After the Boot ROM, LLB and iBoot (stage 2), kernel boot starts setting up security services and putting the hardware to work. CPU cores are started up before file systems are mounted, and the Mac starts userspace boot.
Apple silicon
First decide what you want to ‘clean’: the Data or System volume, or firmware? Then consider the methods of choice to perform that. Explained for Intel and Apple silicon Macs.
You’re sometimes advised to shut your Mac down, wait a while, and start it up again, instead of restarting it. Are they different, and if so when should you use them?
Apps supplied through the App Store aren’t signed by their developer, but by Apple. Many now have certificates that have expired. When will they stop running?
Which system and AI cryptexes are loaded during macOS boot? Here are details of the 28 for AI in Tahoe 26.2, and which are new since Sequoia 15.5.
An overview of code signing and certificate requirements to come when macOS 27 is released in a few months, supporting only Apple silicon Macs. How Intel Macs will be affected in the near future.
Apple silicon Macs were designed to boot almost as securely from external disks as from their internal SSD. That makes macOS installation a little more complicated. Here’s how to do that.
It throws away the encryption key for the Data volume, effectively wiping all its data. It doesn’t alter the System volume, SSV, or the macOS installed.
Given what we know about the base M5, is it really a significant improvement on the base M4. What features should we be looking at?
How operating frequencies of CPU cores used by the latest base M5 chip compare with those from previous families in the M series, and what that means. Complete with updated tables for all current chips.
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