Apple Releases iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1 Ventura, watchOS 9.2, and tvOS 16.2

At this point, I’m not quite ready to say that everyone should upgrade to Ventura, but I don’t see any real problem in doing so. I’ve been running it with no problems (other than the ugliness of System Settings) on my M1 MacBook Air since launch. I plan to update my 2020 27-inch iMac over the break, but that’s going to take more time because I want to do a complete rebuild from scratch to clear out all the cruft that accumulates from testing hundreds of apps.

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One specific issue for those using Arq backup: Coincident with the installation of macOS 13.1 (not observed on 13.0), my Arq backups are consistently throwing the error “Failed to get contents of directory: Interrupted system call.” The errors are always targeting the “Data” sub-folder of a parent folder at the path “~/Library/Containers/”. The intervening folder varies, and the number of errors per backup varies as well (anywhere from 1 to around 12). Arq support simply says “We’re working with Apple to get an answer to what’s causing this,” which leaves me with the impression they have a number of customers reporting this.

Files are still being backed up, but each backup run is delayed approximately 5-10 minutes per error (according to the log), and my backup retention rules, space budget, and unreferenced data pruning are not being enforced (standard behavior any time Arq encounters an error during backup).

I’ll keep my eye open for this, but for now I’m not seeing this backing up on Arq on two Macs (one Intel, one an M2) which both are backing up some folders in ~/Library/Containers (different folders on each machine.)

As it turns out, I’m also backing up two 13.1 Macs. My MacBook is the one referred to in my post above. The other is a brand new Mini M1. Oddly enough, when I first updated the Mini from 13.0 to 13.1, it had similar errors on the first couple backups, and then they stopped happening. What’s the difference, and what changed? Beats me. I will say the Mini is very, very lightly used (as in days between user activity).

I’ve had Ventura 13.1 for 3 days now on 2 M2 MBAs. Only a few minor problems: I can’t connect to a hospital WiFi where I had no problem before, but they tell me their system hasn’t changed and doesn’t seem problematic; the Mac couldn’t connect to an HP printer until I removed and reinstalled it; TechTool Pro isn’t yet compatible with Ventura (they say they’re working on it).

My late 2017 21.5 inch iMac (with the OS living on a 1 GB card in the processor direct slot) and my 16” Intel MacBook Pro are still on Catalina. All this stuff and simultaneous multi-device updates because of an apparently exploited WebKit vulnerability make me wonder whether it’s finally time to update to the current macOS, since no updates to macOS were released with this wave. Anybody know?

Yes, if you’re concerned about the WebKit bug that’s being exploited, you’ll want to upgrade to either macOS 13.1 Ventura, or to Safari 16.2 with either of the previous versions of macOS.

Updating to Safari 16.2 is not an option available to me. I’m currently running Catalina 10.15.7 and don’t know whether Catalina and/or Safari 15.6.1 (Software Update shows no available updates) is unaffected by the WebKit exploit and therefore not patched, or whether Apple now considers them “legacy” OS and application software that no longer justify maintenance updates.

Does anyone here know the answer to that? I don’t have any absolute need to upgrade my iMac and MacBook Pro to the “Apple Silicon” hosting current OS and app versions, but if I’m leaving myself open to attack if I DON’T update, I’ll do so.

Thanks so much,
Jim Robertson

I had the same problem with my HP printer and solved it the same way.

You guys just made me feel a bit better. :slight_smile: I had updated to Ventura a couple weeks ago and only just the other day to 13.1. I hadn’t even thought about updating software/drivers for my b/w HP LaserJet at home. But I printed to it several times already and so far all looks just fine, no trouble at all. So perhaps my very humble HP printer is just not fancy enough to cause any trouble. :+1: I’ll take that as a win. :wink:

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Most (not sure about all of them) of HP’s laser printers use some version of PCL, with many also including PostScript.

So even if you don’t have a model-specific driver, you should be able to print using a generic PCL or PS driver. Generic drivers may not support all of your printer’s features, but they should support the most important basic ones (paper size, number/type of paper trays, print resolution, duplexing), even if they don’t support the more advanced ones (built-in color calibration, hardware halftoning, etc.)

And in some cases, even a generic driver can support model-specific features. This is commonly the case with PostScript, where the “driver” is commonly a PPD file used in conjunction with a generic driver.

This, BTW, is one of the reasons why I explicitly look for PCL and/or PS support in every printer I buy. So I will always have a fallback option (generic drivers), should model-specific drivers no longer become available.

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Yes, Catalina is too old to receive any more updates, security fixes or otherwise. You’ll need to upgrade to Big Sur, Monterey, or Ventura to get Safari 16.2.

Although Apple hasn’t explicitly said that Catalina and Safari 15.6.1 are vulnerable to this WebKit vulnerability, the company did say it affected versions of iOS prior to iOS 15.1. That, coupled with the fact that Apple did release Safari 16.2 for Big Sur and Monterey to address it leads me to believe that Catalina and Safari 15.6.1 is vulnerable. Of course, that’s likely been true for years, so it’s probably not a vulnerability being exploited en masse, but one that was used to target high-value individuals.

In short, I would recommend that you upgrade soon, but not in a panicky fashion. Take some time, make sure your software is 64-bit compatible, and then make the jump to something more modern. (And I frankly wouldn’t bother upgrading to Big Sur or Monterey if your hardware can go to Ventura; it’s not worth the effort.)

Perhaps should’ve said that my HP printer problem was on an M1 Air running 13.1 connected to a HP MF B&W wirelessly via a Synology RT2600AC router that the printer is connected to by ethernet. The Air was running 13.0.1 until yesterday, but I don’t print from it often and so am not sure if the problem began with Ventura. Anyway, it was solved by reinstalling the driver.

Haven’t updated my M1 Mini (still running 13.0.1 and printing fine) which connects to the same printer by ethernet wired to the same router. I guess it’s possible it’s a wireless-only issue. We’ll see.

Thanks so much for that. Going back one episode of Tidbits in my email inbox I discover that updates to MS Office ALSO require a newer OS on my Macs, so now I have TWO reasons to update. I’ll make sure both my laptop and desktop are compatible with Ventura (if I still lived in physical California I’d rather settle in Monterey, but that’s an issue for a different alternative reality :sunglasses:

A follow-up on this: Arq released version 7.19.8.3 which has fixed the problem.

Or alternatively, switch to a different web browser that is still receiving regular updates on Catalina.

Firefox requires 10.12 (“Sierra”) or later, so that’s one option.

Microsoft Edge requires 10.13 (“High Sierra”) or later, so that’s another option.

Other browsers have other minimum requirements, which may be compatible with Catalina.

A post was split to a new topic: New Home architecture in iOS 16.2

Recent experiences of it still happening, with lesser accessed networks, lead me to think it might be connected with the introduction of the ability to reveal a WiFi password?

(Although they were always stored in the keychain, and could be retrieved on a Mac ever since the introduction of iCloud Keychain.)

Regardless, it’s still very annoying.

This doesn’t mean that there isn’t some sort of bug, but I’m not seeing that at all. I haven’t all through iOS 16.

I know it can be a pain in the neck, but have you tried resetting network settings? Settings / General / Transfer or Reset phone, tap “Reset” at the bottom, tap reset network settings.

This will forget all WiFi network passwords, but if you’re having an issue with network settings, this would be the first step to solve the problem.

I’m just re-entering them as I encounter them, those remaining will be places I visit less often. It does remember them afterwards, whereas if I were to reset network settings now I’d definitely have to reenter them, including those already done.