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If you run an older version of OS X, does Apple supply security updates? How far back? I run Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8.5) on one of my systems. For the longest
by cantrevealname 10y ago
If you run an older version of OS X, does Apple supply security updates? How far back?
I run Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8.5) on one of my systems. For the longest time, whenever I click "Software Update", it says that there are no updates (though it does offer OS X El Capitan as an upgrade).
I can understand that Apple or any company doesn't want to support old software indefinitely, but if security updates are available as separate packages--without having to do a major OS upgrade--then you'd think that "Software Update" should offer it!
- blub 10y agoI'm pretty sure that they don't, they seem to use the iOS model: either you're on the latest version or you're insecure.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- jacobolus 10y agoThis is blatantly false. Apple has always provided security fixes for the past 2–3 versions before the current one. At their current version release schedule, that means a given version will be supported for at least 3 years or so. At the moment security updates cover versions 10.9+. The most recent security update for OS X v10.8.5 was in August (a bit over 3 years after the initial release of 10.8), and 10.9+ have had an additional 5 security updates after that.
- NEDM64 10y agoYou're pretty wrong.
- legooolas 10y agoBut Apple won't explicitly state which versions are and are not supported, so everyone could be wrong.
- x0x0 10y agoI think Apple only goes back to 10.9/Mavericks. I'm running that and got the Security Update 2016-0004 patch set.
- eridius 10y agoI think the security updates are created specially for each version of the OS, rather than applying the same package to both 10.11 and 10.10.