<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Apple released Mac OS X 10.4.8 on Friday afternoon.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>As with any operating system update, you should be careful. As usual, there are reports being posted to the web, ranging from "works great" to "broke my machine" and lots of things in between. For the record, I've updated two machines without a hitch.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>For the new folks on the list, here's what I recommend regarding installing updates:</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>- don't install on production machines without testing it first on non-production machines</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>- you should have a current backup of your data</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>- the #1 reason for the installation of updates to fail is due to a damaged hard drive directory structure. Use the Verify Drive option in Disk Utility to ensure your drive is okay _before you install_; if something funny comes back, boot from a Mac OS X install DVD/CD and run Disk Utility to fix it.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>- after installing, use the Repair Permissions option in Disk Utility to fix the permissions of files that may have been changed by the installer</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV> -- Al</DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Lucida Grande; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Lucida Grande; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Lucida Grande; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">______________________________</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Albert Willis</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Macintosh Platform Coordinator - Software Release Team</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px">Client Support Services</P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Information Services and Technology</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande"><A href="mailto:awillis@mit.edu">awillis@mit.edu</A></FONT></P><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>