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Weblog:   Why I am not a platform zealot
Subject:   oops, rewind and restart
Date:   2004-05-27 08:13:03
From:   Prince Charles
From my experience the Mac is most vulnerable at the point of system updates. This is, I think, partially Apple's fault and partially the user's fault.


The user's fault: There are a number of third party applications that should be inactivated prior to performing a system update. This include, but are not limited to, the popular haxies from Unsanity. I've made it a habit to restart my system with all third party preference panes and haxies inactive before updating.


Apple's fault: In everyday usage, for whatever reason, file persmissions tend to become incorrect. This seems (note the squirrel word 'seems') to have an impact on updates. After having two disasterous updates similar to yours, I began performing a permissions repair before running an update.


Since I am responsible for computer labs I do a fair number of updates each year. Since taking the two above mentioned steps, I've not had a single update disaster.


As to your allegation that Apple's disk repair utility is worthless: Nonsense. Whatever your problem was, it might have been beyond the ability of the application to repair it. But in regular every day usage I find it to be the tool that I use 90% of the time.


Basically you have made the mistake of thinking that your problem is a problem of general experience. I don't think that is the case


Now, lets talk about my PC lab that is once again half dead thanks to a Microsoft update package. Or not. I'm too depressed to think about it.
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  • oops, rewind and restart
    2004-05-27 10:23:24  Justin Gehtland | O'Reilly Author [View]

    Actually, I don't think my problem was one of general experience. I think my problem was very specific to me, and probably 90% of people will never experience anything like it.

    I just happened to spend three days trying to fix it, and two days later, got pounded with some "Macs never have those kinds of problems" statements from my Mac-loving friends. Clearly, they do. Just like everybody else.

    And, I thought it went without saying that I was having problems with Windows and Linux. Anybody want to tell me why my Shrike box drops wireless signal after 10-15 minutes on alternating days? ;-)

    I was not trying to run-down the Mac. Just my Mac-zealot friends. ;-)
  • oops, rewind and restart
    2004-05-27 10:16:51  jmincey [View]

    I agree that OS X has historically been far too vulnerable to changes in file/folder permissions -- and that it has not been good about dynamically cleaning up after itself (or after third-party installations have wrought their havoc. However, one thing you don't mention (and perhaps have not observed) is that Apple has made great strides in this area with Panther and in particular as of version 10.3.2 (and now through 10.3.4).

    I can't speak to your experience, of course, but mine is that Disk Utility reports far fewer problems in this regard than ever before -- even after my having run a number of software updates and installations. So this is a most welcome development and I trust you will find this to be true as well.

    -Jeff Mincey
Showing messages 1 through 2 of 2.