Apple Releases macOS Catalina 10.15.4 Supplemental Update With FaceTime Bug Fix

[tywebb13]

The standalone installer for the supplemental update is at https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2038?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

This brings the build up from 19E266 to 19E287

There is a new delta and combo too at

Download macOS Catalina 10.15.4 Update - Apple Support

macOS Catalina 10.15.4 introduces iCloud Drive folder sharing, Screen Time communications limits, Apple Music time-synced lyrics view, and more. The update also improves the stability, reliability, and security of your Mac.

support.apple.com

and

Download macOS Catalina 10.15.4 Combo Update - Apple Support

macOS Catalina 10.15.4 introduces iCloud Drive folder sharing, Screen Time communications limits, Apple Music time-synced lyrics view, and more. The update also improves the stability, reliability, and security of your Mac.

support.apple.com

The full installer still says it was published 2 weeks ago which suggests it is still on build 19E266 however I suspect this too is actually 19E287 now despite what it says in the mac app store:

The full installer is at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-catalina/id1466841314?mt=12

I will download the full installer and see if it really is build 19E287.

I hope it is because if it is I will be able to use it to downgrade the 10.15.5 beta 1 build 19F53f to 19E287.

If successful I can then do a time machine backup of 19E287 and then upgrade again to 10.15.5 build 19F53f.

At least that's the plan.

But it all depends if my theory is correct that the full installer now is really the new version.

 

[nitramluap]

10.15.4 seemed to break a lot of functionality in macCatalyst apps...

 

[tywebb13]

OK. I downloaded the full installer now.

Pretty convinced now that the full installer is build 19E287. It says it was made on a system that had build 19E284. That means it cannot possibly be build 19E266. It can only be a build higher than 19E284.

Installing now over the top of build 19F53f so fingers crossed it is 19E287.

 

[Moshe1010]

Since 10.15.4 I’m not sure which OS is more garbage, macOS or Windows

 

[tywebb13]

Yep. I was right. The current full installer IS build 19E287:

Actually tempted to keep it on 19E287 a bit longer and not "update" to 19F53f because 19F53f was actually released before 19E287 ! Maybe wait till 10.15.5 beta 2 instead.

Anyway I'll see how 19E287 goes and decide tomorrow if I'll "update" to 19F53f.

 

[GalileoSeven]

Since 10.15.4 I’m not sure whic OS is more garbage, macOS or Windows

At this point, the roles seem to have reversed - W10 seems a hell of a lot more stable than OSX (MS still has its issues, but they're not present with every damn update like OSX)

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Well, so I guess they’re just going to let all of Catalinas problems remain permanently then and move on. Wow. I guess the Every Other Release maxim applies, and Catalina can just be labeled ”Do Not Use” in the archives. What a mess this has been, drawn in sharp contrast to mature Mojave. Any beta version of 10.16 will be an improvement at this point.

 

[tdgrn]

Did anyone else’s computer play a sound whil the update was installing? About 2/3’s into the installer I got a “bum, ba da dumm, followed by a lion or tiger roar”.
[automerge]1586439454[/automerge]

Did anyone else’s computer play a sound whil the update was installing? About 2/3’s into the installer I got a “bum, ba da dumm, followed by a lion or tiger roar”.

The update finally finished. The update launch Butter Royale before the desktop was available for me to see. WEIRD. It wasn't running when I started the update (nothing was), and it isn't set to auto launch.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Where is Ellen Feiss?

She might be running a weed dispensary.

She was in a movie...

 

[Rafterman]

A 20 minute upgrade, requiring a reboot, to fix a Facetime bug?

 

[chrfr]

A 20 minute upgrade, requiring a reboot, to fix a Facetime bug?

It fixes more than the FaceTime problem and includes a firmware update.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

It fixes more than the FaceTime problem and includes a firmware update.

That makes me wonder what's going on. A firmware update to support Facetime? Doesn't seem to make much sense... 🤷‍♂️

 

[chrfr]

That makes me wonder what's going on. A firmware update to support Facetime? Doesn't seem to make much sense... 🤷‍♂️

The firmware update was probably not for FaceTime. The likely suspects are:
- Fixes an issue where MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) may hang in Setup Assistant or when disconnecting and reconnecting a 4K or 5K external display
- Resolves an issue where a USB-C port in your Mac may become unresponsive

 

[recoil80]

They really need a two year cycle on major OS versions - Catalina is still broken in many ways and they will simply move on instead of fixing it. I have been using Macs since System 6.0.3 on a Mac IIcx in 1989 and the current OS cycle is a mess. I miss Steve Jobs every day.

While I get the 12 months cycle for iOS as we get a new iPhone during the fall I don't think we need a new version of macOS each fall. Maybe you can have some new interaction between iOS and macOS that requires a major version, that's ok, but it doesn't happen every year and Apple should try to be backwards compatible with macOS, they can't require you to install the latest version of macOS as a new iOS is launched.
I wish they made a new version every other year, or even every 3 years and release .X updates whenever there is something worth releasing like bug fixes or new minor features.

That makes me wonder what's going on. A firmware update to support Facetime? Doesn't seem to make much sense... 🤷‍♂️

According to the changelog it fixes some bugs with USB-C ports and external monitors

 

[macdos]

Then it should be called 10.15.4.1. Poor documentation. Poor updating software (more and more like windows with screens blinking like a flipper game, changing resolution, rebooting several times etc). Poor OS.

Apple should make a slimmed version without the crap (facetime, siri, spelling, worhtless daemons), or at lesat give a configurator to turn on and off on demand.

According to the changelog it fixes some bugs with USB-C ports and external monitors

 

[recoil80]

Then it should be called 10.15.4.1. Poor documentation. Poor updating software (more and more like windows with screens blinking like a flipper game, changing resolution, rebooting several times etc). Poor OS.

I always wonder why they issue the supplemental update instead of a .x

 

[chrfr]

I always wonder why they issue the supplemental update instead of a .x

Because 10.15.5 is already in beta.

 

[recoil80]

Because 10.15.5 is already in beta.

The problem is the 10 at the beginning. iOS is 13.x.y, while macOS can only use 2 digits if they want to stick to 3 digit version number because it always start with 10. I think this will change eventually.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

- Resolves an issue where a USB-C port in your Mac may become unresponsive

I hope it works. I realized that I have a port that stopped working right. I thought it was the cable, but it worked on a different port.

 

[daveedjackson]

Those are two things that caught my eye.

Yeah strange huh. First thing I spotted too...

 

[GadgetBen]

It annoys me greatly that we now have to update our devices because some people cannot be bothered to update theirs.

 

[cericsmith]

So you’re saying... you didn't have a backup to revert to?

I was jumping through a lot of hoops thinking it was related to the drives, Thunderbay RAID, HFS+, etc. etc. for a week+ before being pointed to this being an issue with the 10.15.4 update requiring a roll-back.

I have full data backups, but I don't generally backup the system itself because I just re-install from Recovery, etc. and then restore data and apps from backup. I haven't had an issue with this in the past, because I can just run the Terminal command to revert to whatever installer I need and go from there (many Macs here)... This was the first time I've had an issue pulling down an installer to roll back.

Based on this I'm implementing three changes going forward:

1. I'll be pulling system releases and archiving them for full system installers to give myself granular rollback capability.
2. I've turned back on Time Machine snapshots specifically for the integrated ability to roll back the OS... I don't care/need the data backup portion, and generally hate TM.
3. I've added my System partition to my CCC snapshot routine that I use for incremental data backups.

 

[zorinlynx]

It annoys me greatly that we now have to update our devices because some people cannot be bothered to update theirs.

This isn't about people not doing updates; the Facetime bug affected older devices that no longer receive updates.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Apple really needs to slow down and take development of new OS seriously. Looking back to the days of Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Apple didn’t rush with new OSes and they were more refined, more stable. Though obsolete today, Snow Leopard still runs rock solid on older Macs of course.

Going fast with development is why Apple is having issues with its OS and why supplemental updates are always needed.

 

[dantracht]

Unable to unlock my iMac after this update. Get constant Your Mac was unable to communicate with your Apple Watch errors.