OS X...lack of control?

ast3r3xast3r3x
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I was just thinking...like any OS, as more software comes out and as the OS gets used for more years there will be a problem of software conflicts like in any OS. I can't help but feel that X will be harder to trouble shoot then 9. Like down the road say 2yrs when you have tons of crap on your computer and it acts funky, there is no way to set it back to how it was and just turn on add-ons like you coudl do with extensions is there? I love OS X, and I have no problems with it now, but i fear in the future this will be a problem. Am I paranoid or is there something I dont know?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    stupider...likeafoxstupider...likeafox Posts: 1,618member
    You will be glad to hear that you couldn't possibly be more wrong.



    MacOS 9 and below allowed programs to mess with each other and the operating system, that's why dodgy applications could cause your other apps or the entire system to become flaky. OSX removes this problem by fencing each program off so that a crash will only bring down the program responsible. Problems are therefore easy to troubleshoot.



    The only thing you need to really worry about are kernel extensions which don't have this level of protection. This is why hardware problems are a common cause of kernel panics.



    Having said that, if you don't have a backup scheme in place that allows you to completely reinstall your machine while retaining your personal data then you are a fool (no offense ). Apple + OS X + .mac are making this easier than ever, and fire, theft and acts of god are a constant threat regardless of operating system so just do it, you can thank me when the inevitable happens.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Its good to hear that, I guess i never really considered add-ons getting the type of barrier OS X puts with applications. As for backup I do back up...well ok ok i dont i lied, but I will. THanks, i was just wondering about that. Can applications gain access to the kernel?
  • Reply 3 of 6
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    [quote]Originally posted by ast3r3x:

    <strong>Its good to hear that, I guess i never really considered add-ons getting the type of barrier OS X puts with applications. As for backup I do back up...well ok ok i dont i lied, but I will. THanks, i was just wondering about that. Can applications gain access to the kernel?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Apps don't modify the kernel. But drivers (like a tablet driver) do make modifications to the kernel. They are kext files: kernel extensions. OS X dynamically loads these kext files so if you're not using a piece of hardware, that kext is not loaded up. Overall, system stability shouldn't be a problem - as long as Apple doesn't do something to screw it up.



    Also, you'll know if an application is making any lower level changes to your HD by receiving an authentication box. We're in good shape with this OS for a long time to come.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    i always get an error about fire.kext



    i was getting 3 errors about kext files and deleted the other 2 files from 9 and it works fine, should i be deleting these when they give me a problem or is that bad?
  • Reply 5 of 6
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Deleting files in /System: BAD.



    Deleting files in /Library: Go for it.
  • Reply 6 of 6
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Kick is right. You should NEVER muck with the /System folder unless you know exactly what you are doing and what the repercussions of your actions will be. Mac OS X puts the /System folder off-limits and read-only for good reason.
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