Software update was completely redesigned for Big Sur, using finite state machines to enable reliable, flexible and robust updates to be applied to macOS. These are documented in log entries made during an update.
Apple silicon
Doesn’t macOS wear out internal SSDs quickly because of all the data it writes to them? Will my Mac’s SSD wear out prematurely? How can I tell?
What do you do if you can’t start your Apple silicon Mac in Recovery? Try Fallback Recovery, as explained in detail here.
Details of new firmware versions for iMac 2019 models, those with T2 or Apple silicon chips. And how Apple assigns version numbers to iBoot.
From a simple linear Basic program, or a command tool like tar, to working with macOS to get threads allocated to the most appropriate cores and run at the right frequency.
Step by step through all the features, some undocumented by Apple. Two different Recovery Assistants, Repair Assistant, Erase Mac, Startup Security Utility, change settings and more.
Last September, Tahoe replaced Apple Diagnostics with a new and improved suite of tests for Apple silicon Macs. No one seems to have noticed, least of all Apple.
It’s the percentage of time a core in active, when not idle or shut down. That’s confounded by Intel Hyper-threading, and frequencies of Apple silicon cores.
Apple silicon architecture is designed to get background processes out of the way of our apps running in the foreground, by using the E cores.
One Thunderbolt port is the designated DFU port, to be used when connecting via USB-C in DFU mode, and to be avoided for external bootable disks. But how can you identify it?
The Eclectic Light Company 