the install, but potentially after reboot too. After installing the 10.4.9 update on my MacBook and rebooting, I saw the udpate_prebinding process running in Activity Monitor. (/usr/bin/update_prebinding)
Reply
jonas said 9:20AM on 3-19-2007
no mactaliban comments regarding this? oh, wait, this was os x not windows.
Reply
paul said 10:32AM on 3-20-2007
i don't get it, i've never had to do any preparation or shut down any programs during a system update and everything has gone smoothly for me. am i just lucky or something? i'm also using the programs (mostly itunes and web browsing) during the update, acknowledging the prompts until it tells me to reboot.
Reply
gshearman said 9:50PM on 3-24-2007
To poster #7 - do you also rub the belly of the nearest voodoo doll while diligently repairing permissions both before and after a software update?
I thought it was common knowledge these days that repairing permissions CAN NOT prevent problems from occuring. It is only usefull in fixing problems, not preventing them.
Reply