How does software update work?

giantgiant
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
So I was playing with my firewall and it got me to wondering exactly how software update works. How does it know what software I have and don't have? What exactly is it reading. It searches super quick, but I have all of my applications in subfolders in the applications folder.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    kecksykecksy Posts: 1,002member
    The operating has a log file that lists what Apple software you have installed on your computer. You can view by going to the Software Update control pannel and clicking on the Installed Updates tab.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    giantgiant Posts: 6,041member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kecksy

    The operating has a log file that lists what Apple software you have installed on your computer. You can view by going to the Software Update control pannel and clicking on the Installed Updates tab.



    That only seems to list software updates installed with Software Update itself. For instance, I almost always download the .pkg and install manually, so I only have 4 things from august in that log.
  • Reply 3 of 10
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Also look in /Library/Receipts/.
  • Reply 4 of 10
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    It should allow you to uninstall updates and Rewind the Drive in general.
  • Reply 5 of 10
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    It also looks in the Applications folder too, because I remember a problem with people wanting to put all their applications in subfolders. When they moved Apple software out of their Applications folder software update would either tell them they needed what they already had or said that there was no software to update when there was, I don't remember which. I think Kickaha discussing this once... I don't know if this was the only thread I saw on it, but it's the one I found



    http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...cations+folder
  • Reply 6 of 10
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    No, it uses the /Library/Receipts/ to find what's installed... the problem with the subfolders was that the Installer package had the application paths hardwired in as /Applications/iTunes.app and such. Separate issue.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Aquatic

    It should allow you to uninstall updates and Rewind the Drive in general.



    Which would require archiving all the files it's replacing... oy. You think the Receipts take up a lot of room *now*...
  • Reply 8 of 10
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    Oh yeah, sorry. I knew it was a problem with something relating updating software and moving apps out of that folder.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by iBrowse

    Oh yeah, sorry. I knew it was a problem with something relating updating software and moving apps out of that folder.



    No problem. It was still a silly limitation. :P (I mean really, how hard can it be to deduce the proper app path by *finding* the app in the first place??)
  • Reply 10 of 10
    slackulaslackula Posts: 262member
    For me, Software Update always seems to sense available updates for iMovie, OS X, etc., but not for FCP on my computer. Am I doing something wrong, or does software update only sense available updates for Apple's software that is built into or otherwise "comes with" the operating system? Thanks!!
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