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macOS Software Update History
Kevin edited this page Oct 2, 2024
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macOS has a rather dubious history of software update features and behaviors. Herin lies a recent history of significant changes that affect succesful managed deployment of macOS updates and upgrades.
- First version of macOS for computers with Apple silicon. Local installation of macOS updates/upgrades for computers with Apple silicon requires authentication via local "volume owner" account credentials.
- Results from
softwareupdate --listare often unreliable, requiring multiple attempts to acquire a definitive list of available items. This behavior persists through all future versions of macOS until macOS Ventura 13.3. - Local programmatic installation of macOS minor updates via the
softwareupdatecommand are technically possible by passing in a local account password. - While you can programmatically determine if a bootstrap token was escrowed in the past with an Mobile Device Management (MDM) service, programatic local validation of MDM token escrow is not possible until macOS Ventura 13.3.
- First version of macOS that can reliably enforce installation macOS updates/upgrades on Apple silicon computers when authenticated via MDM service commands with an escrowed bootstrap token.
- First version of macOS that supports local programatic installation of macOS minor updates via the
--userand--stdinpassflags added to thesoftwareupdatecommand.
- First version of macOS that supports "over the air" (OTA) macOS major upgrades via local
softwareupdate. - First version of macOS that supports enforced installation with user deferral of macOS minor updates via MDM service commands.
- First version of macOS that supports enforced installation with user deferral of macOS major upgrades via MDM service commands.
- First version of macOS that supports OTA macOS major upgrades via MDM service commands.
- First version of macOS that supports macOS Rapid Security Response (RSR) updates.
- First version of macOS that supports reporting operating system version information via Declarative Device Management (DDM) status channel.
- First version of macOS that can respond to MDM service commands when the device is asleep or in PowerNap.
- First version of macOS with programatic local validation of the MDM service bootstrap token escrow.
- First version of macOS with "more" reliable
softwareupdate --listcommand output. - Apple asked that you pretty, pretty please no longer programmatically restart
softwareupdatedall the time.
- macOS beta program enrollment now requires local Apple Account authentication.
- Local programatic management of macOS beta program enrollment is no longer possible via
seedutilcommand.
- First version of macOS that supports an enforced scheduled installation date of macOS updates/upgrades via DDM service commands.
- First version of macOS that supports reporting macOS update/upgrade installation status via DDM status channel.
- First version of macOS that can reliably support the required installation of a minimum macOS version prior to automatic enrollment.
- Programatic restarting of system processes is no longer allowed. Thus, a full system restart is required to resolve issues with
softwareupdated. - Unauthenticated macOS update/upgrade downloads via
softwareupdatemay fail on systems with local password policies.
- First version of macOS that supports automatic macOS update/upgrade settings via DDM service commands.
- First version of macOS that supports enforcing macOS update/upgrade deferrals via DDM service commands.
- First version of macOS that supports macOS beta program management via DDM service commands.