macOS Transition - Updates and Upgrades
- Matt Wilson
macOS Updates
Due to how Apple has changed macOS updates in recent versions, pushing out updates is not feasible on modern versions of macOS. This is because of the fact that Apple requires a Volume Owner to authenticate for minor OS updates and security patches. For this reason, you will be having a more involved role by running the updates yourself, at a time of your choosing. Since it is still important to stay up to date for security reasons, we will be utilizing a tool called Nudge that prompts users to update, but allows for deferrals up to a fixed date and time. This should give plenty of flexibility to stay up to date without disrupting your work activities. Once the deferral date is passed, deferrals will not be allowed and Nudge will no longer allow you to navigate around your computer until you have performed the update.
Below is an example of the Nudge window. Clicking “Update Device” will take you to the macOS System Preferences/Settings Software Update Pane to perform the update.
macOS Upgrades (Major Versions)
As part of this process, the campus will be approving new versions of macOS in a much quicker manner. The reason for this is that Apple has confirmed that only the current version of macOS will be receiving full security updates now. The plan will be to determine the best windows of time for an upgrade of campus Macs and having a Self Service policy for the major version upgrade. This would be enforced similarly to the updates, with a deferral window and a fixed date and time that it must be upgraded by.
From the point that an upgrade becomes available for the campus (90 days after release), it will be advertised if your device is eligible. Since Apple supports the current and previous two releases with security updates, you might see the macOS upgrade when nudged to update your Mac. To update without upgrading to the latest version of macOS, follow the directions at this link.
For users with specialty software that often has issues with new major versions of macOS right after launch, a deferred group will be created in our macOS management system. This will then be granted a further extension on when the OS must be upgraded, however that will not be a permanent extension. Specifics will be detailed once the upgrade window(s) are determined.