Oh dear, where to go?

[cheddar-caveman]

Still running Mojave 10.14.6 on my 2018 15" MBP but there are features in more recent updates that I would like so where to go?

Should I go up in steps, Catalina, Big Sur then Monterey or just go straight up to the latest?

What are the risks??

 

[5097842]

I would go straight to Monterey, would run fine on your machine. Wait for 12.1 to be released before upgrading, let's them fix bugs in the initial release.

 

[DeltaMac]

There's no need, and pointless, IMHO, to update through each intermediate system.
Go straight to Monterey. (make sure that you do have a good backup of your present system, in case you have problems, such as finding out that you have important software that still is not updated to 64-bit.

 

[mikzn]

Another vote here for strait to Monterey - been running fine on my 2015 rMBP i7 500g ssd, since the first beta

Monterey is more polished and seems like just a better version of Catalina and Big Sur - it is like they were the BETA versions

As mentioned by @DeltaMac - good point to check on your 32 bit apps before taking that step forward ?

Upgrading from Mojave and earlier? - Catalina / Big Sur do not support 32 bit applications - see this link to check for 32 bit apps before upgrading to Catalina and later -
Go64 "Quickly scan your disk for 32 bit applications"

 

[HDFan]

Should I go up in steps, Catalina, Big Sur then Monterey or just go straight up to the latest?

I would go straight to Monterey,

Yes, but not now. Too many bugs. Wait for at least the .1 version - .2 or .3 would be better. That's generally the rule - wait for at least the first update - unless you absolutely have to have the latest release and are willing to tolerate any bugs that it may have.

 

[haddy]

Still running Mojave 10.14.6 on my 2018 15" MBP but there are features in more recent updates that I would like so where to go?

Should I go up in steps, Catalina, Big Sur then Monterey or just go straight up to the latest?

What are the risks??

I am staying on the OS my machines came with...Catalina/Sierra/High Sierra/Mojave.
They all work just fine!! Absolutely no need to "Upgrade".

 

[svenmany]

I am staying on the OS my machines came with...Catalina/Sierra/High Sierra/Mojave.
They all work just fine!! Absolutely no need to "Upgrade".

There could be security issues with older OS's. I read somewhere recently that Apple is slow to patch security vulnerabilities in their older operating systems. If I find a reference, I'll post the link here.

-- edit --

And here it is.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...he-security-holes-in-older-versions-of-macos/

 

[TechRunner]

I jumped from Mojave to Big Sur on my now-departed 2015 MBA. No need to go in steps. Agree with others on waiting on Monterey. I'm still running Big Sur on my M1 Mini.

 

[spainbran]

Hello,

I whent from H Sierra to Big Sur and it was a pain ...
Mostly because the File system changed, the disk structure changed, the firmwares upgraded a lot ...
I upgraded from Big Sur to Monterey and it was perfect.

Make a backup of everything, do a clean install of Monterey (wait for 12.1) don't be afraid off all the reboots.
Monterey works fine on old macs ( At least 2 months old), they have an "If" in the code that says the more you spend the more painfull it is.

Onf.

 

[You’re not me]

I’ll never understand the “clean install” thing. Is it a holdover from the pre-OS X systems or is it from windows users?

 

[Bandaman]

Just go straight to Monterey. There's no reason to do update after update like that. Just make sure your Time Machine backup is up to date so that if anything is wonky you can roll back.

 

[wilberforce]

Check you aren’t depending on any 32-bit apps or drivers. Will no longer be compatible starting with Catalina

 

[spainbran]

I’ll never understand the “clean install” thing. Is it a holdover from the pre-OS X systems or is it from windows users?

With Big Sur and Monterey the whole disk structure changes, so you can upgrade, but you won't know which settings are now "Secured" and which are not. Better to start from scratch.

 

[bradl]

I’ll never understand the “clean install” thing. Is it a holdover from the pre-OS X systems or is it from windows users?

A bit of both.

Sierra was the last version of MacOS that uses the HFS+ filesystem (journaled, journaled/encrypted, or otherwise) as the primary filesystem by default. Starting with High Sierra, APFS was the default filesystem used. If one did an upgrade from Sierra to High Sierra, they would still be stuck on the same HFS+ filesystem they had when they installed Sierra or upgraded to Sierra from any previous version of MacOS.

Also, I want to say that it was with Mavericks or Yosemite was when they dropped all 32bit libraries, so an in-place upgrade could still eave those libraries laying around. A clean install and reformat of the drive would always leave the Mac in a pristine condition.

That still holds true today; reformatting the OS drive, and being able to lay down a clean filesystem leaves the Mac in a fresh and clean condition.

For the OP, I'd also go straight to Monterey, but right now is not worth it; IOW, no need to rush. Wait until the .1, .2, or .3 update comes out, then Time Machine backup your Mac (to get you back to where you are in case of disaster), make a USB install stick based off your current OS, make another USB install stick of that update of Monterey, boot to that stick, reformat, lay everything down, and then use Migration Assistant to bring over your relevant applications and data from your TM backup, then you're set.

If all of it fails, you can boot to the USB stick based off of the previous OS that was on it, reformat, install the OS, and use Migration Assistant to bring everything over. Then you'd be back to where you started.

And even if you decide to not do any of that, the most important thing to do is to make that Time Machine backup.

BL.

 

[cheddar-caveman]

Check you aren’t depending on any 32-bit apps or drivers. Will no longer be compatible starting with Catalina

As an 83 year old non geek, how do I check whether any of my Apps are 32/64 bit (what ever that means please?

 

[spainbran]

As an 83 year old non geek, how do I check whether any of my Apps are 32/64 bit (what ever that means please?

Basically, it is processor speed of handlings things.
The higher the faster.
32 Bit was the standard/heap late 1990 early 2000.

All manufacturers (processors: CPU, GPU, ...) tried to block 32 bits programs and all have failed, except some linux distros.

To answer your question:

32-bitCheck & ArchiChect

ArchiChect – check any app, bundle or file for 64-bit compatibility, signatures, notarization, and quarantine Updated. Drag and drop, or Open, almost any app, bundle, command tool, Installer …

eclecticlight.co

Seems to do the job.
Haven't used a 32 Bit soft since at least 10 year and most of what you are using should not either.

Onf.

 

[KayEm6419]

As an 83 year old non geek, how do I check whether any of my Apps are 32/64 bit (what ever that means please?

As mentioned by mikzn, in post #4 above:

Upgrading from Mojave and earlier? - Catalina / Big Sur do not support 32 bit applications - see this link to check for 32 bit apps before upgrading to Catalina and later -
Go64 "Quickly scan your disk for 32 bit applications"

Go64 is free App you can download onto your MBP.

Best, KM

 

[MBAir2010]

Mojave is all you need!
the OS works great today and will run older programs like iTunes.
why i am staying with Mojave is the free  experience were one does
not need to log in to check iCloud photos or anything else like Catalina demanded.

i started a "what are you doing with obsolete Mojave today" thread.
the posts are fun and very constructive.

 

[cheddar-caveman]

Wow, just ran the Go64 to check my Apps and I think I'll stay with Mojave for the time being!!
I have a 2008 version of Microsoft Office for Mac from a CD which I use a lot and certainly can't afford to get a newer version!

 

[mikzn]

Wow, just ran the Go64 to check my Apps and I think I'll stay with Mojave for the time being!!
I have a 2008 version of Microsoft Office for Mac from a CD which I use a lot and certainly can't afford to get a newer version!

Same for office / Outlook 2011 - just checked and confirmed

I keep Mojave running on one of my MBP's to keep some apps available - like office 2011 and FIlemaker Pro 12

Also miscellaneous music recording software and "Garmin Training Center" (long discontinued but still works on Mojave)

On Monterey I really miss Microsoft Outlook and Excell - but I hate the subscription model

 

[spainbran]

I think that at the time you installed them the 64 bit versions did not even exist
It certainly is not the case today.

 

[svenmany]

I’ll never understand the “clean install” thing. Is it a holdover from the pre-OS X systems or is it from windows users?

For me, a good chunk of my motivation is superstition and a vague fear of entropy.

When I install fresh, many obsolete files are cleared out of directories. Those files have almost no consequence to me except when I'm working with the contents of those directories and don't want to deal with all that noise. But honestly, that's not a very compelling reason. It's kind of the same reason as why fingerprints on my screen bother me when I'm programming; it's really just emotional.

My only rational defense is the realization that software developers have a harder time testing how their software performs through an OS upgrade. They probably test fresh installs of various versions of their application on various versions of the OS. But, they probably don't test operating system upgrades while different versions of their software are installed. It seems like it would be a daunting task to put in place repeatable tests for such things.

I'm mainly referring to 3-rd party software. But, Apple is as careless as the smallest shop. You will encounter fewer bugs when traveling on a well-trodden path (trodden by software developers during their testing).

I do not understand the reasoning used by some people who do fresh installs of the OS and then use a restore functionality to put back their apps. Obsolete application state seems just as much of a problem as obsolete OS state.

 

[sgtaylor5]

For me, a good chunk of my motivation is superstition and a vague fear of entropy.

When I install fresh, many obsolete files are cleared out of directories. Those files have almost no consequence to me except when I'm working with the contents of those directories and don't want to deal with all that noise. But honestly, that's not a very compelling reason. It's kind of the same reason as why fingerprints on my screen bother me when I'm programming; it's really just emotional.

My only rational defense is the realization that software developers have a harder time testing how their software performs through an OS upgrade. They probably test fresh installs of various versions of their application on various versions of the OS. But, they probably don't test operating system upgrades while different versions of their software are installed. It seems like it would be a daunting task to put in place repeatable tests for such things.

I'm mainly referring to 3-rd party software. But, Apple is as careless as the smallest shop. You will encounter fewer bugs when traveling on a well-trodden path (trodden by software developers during their testing).

I do not understand the reasoning used by some people who do fresh installs of the OS and then use a restore functionality to put back their apps. Obsolete application state seems just as much of a problem as obsolete OS state.

for many people, keeping the application state consistent and current is absolutely important. They might not even be able to use the program otherwise, if the most recently used lists, for instance, aren't current. I've seen most normal (non-tech) folks don't really know what a file system is, or how to use it. Conceptually, moving documents is very difficult. That's why iPhones and iPads took over in popularity like they did: no visible file system. That's why I hear folks say to me: "If you delete Word, will all of my Word documents be deleted?"

 

[svenmany]

for many people, keeping the application state consistent and current is absolutely important. They might not even be able to use the program otherwise, if the most recently used lists, for instance, aren't current. I've seen most normal (non-tech) folks don't really know what a file system is, or how to use it. Conceptually, moving documents is very difficult. That's why iPhones and iPads took over in popularity like they did: no visible file system. That's why I hear folks say to me: "If you delete Word, will all of my Word documents be deleted?"

Thanks for that. Makes a lot of sense.

Since I'm the only user of my computers and very technical, preserving application state is not important to me. Also, I don't change application settings far from their defaults.

Here's something pretty ironic. The one application which was a big driver setting my attitudes about always reinstalling applications is Path Finder. On their forums they often suggest deleting preserved application state as a way to resolve problems (and there are many). Unfortunately, that is the one program whose preferences I would really like to heavily customize. Using Path Finder is an exercise in compromise.

 

[sgtaylor5]

Thanks for that. Makes a lot of sense.

Since I'm the only user of my computers and very technical, preserving application state is not important to me. Also, I don't change application settings far from their defaults.

Here's something pretty ironic. The one application which was a big driver setting my attitudes about always reinstalling applications is Path Finder. On their forums they often suggest deleting preserved application state as a way to resolve problems (and there are many). Unfortunately, that is the one program whose preferences I would really like to heavily customize. Using Path Finder is an exercise in compromise.

When you freshly reinstall Path Finder and customize your preferences the way you like them, is there any method for saving its preferences stack somewhere else as a known good backup? When I say "preferences stack", I'm thinking that there is the preferences plist in ~/Library/Preferences, but there might be an entry in ~/Library/Group Containers or ~/Library/Saved Application State, among other places...

You'd have to ask the Path Finder forums for guidance, I'd guess, for a complete answer.