Software Update

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Software Update is a software tool by Apple Computer that installs the latest version of Apple software on computers running Mac OS X. Software Update automatically informs users of new updates. It is part of the CoreServices in OS X, found at /System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app. Software update can be set to check for updates daily, weekly, monthly, or not at all; in addition it can download and store the associated .pkg file (the same type used by Installer) to be installed at a later date and maintains a history of installed updates.

It is recommended that all users fully update their software as new versions become available. Software Updates consist of incremental updates of the Mac OS and its applications, Security Updates, device drivers and firmware updates. All software updates require a password, as with all consequential system changes. Some updates require a system restart.

Miscellaneous

Software Update was originally introduced to Mac users in Mac OS 9.

All of Software Update's features are available through the command-line program softwareupdate.

As of 10.4, the command line usage for softwareupdate is:

usage: softwareupdate [ ...]

-l | --list List all appropriate updates -d | --download Download Only -i | --install Install ... specific updates -a | --all all appropriate updates -r | --recommended only recommended updates -u | --url ... from signed package URLs

Per-user preferences: --ignore ... Ignore specific updates --reset-ignored Clear all ignored updates --schedule (on | off) Set automatic checking

-h | --help Print this help

Using this tool, it is fairly straightforward for lab administrators to automatically install incoming updates by adding a cron job:
softwareupdate --install --all
(or just --recommended to be more cautious). You may want to set the job to run only every few days to give yourself a chance to jump in with an --ignore if a particular update is reported to have issues by early adopters. If running as a cron job, it is probably also a good idea to avoid running the update while a user is logged in, especially since some updates require reboot to take effect. (softwareupdate does not reboot automatically, it merely displays a warning on its stdout if a reboot is necessary.) Remote administrators may also be interested in also using the curl and installer command line utilities to set up their own software update system.

Mac OS X
Applications
Activity Monitor · Address Book · AirPort Admin Utility · Audio MIDI Setup · Automator · Bluetooth File Exchange · BOMArchiveHelper · Calculator · Chess · Classic · ColorSync Utility · Console · Crash Reporter · Dashboard · Dictionary · DigitalColor Meter · Directory Access · DiskImageMounter · Disk Utility · DVD Player · Exposé · Finder · Font Book · Grab · Grapher · Help Viewer · iCal · iChat · Image Capture · Installer · Internet Connect · iSync · Keychain Access · Mail · Migration Assistant · NetInfo Manager · Network Utility · ODBC Administrator · Photo Booth · Preview · Printer Setup Utility · QuickTime Player · Safari · Script Editor · Sherlock · Software Update · Stickies · System Preferences · System Profiler · Terminal · TextEdit · VoiceOver · X11
Developer
AU Lab · CHUD Tools · Core Image Fun House · FileMerge · Help Indexer · Icon Composer · Interface Builder · PackageMaker · Pixie · Property List Editor · Quartz Composer · Repeat After Me · USB Prober · Xcode
Mac OS X Server
AppleShare IP Migration · Fibre Channel Utility · Gateway Setup Assistant · Open Directory · MySQL Manager · QuickTime Broadcaster · QuickTime Streaming Server · RAID Admin · Server Admin · Workgroup Manager · Xgrid
Technology
AppleScript · Aqua · Audio Units · Bonjour · Boot Camp · Carbon · Cocoa · Core Audio · Core Data · Core Image · Core Video · Darwin · Exposé · Keychain · OpenGL · plist · Quartz · QuickTime · Rosetta · Smart folder · Spotlight · WebKit · XNU

Mac OS
Applications
Apple File Security · Calculator · Chooser · Drive Setup · DVD Player · Finder · Graphing Calculator · Keychain Access · PictureViewer · QuickTime Player · Sherlock · Software Update · Stickies · Apple System Profiler · SimpleText
Developer
MacsBug · Macintosh Programmer's Workshop · ResEdit
Technology
⌘ · ⌥ · AppleScript · Code Fragment Manager · Creator code · Hierarchical File System · HFS Plus · Keychain · Macintosh File System · QuickTime · Resource fork · Type code

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