Security Basics mailing list archives

RE: automatic update on Mac OS X


From: "Zachary Mutrux" <zmutrux () compumentor org>
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 15:21:24 -0700

Because there are problems with Windows Update doesn't mean that automated
patch deployment shouldn't be a feature of the Mac OS. Sometimes automated
updates are the only way to ensure that patches are installed.

Administrators of many Macs shouldn't be required to manually run software
update on each one of them in order to ensure patches are installed. Apple
Remote Desktop for assignment of software to groups of computers is one
solution. Scheduling the command softwareupdate as a cron job is another.
But both these solutions have problems.

Something along the lines of Microsoft's Software Update Services (SUS) is
needed for Macs. SUS solves some of the problems with Automatic Updates in
Windows by allowing the administrator to choose what patches to deploy.

Zac


-----Original Message-----
From: SMiller () unimin com [mailto:SMiller () unimin com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 8:51 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: Re: automatic update on Mac OS X



By using the word "fix" you imply that this is a problem that needs
correction.



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