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Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
dkmarsh #56543 10/16/20 01:48 PM
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ryck Offline OP
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Originally Posted by dkmarsh
Occasionally, mousing over some random spot will produce a brief flash of content which immediately disappears again.
I get that flash of content immediately on page loading. It's a brief flash of colour across the top of the screen which is gone as quickly as it came.

Last edited by ryck; 10/16/20 01:49 PM.

ryck

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Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
artie505 #56548 10/16/20 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted by artie505
And if Marcel Bresink's search tool is so robust that FAF never finds anything after TTS has run, then shame on him for keeping it under the hood and confined to so small an area.
In the more recent versions of Tinkertool System the Unistallation Assistant individually searches every user account, including Root, for traces of the app. So far FAF has never found any identifiable detritus, but Big Sur does hide some system level stuff from any app running on the boot drive, and possibly on other Big Sur system volumes, but so far I cannot verify that one way or the other.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
joemikeb #56549 10/16/20 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
Sadly I have let Cookie go and I am depending on Little Snitch's Big Sur beta to block unwanted outgoing traffic, but In my head I know that much of the tracking etc. is still being carried on legitimate approved data packets that I am sending voluntarily. 😢 I find I am using VPN more, and while I have TOR I don't use it because too many sites will not even work if all of its security features are enabled. This is a battle to be fought but never won or lost.
So much for Little Snitch. I just got a notice that the beta version of Little Snitch I had licensed has expired with the release of the new version and it will cost another $45 (regularly $89) to license and use it. Another opportunity to test Tinkertool System's Uninstallation assistant's efficacy.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
joemikeb #56550 10/16/20 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
So much for Little Snitch. I just got a notice that the beta version of Little Snitch I had licensed has expired with the release of the new version and it will cost another $45 (regularly $89) to license and use it. Another opportunity to test Tinkertool System's Uninstallation assistant's efficacy.

SO MUCH FOR THAT THOUGHT

When I attempted to delete Little Snitch both Tinkertool System and Find Any File encountered files they could not delete. 🤨 Before you ask, I tried the superuser option in FAF. Finally, in desperation, I activated the Root user and logged on. I don't know how, or when, those Little Snitch files were installed but the Root user does NOT have privileges to do anything but see them 🤯. They cannot be directly deleted or moved to the Trash, even when logged in as Root! 🤬

Artie, you will be glad to know this, your "work-around" of booting from another drive and then deleting files does work! 🥳


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
joemikeb #56553 10/17/20 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by joemikeb
So much for Little Snitch. I just got a notice that the beta version of Little Snitch I had licensed has expired with the release of the new version and it will cost another $45 (regularly $89) to license and use it. Another opportunity to test Tinkertool System's Uninstallation assistant's efficacy.

SO MUCH FOR THAT THOUGHT

When I attempted to delete Little Snitch both Tinkertool System and Find Any File encountered files they could not delete. 🤨 Before you ask, I tried the superuser option in FAF. Finally, in desperation, I activated the Root user and logged on. I don't know how, or when, those Little Snitch files were installed but the Root user does NOT have privileges to do anything but see them 🤯. They cannot be directly deleted or moved to the Trash, even when logged in as Root! 🤬

Artie, you will be glad to know this, your "work-around" of booting from another drive and then deleting files does work! 🥳
I haven't tried lately, but Root's ability to delete stuff has been hobbled, if not shackled, since macOS locked the system volume. The only reason I even tried booting into another volume in the first place was my inability to delete Apple apps from /Apps in my boot volume, even when logged in as Root.

I'm assuming (and, if so, happy to hear) that your system remained bootable after you deleted those files. I'd have guessed that you may have messed with the snapshot and made it unbootable. Or did you mess with the snapshot's underlying data which in turn updated the snapshot and maintained its integrity?

Or did this
Originally Posted by Mike Bombich
FWIW, I'd wait on this one. There is no impetus to upgrade to Big Sur, and there are some lower-level things that are still not working correctly. The biggest problem right now is that the "Signed System Volume" is supposed to be cryptographically "sealed", but that seal is constantly broken. A volume with a broken seal isn't supposed to be bootable, but Apple has relaxed that requirement because the functionality doesn't work. You're in no worse shape than in Catalina where the volume lacks the seal altogether, but then there's also no advantage (security-wise) to upgrading just yet.
perhaps come into play?

(I think Little Snitch is REALLY pushing its luck. As macOS gets tighter and tighter, its BASIC functionality, the reason we all bought in the first place, is becoming less and less relevant.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
artie505 #56557 10/17/20 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by artie505
I'm assuming (and, if so, happy to hear) that your system remained bootable after you deleted those files. I'd have guessed that you may have messed with the snapshot and made it unbootable. Or did you mess with the snapshot's underlying data which in turn updated the snapshot and maintained its integrity?
The "trick" is when you are booted from a drive certain files on the data volume such as third party kernel extensions are firmlinked to the system and become part of the booted snapshot with all of the protections of the system volume and therefore cannot be deleted. When you access a drive from another boot volume using Finder you cannot see or access the bootable snapshot, but you can see and access files on the data or system volume without effecting the snapshot or its cryptoligic seal. In fact the update installer takes advantage of this and boots from a virtual drive to make changes in the system volume. I don't know exactly what is contained in the bootable snapshot, but obviously there is a dynamic element or else this would not work.

Originally Posted by artie505
Or did this
Originally Posted by Mike Bombich
FWIW, I'd wait on this one. There is no impetus to upgrade to Big Sur, and there are some lower-level things that are still not working correctly. The biggest problem right now is that the "Signed System Volume" is supposed to be cryptographically "sealed", but that seal is constantly broken. A volume with a broken seal isn't supposed to be bootable, but Apple has relaxed that requirement because the functionality doesn't work. You're in no worse shape than in Catalina where the volume lacks the seal altogether, but then there's also no advantage (security-wise) to upgrading just yet.
perhaps come into play?
🤷‍♂️ but so far I am very happy with macOS 11, iOS 14.2, iPadOS14.2, Watch 7.1, and TVOS whatever the beta is.

Originally Posted by artie505
(I think Little Snitch is REALLY pushing its luck. As macOS gets tighter and tighter, its BASIC functionality, the reason we all bought in the first place, is becoming less and less relevant.)
Agreed and with security changes in Safari the same can be said of Cookie. I have depended on Cookie to shortstop tracking cookies but in the last 7 days Safari 14.0.1 has prevented 42 tracking cookies from "phoning home". No help from Cookies or Little Snitch was involved. That doesn't mean I am not being tracked however.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
joemikeb #56612 10/25/20 08:15 AM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by artie505
I'm assuming (and, if so, happy to hear) that your system remained bootable after you deleted those files. I'd have guessed that you may have messed with the snapshot and made it unbootable. Or did you mess with the snapshot's underlying data which in turn updated the snapshot and maintained its integrity?
The "trick" is when you are booted from a drive certain files on the data volume such as third party kernel extensions are firmlinked to the system and become part of the booted snapshot with all of the protections of the system volume and therefore cannot be deleted. When you access a drive from another boot volume using Finder you cannot see or access the bootable snapshot, but you can see and access files on the data or system volume without effecting the snapshot or its cryptoligic seal. In fact the update installer takes advantage of this and boots from a virtual drive to make changes in the system volume. I don't know exactly what is contained in the bootable snapshot, but obviously there is a dynamic element or else this would not work.
Thinking back, I think you said in another thread that the snapshot is created when you boot, and if that's the case, deletions accomplished from another volume would, of course, have no effect on it, and my question was answered before I even posed it.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by artie505
(I think Little Snitch is REALLY pushing its luck. As macOS gets tighter and tighter, its BASIC functionality, the reason we all bought in the first place, is becoming less and less relevant.)
Agreed and with security changes in Safari the same can be said of Cookie. I have depended on Cookie to shortstop tracking cookies but in the last 7 days Safari 14.0.1 has prevented 42 tracking cookies from "phoning home". No help from Cookies or Little Snitch was involved. That doesn't mean I am not being tracked however.
Beyond the items it does block, I've always got a laundry list of "session" cookies and local storage items that Cookie is unable to block, so in my eyes, it's primary usefulness (which, to my knowledge, is unique to it) at this juncture is its ability to perpetuate my favorites from Safari session to session.

Getting back to "pushing its luck, though, "Cookie looks good to uninitiated eyes, but to those who've investigated its "true" functionality, it falls short of delivering on its $20 price tag.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
artie505 #56614 10/25/20 02:41 PM
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Originally Posted by artie505
Thinking back, I think you said in another thread that the snapshot is created when you boot, and if that's the case, deletions accomplished from another volume would, of course, have no effect on it, and my question was answered before I even posed it.
If I said that, my current understanding is the bootable snapshot is created by the installer at install time. Therefore there would have to be a dynamic element to it, which I suspect is the result of firmlinks to specific folders rather than files.

Originally Posted by artie505
Getting back to "pushing its luck, though, "Cookie looks good to uninitiated eyes, but to those who've investigated its "true" functionality, it falls short of delivering on its $20 price tag.
Agreed! Not to divert this thread to another topic, but your comment brings up a grumble of mine:
Originally Posted by grumble
At least the $20 is not an annual subscription, which is more and more becoming the rule rather than the exception. 😡 (Although, when I look at the annual or even biennial upgrade price for some packages, the subscription option is becoming more attractive. 😠 And it beats the h3!! out of the advertising and "pay to play" gimmicks used in far too many iOS and iPadOS games. (why isn't there a Yosemite Sam emoji when I need it?)


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
joemikeb #56616 10/25/20 03:57 PM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by artie505
Thinking back, I think you said in another thread that the snapshot is created when you boot, and if that's the case, deletions accomplished from another volume would, of course, have no effect on it, and my question was answered before I even posed it.
If I said that, my current understanding is the bootable snapshot is created by the installer at install time. Therefore there would have to be a dynamic element to it, which I suspect is the result of firmlinks to specific folders rather than files.
That makes sense.

I'm almost antsy for Big Sur, if for no other reason than to see how it can be messed with "seat of the pants."

Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by artie505
Getting back to "pushing its luck," though, Cookie looks good to uninitiated eyes, but to those who've investigated its "true" functionality, it falls short of delivering on its $20 price tag.
Agreed! Not to divert this thread to another topic, but your comment brings up a grumble of mine:
Originally Posted by grumble
At least the $20 is not an annual subscription, which is more and more becoming the rule rather than the exception. 😡 (Although, when I look at the annual or even biennial upgrade price for some packages, the subscription option is becoming more attractive. 😠 And it beats the h3!! out of the advertising and "pay to play" gimmicks used in far too many iOS and iPadOS games. (why isn't there a Yosemite Sam emoji when I need it?)
The only "subscription" app I'm running is Excel, and although I didn't love it when I tried it, I'll switch to Numbers when the cost of Excel exceeds its appeal. My other apps are re-evaluated for relative usefulness any time their economics change for any reason. I periodically think about a VPN, but I can't convince myself that I need one, even more-so with HSTS.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
joemikeb #56628 10/26/20 01:23 PM
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ryck Offline OP
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
Not to divert this thread to another topic, but...
Speaking of which....the originally posted issue (extreme slowness) was resolved when I restored my OS to the version before Supplemental Update that included Safari 14.0 (I'm currently 12.1.2). Apple has since issued:

Security Update 2020-005 10.14.6
Release date September 24, 2020

macOS Supplemental Update 10.14.6 - Includes installation of Safari 14.0
Release date October 1, 2020

I have been sitting on these as I am not interested in the slowness horror show that accompanied the first installation. I would be interested to know if anyone has installed these updates without subsequent problems.

Last edited by ryck; 10/26/20 01:31 PM.

ryck

"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" The Doobie Brothers

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Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
ryck #56648 10/27/20 05:00 PM
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This article may offer you an explanation or some comfort.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
Ira L #56657 10/28/20 04:13 PM
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Thanks for that. Yesterday I installed both of the updates (above) and....so far, so good.


ryck

"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" The Doobie Brothers

iMac (Retina 5K, 27", 2020), 3.8 GHz 8 Core Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 2667 MHz DDR4
OS Ventura 13.6.3
Canon Pixma TR 8520 Printer
Epson Perfection V500 Photo Scanner c/w VueScan software
TM on 1TB LaCie USB-C
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
ryck #56779 11/05/20 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Ira L
This article may offer you an explanation or some comfort.
Originally Posted by ryck
....I installed both of the updates (above) and....so far, so good.
I'm changing that to so far, so bad. Yesterday, after only a week, the problems returned and I have now re-installed Mojave without the two updates. I have no way of knowing if the security update is the problem or if it's the OS supplemental update, which introduces the newer version of Safari, so I'll eschew both.


ryck

"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" The Doobie Brothers

iMac (Retina 5K, 27", 2020), 3.8 GHz 8 Core Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 2667 MHz DDR4
OS Ventura 13.6.3
Canon Pixma TR 8520 Printer
Epson Perfection V500 Photo Scanner c/w VueScan software
TM on 1TB LaCie USB-C
Re: Curious slowness-limited to one account
ryck #56858 11/13/20 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by ryck
....the problems returned and I have now re-installed Mojave without the two updates. I have no way of knowing if the security update is the problem or if it's the OS supplemental update, which introduces the newer version of Safari...
The Software panel now has:

Security Update 2020-005 10.14.6
Release date September 10.14.6
Safari 14.0.1

The macOS Supplemental Update 10.14.6 included installation of Safari 14.0. I wonder if this addresses my quandary "is the problem the Security update or Safari update?" Maybe Safari was the problem and Safari 14.0.1 is the fix.

Last edited by ryck; 11/13/20 04:31 PM.

ryck

"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" The Doobie Brothers

iMac (Retina 5K, 27", 2020), 3.8 GHz 8 Core Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 2667 MHz DDR4
OS Ventura 13.6.3
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