Sources detail changes to Snow Leopard installation process
People familiar with Apple's upcoming Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system are corroborating reports this week that the software has achieved Golden Master status, adding some additional insight on various enhancements and changes that users will notice during the installation process when compared to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.
Build 10A432 reportedly went GM a bit earlier this week and is currently on its way to manufacturing, where it will pressed onto optical media ahead of a formal availability date next month. The GM build also began making its way into the hands of some Apple Care support representatives and Apple Technicians on Wednesday.
Some of the changes and enhancements to the Snow Leopard installation process are as follows:
Although Rosetta and Quicktime 7 are both included on the Mac OS X 10.6 installation DVD, both are designated as optional installs by default. However, if Mac OS X 10.6 is being installed on a Mac that contains a registration key for Quicktime 7 Pro, the installer will install Quicktime 7 automatically.
Options to "Erase and Install" and "Archive and Install" are no longer present in the Mac OS X 10.6 installer. According to those familiar with the software, this was done for convenience, so that users do not accidentally erase and install their Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard partitions. However, "Erase and Install" remains available through Disk Utility, which is also included on the installation DVD.
If you need to reinstall 10.6, it automatically archives and installs for you.
A reinstallation will not affect your Mac OS X version number. In other words, reinstallation of Mac OS X 10.6 on a Mac that contains Mac OS X 10.6.1 (when it becomes available) will not overwrite any new components delivered by 10.6.1. So when the re-install is complete, you will still be running Mac OS X 10.6.1. This will save users considerable time.
There is no "Previous System" folder at the root level after reinstalling.
If a power outage occurs, installation will pick up from where it left off.
To prevent the Blue Screen error that plagued some users when upgrading to Mac OS X 10.5, a software compatibility check is included that has a list of known "bad" apps, and disables them. Those programs are moved to an "Incompatible Software" folder.
Unlike Mac OS X 10.5, you cannot install Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on computers where the hard drive reports a S.M.A.R.T. failure.
Installation initially triggers a large chunk of data to be copied from the installation DVD to the user's primary hard drive. The bulk of the installation is then managed from the hard drive, speeding up the installation process considerably. After a successful installation, that large chunk of data is automatically removed.
Mac OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard is priced at $29 for the single user license and $49 for the five-license family pack. The upgrade prices are available for users of the current version of Mac OS X, 10.5 Leopard. Snow Leopard will only be available for Mac users on Intel-based computers.
Also available is Mac OS X Server 10.6 Snow Leopard. Priced at $499, Leopard Server is said to be the most significant improvement to the server operating system since Mac OS X Server was launched. Amazon is also selling box sets with Snow Leopard, featuring the OS, iWork and iLife for $169 and the five-license family pack, iWork and iLife for $229.
For more on Apple's upcoming operating system, read AppleInsider's extensive Road to Snow Leopard series
For the sake of completeness, AppleInsider notes that it has heard some rumors that Snow Leopard could be released as early as August 24. However, these anecdotal tips cannot be confirmed with any degree of certainty at this time.
Build 10A432 reportedly went GM a bit earlier this week and is currently on its way to manufacturing, where it will pressed onto optical media ahead of a formal availability date next month. The GM build also began making its way into the hands of some Apple Care support representatives and Apple Technicians on Wednesday.
Some of the changes and enhancements to the Snow Leopard installation process are as follows:
Although Rosetta and Quicktime 7 are both included on the Mac OS X 10.6 installation DVD, both are designated as optional installs by default. However, if Mac OS X 10.6 is being installed on a Mac that contains a registration key for Quicktime 7 Pro, the installer will install Quicktime 7 automatically.
Options to "Erase and Install" and "Archive and Install" are no longer present in the Mac OS X 10.6 installer. According to those familiar with the software, this was done for convenience, so that users do not accidentally erase and install their Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard partitions. However, "Erase and Install" remains available through Disk Utility, which is also included on the installation DVD.
If you need to reinstall 10.6, it automatically archives and installs for you.
A reinstallation will not affect your Mac OS X version number. In other words, reinstallation of Mac OS X 10.6 on a Mac that contains Mac OS X 10.6.1 (when it becomes available) will not overwrite any new components delivered by 10.6.1. So when the re-install is complete, you will still be running Mac OS X 10.6.1. This will save users considerable time.
There is no "Previous System" folder at the root level after reinstalling.
If a power outage occurs, installation will pick up from where it left off.
To prevent the Blue Screen error that plagued some users when upgrading to Mac OS X 10.5, a software compatibility check is included that has a list of known "bad" apps, and disables them. Those programs are moved to an "Incompatible Software" folder.
Unlike Mac OS X 10.5, you cannot install Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on computers where the hard drive reports a S.M.A.R.T. failure.
Installation initially triggers a large chunk of data to be copied from the installation DVD to the user's primary hard drive. The bulk of the installation is then managed from the hard drive, speeding up the installation process considerably. After a successful installation, that large chunk of data is automatically removed.
Mac OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard is priced at $29 for the single user license and $49 for the five-license family pack. The upgrade prices are available for users of the current version of Mac OS X, 10.5 Leopard. Snow Leopard will only be available for Mac users on Intel-based computers.
Also available is Mac OS X Server 10.6 Snow Leopard. Priced at $499, Leopard Server is said to be the most significant improvement to the server operating system since Mac OS X Server was launched. Amazon is also selling box sets with Snow Leopard, featuring the OS, iWork and iLife for $169 and the five-license family pack, iWork and iLife for $229.
For more on Apple's upcoming operating system, read AppleInsider's extensive Road to Snow Leopard series
For the sake of completeness, AppleInsider notes that it has heard some rumors that Snow Leopard could be released as early as August 24. However, these anecdotal tips cannot be confirmed with any degree of certainty at this time.
Comments
A reinstallation will not affect your Mac OS X version number. In other words, reinstallation of Mac OS X 10.6 on a Mac that contains Mac OS X 10.6.1 (when it becomes available) will not overwrite any new components delivered by 10.6.1. So when the re-install is complete, you will still be running Mac OS X 10.6.1.
If this same care extends throughout the rest of the release then we are in for a treat!
Sounds like they have gone through with a fine tooth comb to make sure the Snow Leopard installation process is robust. This feature alone must have taken considerable time to engineer:
If this same care extends throughout the rest of the release then we are in for a treat!
But if one of the components that needs to be fixed gets updated by the 10.6.1 update, don't u still have the broken component? Or in that case would you just need to reapply the update?
But if one of the components that needs to be fixed gets updated by the 10.6.1 update, don't u still have the broken component? Or in that case would you just need to reapply the update?
My thoughts exactly. Often to fix problems we want to revert to an earlier version.
For the sake of completeness, AppleInsider notes that it has heard some rumors that Snow Leopard could be released as early as August 24. However, these anecdotal tips cannot be confirmed with any degree of certainty at this time.
Hmm... If that turns true, then why not Arrandale-based MBPs around the corner (announced september, available nov/dec ahead of most PC makers) ?
But if one of the components that needs to be fixed gets updated by the 10.6.1 update, don't u still have the broken component? Or in that case would you just need to reapply the update?
My thoughts exactly. Often to fix problems we want to revert to an earlier version.
Perhaps there will be an option to resort to 10.6 or to keep the 10.6.x if you are certain the problem is not with the point update.
My thoughts exactly. Often to fix problems we want to revert to an earlier version.
I was wondering about that myself.
The other thing I found interesting was that you can no longer install on a drive with a S.M.A.R.T failure.
This is why I keep telling people to check their HDDs before installing an OS update or upgrade. You never know what you might find.
This will help, but it still doesn't SOLVE that possible problem.
I was wondering about that myself.
The other thing I found interesting was that you can no longer install on a drive with a S.M.A.R.T failure.
This is why I keep telling people to check their HDDs before installing an OS update or upgrade. You never know what you might find.
This will help, but it still doesn't SOLVE that possible problem.
I'm pretty sure that when the installer boots, the boot process includes checking of the disk structure. So that + checking SMART status would seem to have all the bases covered now, no?
So is Quicktime X going to be Snow Leopard exclusive? And if so, do they intend to continue developing Quicktime 7 in parallel for Tiger, Leopard, and Windows?
Good question. I'd also like to know if it's possible to write plugins for QTX. I'm sure a lot of people currently use Perian and the WMV components from Flip4Mac. Will it be possible for those components to be re-written to work with QTX?
But if one of the components that needs to be fixed gets updated by the 10.6.1 update, don't u still have the broken component? Or in that case would you just need to reapply the update?
This is why it would take the time, solving problems like this!
From my interpretation:
[1] Install 10.6
... sometime in the not too distant future ...
[2] Install 10.6.1 via software update
... sometime later in the not too distant future ...
[3] Reinstall 10.6? system automatically figures out which components to alter/ammend/overwrite to get back to step 2.
I'm pretty sure that when the installer boots, the boot process includes checking of the disk structure. So that + checking SMART status would seem to have all the bases covered now, no?
It?ll be interesting to see what the installer does to make this happen. It?s surely not something to greenlight willy-nilly.
why do we have to go through the same thing at every OS rls. it's called Gold Master. Gold, GOLD! Golden is the egg from the fairy tale.
And don't forget the Golden Eggs from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Good question. I'd also like to know if it's possible to write plugins for QTX. I'm sure a lot of people currently use Perian and the WMV components from Flip4Mac. Will it be possible for those components to be re-written to work with QTX?
All codecs work fine. The QuickTime folder for codecs is still in the same place and gets called teh same way.
why do we have to go through the same thing at every OS rls. it's called Gold Master. Gold, GOLD! Golden is the egg from the fairy tale.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_master
why do we have to go through the same thing at every OS rls. it's called Gold Master. Gold, GOLD! Golden is the egg from the fairy tale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0qm0KUPeD8
If you need to reinstall 10.6, it automatically archives and installs for you.
A reinstallation will not affect your Mac OS X version number. In other words, reinstallation of Mac OS X 10.6 on a Mac that contains Mac OS X 10.6.1 (when it becomes available) will not overwrite any new components delivered by 10.6.1. So when the re-install is complete, you will still be running Mac OS X 10.6.1. This will save users considerable time.
I hope that ability can be toggled off during installation, that's horrible for editors. I'm finishing up a job in FCP6 soon and I was thinking of giving fcp7 a try, imagine when I found a problem and wanted to go back to FCP6 my fcp6 disks were automatically giving me fcp7?