My daughter-in-law said she is updating to Big Sur because it's not just in beta anymore. Is this true? If so, why didn't it automatically update on my Mac? I looked at the App store, and the only updates mentioned are apps I already have but not the OS version itself. How does that work? Thanks.

Big Sur is presumably ready for release to the public, but it hasn't been released yet, Rita.

The beta testers are running it at this point, but nobody else yet.

Update: It's been released. You may awaken to it's having already been installed.

Big Sur appeared in my Software Update last night, along with a Security Update for Mojave (my current OS). It's a 12.18 Gb download!

It just turned up in mine. It wasn't there when I responded to Rita 3 hours ago. (I've also got a Safari 14.0.1 update.)

I was a bit surprised that I am no longer offered an update to Catalina.

Same here...only an update to Big Sur in the top part of the Software Update panel.

I haven't been behind the OS in a while, but doesn't Apple traditionally want us to be up to date, i.e. offer only the latest version in Software Update while leaving earlier versions still available from the App Store?

Yep, it hasn't been installed but it asked if I wanted to install updates. I assumed it was my other app as usual so I said install later. Then I checked updates under About this Mac and it was there. It doesn't usually ask I don't think, but maybe it does. It certainly didn't do it automatically.

I had to go looking for it, but it was there this a.m. I expected it to be more automatic.

Since I'm new at automatic updating, I thought it automatically did it. I think it did with the last Catalina update if memory serves (which is doesn't always.) 😔

I think you're right. So, a whole OS and seven updates passed me by. I suppose this one will pass me by, as well, unless I suddenly need a new M1 Mac.

I'll guess that auto-upDATE doesn't extend to new versions of macOS, which are upGRADES.

It's not a given that users who want to be up to date within one OS version also want to go on to the next version immediately.

Well, I guess that's a good thing. Do you have Big Sur? Do you like it? Any big glitches?

My last two issue with Big Sur were fixed in the MacOS 11.0.1 release candidate 2. Now I am just waiting for my new Mac mini with Apple's M1 SoC inside to try it in its native environment.

Do you think I should wait a little while? I'm not in the mood for glitches. My Message app is already acting up with people's text responses above my questions!

I'm not upgrading just yet, because Audio Hijack, which is one of my critical apps, has got only initial Big Sur compatibility.

On the bright side, though, I was pleased as punch to learn that Canon, which I've never considered to be terribly Mac friendly, has issued a Big Sur compatible driver for my imageCLASS LBP6000 printer (which shows as "Out Of Stock" on their website, but which, according to Amazon, was discontinued several months ago).

I never upgrade to a new OS until it has had at least one, and preferably two, updates. I always check to see that my critical apps will work before upgrading.

Given that I don't tend to hold onto old apps or old versions of apps, other than expected utilities such as TechTool Pro, OnyX, and SoftRAID, the vast majority of my 199 apps were compatible with Big Sur from the Get Go and the rest have been updated to be Big Sur (and Apple CoS) compatible already. (I did find a few I didn't remember or know what then do/did and therefore deleted, but unsurprisingly those have not been missed.) I The choice of when to take the step is, of course, entirely up to you but assuming your apps are up-to-date I would anticipate no issues. If you have elderly versions of Microsoft Office or Adobe suite you have been coddling along for years then all bets are off on whether or not they will run.

OK. Hope it works with my Brother laser printer. I didn't even think about that.

OK, good idea. The more bugs worked out the better.

Thanks. Being the chicken that I am, I will take Jon's advice and wait for a couple of updates so that some of the kinks can be worked out. I wonder if I will be notified of the updates since I wasn't notified that Big Sur was ready to go. How would I keep track in a timely fashion?

https://roaringapps.com is updated regularly, so you should check occasionally if a favorite app is not listed or the data are incomplete.

My Brother MFC-J4710JW multifunction inkjet drivers work fine, but I would be sure you have the latest driver versions from here.

OK

OK. I'm not having problems with Catalina and my printer, but I will do this is Big Sur causes me a problem. Thanks.

I emailed Epson, asking about a printer driver for Big Sur. Their reply (and a heads-up for any Epson owners):

Thank you for contacting Epson regarding your Epson SureColor P600. In reviewing your incident, it appears that you have opened one of our online knowledge base articles to help you in resolving this issue.

In response to your concern, please be advised that currently, there's no available Epson printer driver for your product for MAC 11.0 and we do not have the exact details to when it will be available.

Wow! So do they not see they will lose business because of that?

I felt that way years ago, but now I've got a new perspective...

Beginning with the OS X Public Beta through OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) WE, the entire body of Mac users, were not only the beta testers, we paid for the privilege; we were also the beta testers for OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), but at least it was free.

Beginning with OS X 10 (Yosemite), Apple launched the Apple Beta Software Program, which puts pre-release versions of the OS in the hands of the entire spectrum of users, which, I"ll bet the farm, includes both far less and far more involved users than joemike, so it seems pretty fair to say that not only are those dreaded "first one or two updates" already behind us when an OS is released to the public, but considering that there have been upwards of ten releases of each beta, and splitting the difference between the development costs Apple saved on its end and the user contributions on the other end, the Big Sur v 11.0.1 release is probably really v 11.4 or 5.

Therefore, I've got no qualms about taking the general together with joemike's specifics and upgrading to Big Sur as soon as my critical apps are compatible.

That's a Messages malware derivative called Carnac.

I archive at least one or two versions of each of my apps as they update, because updates don't always work, and earlier versions of updated apps aren't always available. (That includes apps that are auto-updated by either the App Store or Sparkle, which I add to my archive as .zip compressions.)

Per All you need to know about Microsoft Office and Big Sur MacOS - Office Watch

So what can I do about it? It's annoying.

It's distributed by www.johnny_carson.somewherebeyond; you'll have to contact them.

Or if you prefer, got me beat!

I looked up Carnac and saw nothing that would help with this problem. I also looked up the johnny carson link and only got info about Johnny Carson. I guess I will just deal with it. Thanks, though.

I'm with you. The only Carnac malware I found is a Facebook exploit. I can find no reference or explanation for your Messages issue. Perhaps a screenshot would help us understand what is happening.

One of Johnny's characters was Carnac, who divined the answers to questions without hearing them them, i.e. the answers preceded the questions as is happening with your messages, hence the in my first post.

Sorry for the misplaced humor. (Or have you really never seen a Carnac skit? )

You've probably shut down/started up since this issue began, but I"ll ask if you have anyhow.

I did some more looking, and found this statement that only Apple Silicon macs are affected. I replied to Epson's original email inquiring about it and will phone Epson if I don't get a reply. Hopefully, my installed Epson driver will work.

I can find out by installing Big Sur on a clone and trying the printer (not to be done anytime soon). In the past, I used Apple's printing software (accessed via System Preferences > Printers & Scanners) and found that many features were missing. Consequently, I only want to use the Epson driver.

If the + signs are clicked to reveal more info, it is stated that a fix should be available by December, 2020.

I wasn't aware that you can use d/l'ed drivers instead of working through System Prefs.

Can it be done with all printers, and how?

Thanks.

I never watched Carson much, but now that you mention it, I do remember the Great Carmac with the turban-like head covering. If I had remembered, what you said would have been funny at the time.

I've deleted all my texts, but the next time it happens I will try to remember to send a screen shot. In short, when I send a text to someone and it looks like I received a text back, I check and don't see their answer until I look above my original text. It should be below my original text.

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I had deleted all printers (long story) and then opted to add a printer via System Preferences. Apparently, the driver was quite different from Epson"s. Consequently, I deleted that printer and downloaded and installed the driver directly from Epson. Among other things, the driver from System Preferences did not allow me to print in Draft Mode. I don't remember the other options that were unavailable, but suffice it to say that I'm sticking with the Epson driver.

Oh, OK, if I"m understanding you, you had a compatible driver pre-installed on your Mac that wasn't fully up to specs, so you went back to the horse.

I didn't have a pre-installed Canon driver, so I had to d/l and use theirs.

Basically, that's right. I don't know if the driver was pre-installed or downloaded when I selected the printer in System Preferences, but either way, I prefer the one from Epson.

No need to post a screenshot, I understand what is happening now, the message sort order has reversed. I can't replicate that in either Catalina or Big Sur, nor can I find any preference setting relating to the message sort or display order. I did find a few instances the similar questions on Apple's Discussions, some going back 10 or more years and some with 60 or more "I have the same question notations", but none of them flagged as solved. The few that had answers had either one of two answers;

1. "You can't change it" and
2. "Update to the latest version of MacOS"

I realize that is very little no more help than my usual, "Are you sure you're holding your mouth right?" but its all I've got. 😢 By the way apparently there were some view sorting options in earlier versions of MacOS, but those appear to have gone by the board in Catalina and Big Sur 🤷‍♂️

Thanks, JoeMike. I had no idea there was a preference order in earlier OS's. I did see those Apple posts awhile back, but nothing I tried from them worked.

It's just a weird thing that is either unfixable or Apple staff doesn't care.



I did find a few instances the similar questions on Apple's Discussions, some going back 10 or more years and some with 60 or more "I have the same question notations", but none of them flagged as solved. The few that had answers had either one of two answers;

1. "You can't change it" and
2. "Update to the latest version of MacOS"

I realize that is very little no more help than my usual, "Are you sure you're holding your mouth right?" but its all I've got. 😢 By the way apparently there were some view sorting options in earlier versions of MacOS, but those appear to have gone by the board in Catalina and Big Sur 🤷‍♂️ [/quote]

Resetting NVRAM/PRAM just maaay be your answer.

I think I did that, but since I'm not sure, I will try again.

I am using the "added via System Preference" Epson driver and I have a "fast economy" mode. Don't know how that compares to Draft Mode, but it seems to be a comparable option.

Good to know! When I had used the driver from System Preferences, I was using an earlier OS (don't remember which one).

Apple's macOS Big Sur may be bricking older MacBook Pro models and one more caveat: Early macOS Big Sur adopters running into teething issues

It's hard to see why none of these things were reported by Beta users unless when it was finally launched changes were made that the Beta testers didn't have access to. I am waiting for sure.

I phoned Epson and was informed that a driver compatible with Big Sur is now available. It must be installed AFTER upgrading, not before. So, one more hurdle has been overcome in the upgrade.

OK, I did the NVRAM/PRAM thing and so far so good.

I just had a vagrant thought, does the M1 have NVRAM/PRAM, or is that another old trouble-shooting technique that has bitten the dust? I

What is M1?

Check out this DuckDuckGo search

Oh, I see. Thanks.

The article to which I linked states that

If there's an M1 equivalent, it's a secret.

Darn it. Doing the PRAM thing worked but only temporarily. ☹️

I was afraid that might happen, because I had a date/time issue that the same procedure corrected, but which also regressed and required a second step to correct with finality.

Unfortunately, the second step, which used to be a simple Terminal command, has changed as per Apple has changed resetting permissions again.

Redo the NVRAM/PRAM thing, and then follow steps 1-8 to repair home permissions.

Yep! Giant PIA!

OK. Thank you!

Yikes! I just read about resetting permissions and it involves re-installing the OS? Nope. I will redo PRAM, but I'm not up to that. I feel lucky that I got it installed the first time. I appreciate the info though. All of a sudden, texts out of order doesn't seem to be such a big deal!!

I'm an experimenter a daredevil, so I'm wondering what if you do all the steps up to reinstalling macOS but skip the reinstall?

It just somehow seems like it's Apple overkill (kinda like shutting down/starting up when all you really need to do is log out/in), and the worst that can happen is you wind up where you started.

That's what I'd do after redoing PRAM and making certain that I had an up to date clone first.

Hmmmm. Maybe down the road if doing PRAM doesn't do the trick for good. I didn't know I could follow steps and go just so far and then stop.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't advise stopping in the middle of a procedure, but this is two separate procedures, and I don't seriously think a reinstall is necessary in your instance.

Of course, if you shut down your MBP regularly you can just do PRAM every time you fire it up, and that will probably perpetuate the fix.

I don't normally shut down a lot, just let it go to sleep. I tried doing PRAM today with Option+Command+P+R and it went into recovery mode! I shut it down again and tried again but I guess I didn't touch all four keys soon enough and it just started up normally. Touchy,touchy.

Instead of booting while holding down ⌘⌥PR, try powering down, disconnecting from any external power source for at least 30 seconds, then reconnecting the power and starting up again. This works in cases where the ⌘⌥PR sequence does not. With Catalina and Big Sur when you are booting while using keyboard options like ⌥, ⌥R, or ⌘⌥R holding the keys down until you see the Apple logo is not enough, you must continue holding the keys down until you see a progress bar. (NOTE: I have often thought in this case, a third arm and hand would be very useful. 😉)

I did what you said but it didn't make a difference. I hear you about the third arm thingy.

This seems like a good point to mention that I find starting up with a key command to be easier when I hear the chime, so if you miss it, as I did... How to turn your Mac startup chime back on. (Be sure to enter the Terminal command via copy & paste.)

I don't know if this'll help you, but when I zap PRAM I have my fingers on command & option before I even I hit the power button, so I've only got to worry about P & R (which still isn't all that easy) after I hear the chime.

Here's what Apple has to say about it in part:

I will do that before I power up, thanks.


I don't know if this'll help you, but when I zap PRAM I have my fingers on command & option before I even I hit the power button, so I've only got to worry about P & R (which still isn't all that easy) after I hear the chime. [/quote]

Unlike what I was used to seeing on my Intel Mac mini, on my M1 Mac mini there is only one startup chime and the Apple logo appears only once, but holding until the progress bar appears works on both Intel and Apple SoC.

I'm not sure how that fits with Apple's statement that "[t]his article applies only to Mac computers with an Intel processor."

Can you actually reset NVRAM on your M1 Mac mini?

It fits when you erroneously conflate resetting the NVRAM with keyboard boot option commands. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Resetting the NVRAM doesn't work on most recent Macs. instead you have to reset the SMC (System Management Controller, at least that was the case on my 2018 Intel Mac mini.

As to the various boot options such as booting from the Recovery Drive (⌘R), since many Macs came with the boot chime disabled, and there is no double chime or double Apple icon on M1 Macs, pressing the keys before the power button and holding them until you see the progress bar will work on either Intel or M1 Macs.

Thanks for that.

OK, you confused me about NVRAM when you inserted the irrelevant to his thread boot commands into the equation.

I've never had occasion to reset NVRAM on my 2019 16" MBP w T2 Chip, but according to the linked article I can do it.

Hi.


When I look into the SOFTWARE UPDATES in System Preference (the Apple in the top-left corner), I have the OPTION to select a box which will (left unchecked, will not) AUTOMATICALLY update.

I have mine UNCHECKED so that I will receive a notice about whatever update is now available, but it will not download or install until I manually tell it to do so.


* Currently, I am using Catalina and there is a notice for me to update to Big Sur, if I wish to do so manually. FWIW: I usually wait a month or two from the initial release before installing. Hopefully, any grief the new OS causes will be ironed out by the time I am ready to download and install.

OK, on Monday, I "bit the bullet" and did a clean, fresh installation of V11.1 of Big Sur onto an APFS-formatted partition on my (new) External Samsung T7 1 TB external SSD, and then migrated files, folders, settings, apps, etc. from my late 2018 Mac Mini's internal SSD. Been testing now fo 2 days, and knock on wood, everything is working fine. Here is a list of applications I have exercised so far:

1. Brave, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Opera all work fine.
2. A new version of Onyx, V3.9.1, compatible with Big Sur, was released yesterday. Installed and ran it, and it works fine.
3. LibreOffice and VueScan work well. I did not download any Canon drivers at all (I have a Canon MX 890 printer/scanner). Just used the printer drivers contained within Big Sur. Again, all is well.
4. VLC, 1 Password, Transmission, Quicken 2017, Klondike Forever, and EasyFind work as expected.
5. Although Thunderbird is not "officially" compatible yet (there was a second beta release of a newer version of Thunderbird on November 24th, and based on what I read, looks very promising), the last stable version is working fine, with just one very, very minor "issue".

I plan on running Big Sur just about every day. Just waiting for Big Sur - compatible versions of SuperDuper! and Tech Tool Pro (suspect the one for Thunderbird will be out soon). On Saturdays, though (as I always do), I'll restart my Mac Mini from its internal SSD (hence its Catalina environment) and proceed with my normal weekly tasks of running Onyx, Tech Tool Pro, and doing 2 SuperDuper! backups to 2 separate external SSDs.

But again, so far, I am pleased. I of course cannot comment on the launching speed of Big Sur, as it is via that external partition on that Samsung T7 (although it is via a connection to one of the USB-C ports on the Mini). But once the start up process completes, Big Sur seems snappy enough, although not much different from Catalina.

Thank you for the progress report. I will probably take the plunge in the near future but expect resistance from my better half (she always has fits when I do an upgrade, and sometimes for good reason!). Please post back with any further developments, good or bad.

You're most welcome. I typically have no issue at all, as I always do a clean, fresh installation of any new Mac OS (but not immediately, as it is best to wait a version or two before moving). And sometimes I do a clean, fresh installation within the same OS. On other occasions, I download and apply the Combo version.

Also, not sure if you saw my other post about Big Sur, but my Samsung T7 SSD is actually an external model, and thus i am testing Big Sur separately from my Catalina environment.

Well, as I've been saying all along, it seems there are still some bugs/issues with Big Sur, even V11.1. The beta for V11.2 was released yesterday:

https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/17/apple-seeds-macos-big-sur-11-2-public-beta-1/

No details on what is trying to be fixed. So far, my testing is proceeding very smoothly, although another real minor issue (with LibreOffice) has arisen (or I saw it for the first time earlier today). Not a show stopper, more like an annoyance.

I just came across an update for Libre Office

If you followed the beta releases, as I do, you would be aware this has been the pattern for the last several years. Throughout the lifetime of a major OS release there will be a update release roughly every two months. For beta testers that boils down to a beta release every two to three weeks and toward the end of a beta those have sometimes come every day or two. Late in the lifetime of an OS version it isn't unusual for beta releases of the next major version and the final updates to the current release to overlap. In fact the first beta of 11.0.1 was in the hands of beta testers before the official release of MacOS 11. The early updates generally include features that were announced but for one reason or another were deemed unready for public release.

This same pattern is mirrored in iOS, iPadOS, TvOS, and WatchOS and in fact all Apple OS releases are pretty much in lock step and all the releases including betas are generally within a few days of one another. Yesterday I installed beta updates on 3 Macs, 1 iPhone, 1 iPad, 1Apple Watch, and 2 Apple TVs. The sole item is noted in the various release notes was making an iOS/iPadOS feature available other situations. That doesn't mean there aren't any bug fixes included, but if there are any, they are too obscure to be noted in any general testing.

Out of curiosity, since (as joemike has pointed out) there are likely to be at least 6 updates to macOS 11, as there have been to each of the past five OS versions, at what point will you feel comfortable upgrading, and why will you find any version short of 11.6 palatable?

It should also be noted that MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, & TvOS are all built on the same core. So any new feature or bug fix to any one OS may well involve a change in that core code thus requiring the change to be tested in each of the other venues to be sure it does not create unexpected problems in those environments and thereby triggers an update of all the variations. So, for example, a MacOS update could potentially be triggered by the addition of support for Apple's new Fitness app in iOS and WatchOS. (It is rumored that Apple will introduce a new Apple TV this spring with support for games and gaming controllers which mightl require tweaks to the core and trigger another round of updates to all the OS varieties.) It should be noted however that these updates are also a good opportunity to sneak in bug fixes and security patches unique to particular devices as well.

The point is a MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, or TvOS update does not necessarily imply there were significant or minor problems unless you have access to the complete developer release notes and even then you might not comprehend the magnitude of change in any given release if it was not in your specific area of knowledge/expertise.

Thanks. I am downloading it as I write this in my Big Sur "environment". Will see if it makes much difference.

It seems that in the "earlier" versions of a new Mac OS, such beta releases happen faster. But as the OS matures, they come later, and eventually stop.

Myself, given that I have to wait until Tech Tool Pro has a compatible version, I have made the final move by the time the .3 version of the Mac OS has been released. That has always worked well for me. (In a way, it's good that Tech Tool Pro is last, as by that time the new OS has really settled down).

For Catalina, though, there was one major glitch that came up with a subsequent version. V10.15.5 initially wrecked havoc for SuperDuper! (SD) and Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC). CCC did introduce a version that addressed that issue, whereas SD did not. But Apple shortly thereafter released V10.15.6 of Catalina, and that issue in V10.15.5 went away.

OK, new version of LIbreOffice works fine with V11.1 of Big Sur. Not noticing any differences, though, from V7.0.3.

Also, V78.6 of Thunderbird was released earlier today:

https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

I downloaded and installed it, and the minor "annoyance", at least when I use it with Big Sur, is gone.

Note, though, that there is no mention of specific Big Sur compatibility. For Thunderbird, there is a beta version, V84.0.2, that is in development, and has shown promise of being compatible. But I am not experiencing any issues.

According to MacTracker Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina were launched in late September and early October with updates the last of October, early December, late January, late March, May, and July, Catalina had an additional release in September, probably due to the delayed launch of Big Sur pending the availability of Apple Silicon Macs. So, it would seem, Big Sur is pretty much on schedule If you factor in its late launch. The subsequent version in each case was previewed at the World Wide Developers Conference in Early to mid June and beta tests were in full swing before the July update and most of the beta testers and the bulk of the OS development team had transitioned to the upcoming version. I will not be surprised if are were only five MacOS 11 updates, assuming MacOS 12 makes the normal last week of October, first week of September launch date.

So in essence your adoption decision is driven by the calendar and Apple's carefully orchestrated development/support schedule.

From what I remember:

1. Moved to High Sierra in November 2017.
2. Moved to Mojave in December 2018.
3. Moved to Catalina in January 2020.

Each of those were driven by the compatibility of Tech Tool Pro. And as I have said many times, the time when I finally move to the latest version of the new Mac OS is when all my third party applications are compatible. It just so happens that Tech Tool Pro has always been the last one.

For Big Sur, I am still anticipating sometime in the latter part of January, or possibly February. The "theory" is that SuperDuper! will release a compatible version soon (looks like sometime in January), and Tech Tool Pro will follow thereafter.

Also, although both High Sierra and Mojave were initially released in September (2017 for High Sierra, and 2018 for Mojave), Catalina was not initially released until October 2019, and of course it was November 2020 for Big Sur.

As for Catalina, the May, OS 10.15.5, release was the one that caused issues for SuperDuper! and Carbon Copy Cloner. I'm of the opinion that is the primary reason for the release that came out in July, OS 10.5.6. So possibly there may have only been OS 10.15.5 (was OS 10.15.6). But not 100% sure about that.

I upgraded to Big Sur today but not without a glitch. I successfully downloaded the upgrade via Software Update but when I ran it, I got a window with no progress bar but nevertheless had an estimate of time remaining to prepare the hard drive. Eventually, it had a message that it was quitting open apps and waiting to restart; this never happened. The computer then went to sleep according to my Energy Saver preferences. I woke the computer, quit Installer, and restarted. Then I ran Installer again, and this time, all went well except that the initial Big Sur screen was faded, and I had to click in the window to make it appear normal. (Naturally, I had updated two clones of Catalina beforehand.)

I will have to get used to the new appearance of Mail and Safari which, initially, I don't like. My wife will issue lots of complaints so I'm bracing for her wrath. My printer software had, for no apparent reason, reverted to Airprint, which I do not want. Consequently, I reset the printing system and reinstalled the Epson driver. I had to redo my presets, but that wasn't a big deal.

Sounds good, and glad everything is going fine.

I am continuing to run Big Sur most of the time, and still things are good. The size of the font (default?) in Brave and other browsers, for menu choices and my list of bookmarks, is a little smaller than with Catalina, but I am getting more and more used to it.

The one thing I might have to do, assuming a compatible version of Tech Tool Pro comes and none appears for SuperDuper!, is to switch to Carbon Copy Cloner. Really do not want to do it, as SuperDuper! has always been a stellar performer. But starting to get some doubts about a Big Sur compatible version. Hope I am wrong. We'll see.

I have been completely satisfied with Carbon Copy Cloner, so I'm sure that it would be more than acceptable to you.

Marcel Bresink's freeware app Tinkertool has been the standby for adjusting font and other settings since Mac OS X 10.0 and the current version is fully compatible with MacOS 11. I also found tweaking some of the Accessibility and Display settings in System Preferences can make a huge improvement.

Understand, and thanks. I am well aware that Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) is an excellent program, and is good at what it does. SuperDuper! (SD) is very, very similar. In a recent EMail exchange I had with Dave Nanian (the developer of SD), he praised CCC.

Thanks for that, Joe. I used Accessibility to increase contrast and it makes a welcome difference. I hope that this setting does not affect my display calibration with i1Profiler.

During the initialization routine after installing Big Sur I discovered, all right Apple shoved them in my face, several Display features that have made a significant improvement in how quickly I find and pickup on thing on the green including:

• Increased contrast
• Differentiate without color
• Reduced transparency
• Shake Mouse pointer to locate
• Caption set settings

Since then I have been able to reduce cursor and font sizes and turn down the brightness settings on my monitors, have less need for my computer glasses with their tinted lenses, and have significant less eyestrain. 👀 Even my opthomologist noticed the difference during my recent annual exam.

It came as a surprise although I should have expected it: Pacifist can't open Install macOS Big Sur.app; the Catalina installer was the last one it could open.

(I assume it will continue to work with .dmg Deltas and Combos, but I couldn't test with the macOS 11.1 Delta because it doesn't appear on Apple's Downloads page. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

As an experiment, I launched Photoshop and opened a photo. I then toggled "increase contrast" off and on; there was no discernible difference.

According to this article there will be no more standalone installers for Big Sur.

Yuk! So does that mean there will no longer be any Combo Installers that I can download and apply myself? That's not good.

That 'splains it.

A cherished and valued old friend - Pacifist, that is - has passed on to the great database in the sky. (No! Not the one in the cloud.)

Thanks, Ira.

So I upgraded to Big Sur 11.1, and here, in no particular order...

1. My biggest fear was that my NoSleep extension would stop working, but it's still functional, as is a second extension. (Does running with Gatekeeper disabled have anything to do with it?)
2. I was totally and unhappily unable to delete items from my boot image. In a Big Sur clone, I was able to access the image, but everything I tried returned a "No Write" error or failed otherwise, while in a Catalina clone, the boot image can't even be mounted. (I've got zero idea why Apple has locked down the apps folder. Why can't I delete aps that I"ll never use?)
3. I dont know what Apple was thinking when they set screen parameters, but this unintuitive setting works for me, although I don't love the "hard" lines.
4. Customize Toolbar > Flexible Space doesn't work as expected in Mail and Terminal, although it works just fine in Safari.
5. My Close Notifications (with hotkey) Automator workflow service returns a "Stack overflow" error. (It uses AppleScript, but I've found an alternative that uses javascript...fingers crossed.)
6. Safari 14.02 bug in Big Sur
7. Big Sur Mail bug?

More: I just learned that the Spotlight menulet can now (but since when) be removed from your menu bar with a simple command-drag to desktop.

That's how I read it.

And "rerunning the Combo" is no longer an option. We've now got to reinstall the entire OS.

Not good. I insist on being in complete control with either installing or updating the Mac OS, and with most of my applications that I use. Not having that option with updates anymore in Big Sur is a real bummer.

If you want something like the Combo Updater, I am guessing you will have to do something like the installation options available with the command-R on restart.

I'm not sure what control you've lost.

You can still install when you're good and ready, and the source is still Apple. albeit via a different d/l channel.

The only thing you've lost is the ability to save the d/l for later, and rerunning it has been chancy for years, anyhow.

The only option in the Recovery Drive is a full install but the only difference between that and the results of a combo updater should be the size of the download package.

The considerably longer installation time is another difference.

In the process of troubleshooting an issue with a third party kernel extension, I have performed half a dozen full installs in the past two days. The average install time to my internal drive including download on the average runs less than twenty-five minutes (external drives take a little longer). Although I haven't run a combo update in a few years, IIRC that would compare favorably. Even better, a full install further reduces the chance of an error. 🤷‍♂️

I really like that I can download either the full installation file, the Combo Updater file, or the so-called "Delta" updater file myself, save it, and then when I am good and ready, launch it myself. I don't like Apple controlling that process. This new "convoluted" way that Appel wants to do it takes away that control, and for me, it is a big deal.

Oh well, I'll just stick with downloading the full installation file, and proceeding with its installation. Doing that, together with a recent SuperDuper! backup is a smooth process.

But it'll be a bunch of years before a significant percentage of users is running M-1s, which, if my memory serves me, you've complimented for their significantly faster installation times.

I didn't clock it, but I'm certain that my Big Sur upgrade took at least 45 minutes.

I guess that proves how easy it is to become accustomed to faster performance. I hadn't occurred to me to take the dramatic speed increase of the Apple SoC into consideration. ⚡️ "Shazam". ⚡️😄

"Automatically keep my Mac up to date" is a user option, not something that Apple has forced down our throats.

As easily as you can d/l the Deltas and save them for later, you can ignore Software Update 'til you're good and ready to run it.

The only downsides I can see would be if the next Delta is released before you've run the previous one and that there'll apparently never again be a Combo.

I am well aware of that option, and of course have it turned off.


You are missing my point. I want to be able to download the file myself, and then apply it when I are ready. And I don't used Software Update for any updates. I don't want that.


Well, for now, that's not going to be an issue. I suspect I will still be testing Big Sur when V11.2 is released, and thus will download the complete installer file, and proceed with the installation when I am good and ready.

I feel that way about Sparkle, but not, recently, anyhow, Software Update.

How do you deal with the App Store?

First, start from here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-big-sur/id1526878132?ls=1&mt=12

Then, click on "Open App Store". A screen will appear containing Big Sur, along with the Get button. Just click on the Get button, and that full installation file (the latest non-beta one) will be downloaded to your Applications folder. You'll most likely be then shown a screen to start the installation. Exit out of that. Then, copy that Installer file to another location on your machine, after which you should delete the one inside your applications folder (to, obviously, save space). The reason for copying it to another location is when you launch it form there, it will not get deleted, and hence you don't need to download it again.

Good answer...wrong question.

I was wondering how you deal with App Store apps, i.e. the fact that the App Store works the same as Software Update, i.e. you can't d/l installers and update your apps at your leisure.

Given the level of control you appear to want, I have to wonder why you aren'r running some form of Linux or BSD Unix instead of macOS? That way you could download the actual source code make any modifications to it you desire then compile and run at your pleasure. You could include only the functions you use and leave all the other "stuff" out. You would have a totally customized environment and applications and there would be no App Store or any controlling agency other than yourself.

Except for the Mac OS, that's true. I do not use any Apple apps at all (all third party ones), but there are a number of third party apps where one is forced to use the App store for either initial download/installation, or updates. Sometimes, though, some of them have an alternate way to getting either the app or an update.

Then of course there are Security Updates to the Mac OS. It looks like the option of downloading them directly, and applying them when I desire, is going away.

While I used to be a software developer in my working days (quite a while ago), I don't want nor need those headaches! And for the Mac OS, it's the way I have always done it (unless for those instances where I just download and apply the Combo installer. Looks like that option, however, is going away).

For just about all of my third party apps, though, I take the upgrade route (Onyx is the only exception, as they have a version specific to each Mac OS).

An interesting change in Big Sur...

Running in Terminal used to return either "SIP Enabled" or "SIP Disabled," but, rather than "SIP Disabled," it now returns
A scare tactic?

I guess I'll have to let Apple know what that state is when I reach it. Hopefully it'll be a blue state.

I d/l directly from developers when it's possible, but when I must deal with updates pushed through by the App Store I immediately do a control-click > Compress... on the updated version so I've got a backup "installer."