Q: Apple USB Ethernet Host unusable

And how would we (i.e. the vast majority of Mac users, not people subscribed to this thread) know that they stealth updated iTunes? Nevertheless, the page you point to says 10.6.8 is supported... nothing about needing a machine that can run in 64 bit mode. More fails on the part of Cupertino.

Trane Francks wrote:

 

ZYGZS wrote:

 

I got this error on my osx 10.6.8 32bit macbook pro, now I cannot sync my iPhone.

 

My advice is to restore the kernel extension in question from a backup prior to installing iTunes 11.4, then downloading the version from the Apple site (NOT Software Update) and installing it again. I did this and am able to sync my iPhone without issue. It may help your situation.

I did exactly this ^ and it solved my problem perfectly.

OS X 10.6.8, 32 bit Mac Mini Core Duo, iTunes 11.4

I was seeing ReportCrash at 100% CPU whenever I connected my iPhone to iTunes, iTunes wouldn't break down the contents of my iPhone by category (as shown by ZYGZS above), and any sync or back up action for the phone would complete in about 1 second, with nothing actually being done.

1. Copy /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext to my desktop, put it in a folder called "newest". File size is 90 KB.
2. Go back to Sept 1 in Time Machine and restore that same file to my desktop. I put it in a folder called "working". File size is 160 KB.
3. Copy AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext file from the "working" folder into /System/Library/Extensions/. Restart. (iTunes still broken)
4. Download iTunes 11.4 from apple.com and install. Restart.
5. Now when I look at /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext, I see that it is 78 KB. And iTunes now understands my iPhone once again.

I don't know if steps 2 and 3 are necessary. It may be good enough to simply trash the file in /System/Library/Extensions/ and restart before step 4. But I know that this worked for me.

Thanks for the help!!!

...anxiously awaiting a 2014 Mac Mini to be announced so I can move off of Snow Leopard finally. Not interested in buying 2012 hardware in 2014.

Glad to see you got it sorted out, Matt. Your case is an important one, too, as you definitely have proven that 32-bit systems are still supported by iTunes. There have been many claims in various threads that Apple dropped 32-bit support.

Matt D in OC:

"I don't know if steps 2 and 3 are necessary. It may be good enough to simply trash the file in /System/Library/Extensions/ and restart before step 4."

Steps 2 and 3 are not necessary, because installing iTunes 11.4++ from the download site overwrites that extension/kext.

Trane Francks:

"Your case is an important one, too, as you definitely have proven that 32-bit systems are still supported by iTunes."

Well ... not completely.  Let's see anyone on Snow Leopard - 32-bit system or otherwise - try and do USB tethering after installing iTunes 11.4

The whole AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext debacle is kind of fascinating.  Apparently it has not worked on Snow Leopard since back in iTunes 10.6.3!  (kext version 2.2.0)

I tried loading the version that came with iTunes 10.7 (2.3.6) yesterday on my Mac Pro running 10.6.8, and it wouldn't load - except with a different error message.

I'm able to get 2.2.0 to load, but at some point later on, it mysteriously gets unloaded!

Loaded it last night:

[20:51] nightowl:~/Desktop % sudo kextutil /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

Warnings:

    The booter does not recognize symbolic links; confirm these files/directories aren't needed for startup:

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeDirectory

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeRequirements

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeResources

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeSignature

[20:52] nightowl:~/Desktop % sudo kextstat | grep AppleUSBEthernetHost

  135    0 0xffffff7f80c04000 0x5000     0x5000     com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEthernetHost (2.2.0) <65 30 5 4 3 1>

Checked it tonight and it's unloaded!

[18:56] nightowl:~/Desktop % sudo kextstat | grep AppleUSBEthernetHost

[18:56] nightowl:~/Desktop %

Loaded it again manually and for now it's still loaded:

[18:56] nightowl:~/Desktop % sudo kextutil /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

Warnings:

    The booter does not recognize symbolic links; confirm these files/directories aren't needed for startup:

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeDirectory

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeRequirements

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeResources

        /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/CodeSignature

[18:56] nightowl:~/Desktop % sudo kextstat | grep AppleUSBEthernetHost

  136    0 0xffffff7f80c04000 0x5000     0x5000     com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEthernetHost (2.2.0) <65 30 5 4 3 1>

Even with it loaded, when I plug in my iPhone it doesn't cause a new device to show up in the Network System Preference

Maybe it needs to have all the other 10.6.3 bits installed for USB tethering to work, but I don't think a driver for the Apple USB Ethernet Adapter or doing USB tethering should have anything to do with iTunes specifically.

Dunno, Greg. I can confirm that the device doesn't show up on my 10.7.5 system, either. I don't particularly care, mind you, as I always use wifi or Bluetooth for tethering with the iPhone, and it's a rare case that I do it at all. In any case, the phone backup and sync works fine, and for me that's the biggest issue.

"I can confirm that the device doesn't show up on my 10.7.5 system, either."

I can't confirm this 100% but I think when I tried to load the kext last night, the error message I got implied that the AppleUSBEthernetHost kext was either actually built on Mountain Lion, or it was built with a specific version of Xcode known to produce kexts that don't run on Snow Leopard or Lion.  If so then that would explain your behavior as well.  (What version of the kext is on your 10.7.5 system?  Do you have 11.4 on that one?)

"In any case, the phone backup and sync works fine, and for me that's the biggest issue."

Oh, agreed, mos def that's the most important thing.

I suspect most people don't need USB tethering anymore, or certainly far less than before.

(I have used it when we've had the occasional power blackout; before my old MacBook Pro's battery stopped working/charging.  But the last couple of times, I've just ridden it out on my iPad.)

But just to be pedantic, Apple shouldn't say iTunes 11.4 supports Snow Leopard when a piece of the pie is broken.

Since my last post, I found that not only did the AppleUSBEthernetHost kext get mysteriously unloaded again(!), but more importantly for me, my KeySpan USB dual-port serial port adapter has suddenly stopped working after the last reboot (the driver is loaded, but the devices it creates no longer exist).

This is hugely important for me as I use that for serial port console access to my other (non-Mac) headless computers (and it worked fine before this last reboot).  Sigh ... I can't win.  Back to the broken 11.4 version I guess ...

Running 10.6.8  Same problem - I think it happened at the last ITunes update.

I have no phone or fancy stuff.

A nuisance but doesn't seems to hurt anything. JUst frequently have to shot the notice window.

A simple user - academic stuff - I DO NOT want anything to upset the current machine.

Apple going to fix?

To add a bit more - Looking at the file it hasn't been modified since 2010-03-10 12:50 AM.

It comes up whenever I open an application - sometimes twice.

David

I had the same error when I updated the my iTunes and I ignored it originally, now I am unable to boot into my iMac. I can boot into safe mode, but unable to boot normally. I am not sure if this has caused the problem but I can't think why it would stop booting up all of a sudden.

Do you have anything plugged into your USB ports? If so, try and boot without them attached.

Has anyone tried this?

Fixing Mac & iPhone hotspot USB tethering

http://jdahlbom.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/fixing-mac-iphone-hotspot-usb-tethering /

Steps to fixing it:

0. Make sure you can run sudo. If not, ask for your helpful company administrator to do this for you.

1. Download http://www.mediafire.com/download/zo22n2u2eml78vc/AppleUSBEthernetHost (md5: a817e7413bd3df29594c187e64859045)

2. Take a moment to consider the wisdom of downloading unknown content from public internet and copying it to your /System directory with root privileges.
Even though you can verify that you are using the same file as I am, you have no guarantee that I am not malicious.
Actually I’m just sloppy, and having weighed the risks and benefits of using an unknown, unverifiable file, I’m going with whatever gets me back to working quickly. Last time I did this, there were no noticeable side effects.

3. Replace the kernel extension contents with what you just downloaded:
sudo cp ${DOWNLOADS}/AppleUSBEthernetHost /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/MacOS

4. Fix the permissions for the file:
sudo chmod 644 /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/Contents/MacOS

5. Reload the AppleUSBEthernetHost kernel extension (if this seems a bit too magical, just restart your computer):
cd /System/Library/Extensions
sudo kextunload AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/
sudo kextload AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/

There is no need to go through all those steps. All you have to do is locate the file in finder:

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext/

Send it to the trash and install iTunes that you downloaded from Apple's web site (not system update) this will install a new version of the file.

If you still have the iTunes update hanging out there in the App Store/Updates don't worry, it will clear itself out.

Well, but here showed the following:

This just happened to me. The kext seems to contain a bunch of shortcuts that point to non existent files! Deleting the kext and reinstalling iTunes seems to fix it.

i.e. download the iTunes installer for osx.

at a command prompt type:

sudo rm -Rf /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

yeah scary deleting a kext but I figured as it's broken and not loading anyway how much worse can it get Reinstalling without deleting the kext doesn't work - I tried that first.

Then reinstall via the iTunes .dmg file you downloaded. Bingo no more errors and loading the kext file manually shows no errors.

sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

Deleting the kernel extension and reinstalling iTunes appears to work at first blush, but subsequently trying to load the extension throws an error:

sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) requested architecture/executable not found; check the system/kernel logs for errors or try kextutil(8).

…so it is still a error is not corrected from the iTunes installer from web

So I see for the past day or so, my iTunes icon in the dock is now red, not it's customary blue. I was concerned that this meant something really bad... had to sync my iPod today so I plugged it in. BOOM, what am I looking at? DRASTIC UI redesign, of course, had to fumble like crazy to "see" what I want to see. Eventually kind of mostly got there, but it took a while and a lot of "doing stuff" just to see what happens.

Looks like a new version,12.0.1.26.

AND in the past few days, I ONLY saw a "software upgrade" that talked about security, not like it USED TO BE where it was crystal clear exactly what was going to happen, along with an option to decline it. This is particularly bad with iTunes because every update they frig around with the database so that you can NOT revert to a previous version. I was given NO WARNING and now it is TOO LATE.

As someone who has been all Apple since May 1984, I can say with some authority they have really lost their way, it's now all about piling up big bucks overseas and pay as little attention to their customers as possible. It's funny, in the past when I was annoyed over something really dumb they would do, I'd call them MicroApple$oft. Boy did the get the fan bois up in arms. This latest move is just so typical and certainly bears me out (/rant)!