10.5.8 Update Issues and Answers

Problems after the Mac OS X 10.5.8 Update

There are always some problems reported after every software update. More often than not they are in a distinct minority of users, but I like to report the more common ones, with solutions if I can. I’ll update this as more problems come up in the next week or so.

Wireless Network Connections

Several reports are out about connectivity problems with wireless networks after the 10.5.8 update. Some complain about slow connections, others can’t connect to particular devices or services.

First thing, try a restart. This solves a large number of problems, and is the easiest fix.

Most commonly these problems can be caused by PRAM problems, so a PRAM reset is the first solution I’d try. Reboot your Mac and hold down the following keys before you hear the chime: Command-Option-P-R

Keep the keys held down as it resets at least two more times (I hold it for 3 or 4 but it’s overkill, usually), then release the keys and your Mac will boot normally. You’ll have to re-set any custom changes you’ve made with mouse tracking speed, system sound volume, and such, but with a little luck, Wi-Fi connections will be OK again.

Another possibility if your network is hidden, is to log into the router, and turn SSID broadcast on. I’ve seen a report that 10.5.8 may have an issue discovering hidden networks.

You can also remove and re-add the airport interface in System Preferences -> Network. Note the settings BEFORE you delete it by highlighting and clicking the “-” button. Make sure you click Apply to save, then add the Airport interface back by clicking the “+” button, using the settings you noted in the first step. This will release the DHCP lease and get a new one.

If the previous fixes don’t work, try re-applying the Combo Updater. It may work for you, particularly if you boot into Safe Mode, then apply the update.

Permission Problems

It seems that some 10.5.8 updates have had issues with not linking to the permissions database, which results in strange permissions warnings. An Apple Discussions thread on the subject is here. Suggested solutions are:

1. Do nothing.
   As long as the computer is working, a permissions fix is not needed. Granted it would be nice to know that everything is functioning and not run into a problem in the future, but since for the most part these permissions problems are showing otherwise healthy permissions it is more than likely safe to let things be. Still, run a permissions verification and check the files to ensure the current permissions at least give some user/group read access. For the most part you can safely disregard default group changes.

2. Reapply the update (delta/combo)
   Try reapplying the update, which seems to have at least helped the problem for some people, if not fixed it completely. To do this, download and reapply the updater, optionally rolling back to a previous installation from a backup (Time Machine or boot drive clone) beforehand. We recommend if you do this to get the combo updater and then apply it when booted into Safe Mode.

3. Change permissions manually
   If the problem is with only a few files, you can use the Terminal to change the permissions manually, or at least ensure the files are accessible and reporting the proper permissions. We will not go into details on how to change the permissions for files using the Terminal, since each file type may have different permissions and we would need to address each specifically; however, if you are familiar with the terminal you can manually ensure the files are properly accessible.

4. Teach the database new file permissions.
   After you have checked permissions manually, and ensured the files are properly accessible (for the most part, allowing the owner to read and write, and having the group and other users be read only), you can teach teach the updater receipt file the new permissions by running the following command in the Terminal:

   sudo pkgutil –edit-pkg com.apple.pkg.update.os.10.5.8 –volume / –learn FILEPATH

   In this command, the FILEPATH is the full path to either the parent folder of files that share these permissions problems, or to the individual files themselves. This should only be done if you are certain the current permissions are correct for the files in the “FILEPATH”.

   After this command is run, the permissions check should not observe permissions changes the files targeted by FILEPATH anymore.

Thanks to MacFixIt for the solutions.

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