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Security Update 2020-005

Minipudding said:
To anyone who has used the "Recovery Mode" to re-install macOS without wiping the partition/disk: does this still zap your users and their files/settings, or does it just overwrite system files and leaves the rest intact?
Click to expand...

It's the latter; all my extensions and doodads like iStat Menus continue to work as before.

Some things do get clobbered by default, such as your Safari history but other stuff like desktop icon positions continue as unaltered.

Remember that as has been mentioned before, going back to 10.14.6 build 18G103 resets you back to Safari 12.1.2, which still has Flash support. Safari 14.0+ yanks support for the Flash plug-in (but doesn't remove the plugin if installed.)
 
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Had the slow system, high swap use, high compressed memory count issue as well. Installed Safari 14.0.1, rebooted, no difference, then did a reinstall using the Mojave image downloaded from the app store, installing it 'in place'.

Reinstall in place was painless (lost 70min, thats about all) steps are as follows.

1. Make a backup of the installation (f.e. Time Machine), just in case something goes wrong
2. Deactivate 'automatic updates' in system settings/softwareupdate (currently I only have the top two options checked in more settings).
3. Download Mojave from the app store (if you want to stick with Mojave), using the following link:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-mojave/id1398502828 (it will get 'localized' automatically)
4. Installer will start automatically, say yes on the prompts, that you want to install - this will do an in place install (so useraccounts, and almost all of you data (even down to brew installs, and Google Chrome usersettings will survive, this will take about 40 minutes)
5. Mac reboots, and installs Mojave in place. After the Mashine has rebooted, open system settings/software update, this will check for available updates, which should be two at that point (Safari 14 and the Security Update 2020-005), make sure you uncheck Safari 14, and install the Security update - this will take another 30 minutes or so. Once the machine rebooted, you are back in business. :)

Untested: If you want a newer version of Safari than 12.1.2, but lower than 14, you should be able to download developer betas via this Link: https://developer.apple.com/download/more/?=Safari (Thanks to Minipudding for providing it on the last page, developer account is needed, but free to set up.)
 
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pierrespartan said:
Well... Safari always worked fine for me, and I always use it (excepted for a few old websites where Firefox is better).
But for sure I would never have expect (please correct this sentence is my English is too bad there ☺) so much issues just by updating an app (Safari)... even if I know, Safari is somehow an entire part of the macOS environnement.

So... Wait and see...
Click to expand...
See here, available old Safari Packages:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...05.2256677/page-2?post=28953886#post-28953886
 
Well, I’ll post again the links for old Safari Packages. In my case, I’ll stay at 13.1.2, worried as said @ClassicII that another Security Update break things again...

- Each security update is easily available on the Apple Support pages.
- Safari updates could be found here: https://mac.filehorse.com/download-safari/13550/
- Apple security patches history: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222

To be honest, I’ve made a folder of all Security, Supplemental and Safari updates available since Mojave 10.14.6 September 2019 installer. It was to cure my cDock crash but realized that the two events (memory and cDock) were related reading this thread.
 
So, unfortunately, I did the update to Safari 14 when it popped up a couple weeks ago. But, thankfully I did not do the Security Update 2020-005. And I've successfully hidden it in Terminal. (Thanks, Mr. Macintosh!)

My question is, am I OK just having Safari 14 installed as long as I don't install the 2020-005 Security Update? I see there's no way to uninstall Safari 14...
 
RoyalScam said:
So, unfortunately, I did the update to Safari 14 when it popped up a couple weeks ago. But, thankfully I did not do the Security Update 2020-005. And I've successfully hidden it in Terminal. (Thanks, Mr. Macintosh!)

My question is, am I OK just having Safari 14 installed as long as I don't install the 2020-005 Security Update? I see there's no way to uninstall Safari 14...
Click to expand...
There is way but if you want to keep 14, don’t install 2020-005.

For those wanting to go back to 13.1.2:

- Uninstall Safari 14 with AppCleaner (check the options in preferences to not protect Apple apps, beware however!). Check all the elements to be sure that all Safari files will be removed. AppCleaner: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/

- Install Safari 13.1.2 with Pacifist. Pacifist: https://www.charlessoft.com/

- Do it only when you have installed Security Update 2020-005. If you install 13.1.2 first then apply 2020-005, chances are it will overwrite some Safari frameworks and 13.1.2 could malfunction or not work at all.

- Issue the following command in terminal: sudo update_dyld_shared_cache -root / -force

For those having a backup on TM or CCC, beware if you have to reinstall one updated with Safari 14:

I’ve encountered three different cases last two weeks:

- A restored (functioning great when booted by itself) CCC backup ended up with cDock crashing (so I guess with the memory bug as I discovered the two are intimately related). Probably related to the order CCC write back the files over my prior installation...;

- Same thing happened with a TM restore;

- A good working 10.14.6 with 2020-004 and Safari 14 (no cDock crash nor memory bug) was cloned with CCC to my external backup drive. This backup, once booted, was suffering the memory bug and the cDock crash. It was byte-for-byte an exact copy. I guess it had to do with the order in which Carbon Copy Cloner applied the modifications to the old backup.
 
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Okay, so I reinstalled 10.14.6 from a backup installer, and updated to 2020-004 (from 18G103). Does anyone know if I have to go back and run the previous security updates, or does 2020-004 bundle them all?
 
pierrespartan said:
No worries!
Thanks for your answer.

Just one thing, do you remember in which order you installed this following (?):
* 2020-005 update
* Safari 14.0
* Safari 14.0.1 beta version

So I guess Safari 14.0.1 is in 3rd position, but what's about the other two?
Your answer may help to understand ☺.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure. I've been running the Safari 14.0 betas, so I think perhaps Safari was installed first, before the 2020-005. Is there a way to check? An install history?
 
dickie001x said:
I'm not sure. I've been running the Safari 14.0 betas, so I think perhaps Safari was installed first, before the 2020-005. Is there a way to check? An install history?
Click to expand...

Click the Apple icon on the menu bar, then select "About this Mac", then "System Report". Scroll down to the "Software" section, select "Installations", then sort by "Install Date" so that the most recent installs are listed (probably a double click). That should tell you the order in which you have installed your updates.

Colstan
 
On my mid 2012 MacBook Pro I selected and installed Safari 14 first, after which I allowed the Security Update to install, but this failed and had to be repeated. I realise from this thread that it was the wrong way round ;)

Upon reboot the available RAM dived to under 4GB of the 16 I have, but after running Onyx it was a little better with over 6GB available.
However after a few hours sleep the RAM was up to 12GB available, gradually dropping to 10GB or just under, and now it's steady at between 9 and 10GB even with Firefox open.

At this time I'm not feeling the need to roll back and so will await any fixes from Apple.

Cheers :)

Hugh
 
Brilliant thread - well done everyone.
Here is our experience:

We have two Macs, a Mac Mini and an iMac 21”, both 2019 and both running Mojave.

On my iMac,I downloaded Safari 14 when I first found it via the internet about ten days ago. Two days later, I downloaded the security update. I have had no problems. At the same time as I downloaded the update, my wife did the same, but also downloaded Safari 14 at the same time, on her Mac Mini - and she is the one with the problems. Nothing really serious, unlike some of your other posters, but irritating nevertheless. The Mini won’t stay asleep. We tried a few things, running Onyx, repairing permissions. to no avail. I'm poised to reinstall Mojave, without erase, on the Mini, but we have decided now to wait, keep up-to-date, and see if Apple comes up with anything.

Just one other point that may or may not be relevant. The Mini has Systems Integrity Protection enabled, but I disabled it on my iMac so that I could run Xtrafinder.

I was running Catalina on the iMac but it was such a pain that (with difficulty and a clean install) I downgraded to Mojave; the consensus is that Mojave is currently the most stable of the OS's - Cupertino can use what they like! We're both very happy with Mojave but really annoyed with this security update fiasco.

I have read right through this thread - lots of info and good tips, but will still hang fire and see if Apple do anything. No other problems with memory use or any other bugs so far, just the waking from sleep thing and we can live with that.
 
Wow. Impressive thread! Congratulations!

I am also interested in getting rid of safari 14. Just a couple of questions to make sure I’ve understood this ok.
  1. I have a downloaded 10.14.6 installer (6Gb aprox). Is it the same to execute this installer from apps than perform the recovery method?
  2. I plan to stay in Safari 12.1.2 for some time (safari 13 and 14 have broken my icloud bookmarks sync). What SU should I install then? 2020-04 or 2020-05? Other? None?
Thanks!
 
It's not possible to completely trash Safari; there are a couple of files that are completely integrated with the OS, but you can delete enough to disable it and then install an earlier version. Hasn't solved our problem of waking from sleep but does me we can still use Safari.
 
sunnyjohn2 said:
It's not possible to completely trash Safari; there are a couple of files that are completely integrated with the OS, but you can delete enough to disable it and then install an earlier version. Hasn't solved our problem of waking from sleep but does me we can still use Safari.
Click to expand...

Do you mean that if I reinstall 10.14.6, safari 14 won't be removed completely? Functional level at least.
I don't mean to just remove safari, but reinstall OS and keep the safari 12 bundled with it. So I hope these integrated files are also replaced.

Am I wrong then?
 
Yes, if you install a later version, it will overwrite the old files. But if you want to use an earlier version, because of the problems associated with Safari 14, you can do that after trashing the later version. However, a couple of files of this will remain but in our case they don't seem to have affected the operation of our older version. Anyone else tried this?
 
Patrice Brousseau said:
There is way but if you want to keep 14, don’t install 2020-005.

For those wanting to go back to 13.1.2:

- Uninstall Safari 14 with AppCleaner (check the options in preferences to not protect Apple apps, beware however!). Check all the elements to be sure that all Safari files will be removed. AppCleaner: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/

- Install Safari 13.1.2 with Pacifist. Pacifist: https://www.charlessoft.com/

- Do it only when you have installed Security Update 2020-005. If you install 13.1.2 first then apply 2020-005, chances are it will overwrite some Safari frameworks and 13.1.2 could malfunction or not work at all.

- Issue the following command in terminal: sudo update_dyld_shared_cache -root / -force

For those having a backup on TM or CCC, beware if you have to reinstall one updated with Safari 14:

I’ve encountered three different cases last two weeks:

- A restored (functioning great when booted by itself) CCC backup ended up with cDock crashing (so I guess with the memory bug as I discovered the two are intimately related). Probably related to the order CCC write back the files over my prior installation...;

- Same thing happened with a TM restore;

- A good working 10.14.6 with 2020-004 and Safari 14 (no cDock crash nor memory bug) was cloned with CCC to my external backup drive. This backup, once booted, was suffering the memory bug and the cDock crash. It was byte-for-byte an exact copy. I guess it had to do with the order in which Carbon Copy Cloner applied the modifications to the old backup.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Patrick. I don’t use Safari anyway, so I think I’ll stick with 14 and stay away from 2020-005. Unless that will hurt performance, which it appears it won’t.
 
I've stopped installing Apple "security" updates.
I just... ignore them.

I'd rather have a Mac that "isn't quite up-to-date, security wise, but still runs fine", than a Mac that has "all the security updates installed, but runs poorly".

I also want to stick with an OLDER version of Safari (version 12) for a while.

But... that's just me.
 
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