Thank you Simon.
I did have the Advanced options chosen, but have now deselected per your advice. I guess I was misinterpreting how these selections operated.
Thank you for your response.
Here is the thing: version 11.5.2 is vague about what is being changed, and per TidBits, the issue of whether or not to upgrade to this version (from 11.5.1) is unknown. Plus, no security updates were explicitly mentioned in the Apple “release notes”.
The one setting you’ll most likely want to make sure to keep selected is “Install system data files and security updates”. If you deselect that you won’t even get malware definition updates and the like (XProtect, MRT). You most likely do not want to turn those off.
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That’s a perfectly reasonable attitude. If Apple can’t be bothered to tell us what is being improved, why should anyone bother rendering their Mac unusable for 30 min and going through another 3+ GB of their bandwidth?
Well known and credentialed Mac experts have pointed out repeatedly how bad this lack of detail is. Maybe if more users stop installing these undocumented updates, Apple will start getting the message.
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I installed it. As far as I can tell, it didn’t break anything and it didn’t fix anything.
I had hoped it might attenuate the diskarbitrationd process, which utilizes about 99% CPU for a minute at a time on a too-frequent basis. What is that anyway? It runs whether or not there is an extra disk. What is it arbitrating?
All good advice, but you also must have the first “Check for Updates” enabled.
Although I see nothing in what you have said as a good reason to delay, I certainly agree with most of what you have said. I’ll just disagree with your use of the term “vague” in that to me Apple hasn’t revealed anything about what was changed and responded to a request by Enterprise IT’s that no more details would be revealed at this time.
Just because no security updates have been explicitly mentioned is not all that unusual. There are many instances of such details being delayed until all Apple OS’s have also been updated and released for the same vulnerability. I’ll just add that it usually doen’t take this long to get those other instances out, but perhaps there are some other mitigating circumstances.
Howard Oakley mentions in the last paragraph here that “evidence points to Apple having made significant security fixes in 11.5.2, as well as fixing bugs across important frameworks.” What else changed in Big Sur 11.5.2 update?
After not knowing that this upgrade was even available on my M1 Mac mini, since installing it I notice that that in Displays there is no longer an option to use HDR (I’m using a Dell 27" 4K monitor) - when choosing that previously it use to set my monitor to use Ypbpr instead of RGB. I suppose that has ‘fixed’ that issue now…!?
Well, here’s one thing that seems to have changed, the startup chime no longer chimes. I had enabled it a while back ref:TipBITS: Enable the Startup Chime on New Macs - TidBITS with the nvram command. Been working fine until now. Pretty sure it stopped working after I upgraded to 11.5.2. Checked and the StartupMute parameter is still =%00. Obviously not a big deal but it was kinda neat while it was there.
Thank you again, Simon,
I agree with you completely. The only settings I currently have selected in the “advanced” area of Software-Update are “Install system data files and security updates”, and “Check for updates”. I will keep these selections and not select the other options available.
Ok, here is a summary of my position:
- I originally posted to this topic, based on, I wanted to regain my control over what gets updated and when with respect to my Mac software, instead of Apple making the decision for me. I feel that goal has been accomplished, with some help (thanks again, Simon.) :: I admit posting to this particular TidBits article is a little bit off-topic, but the software-update Apple was threatening (without my control/decision) was precisely this macOS version 11.5.2.
- My intent was NOT to get into an endless debate, arguing for or against what is contained in release 11.5.2, and whether or not one should incorporate this update for his or her Mac. I have already made that decision, and am happy with my choice as it stands.
I installed the 11.5.2 update from 11.4, and it seems to have fixed a long list of bugs I had, including display glitches and app crashes.
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I started having an issue with SoftRAID in locking up drives supposedly failing a test and requiring a restart to unlock. SoftRAID is blaming Apple. This problem has been happening to others before the upgrade but not for me until the upgrade. Maybe just a coincidence.
Beware. I got the update alert on my MacBook Pro but not on my iMac Pro. The MacBook is my workhorse, so I checked Software Update on the iMac Pro, and chose to install 11.5.2.
My work involves highly sensitive information so I use an Apple-encrypted external HDD for file transfers, not wifi. This drive is always the first thing I test after a change on either Mac.
I get an alert now saying that it can’t be unlocked when I connect it to the iMac, and it clicks like crazy. But it unlocks fine when I connect it to the MacBook, without any clicking.
This is engineered behaviour. I no longer trust Apple.
And sure enough, it turned Airdrop on. I’ve just found. How on earth does Apple do this? Is it malice or incompetence? APPLE: STOP CHANGING MY SETTINGS!!!