Why do i have to reboot

Question

Why do i have to reboot

What a ****...
Safari is my browser and i like it, very polish an efficient.
But Safari 4 became really annoying. Why do i have to reboot my computer to update it !
It's a big regression in a user perspective... It recall me the old days with Windows when any update ask to restart... Grr...

I understand that webkit is a framwork used by other software, OK. But in 2009, can you just check is any softwre use it, instead of restarting the computer.
It's a big waste of time.

I notice that since 10.5, i have to reboot often to update things... I remember 10.3 were without problem updates were silent and do not reboot my computer (except OS updates).

A friend of my told me he seriously thought to switch to Firefox (that require not reboot to update). I'm not in that mood and it will not solve webkit updates for other uses.

But please Apple, stop reboot my computer for updates, please.

iMac Intel 20", Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Jul 22, 2009 1:18 AM

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Answer 1

Klaus1

Level 9

52,805 points

Jul 22, 2009 1:28 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

What is your objection to rebooting???

It also serves to reset the system.

Your point is not understood! 🙂

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Answer 2

Jul 22, 2009 1:34 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

My objection !

It's very simple :
Rebooting is a waste of time.

When i sat in front of my Mac, i'm there to used it : not to wait him, to be ready to work.

Resetting the system ? It's not my business. The system will be reset when i switch off (but when i decide, me the user ; it's not an update to decide to reset).

And a modern system does not have to be reset often.
Some Mac i used where not reset and they works very fine.

Those reboot are annoying, are waste of time, are regression in user experience.

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Answer 3

keats2010

Level 2

285 points

Jul 22, 2009 2:55 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

Resetting the system ? It's not my business. The system will be reset when i switch off (but when i decide, me the user ; it's not an update to decide to reset).

I have had to reboot after certain updates since I started using macs 12 years ago. It serves to reset the system for use with the new program or update and finish the installation process, the same with certain windows programs.

It will always be that way with computers, so get used to it. This is one of the most petty issues I've replied to. Sorry, but it really is.

Good luck

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Answer 4

Jul 22, 2009 4:58 AM in response to keats2010

OK.
I'm not sure my english is enough to explain my complains.

I know computer needs sometime to reboot : i used computer since 1981, Mac since 1989 and i'm a developer (C, C++, Python, PHP, HTML, CSS...). So i considere my to have enough experience

But for example restarting the computer to update Safari is completly new, it NEVER happens on any Mac until Safari 4 (and i've used a lot of browsers : Mosaic, Netscape Communicator, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, Safari, Firefox, Chrome...).
So it seems i'm the only one to notice that (need to rebott the computer to update the browser) and to complain.
If you found this *NEW FEATURE* fine and OK for you, nothing to add.

For me it's very annoying ; but perhaps may be i'm just an old stupid mac user.

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Answer 5

Klaus1

Level 9

52,805 points

Jul 22, 2009 5:15 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

Then you will know that Safari 4 uses a new webkit also shared by other applications, hence the restart to 'imbed it'.

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Answer 6

Jul 22, 2009 5:26 AM in response to Klaus1

They i know that Safari 4 use WebKit (see my first message), but i suppose you also know that Safari 3 also use WebKit and so does Safari 2...
For the 1st version i don't remember if webkit has a name at that time.

I also know that webkit can ba shared by other applications (its a library, so it's its purpose to be shared). But it was also the same things for many years (so does for other libs).

But it doesn't explain at all the need to reboot.
- Previous versions (also shared) do not reboot at all.
- I also suppose that MacOS API has a way to check if a library is currently used by other softwares (in order to ask the user to quit if required).
Some updaters do this (Acrobat reader to name one, but it's not a good example for other purpose).

Sorry to disturb with my remarks, but i feel really annoyed by the 10 reboots i have to do this morning in our office, only to make sure the default browser is updated.
I know i could also reject the update, but i don't think it's a good thing.

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Answer 7

Klaus1

Level 9

52,805 points

Jul 22, 2009 5:30 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

There is no solution to your problem, as there is no problem.

This discussion might never end! 🙂

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Answer 8

Jul 22, 2009 5:35 AM in response to Klaus1

OK thanks.
I don't ask a solution (i now there is no solution at that time).
I just explain my complain about what i consider a "waste of time" and an annoyement.

I just feel strange that you found "this" : normal.

Bye.

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Answer 9

Jul 22, 2009 6:00 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

A restart is required because a new WebKit is installed.
The WebKit is also used by many other applications (like Mail and Dashboard).
Since you can't have more than one version of the WebKit a restart removes the older version.

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Answer 10

Jul 22, 2009 6:14 AM in response to QuickTimeKirk

Please read the thread, this has been allready explained 2 times.

Yes Safari use the WebKit. WebKit is a library shared with many other Software.
But previous version avec Safari (2 and 3) also uses the webki : no reboot was necessary.

Updater can easily check (i hope) is any software use a library and ask the user to quit (that's the way it was done before).

It seems that the only explanation could be that webkit is run as a kernel extension (like some drivers) but it would be a very strange (not so say silly) way to develop a browser engine...
We could also imagine security reason, but we could only imagine.

The only fact that remain : from Safari 4 we need to reboot our Mac when Safari/Webkit was updated... It a regression in time and a small step towards Windows user experience : reboot after updates.

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Answer 11

Jul 22, 2009 7:04 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

Hi Pierre-Alian Dorange;

If you feel so strongly about this issue, you should probably take it up with Apple using the Feedback address rather then arguing with other users who can do noting about this issue at all.

Personally I see it as a trivial inconvenience at the most.

Allan

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Answer 12

Sandman

Level 4

3,274 points

Aug 12, 2009 8:01 AM in response to Pierre-Alain Dorange

I totally agree. The fact that other applications use webkit is not a reason for a system reboot.. those applications, if they are open at the time of the update.. can merely be quit during.. then restarted after the webkit update. The only user interaction.. and interruption... would be the click of a button.. and a chat.. browser.. mail restart. That is entirely different than having the system reboot.. which requires that you drop everything.

Perhaps.. since this obviously isn't a browser update.. Apple can just call it what it is.. an OS security update.... Since webkit is down deep in the OS enough to require a reboot.

For those of you that don't think this is a big deal.. out of principle, it seems odd to revert to Win 95-like behavior. Apple chose to do it this way.. they weren't forced to.

Maybe they wanted to make Window's switchers feel more at home 😉

Kernel and firmware updates should be the only things requiring a system reboot. Everything else (iTunes, iPhoto,Safari) and be done through plain file replacement service restarts.

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