How to use Share Disk in Recovery on an Apple silicon Mac, how fast it can be. Target Disk Mode on Intel Macs, and some less likely alternatives.
Apple silicon
How Software Update settings obtains a list of available updates, and the variants that should contain. How mobile asset catalogues are checked, and preparations made to download the update.
How to read and interpret firmware version numbers from the first Intel Macs to the latest Apple silicon models.
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.
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.
The Eclectic Light Company 