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.

This evening, the long anticipated Mac OS X 10.5.2 update dropped from Cupertino’s Software Update Servers. Available in two flavours, for Server and Client, the Combo updates apply to both PPC and Intel systems. As always, remember to perform a full backup, and try to run the Combo update, rather than Delta.

The Client update is available here with release notes here. Likewise, the Server update is here with the (spartan) release notes here.

Additionally, after 10.5.2 installs, you’ll have the option to grab the Leopard Graphics Update - just try not to get lost reading the release notes. It’s a real bother that Apple doesn’t see fit to include more detailed information on their updates. It’s really something that should be addressed. Maybe in a future update…

I’ve got one of these in the post, thanks to Ms. Rennie at Apple Customer Relations. She’s terribly nice. Needless to say, she was more than pleased to get it all organised after she saw the mess of notes in the AppleCare PeopleSoft DB had on my name.

Of course, I’ll put up my reactions to it, and field the usual questions. And no, I won’t send it to you. So don’t ask.

I’m sure I’ll love it. Other than the name. It has a name only a mother could love.