Inside/Outside Mac OS

After remaining in the 10th iteration of Mac OS from 2001 to 2020, Apple moved to macOS 11 with Big Sur. Over its lifetime, Apple has made considerable improvements to the performance, security, and functionality of the software, making it one of the most robust and user-friendly operating systems around.

● Operating System for Mac and MacBook
● Started as Mac OS in 1984
● Mac OS X shipped March 2001
● Unix-based OS
● Major releases originally named after big cats
● Now named after California locations

Inside Macintosh is the name of the developer documentation manuals published by Apple Inc., documenting the APIs and machine architecture of the Macintosh computer. The first documentation for the original 1984 Macintosh was available only in the form of photocopied sheets that could be obtained from Apple. In 1985, they were published in the form of a book that was available to the general. Before we install OS X, we’ll need to set up VirtualBox so the OS X install disc can boot correctly. Here’s what you need to do: Step 1: Launch VirtualBox and click the New button. Give your new virtual machine a name (I just called it “Mac OS X”) and set the operating system to “Mac OS X Server (64-bit)”. On MAC OS machines, enter the netstat -r command in order to view the PC routing table: $ netstat -r Routing tables Internet: Destination Gateway Flags Refs Use Netif Expire default hsrp-64-103-236-1. UGSc 34 0 en1 10.10.10/24 10.10.11.2 UGSc 0 44 utun1!! This is the split tunnel route. Inside Mac OS X: System Overview is intended for anyone who wants to develop software for Mac OS X. But it is also a resource for people who are just curious about Mac OS X as a development and deployment platform. Whether your background is software development for Mac OS or UNIX or Windows or any other platform—.

Apple's macOS is the operating system that runs on the company's Mac lineup. The software, which is free to update for all Mac and MacBook owners, handles system functions, applications, and hardware controls.

Apple designed macOS to run as optimally as possible on the company's hardware. It also connects to Apple's online services, including the Mac App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, and related services. It includes considerable security protections to keep users and their data safe from harm.

Based on Unix at its core, macOS is a flexible operating system. Power users will appreciate its configurable aspects, such as Terminal commands or server-based applications. However, it's also friendly towards more casual users, gaining many iOS features and visual design cues through the years.

macOS started as Mac OS, which launched in 1984. It underwent multiple major releases until the final version under the initial name, Mac OS 9, shipped to customers in 1999.

Apple changed its naming policy with the launch of Mac OS X, known colloquially as OS X, in March 2001. After that release, Apple kept the major version number at 10 for nearly two decades. Instead of changing the major version number, Apple used a following minor number to indicate annual upgrade releases, such as version 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3.

In 2016, Apple altered how it referred to the operating system. Still known as Mac OS or OS X prior to that, the company switched to macOS. This matched the naming pattern of its other operating systems, including iOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

Apple's 10.X naming scheme changed with macOS Big Sur's arrival in 2020. Apple finally retired the old naming scheme and called Big Sur version 11.

As well as the official name and version number, Apple has also altered the release title for each over time. From the release of Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah until OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Apple referred to the operating system by the name of a big cat. Starting with OS X 10.9 Mavericks, Apple switched the naming convention to refer to California landmarks. The company has continued to do so since then.

macOS 11 Big Sur

Apple announced macOS Big Sur at WWDC 2020 and released the new OS in November 2020. The operating system was redesigned with new textured icons, colorful sidebars, and more transparent and curvy elements. The design changes make the Mac look much like iPadOS than ever before.

Big Sur also begins to move the Mac away from Intel chips to custom Apple Silicon, including the new M1 chip.

Apple offers several tools to help developers make the transition. All iOS and iPadOS apps can run on Apple Silicon natively, though developers can opt out of offering them in the Mac App Store. Developers can also easily upgrade their mobile apps to be more Mac-like with Mac Catalyst.

The first Apple Silicon-running Macs, including updated models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini, use Rosetta 2 for non-optimized apps. This virtualization software runs Intel apps on M1 Macs, at speeds similar to how they'd run on Intel Macs. Rosetta 2 helps both users and developers transition away from Intel.

Apple updated Safari in the new version with more privacy and security protections. Apple has made third-party extensions work with Safari even if they were built for Chrome. The ability to translate webpages is now a built-in function and works entirely on-device.

Messages is now a Mac Catalyst app that has feature parity with its iOS counterpart. Users can send message effects and Tapbacks, and tag users in a group chat just like in iOS 14 for iPhone.

macOS Catalina brought Catalyst and Sidecar to the OS

Released on October 7, 2019, macOS 10.15 Catalina introduced significant improvements to app handling.

A major change in Catalina was Apple's decision to end support for 32-bit apps, requiring developers to rework their apps into 64-bit versions to continue functioning properly. Not all developers elected to migrate their apps, forcing some users to choose between abandoning vintage apps or upgrading to Catalina.

Another chief change is the removal of iTunes, in favor of new apps that replace the majority of its functions. New apps for Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV spread iTunes' core functions across apps that correspond to iOS counterparts. Another iTunes feature, iOS device backup duties, is now found in the Finder.

10.15.1 introduced new emoji, support for the AirPods Pro, AMD Navi RDNA graphics cards in eGPU enclosures, alteration to the Photos app, and an option to opt in to Siri reviews.

10.15.2 made refinements to the Apple News, Stocks, Photos, Mail, and other apps, as well as fixes for issues in the Photos and Mail apps.

10.15.3 improved multi-stream video editing performance for HEVC and H.264-encoded video on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, along with Pro Display XDR optimizations.

10.15.4 added improved support for HDR-compatible monitors and added reference modes for the Pro Display XDR.

Out on September 24, 2018, macOS 10.14 Mojave's main new feature was dark mode, an alternate user interface. Users can switch between dark and light modes, and the theme can also change on a schedule via Dynamic Desktop.

Apple ported several iOS apps to macOS, including a News app, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home for managing HomeKit. The initiative was part of 'Project Marzipan,' to enable iOS-developed apps to function in macOS with few changes. This initial quartet of apps demonstrated the concept to users and developers.

On the desktop, Stacks are an organization method for files in the workspace. Stacks piles up similar files into grouped collections automatically. Continuity Camera allows for photographs taken on an iPhone to be transferred instantly into a macOS application.

Day and night mode change your app appearance

10.14.1 consisted of new emoji, security enhancements and bug fixes, along with Group FaceTime.

10.14.2 provided security and bug fixes, a description matched by macOS 10.14.3.

10.14.4 added integration with the just-launched Apple News+ subscription service, in the Apple News app. Support for second-generation AirPods, Safari Autofill for MacBooks with Touch ID hardware, air quality index readings in Maps, and real-time text for phone calls made through a nearby iPhone were among the other changes.

Mac

10.14.5 was largely a maintenance update, though included fixes relating to AirPlay 2 support. 10.14.6 continued the security and bug fix theme.

The naming scheme took a half-step despite major underlying changes to the OS

Released on September 9, 2017, macOS 10.13 High Sierra included a major change for storage, with macOS switching over to the Apple File System, APFS. Intended to take advantage of the use of Flash and SSD storage, Apple built AFPS with encryption and enhanced security in mind. The company designed it to work with all Apple platforms, including watchOS, iOS, tvOS, and macOS.

The addition of Metal 2 included driver optimizations that brought up to 10 times better draw call throughput for graphics work, more debugging tools, and a migrated Mac Window Server.

Other notable items include the migration of H.264 to H.265/HEVC to better work with 4K and HDR content. It added faster and more power-efficient Safari. Apple's browser also added increased privacy protection, including Intelligent Tracking Prevention.

High Sierra was the last version to support 32-bit apps 'without compromises,' with Apple continuing its push to get developers over to making 64-bit apps.

10.13.1 added 70 new emoji, a fix to a Bluetooth bug involving Apple Pay, reliability improvements to Microsoft Exchange message encryption, a Spotlight input fix, and the patching of assorted KRACK wi-fi vulnerabilities.

10.13.2 was largely a maintenance release, improving compatibility for some USB audio devices, VoiceOver navigation while viewing PDFs, and a fix for a Root account generation flaw.

10.13.3 included relatively small updates, including an issue where Messages conversations were temporarily stored out of order.

10.13.4 incorporated a warning to users if they are running 32-bit apps and the launch of official eGPU support.

10.13.5 added support for Messages in iCloud, allowing conversations to be synchronized between multiple Apple devices.

10.13.6 delivered support for AirPlay 2, along with a variety of stability and security improvements.

The OS that Apple changed the name from Mac OS X to macOS

Available to end users on September 20, 2016, macOS 10.12 Sierra heralded the introduction of Siri on Mac, bringing Apple's digital assistant to the desktop. Sierra also added a cross-platform clipboard synchronization with iOS and iCloud file synchronization between iOS and macOS.

The update added Picture in Picture feature, familiar to iOS users. It also included rich Messages that moved closer to iOS messaging, changes to Photos, Apple Pay for the web, and auto-unlock via Apple Watch.

10.12.1 added iPhone 7 Photos compatibility fixes, Safari security enhancements, and fixes to Microsoft Office and Exchange issues, among other changes.

10.12.2 improved the setup and reliability of Auto Unlock, Touch Bar screenshot support, and a wide variety of fixes and improvements.

10.12.3 improved automatic graphics switching on the 2016 MacBook Pro 15-inch, a fix for PDF corruption, and MacBook Pro battery drain issues in Safari.

10.12.4 added Night Shift, new PDFKit APIs, cricket scores to Siri, and more options for iCloud Analytics.

Inside/outside Mac Os Update

10.12.5 solved stuttering audio issues for USB headphones, a 'media-free' installation of the Windows 10 Creators Update using Boot Camp, and enhancements to the Mac App Store for compatibility with 'future software updates.'

10.12.6 largely consisted of a maintenance update.

El Capitan prioritized stability and security over flashy features

Apple's 2015 update focused less on marquee features and more on performance enhancements and subtle refinements. Apple released macOS 10.11 El Capitan on September 30, 2015.

The update added macOS support for Apple's Metal API. Metal is a low-level API that helps developers optimize their apps' 3D graphics. Today, it's still used across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS.

It also introduced Apple's San Francisco system font, which it still uses today across its platforms. Apple gave Mission Control, the window and desktop quick-view app, a makeover with a cleaner design.

El Capitan brought new window-management options, including a green button that can move an app either into full-screen or Split View, a side-by-side multitasking feature also available on iPad.

The update enhanced Spotlight search, added Safari pinned sites and a mute button, and a modernized Notes app.

Apple gave its desktop software a new look with its 2014 update, OS X Yosemite. Version 10.10 redesigned various elements, including updated toolbars and translucent window elements.

Yosemite added the Today view in Notification center, which showed a customizable series of widgets. The Today view lived in a separate panel from notifications. Apple eventually killed the Today view in Big Sur, which integrated widgets into the same panel as grouped notifications.

The 2014 update also saw the launch of iCloud Drive, the file storage system built into Finder that serves as a rival to Dropbox and Google Drive. iCloud Drive didn't become ubiquitous across Apple's platforms until 2017, when the Files app launched on iOS and iPadOS.

Handoff launched during this software generation, on Yosemite and iOS 7. The feature allows you to pick up immediately where you left off when changing devices. Handoff adds user convenience and ecosystem stickiness, as the perk can encourage users to go all-in on Apple hardware.

Safari in Yosemite added the Favorites view and Tab view, and search-engine support for DuckDuckGo. Mail first supported Markup for filling out forms and annotating PDFs in Yosemite, and Messages gained a new look.

Mavericks saw Apple switch from a big-cat to California landmarks naming scheme

Apple released OS X Mavericks on October 22, 2013. The updated added iCloud Keychain, Apple Maps, and iBooks, which is now called Apple Books.

Mavericks also updated Safari, enhanced multi-display support, and added tabs and tags to Finder.

The update also included performance-enhancing and battery-boosting updates under the hood.

Inside/outside Mac Os Catalina

Is your Mac up to date with the latest version of the Mac operating system? Is it using the version required by a product that you want to use with your Mac? Which versions are earlier (older) or later (newer, more recent)? To find out, learn which version is installed now.

If your macOS isn't up to date, you may be able to update to a later version.

Which macOS version is installed?

From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose About This Mac. You should see the macOS name, such as macOS Big Sur, followed by its version number. If you need to know the build number as well, click the version number to see it.

Which macOS version is the latest?

These are all Mac operating systems, starting with the most recent. When a major new macOS is released, it gets a new name, such as macOS Big Sur. As updates that change the macOS version number become available, this article is updated to show the latest version of that macOS.

If your Mac is using an earlier version of any Mac operating system, you should install the latest Apple software updates, which can include important security updates and updates for the apps that are installed by macOS, such as Safari, Books, Messages, Mail, Music, Calendar, and Photos.

macOSLatest version
macOS Big Sur11.3
macOS Catalina
10.15.7
macOS Mojave10.14.6
macOS High Sierra10.13.6
macOS Sierra10.12.6
OS X El Capitan10.11.6
OS X Yosemite10.10.5
OS X Mavericks10.9.5
OS X Mountain Lion10.8.5
OS X Lion10.7.5
Mac OS X Snow Leopard10.6.8
Mac OS X Leopard10.5.8
Mac OS X Tiger10.4.11
Mac OS X Panther10.3.9
Mac OS X Jaguar10.2.8
Mac OS X Puma10.1.5
Mac OS X Cheetah10.0.4