On May 30th, Apple released Mac OS X Server 10.5.3 - a long awaiting, and highly anticipated update to the Mac OS X Server product line. Some of the most important points addressed: 

-Addresses an issue that could cause the AppleFileServer process to stop accepting connections while consuming most of the available CPU time on the server.

 

-Addresses an issue that could cause the Apple File Service refuse new connections after DirectoryService becomes unresponsive, and improves stability of DirectoryService.

These two issues alone were one of the biggest, causing no end of headache with Portable Home Directory users, and causing many people, myself included, to roll back to more stable 10.4.x Server installations. SInce the advent of 10.5.3, however, a great many people are now able to roll forward to 10.5.x installs again, and active testing is once again starting up. 

Of course, not all is as it should be. While unsupported by many applications, such as the Adobe CS Suite, many users are at home working on files directly from network shares. However, from 10.5.3 onwards, Mac OS Client has issues with writing partial files back over network shares. The result of this, is that users are making changes to CS documents, saving as normal, and finding their work corrupted. As it stands, the issue affects both Server and Client .3 and the current work around is to Save As when writing files back. This causes the application to write an entire copy of the file, rather than just the changes. 

While understandable that this is a somewhat hackish work around, it must also be remembered that the applications affected have never touted, nor encouraged, files to be worked on live on network mounted shares. However, given that Apple’s installed user base tends to centre around graphics and design professionals, it is unlikely that many will see this as anything other than Apple’s fault. 

More news as it becomes available.

The man in 41C yawns, and leans back in his seat. The lights are down, the display from the laptop lights his face, and blinks off the rim of his glasses. A stack of papers sits on his desk, and a scribbled note on the back of an Apple Store Repair confirmation stands out in red ink against the grey Helvetica of the Terms and Conditions.

He calls his calendar up on the screen of the computer and fiddles with the date range, and titles the event. “AA99 To Chicago” stands out as the first entry of the day. Get there for going on ten am local, and a five hour lay over at O’Hare. Not ideal, but it’s preferable to the otherwise mad sprint to the other end of the airport, And that’s not forgetting the joy of Immigration Control. 

41C checks his booking, and selects the seat for his flight out. The seat is free. And now, confirmed. Our hero adds the seating plan to his calendar and syncs. Flight booked. Tickets sorted. Passport found. 

Six weeks to go…