Latest Catalina 10.15.6 update - Xcode update included but not mentioned

I just applied the latest 10.15.6 Catalina update, and was informed this morning by faculty that students were being asked to install additional components for Xcode - the same thing one would see after installing or updating Xcode.

I found no mention of an Xcode update documented in this update.

This was not a full Xcode version update. It was 11.5, and was still 11.5 after the update. However it was enough of an update within the scope of 11.5 that it required reinstalling the components at Xcode launch.

If there's a component within an update that is going to either update an app, or update something that directly affects an app, I wish Apple would document it.

Had I known Xcode was going to be updated, I would've waited until the weekend to deploy so as not to disrupt student work.


Posted on Jul 17, 2020 9:32 AM

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Jul 18, 2020 3:30 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for the reply.

I administer our MDM server also, so I know there are not configuration profiles or any special payloads within the existing profiles that would account for any of this. Automatic updates are turned off, and any Xcode updates are obviously supposed to be delivered via the Mac App Store.

Again, this did not update Xcode to 11.6, just applied a more recent build of 11.5 (which is what triggered the "install additional components" directive).

It all goes back to my original theory - an update/patch for Xcode 11.5 was nested within the Catalina .6 OS update. This is not the first time I've seen an app update cloaked within an OS update. Earlier this year there was a Server app update that was staged the same way - not a complete version update, but an update that was enough to trigger the setting up server dialogue once Server (which was already configured prior to the OS update) was launched after the OS update.

Apple is sneaking app updates within their OS updates. I'm highly confident of this.

Thanks again for your reply.

Matt


Jul 18, 2020 1:17 PM in response to Matt_Xserve_Holdout

I had Xcode 11.5 already installed additional to Catalina 10.15.5 — before the Catalina 10.15.6 update. After that update was completed, I noticed that an update was available in the Mac App Store, and it was Xcode 11.6, so no, Catalina 10.15.6 is not installing any version of Xcode as it is a layered product. Regardless of the version of Xcode, it will prompt to install additional components on its first run after installation.


Since this was an educational setting, it makes me wonder if a preconfigured update profile isn't being pushed to faculty/students that automatically updates to Catalina 10.15.6, and also installs Xcode as part of that process, making it seem as though Catalina is also installing Xcode — which it is not.

Jul 19, 2020 4:40 AM in response to Matt_Xserve_Holdout

Matt,


No version of Xcode has ever been embedded in any OS X, or macOS update/upgrade in my own installation experience. Occasionally, an update for the current command-line tools for Xcode will appear in Software Update (Mojave/Catalina), but not Xcode.


No one replying here can recreate your MDM server configuration to validate your concern, or installation experience, making it very difficult to deduce what happened.

Jul 19, 2020 8:41 AM in response to VikingOSX

I've been administering Macs in an enterprise deployment situation for 20 years now - I'm not new to this.

If you look at my original post, I'm not asking a question - I'm stating what occurred.

I don't need anyone here to recreate anything.

If what I'm seeing for the second time (the first time was an update/patch to the Server app embedded in an OS update - which is another app that should never have anything associated with it in an update) was normal, or something I would've seen before, I wouldn't have posted about it.

If you look at my original posted again - I state "This was not a full Xcode version update. It was 11.5, and was still 11.5 after the update. However it was enough of an update within the scope of 11.5 that it required reinstalling the components at Xcode launch.

If there's a component within an update that is going to either update an app, or update something that directly affects an app, I wish Apple would document it."

Notice I say "this was not a full Xcode version update", AND, that this could've been an "update to something that directly affects the app." Perhaps the Catalina .6 update deletes some Xcode preference/dependent files, that explains the Xcode "reset" that occurred. Either way - Xcode 11.5 had to have its dependent components reinstalled after this update. This situation was duplicated on approximately 40, identically configured iMacs.

I apologize for the tone of this post, but I'm honestly not asking anyone for any affirmation about what occurred.

This was meant to be a "heads up" to any Mac admins out there that maybe planning on deploying the Catalina .6 update to any machines that are running Xcode 11.5.

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Latest Catalina 10.15.6 update - Xcode update included but not mentioned

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