I'm the sort of person who likes to keep their Mac system up to date - in fact, I wrote a command script that launches all my updaters to check for updates on a daily basis, and I then decide what to install. There are at least two philosophies when it comes to updating your system, generally based upon how critical your uptime is to your work.
Philosophy 101:
The first camp errs on the side of caution and believes "If it ain't broke, don't fixit". If a system is functioning correctly, these folks are reticent to update it since they don't want to introduce new problems. This approach is often taken in areas where uptime, productivity or exacting configurations are critical to business. Many enterprise environments operate this way, although due diligence should be applied: if possible, updates should be applied to test systems and then deployed if found to not cause problems.
The second camp believes that updates are continual improvements, and that if you want the latest features and current support you should install the updates. These campers trust the software publisher and are either willing to take a chance and deal with the consequences – or they may not anticipate the possibility of a problem.
I side mostly with the first, but share the enthusiasm of the second. I usually try to read up on the updates before installing them, especially for Mac OS system updates.
Unfortunately, I didn't read up on the Thunderbolt Software Update. My mistake. I assumed that fresh from the Apple World Wide Developer Announcement, this update (along with iPhoto, iTunes and the Airport Utility) was part of the new features and products being announced.
Zapped!
After installing the updates, I clicked the Restart button presented by my Mac. It began to shutdown, but then sat in a hung state for about 10 minutes. I pressed the power button (even though I dislike forced shutdowns), and then powered on in Single User mode (command-s) in order to immediately run a File System Check (FSCK) from the console - this is my procedure when ever I must shutdown abnormally.
To my dismay, I was greeted with a message about "missing kext files" (kernel extensions) and there being no "bootable system available". Restarting again in normal startup mode simply resulted in Kernel Panic messages.
Is it just me?
A quick hop over to Google (via the iPad) brought up a discussion on the Apple site referring to the problem:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4020399?start=0&tstart=0
The good thing about finding this was it assured me it wasn't just my problem. The Apple discussion boards are a good resource since they're often the first place Apple users go to share problems and seek answers. The discussions are read by Apple employees who will sometimes respond and escalate the issue internally. There's often good information, as was the case in this situation. I learned:
• my kernel panic was caused by the Thunderbolt Software Update, designed to support a Gigabit Ethernet adapter over the Thunderbolt port
• this adapter is primarily for use with the new Retina Display MacBook Air and isn't even needed for my MacBook Pro
• the update installed an incompatible kext, and modified other kexts required to boot and build the Unix kernel
• my files and user accounts should remain intact, only system software was affected
• I could try booting into the Lion Recovery HD partition to reinstall Mac OS X, or I could boot from another hard drive with an OS installed, then download and install the 10.7.4 Combo Update
• Apple had pulled the offending Thunderbolt update
All mostly reassuring information, with the only real down side being the amount of time needed to restore the system.
Although I had a recent backup of my system, I was able to boot from a system I keep on an external hard drive, using it to back up my Mac in its latest state, just for peace of mind. I then proceeded with the Recovery HD partition reinstallation of Mac OS X Lion.
Tried and true:
In this instance, the Thunderbolt Software Update was the culprit, but in reality it could be any recommended update from any software publisher. We may want to trust Apple's update recommendations but they're as imperfect as the next company. When updating your system, consider the following:
- Hold off from installing an update for a day or two, especially if it's related to firmware or the OS. That will give you time to look for other guinea pigs who've encountered problems. (But be sure to always update your virus definitions!)
- Use Time Machine or a utility like Bombich's Carbon Copy Cloner to regularly back up your Mac to an external drive. Should your system fail, you'll be able to restore it from that last saved state.
- When installing software and updates, be aware you might introduce new problems, whether major or minor. A little research on sites like TUAW, Apple Insider and Macintouch and Apple's discussion site may go a long way in helping you decide whether to install, and how to resolve introduced problems.
Conclusion:
This was the first time I relied on the hidden Lion Recovery HD partition. It worked well and I was able to reinstall the Mac OS and have my system functioning in the same state just prior to the crash. The only thing I lost was a few hours. I know there are others who will have lost productivity and billable hours.
It's not my intent to take Apple's Quality Assurance to task for releasing an update that caused problems for me. In fact, it's the opposite: this is one of those situations where the End User License Agreement (EULA) comes into play. Apple assumes no liability for downtime, loss of profit, etc. While they will endeavor to resolve the problem, it's the end user's responsibility to assess the risk and proceed accordingly.
In the end, you'll have to decide whether to click the update button. Pause for a moment, and remember that those who err on the side of caution may come out ahead.
Ken Kramar, posted 6/14/2012
For more information on the Apple Thunderbolt Update visit the following sites:
