OSX officially sucks.

[DaFool]

So I just booted my imac this morning like I usually do, and...

kernel panic

WTF. The only time this occurs is if I compile some untested kernel on linux, but usually there is still an old kernel to boot up to.

With OSX, not only is there no old kernel to boot up to that I see (unless you're talking about OS9 which I don't have), but updates are just semi-forced on you (like Windows Update and its crappy SP3).

But that's not even the case since the last update was in March.

It seems there are some settings to tell it to selectively boot up... I know GRUB / LILO allows this but the only thing I can figure out with Macs are the command + keystrokes. I already flashed the NVRAM etc. to no avail.

The system only boots up in Safe Mode, but no disk checking / verifying I do manages to solve its grey screen of death when booting up normally. The tech support at the local Power Mac Center just advised to reinstall. They said it could be a hardware problem. Well, the hardware tests were fine... and Windows XP partition boots up perfectly.

So... yeah... if this was Windows I'd understand. But this is a fuckin unix-based OS.

So fuck. Next time I'm just gonna put together my own crap box and run it on some free OS or at worse some cheap third-world edition of Microsoft. This experience is like buying a Mercedes and discovering it has the reliability of a Chrysler... in particular, a Dodge Neon.

[Jake]

The system only boots up in Safe Mode, but no disk checking / verifying I do manages to solve its grey screen of death when booting up normally. The tech support at the local Power Mac Center just advised to reinstall. They said it could be a hardware problem. Well, the hardware tests were fine... and Windows XP partition boots up perfectly.

So... yeah... if this was Windows I'd understand. But this is a fuckin unix-based OS.

I'm missing the part where Windows itself since XP has been any more unstable than your average Unix-based OS?

Anyway, what - because your local tech support was unhelpful the OS "officially sucks"? I've had some pretty unhelpful tech support for Windows before, so I guess that must suck - and the last time I tried to get Linux-related help from Linux people they took the "it's Open Source Software, you can fix it yourself!" approach, which I guess must make Linux suck too...

Have you tried repairing the boot volume with Disk Utility? Have you tried removing all peripherals and expansion cards (I forget whether the iMac has a PC-Card slot) and booting again? What 'hardware tests' were fine, exactly?

The two most obvious things which would cause this are a corrupted filesystem that OSX is trying to boot from and bad RAM. Have you performed an exhaustive check of the RAM under XP? I know for a fact that XP will quite happily boot with dodgy RAM in the system, it just becomes less stable if and when you start using the bad stick.

[DaFool]

suck too...

Well they all do to some extent. It's just that Macs have this elite image. Danny Choo also in his site trashed Dell in favor of Apple. In my case Dell has served me well for 7 years and would have happily chugged along if not for this 'chic' encroachment by Apple.

Have you tried repairing the boot volume with Disk Utility?

Yes.

Have you tried removing all peripherals and expansion cards (I forget whether the iMac has a PC-Card slot) and booting again?

Yes, all peripherals. Even tried booting from a fresh plug-in. No expansion cards installed.

What 'hardware tests' were fine, exactly?

The 'third-party' ones that came with the service CDs. Tech Tool, I think.

The two most obvious things which would cause this are a corrupted filesystem that OSX is trying to boot from and bad RAM.

I have no idea how a corrupt filesystem would occur since I don't mess with the system files. The disk volume always tests ok. However the permissions always change for some reason, and I have to keep repairing them.

Have you performed an exhaustive check of the RAM under XP? I know for a fact that XP will quite happily boot with dodgy RAM in the system, it just becomes less stable if and when you start using the bad stick.

Not yet. In my experience this usually results in 'Your system has just recovered from a serious error.' and that's that.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm just going to do an archive-reinstall. I hope this is similar to a Windows repair-install in that only the system files get overwritten. I hope any folders outside don't get touched, or anything in Documents. I could back up some files though, but this depends on how much I feel about transferring 80GB of doujinshi (I use the Mac volume as the main storage volume, and Windows only to install what I need) using 4GB flash disks.

[Jake]

I have no idea how a corrupt filesystem would occur since I don't mess with the system files. The disk volume always tests ok. However the permissions always change for some reason, and I have to keep repairing them.

Really, a corrupted filesystem will have little to do with messing with system files - it's more likely to be a fault with the HDD, or the machine losing power while writing to the disk, or something like that. If your permissions keep changing without you touching them, it's probably a fair sign that something's up with the filesystem; have you ever had any files lost or damaged?

[chunderbunny]

All software sucks to some extent.

But anyway, I am reasonably sure that if you boot from the OSX disks you can do a repair install which just re-installs the system stuff without overwriting your files. Obviously you should still do a backup. Even a full wipe + install doesn't take very long.

[Scout]

All software sucks to some extent.

But anyway, I am reasonably sure that if you boot from the OSX disks you can do a repair install which just re-installs the system stuff without overwriting your files. Obviously you should still do a backup. Even a full wipe + install doesn't take very long.

When my kernel got... somethinged, I still don't know what, a few weeks ago, that's exactly what I did. Reinstalling OS X and putting all my preferences back in order took something like two hours all told, which, out of all the computer-related agonies one might be forced to endure, is not all that bad.


(Getting on a bus for two hours to go back to Toronto so I could get my OS X disc, was much less enjoyable, but probably not Apple's fault.)

[delta]

OSX is rock solid compared to Ren'Py, which you seem to be quite a fan of.

JUST SAYING

[Counter Arts]

Hmm... maybe it's just how much you're willing to draw out of a machine if you know how to jury rig or know do-it-yourself certain things. Where DaFool is at, probably jury rigged stuff is more common. Windows is great for this kind stuff.

How big a factor are price points are probably much different where DaFool is at.

Just a thought... if I'm wrong then let me know.

[DaFool]

So I have 11GB still consumed by the old install... hmmm interesting. I suppose everytime i do a reinstall I should be prepared to waste 11GB, or will the previous 11GB be overwritten (the 'old' install becoming the newer 'old' install)?

Just 6 months in and forced to do an OS reinstall -- never happened with windows or linux (usually takes longer than a year and by the time i really f-up the system). Course, this is just my experience.

It's all about the price point and the higher expectations that come with a higher cost of entry. A branded computer is already considered a luxury, all the more an Apple. When something is expensive, it better behave like a tank.
My chinese copycat/clone/pirated-whatever smartphone randomly switches off... but since it cost 1/5 the price of other smartphones and has all the advanced multimedia features, I think it rocks.

[Scout]

You can delete the old system files, although I wouldn't until you're sure you've recovered everything. It stores them all in a clearly marked seperate folder.