[X4U] installing Security Updates

[Scott]

On Jul 22, 2005, at 8:08 AM, Mary C. Youra wrote:

> My mother asked me to investigate why her computer (blue&white G-3)  
> was refusing to retrieve mail--it kept rejecting her password,  
> which she was typing in correctly. Before doing anything else, I  
> decided to run Software Update, which showed a whole host of  
> Security Updates (10-27-2004, 2005-02,-04,-05,-06), plus the OS  
> 10.3.9 combo (she was at 10.3.7), so I repaired permissions, then  
> installed only the 10.3.9 combo. When I ran Software Update again,  
> the Security Updates were still there along with the Java update  
> and Quicktime. I installed the Java and Quicktime.
>
> I thought the Security Updates would be, for the most part at  
> least, included in the combo OS, but is that no longer the case?
>
> Have I done all this backwards? Should I have done the Security  
> Updates first? Should I do them now, then do the combo again?
>
> Mary
> ___________________

You're fine. Usually, security updates are rolled into the next major  
release, but not into the update releases. Many people, especially  
admins, install as few updates as possible, always after extensive  
testing. They generally don't like having to install a complete OS  
update in order to get a security fix. With that scenario, it's more  
efficient for Apple to provide only the separate security updates.  
Otherwise, they'd have to have the security updates, the OS updates w/ 
o the security updates,, and an OS+security update.

Go ahead and do the security updates. There is no need to reapply the  
combo update.

-- 
Scott