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From: Steve Bonine on 30 Mar 2010 09:31
Security Update lists the file size for the 10.6.3 update at 437.2 MB.
(I'm updating from 10.6.2.)

The Apple download page lists the file size as 719.23 MB.

Back in the good 'ole days, before Apple removed the option to download
an update but not install it, I could download once and install on the
two identical laptops in this household. Now I have the choice of
downloading 719 MB once or downloading 437 MB twice.

Why the huge difference in file size? Are there "hidden" versions of
the update that are accessible to Software Update because it knows
exactly what I need?
From: David Empson on 30 Mar 2010 09:58
Steve Bonine <spb(a)pobox.com> wrote:

> Security Update lists the file size for the 10.6.3 update at 437.2 MB.
> (I'm updating from 10.6.2.)
>
> The Apple download page lists the file size as 719.23 MB.
>
> Back in the good 'ole days, before Apple removed the option to download
> an update but not install it, I could download once and install on the
> two identical laptops in this household. Now I have the choice of
> downloading 719 MB once or downloading 437 MB twice.
>
> Why the huge difference in file size? Are there "hidden" versions of
> the update that are accessible to Software Update because it knows
> exactly what I need?

Software Update is being smart: it works out exactly which updates you
have installed since 10.6.2, and selects a specific update which
corresponds to the state of your computer. The 437 MB update is only
offered if you had installed Security Update 2010-001, and probably
Safari 4.0.5. If you missed either of those you would get a larger
update, possibly the same one you can download manually.

The specific update you get via Software Update for one computer might
not be the same one you get offered on another computer (though if the
file size is the same, there is a high probability that they are
identical).

The 437 MB update works by deleting and creating files as required, and
patching existing files to convert them into the 10.6.3 versions of
those files.

By comparison, the 719 MB update you can download from Apple will work
on any computer with 10.6.2 installed, no matter which subsequent
updates have been installed. It works by deleting, creating and
replacing files as required, but generally doesn't patch existing files.

The Combo update takes this process even further: it will delete, create
and replace files as required to update any 10.6, 10.6.1 or 10.6.2
system to 10.6.3, no matter which other updates might or might not have
been applied.

--
David Empson
dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
From: Claude V. Lucas on 30 Mar 2010 10:13
In article <1jg76gh.afh4c35s5nc5N%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>,
David Empson <dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz> wrote:
>Steve Bonine <spb(a)pobox.com> wrote:
>
>> Security Update lists the file size for the 10.6.3 update at 437.2 MB.
>> (I'm updating from 10.6.2.)
>>
>> The Apple download page lists the file size as 719.23 MB.
>>
>> Back in the good 'ole days, before Apple removed the option to download
>> an update but not install it, I could download once and install on the
>> two identical laptops in this household. Now I have the choice of
>> downloading 719 MB once or downloading 437 MB twice.
>>
>> Why the huge difference in file size? Are there "hidden" versions of
>> the update that are accessible to Software Update because it knows
>> exactly what I need?
>
>Software Update is being smart: it works out exactly which updates you
>have installed since 10.6.2, and selects a specific update which
>corresponds to the state of your computer. The 437 MB update is only
>offered if you had installed Security Update 2010-001, and probably
>Safari 4.0.5. If you missed either of those you would get a larger
>update, possibly the same one you can download manually.
>
>The specific update you get via Software Update for one computer might
>not be the same one you get offered on another computer (though if the
>file size is the same, there is a high probability that they are
>identical).
>
>The 437 MB update works by deleting and creating files as required, and
>patching existing files to convert them into the 10.6.3 versions of
>those files.
>
>By comparison, the 719 MB update you can download from Apple will work
>on any computer with 10.6.2 installed, no matter which subsequent
>updates have been installed. It works by deleting, creating and
>replacing files as required, but generally doesn't patch existing files.
>
>The Combo update takes this process even further: it will delete, create
>and replace files as required to update any 10.6, 10.6.1 or 10.6.2
>system to 10.6.3, no matter which other updates might or might not have
>been applied.
>

FWIW, the combo updater (MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.3.dmg) I DLed from
Apple yesterday tips the "Get Info" scales at 822.1MB...

It's a bit more hefty than the number on the DL page.
From: Greg Buchner on 30 Mar 2010 17:39
In article <4bb20714$0$1608$742ec2ed(a)news.sonic.net>,
claudel(a)sonic.net (Claude V. Lucas) wrote:

> FWIW, the combo updater (MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.3.dmg) I DLed from
> Apple yesterday tips the "Get Info" scales at 822.1MB...
>
> It's a bit more hefty than the number on the DL page.

No, it isn't. It's just that 10.6 uses base 10 (1000 x 1000 = 1MB) to
count sizes on your HD whereas the download page is counting it using
base 2 (2^10 x 2^10 = 1MB)

Greg B.

--
Actual e-mail address is gregbuchner and I'm located at gmail.com
From: JF Mezei on 30 Mar 2010 18:17
Another aspect is that there are components that are needed only by
certain machines. A MacPro won't need stuff that is specific to laptops.

When you download the kit from the web, you get a comprehensive package
that include all possibilities and updates, and when you install, those
that are not needed on your machine are not installed.

When you use software update, it "creates" a kit for your machine with
only the components that are needed, hence the much smaller file size.

BTW, as usual, the X11 becomes broken due to the xinitrc file protection
being reset to prevent the user from accessing it (when you start X11
manually).
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