Why can some with Apple silicon Macs create and boot from external disks, while others seem doomed to failure?
T2
This has changed greatly over the last few versions of macOS, and differs between different types of Mac. Here’s an outline.
Why your Mac’s firmware version may not be the latest you expect. What you can do about that, depending on its type.
The rules of firmware updating explained, and their consequences for each type of Mac. How to refresh firmware on a T2, and how to downgrade it in an Apple silicon Mac.
Running a Mac as a server supports all the features of HFS+ and APFS, services such as Content Caching, and spares us from learning Linux. But does it work?
A new version of Mints adds the ability to view versions of installed firmware and recovery systems, valuable particularly for Apple silicon Macs.
Intended to counter hardware exploits, such as the checkm8 exploit of T2 chips and Thunderspy for Thunderbolt 3, this should prove valuable protection.
On T2 and M1 Macs, FileVault provides robust protection of the Data volume on internal storage without any performance penalty.
Before deciding on internal and external storage, you need to be realistic about the performance it will achieve. Here are the numbers – and a couple of things we tend to forget about.
Should you be scared of ‘bricking’ your Mac? Just what does it mean, and what could you do about it? Don’t panic: it’s not a dragon to be slayed.
The Eclectic Light Company 