Apple details fix for hanging Software Update installs
Apple this week published a support document advising Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard users on how to resolve a problem that may cause Software Update to hang while attempting to apply software updates.
"When attempting to update software using Software Update in Mac OS X 10.5, the update process may stop responding while 'Configuring installation' is visible in the update window," the company said. "This can occur if Software Update attempts to install an update that was only partially downloaded."
To resolve the issue, Apple recommends that you quit Software Update and then navigate to the directory on your hardware where the contents of pre-installed software updates reside. To get there, select "Go to Folder" from the Go menu in the Finder and type in "/Library/Updates" without the quotes, then click Go.
When the directory opens, delete the entire contents of the folder by selecting every item and moving it to the trash. Once this is completed, you can use Software Update again to re-download and install the update.
If the hanging issue occurs while installing an update after you've logged out of your Mac OS X account (such as an update that requires you to restart), shut down your Mac by holding down the power button, then power it back on and complete the steps above.
To avoid the hanging issue going forward, Apple advises that users download and install Mac OS X 10.5.6 Update, which better checks the integrity of software update downloads before allowing installation to begin.
Apple notes that several users may have run into the hanging issue while attempting to install Mac OS X 10.5.6. The issue will only be resolved after Mac OS X 10.5.6 is successfully installed.
"When attempting to update software using Software Update in Mac OS X 10.5, the update process may stop responding while 'Configuring installation' is visible in the update window," the company said. "This can occur if Software Update attempts to install an update that was only partially downloaded."
To resolve the issue, Apple recommends that you quit Software Update and then navigate to the directory on your hardware where the contents of pre-installed software updates reside. To get there, select "Go to Folder" from the Go menu in the Finder and type in "/Library/Updates" without the quotes, then click Go.
When the directory opens, delete the entire contents of the folder by selecting every item and moving it to the trash. Once this is completed, you can use Software Update again to re-download and install the update.
If the hanging issue occurs while installing an update after you've logged out of your Mac OS X account (such as an update that requires you to restart), shut down your Mac by holding down the power button, then power it back on and complete the steps above.
To avoid the hanging issue going forward, Apple advises that users download and install Mac OS X 10.5.6 Update, which better checks the integrity of software update downloads before allowing installation to begin.
Apple notes that several users may have run into the hanging issue while attempting to install Mac OS X 10.5.6. The issue will only be resolved after Mac OS X 10.5.6 is successfully installed.
Comments
Can't they just release a better version? 10.5.6.1? I know it's a tad ridiculous to go that far with the number (GOD FORBID) but I really don't ever plan on installing this and dealing with the headache.
I'm installed it and seen it install on about 2 dozen machines and none of them went wrong. I wonder really how many folks are having trouble. probably not that many compared to the successes.
as for a better version. they likely are working on fixing it now that they should have some data on the issue. but for those that grabbed it and got stuck they didn't want to act like they are clueless and don't care. and it's info for those at the tech bars in the stores to fix the issue. though they likely already know that delete and try again trick.
Apple notes that several users may have run into the hanging issue while attempting to install Mac OS X 10.5.6. The issue will only be resolved after Mac OS X 10.5.6 is successfully installed.
No kidding? Tautology at its finest!
I'm installed it and seen it install on about 2 dozen machines and none of them went wrong. I wonder really how many folks are having trouble. probably not that many compared to the successes.
I don't know if your example is saying much. If you're managing computers for a company, those Macs may be set up more homogenously than those of the general population, where most of the computers more or less have the same general set of applications. It may be a conflict with some framework that isn't installed on the computers you maintain, or some system preference setting, or third party preference pane that you don't use.
Can't they just release a better version? 10.5.6.1? I know it's a tad ridiculous to go that far with the number (GOD FORBID) but I really don't ever plan on installing this and dealing with the headache.
The only reason to put out another version is if the first one had errors or was wrong. An installation problem because the patch wasn't fully downloaded is another thing altogether.
It's also not "headache" if you don't intend installing it, and by far the majority of those installing it had no problems whatsoever anyway. You are seriously overstating the problem here.
The only reason to put out another version is if the first one had errors or was wrong. An installation problem because the patch wasn't fully downloaded is another thing altogether.
It's also not "headache" if you don't intend installing it, and by far the majority of those installing it had no problems whatsoever anyway. You are seriously overstating the problem here.
Well said. There is nothing wrong with the installer or the update. I had a slight hiccup with my iMac G5, but it had nothing to do with the integrity of the update itself. Fixed a disk error with Disk Utility, ran the Combo Update again, and all is good.
Of course what Apple could do is build in more error checking into the Software Update installer to make sure that it doesn't try to install an incomplete download.
As the size of the updates grow, this sort of thing is more likely to crop up in the future. I wonder how it's going to turn out with Snow Leopard, which is supposed to have a smaller HD footprint?
The only reason to put out another version is if the first one had errors or was wrong. An installation problem because the patch wasn't fully downloaded is another thing altogether.
If it's an error in the download, the checksum checking portion of the installer should be able to flag that and abort installation before even trying to perform the installation.
If it's an error in the download, the checksum checking portion of the installer should be able to flag that and abort installation before even trying to perform the installation.
That's the whole point. It would appear that versions of 10.5 prior to 10.5.6 have an issue whereby the installer doesn't check the integrity of the installer file before installing it. Oops.
If you are upgrading to 10.5.6, then by definition you have a version prior to 10.5.6 so you may suffer from this problem. The problem is not with 10.5.6, it's with earlier versions. To fix the problem, you must upgrade to 10.5.6; but in the process of upgrading you may run into the problem that you are trying to fix! Catch 22!
Hopefully, the cocoa-fication of Snow Leopard and the advent of Quicktime X will remove the need for some of these reboots. I'm aware than any changes to the kernel and some system files will always require reboots, but some of the instabilities lately have been jarring.
If it's an error in the download, the checksum checking portion of the installer should be able to flag that and abort installation before even trying to perform the installation.
Granted that Apple is playing a bit fast and loose by not mentioning exactly *why* the download didn't complete in some cases, but it's still a good update. I seem to remember this exact thing happening on a few previous updates but I could be mis-remembering.
How much of this is due to the legacy crud that is the Carbon libraries that OS X is still using for many of its apps? Updates to Safari and Quicktime still require reboots, which is ludicrous considering that the Linux software updates that don't involve the kernel never require reboots.
That's an over-simplification.
I have a CentOS 4 installation (free equivalent of RedHat Enterprise 4, for those unfamiliar) that needs an entire OS update to CentOS 5 in order to run Firefox 3 -- due to library dependencies. There are ways around that to get Firefox 3 installed, but none of that is official (risky and kind of defeats the purpose of running a stable, enterprise-level Linux).
I don't remember being required to do any reboot when I installed Firefox 3 on Ubuntu.
That's an over-simplification.
I have a CentOS 4 installation (free equivalent of RedHat Enterprise 4, for those unfamiliar) that needs an entire OS update to CentOS 5 in order to run Firefox 3 -- due to library dependencies. There are ways around that to get Firefox 3 installed, but none of that is official (risky and kind of defeats the purpose of running a stable, enterprise-level Linux).
How much of this is due to the legacy crud that is the Carbon libraries that OS X is still using for many of its apps? Updates to Safari and Quicktime still require reboots, which is ludicrous considering that the Linux software updates that don't involve the kernel never require reboots.
Hopefully, the cocoa-fication of Snow Leopard and the advent of Quicktime X will remove the need for some of these reboots. I'm aware than any changes to the kernel and some system files will always require reboots, but some of the instabilities lately have been jarring.
The way I've seen that explained is that several programs use the frameworks behind Safari (and I think Quicktime too) such that it makes a reboot necessary. Maybe the underpinnings of the GUI depend on some parts of it too. I'm not that knowledgeable about the underpinnings of OS X to go into any more detail than that.
The way I've seen that explained is that several programs use the frameworks behind Safari (and I think Quicktime too) such that it makes a reboot necessary. Maybe the underpinnings of the GUI depend on some parts of it too. I'm not that knowledgeable about the underpinnings of OS X to go into any more detail than that.
I'd be interested in knowing if these are the legacy frameworks that Apple is looking to get rid of, or if these are the new Cocoa frameworks that Apple is pushing.