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(experimental) No Tahoe for Sequoia

golfnut1982 said:
For the code deficient types like me, but familiar with the profiles with imazing, is your current method working like the older 90 day one? It's confusing following all this. Can you explain how to get your working method to work with imazing?
Click to expand...
It can’t be done with iMazing, but it quite simple. Turn off beta updates in System Settings – Software Update and run the following command in Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app):

Code: 
sudo defaults write /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/com.apple.MobileAsset.plist MobileAssetAssetAudience -string c8ba02c8-cc63-4388-99ee-a81d5a593283

You will be asked for your password. That’s it. When you open System Settings – Software Update, Tahoe should be gone. If it’s not, trigger a rescan with ⌘R.

As I said above, we will not know if it really works until Apple release another beta for Sequoia.

Don’t forget to install a profile that turns of automatic updates, like the one in post 13

“Enter administrator commands in Terminal on Mac”
https://support.apple.com/guide/terminal/apd5b0b6259-a7d4-4435-947d-0dff528912ba/mac
 
bogdanw said:
It can’t be done with iMazing, but it quite simple. Turn off beta updates in System Settings – Software Update and run the following command in Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app):

Code: 
sudo defaults write /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/com.apple.MobileAsset.plist MobileAssetAssetAudience -string c8ba02c8-cc63-4388-99ee-a81d5a593283

You will be asked for your password. That’s it. When you open System Settings – Software Update, Tahoe should be gone. If it’s not, trigger a rescan with ⌘R.

As I said above, we will not know if it really works until Apple release another beta for Sequoia.

Don’t forget to install a profile that turns of automatic updates, like the one in post 13

“Enter administrator commands in Terminal on Mac”
https://support.apple.com/guide/terminal/apd5b0b6259-a7d4-4435-947d-0dff528912ba/mac
Click to expand...
Thank you! I only have install app updates and security responses enabled. That should be good enough, right? I know that Apple seems to "reset" these switches. Mr Macintosh says to always check these. How do you reverse it thru terminal? Also, in plain language, what is the command accomplishing so I can understand?
 
golfnut1982 said:
Thank you! I only have install app updates and security responses enabled. That should be good enough, right? I know that Apple seems to "reset" these switches. Mr Macintosh says to always check these.
Click to expand...
In my experience, if you enforce them with the configuration profile from above, Apple will not modify them. They appear like this and can only be modified after removing the profile.
updates.jpg
golfnut1982 said:
How do you reverse it thru terminal? Also, in plain language, what is the command accomplishing so I can understand?
Click to expand...
The reverse command is mentioned in post #3
Code: 
sudo defaults delete /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/com.apple.MobileAsset.plist MobileAssetAssetAudience

Tentative explanation, with the information available so far.
When you enable beta updates two values are set, an “audience” and a beta catalog URL.
The command sudo defaults write /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/com.apple.MobileAsset.plist MobileAssetAssetAudience -string c8ba02c8-cc63-4388-99ee-a81d5a593283 only sets the audience, without setting the catalog. macOS probably gets confused, treats updates like betas, but searches for them in the regular catalog where they aren’t.
 
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bogdanw said:
I will not be able to tell for sure until Apple releases another beta product for Sequoia, but there might be a very simple way. Just setting the MobileAssetAssetAudience to public beta, without changing the update catalog, makes Tahoe disappear from Software Update.
Click to expand...
You might be able to investigate further as Apple just released an update to Sequoia 16.7.6.
I installed your script using the code here (post #3), then reset my MBA M2 back get to Developer Betas, without using the revert script (forgot completely).
The software update pane popped up the update about 20 minutes ago.
Installed and no glitches noticed so far.
Edit:
Apple Released an update yesterday to Sequoia, to version 15.7.6, I installed it and today I get that red badge update to Tahoe with that update at the top of the Software Update pane.
Bogdanw's Terminal code on post #3 of this thread;
With only the Developer Beta setting enabled, I get the red BADge.
With Bogdanw's Terminal code alone enabled, no Developer Beta setting, I still get the red BADge.
With Bogdanw's Terminal code enabled, and the Developer Beta setting, Success, No red badge!

So if you do the Sequoia 15.7.6 update, run the Bogdanw Terminal code first and leave the Public Beta setting enabled. Probably have to reboot to be sure that Terminal code is working.
 
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Sequoia 15.7.6 (first pre-release build) is available on the developer beta channel, but not yet on the public beta channel, which is what the "c8ba02c8-cc63-4388-99ee-a81d5a593283" string points to. So, might be a little early to confirm that this works. (I assume the goal is blocking Tahoe but also not offering Sequoia beta updates either?)

The public beta release often comes the day after the developer beta release...
 
bogdanw said:
After a cup of coffee and some introspection, I might have worked for nothing 🙂

I will not be able to tell for sure until Apple releases another beta product for Sequoia, but there might be a very simple way. Just setting the MobileAssetAssetAudience to public beta, without changing the update catalog, makes Tahoe disappear from Software Update.
Click to expand...
Thank you once again @bogdanw Absolutely amazing sleuthing on your part to have figured this out.. 🙏

I did the update to 15.7.5 today and as expected prior to this, the Tahoe upgrade notification was present in Software Update.
Ran the Terminal command in post #3 after updating and then did a Command-R, and all is good, no Tahoe notifications. I've left the (No) SoftwareUpdate configuration in place. As expected, I do have the "update to Safari 26" notification present, but all else appears the same as when the original Defer 90 days config was still valid.

I've also been getting a break from the usual software update notification banner in the upper right corner of the screen. Not sure if that's just that usual Apple randomness. I do now once again have the red circle on the System Preferences- I mean cough cough System Settings icon in my Dock but doesn't bother me (I keep the Dock hidden) and if it did- I'd do the alias thing mentioned by another poster.

It feels great to have wrenched back a little bit of control over my own system. I sure do miss the OSX days..
Muchos Gracias 😊
 
Excuse me if I've gotten it all wrong but what's wrong with Safari 26 on Sequoia?
I let Safari update and it has been okay so far.

*****************

@bogdanw Thank you very much. Mad props!
 
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I’ve been using LuLu to block softwareupdated from reaching Apple’s servers. Is there any advantage to this?
 
LeVan said:
Thanks for the reply. In my case, or similar, I don't really think running an active Developer's beta Software update sytem is that dangerous, despite Apple's warning. I agree that it could be the cause of trouble if you installed an early beta on a system used for work, but the Sequoia system is in the point 7 range, and by now, the new betas address older bugs and refinements, without introducing new, potentially problematic functions.
Your methods, aiming to work without having the bata program involved, are ideal, so I hope that page 3 method does the job! And thanks again for your expertise and the time and effort involved.
Click to expand...
I have another issue related to Sequoia, and I seem to remember seeing a post by you about updating something that might fix that issue, every time I connect my older SE iPhone 2nd Gen, to my Mac to chrge it, it pops up a message prompt for a software update. I have given it permission to do that update several times. It runs but it never sticks, and recently I have been just turning it off with the "Not Now" button. Several noneffective searches later, can you direct me to the latest related post?
 
LeVan said:
I have another issue related to Sequoia, and I seem to remember seeing a post by you about updating something that might fix that issue, every time I connect my older SE iPhone 2nd Gen, to my Mac to chrge it, it pops up a message prompt for a software update. I have given it permission to do that update several times. It runs but it never sticks, and recently I have been just turning it off with the "Not Now" button. Several noneffective searches later, can you direct me to the latest related post?
Click to expand...
Download and install CoreTypes.pkg & MobileDeviceOnDemand.pkg https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/itunes-software-updates.2416893/post-33894235
pnoozi said:
I’ve been using LuLu to block softwareupdated from reaching Apple’s servers. Is there any advantage to this?
Click to expand...
If it works, Software Update would be functional, showing Sequoia updates and installing XProtect updates automatically, just not showing Tahoe.
 
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Is the intial post in this thread kept up to date on the latest instructions for this?

I'm on a new Sequoia install and need to tackle "avoiding Tahoe" again.

🙏
 
otetzone said:
Excuse me if I've gotten it all wrong but what's wrong with Safari 26 on Sequoia?
I let Safari update and it has been okay so far.

*****************

@bogdanw Thank you very much. Mad props!
Click to expand...
I've decided to stick with Safari 18.6 for the time being, which has been very stable. I found 26 to be slow and the new way tabs and bookmarks are handled i don't care for, so I downgraded. 🙂
 
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Davidson Powell said:
I've decided to stick with Safari 18.6 for the time being, which has been very stable. I found 26 to be slow and the new way tabs and bookmarks are handled i don't care for, so I downgraded. 🙂
Click to expand...
I was just about to play the smart guy and say that I'm a savvy user. Every single update of Safari I download
through Terminal and archive the copy and only then update the regular way. I was going to claim that I have them all and could have downgraded no sweat if needed to.

Now when I checked, I've only seen 18's versions for Sonoma while everything saved for Sequoia starts from 26. Haha.

Oh well.
 
otetzone said:
everything saved for Sequoia starts from 26.
Click to expand...
I don't think Safari 18 was released as pgk for Sequoia, because it was included in the macOS updates.
The Sonoma pkgs work on Sequoia.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-15-7-safari-26-laggy-garbage.2466489/post-34196380
https://mrmacintosh.com/macos-safari-full-installer-database-download-directly-from-apple/

"Safari 18.6 macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma 30 Jul 2025"
"macOS Sequoia 15.6 macOS Sequoia 29 Jul 2025"
https://support.apple.com/en-us/100100
 
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Could please any one more living soul confiim that it's really worth downgrading to Saafari 18.6? I'm not a developer, if anything. A reasonable extensions concern arises though.

It'd never occurred to me that even a Safari update might be an issue.
 
updated:

Bummer. Read it too late. It is installed. But it's not that bad with .7.x releases, no big deal.
I'll wait till 15.8 release would be out officially and then remove mobileconfig.profile and revert the terminal command. After a reboot I figure I could get all-official 15.8.

Or at least I hope this method woluld serve its purpose at the time.

upd: Thaoe is present again in the updates seqtion, which I suppose was expected
 
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