Apple releases Mac OS X v10.3.8

Yahoo! News ^ | 2/9/2005 | By Peter Cohen - MacCentral

[Swordmaker]

Apple releases Mac OS X v10.3.8

 Technology - MacCentral

Apple on Wednesday posted Mac OS X (news - web sites) v10.3.8. The new version of the operating system is available for download directly from Apple's Web site as a 27.7MB file, and through the Software Update system preference pane. If you don't find it right away through Software Update, be patient, as its distribution is spreading.

According to Apple, key updates in this release include improved OpenGL technology and updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers; improved file sharing and directory services for mixed Mac and PC networks; improved compatibility for third party applications and devices; and previous standalone security updates.

The software is available for download from Apple's Web site either as a Delta Installer, suitable for updating systems running Mac OS X v10.3.7 to v10.3.8, or a Combo Installer, which can update any version of Mac OS X v10.3 to v10.3.8. Information posted to Apple's Web site provides more details about the enhancements made with Mac OS X v10.3.8:

• Addresses an issue with Mac OS X 10.3.7 in which iChat, Mail, or other network-based applications could take a long time to open.

• Addresses an issue in which a computer wouldn't always restart automatically after a power failure, even when the Energy Saver preference option "Restart automatically after a power failure" was selected.

• Improves the performance of Blizzard World of Warcraft's "Full Screen Glow" video feature.

• Improves DVD Player compatibility when playing a movie (using certain ATI Radeon cards) to an external widescreen TV with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

• Resolves an issue in which a "flicker" could be seen when navigating DVD menus in DVD Player on certain PowerBook G4 computers.

• Addresses an issue in which a PowerBook G4 computer would, on rare occasion, wake from sleep with a black screen and not respond to any keyboard, mouse, or trackpad input.

• Addresses "jumping cursor" issues that might occur when using your portable computer's trackpad with your thumb, side of thumb, or a "flat" finger.

• Resolves an issue on certain Power Mac G5 computers where a fan cycles erratically at unexpected times, such as when Seti@home software is running.

• Speeds up Address Book and Mail LDAP lookups that are performed by a Cisco DistributedDirector DNS server.

• Addresses an issue that could prevent clients using the Active Directory plugin from binding to their Active Directory server.

[CheneyChick]

Tiger will work on G3's and G4's.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Nice Apple! Did you bite it? hehehe
Thanks for posting the apple, Too Cool! :)

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Hey Thanks for the apples! Cool :) these apples complete the thread :)

[lainde]

bttt

[neb52]

You can boot this from a CD or install it on your hard drive. It's only a wopping 50MB. Or you could use the fuller version Knoppix.

http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

http://www.knoppix.org/

[syriacus]

Thanks, Swordmaker.

[Cedar]

Really appreciate the help.

FReepers can answer just about any question! Thanks.

[yhwhsman]

Not exactly the site I've seen once before, here's one that explains how to use Knoppix as an emergency repair disk: Computer First Aid Using Knoppix

[af_vet_rr]

Tiger will run on non-G5s. I've ran a preview on my PowerBook through the ADC program. It is/was limited to firewire only Macs I believe, hower I have my doubts about that (not to mention that the XPostFacto folks will probably have Tiger running on eight or nine year old Macs, lol).

I do know that 10.3.8 supposedly helped out those Mac users who have PCI video cards. I believe that's a tip of the hat to the fact that to really make use of some of Tiger's more impressive features, a semi-new video card will be necessary, and so they are trying to leave the PCI crowd with a little bit more performance than they had before 10.3.8. I maybe wrong.

[Barney59]

I updated all machines plus an OSX server with good results, a faster response, overall...

Remember to always REPAIR PERMISSIONS on every machine BEFORE applying any updates and, as was mentioned earlier, it's a good idea to update via the UNIVERSAL updates (available at apple.com)

Cheers!

[Barney59]

What's your take on the DASHBOARD app inclusion to 'TIGER'?

I've used the app Konfabulator in the past, I am curious as to how Expose and Dashboard work together...

Thanks!

[Texas dog]

"Remember to always REPAIR PERMISSIONS on every machine BEFORE applying any updates"

Begging pardon, but what is "repair permissions?"

Just installed 10.3.8; that pesky 'hang-up on wake from sleep' has affected my G4 Powerbook on a number of occasions. Didn't repair any permissions, nor have I ever done so.

[Texas dog]

Is repair permissions something that applies only to a client/server environment?

[af_vet_rr]

What's your take on the DASHBOARD app inclusion to 'TIGER'?

Totally off the wall speculation, but I'll bite.

Two possibilities:

1)Apple likes to recycle their older interface stuff - The ancestor of Dashboard and Konfabulator was 'Desktop Accessories' back in '84 or '85, and implementing it in WebCore would be easy. When you look at how much of NeXT made it into OS X (and a lot more of NeXT made it in than people realize, which is amazing considering NeXT is over 10 years old), it makes sense that they would look around for some neat things from earlier MacOS versions.

2)The other possibility - Dashboard would be great for an OS (or future OS) that is using an HDTV for it's display, because I believe it scales very smoothly up or down, regardless of resolution. Some future variant of the Mac mini may become the perfect home theater machine, and having those sorts of "gadgets" (weather, calculator, stocks, etc.) would be a nice little touch, if we actually have a convergence of TV/computers/etc.

That's little consolation to the Konfabultor guys - I'm sure they would have preferred Apple paid them to develop Dashboard, but Dashboard uses slightly different technology (WebCore as opposed to whatever Konfabulator uses) and it's something that Apple did 20 years ago. They probably didn't feel the need to pay the Konfabulator guys, since Apple had developed and/or used the idea long ago .

I do believe the Konfabulator guys did the right thing though, after their initial whining and moping and everybody pointing out to them that Konfabulator wasn't exactly original, they began working hard on a version for Windows. They will probably make 10 times as much, especially when Tiger does come out and Windows users see Dashboard.

[Cedar]

Thanks for that link. Now I see why I miss the good old simple days. :)

But it all may be easier than it reads. At least there's an option in case Windows fails, right?

Thanks again for taking time to help. I'll download it with the instructions.....(and hope that I won't need to use them).

[Barney59]

I'm sorry to have been late in replying to your excellent take on my querry...

Good call on the old Mac Desktop Access... I'd forgotten about that!

I knew the NeXT-step kernel was a key part in Jobs' return (his $ reason, certainly)...

I dabbled with Konfabulator but found that my workspace was being filled with little kitchy things... Less is more for me so out they went (clunk)...

I'm interested in the Dashboard/exposé style reveal and hide... that's cool...

Now for that liquid cooled G5 laptop! ha ha!

http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macdesign/pBookG5.html

Best, B-59