Apple Making It Harder to Avoid Nagging macOS Update Notifications

[MacRumors]

With the release of macOS Catalina 10.15.5 and related security updates for macOS Mojave and High Sierra earlier this week, Apple is making it more difficult for users to ignore available software updates and remain on their current operating system versions.

Included in the release notes for macOS Catalina 10.15.5 is the following:

- Major new releases of macOS are no longer hidden when using the softwareupdate(8) command with the --ignore flag

This change also affects macOS Mojave and macOS High Sierra after installing Security Update 2020-003.

For users still running an earlier major macOS version like Mojave or High Sierra, the Software Update pane in System Preferences typically displays a prominent upgrade button for Catalina and a notification badge on the System Preferences icon in the Dock, but until now knowledgeable users have been able to hide those items by using the softwareupdate --ignore "macOS Catalina" command in the Terminal app.

After updating to macOS 10.15.5 or Security Update 2020-003, this command no longer works, with Terminal displaying the following message:

Ignoring software updates is deprecated.
The ability to ignore individual updates will be removed in a future release of macOS.

As documented in a discussion thread in our forums, there are some additional commands that can be used to temporarily remove the notifications, but it's clear Apple wants as many users as possible to upgrade their Macs with all of the most recent operating system updates.

Article Link: Apple Making It Harder to Avoid Nagging macOS Update Notifications

 

[Attirex]

Let the outrage commence!

 

[ouimetnick]

Sorry Tim, I’m not going to upgrade to the Catalina Experience. I don’t want Apple Music (a service I don’t use and never will shoved down my throat. I also don’t want Apple TV+ trash shoved in my face either.

I bought the product and I don’t want advertising on my operating system. Already annoying on Mojave. The bugs present in Catalina ad the fact that my 2014 MBP works just fine and continues to receive security updates for the time being isn’t going to incentivize me. Once there are no more security updates, I’ll be forced to upgrade. Hopefully Catalina’s successor will be much better

 

[4jasontv]

I think the community was pretty well accepting of Windows 10 doing this.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I am staggering my upgrades as long as I can, still on High Sierra, as are several people in the house hold. Security is important, but so is stability too. When Apple deprecates 10.13 later or early next year, then I will move to Mojave, which will be the last release for my 32 bit apps.

 

[doobydoooby]

Hilariously, my 2008 Mac Pro is telling me evey day to upgrade to Catalina despite it definitely not being able to handle it. I can only imagine the carnage if i said yes.

 

[avanpelt]

Sorry, Apple. I'm not touching Catalina with a 10 foot pole. I've read and heard too many horror stories. This will be the first macOS release I've skipped entirely since becoming a Mac user in 2008.

 

[Alphazoid]

Its the first time i'm still running the previous OS (Mojave) and refuse to upgrade since i started using OS X during Panther. Catalina has been horrendous, and nearly destroyed my data (thankfully i had backups).

 

[martyjmclean]

Apple are really salty that we don’t like macOS Vista, aren’t they?

 

[ouimetnick]

I think the community was pretty well accepting of Windows 10 doing this.

Yup. No easy way to turn off the auto updates in Windows 10. Pretty much forced. At least my MBP hasn’t automatically upgraded.

 

[scuac]

Oh this is not going to go over well with our IT department. They have been hiding the upgrade to Catalina from users so far, if this is what they were using and suddenly half the company upgrades... fun times

 

[otternonsense]

I honestly don't mind the notifications because they give me hope this dumpster fire OS will be finally fixed with THAT update (which doesn't happen anyway, but still..)

 

[synergize]

Clint Eastwood would say " nag, nag, nag."

 

[tha_man]

Well, I better ignore the 2020-03 update then

 

[russell_314]

I think the community was pretty well accepting of Windows 10 doing this.

I’m guessing you don’t have a Windows PC. Windows doesn’t just give you a notification of the updates. It installs them without asking and restarts your machine

 

[boswald]

Can’t say I’m surprised. With all the bugs floating around they can’t afford NOT to update your OS. Like it or not.

 

[4jasontv]

Yup. No easy way to turn off the auto updates in Windows 10. Pretty much forced. At least my MBP hasn’t automatically upgraded.

I’m guessing you don’t have a Windows PC. Windows doesn’t just give you a notification of the updates. It installs them without asking and restarts your machine

This has not been true for over a year.

I think ya'll missed the sarcasm. The world lit on fire because Microsoft got pushy with updates.

 

[jezbd1997]

I’m guessing you don’t have a Windows PC. Windows doesn’t just give you a notification of the updates. It installs them without asking and restarts your machine

Wow even while you’re in the middle of working?
I watch deadmau5 streams and the comments are always saying he got restarted from Windows updates so that kinda makes sense ¿

 

[MacDevil7334]

I wouldn’t mind/care about this if I was confident updates were properly tested, not a risk for bricking my device, and relatively bug-free. But, Apple’s track record on this lately has been abysmal. Their OS releases seem to be completely deadline driven rather than depending on whether the software is stable enough for public use.

 

[Sasparilla]

Don't be like Microsoft here Apple. I'm going to skip Catalina purposely (that's on Apple and its condition), hopefully the next major version is in better shape...definitely makes me wonder if yearly is too often a release rate for major Mac OS versions (look at that Catalina bug that prevents bootable disk images from being made that just went out in the last update for it).

I think the community was pretty well accepting of Windows 10 doing this.

You forgot the /s there. LOL

I am staggering my upgrades as long as I can, still on High Sierra, as are several people in the house hold. Security is important, but so is stability too. When Apple deprecates 10.13 later or early next year, then I will move to Mojave, which will be the last release for my 32 bit apps.

Just brought my Cheese Grater Mac Pro up to Mojave this afternoon...will delay the inevitable one more year on it. Water seems fine so far.

Just a heads up, the certs in the older installers (Mojave included) expired at some point, so they won't run anymore without erroring out (I'd grabbed the last main release of Mojave long ago) and it fails. You have to download them again via direct links in the App Store (can't look them up in the App Store!!???), here's an article with links to them through Sierra versions:

How to Fix “application is damaged, can’t be used to install macOS” Errors

If you have attempted to use a MacOS installer application recently, you may discover an error message stating something like “This copy of the Install macOS Mojave.app application is damaged…

osxdaily.com

 

[yurc]

Its the first time i'm still running the previous OS (Mojave) and refuse to upgrade since i started using OS X during Panther. Catalina has been horrendous, and nearly destroyed my data (thankfully i had backups).

Same here. My first modern OSX was Panther too. On this case I plan too keep Mojave as long as I can because several issues (not mentioning Catalina horror stories), but one of my concern, I still not convinced yet to moving my curated gigantic iTunes library into Apple Music app.

 

[4jasontv]

Wow even while you’re in the middle of working?
I watch deadmau5 streams and the comments are always saying he got restarted from Windows updates so that kinda makes sense ¿

He used to use Macs exclusively for live shows. Did that change?

 

[jb-net]

This wouldn't be such a problem, if Catalina was stable. But it is not, not even close! Even with 10.15.5 it es more like an early beta version of an operating system. It is terrible! So many problems with System stability, Mail, Photos, Sycing with iOS Devices and more ...

 

[57004]

I think the community was pretty well accepting of Windows 10 doing this.

Not really.. I can't stand Windows for this (especially that they force a reboot). And they force telemetry that can't be turned off.

Apple following in their footsteps is not a good thing for power users.

 

[yurc]

Don't be like Microsoft here Apple.



You forgot the /s there. LOL

At certain extent, you can defer updates in Windows 10, especially in Enterprise environment where updates can be avoided as long as needed. At least MS offer option. I put my Windows 10 machine in similar manner and it good to go without so much horror issues.