Q: system extension cannot be used AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

Greg Earle wrote:

 

"It's not at all inexplicable. The first few iterations of Core 2 Duo machines ran 32-bit kernels. More information here:

 

Mac OS X v10.6: Macs that use the 64-bit kernel

 

This box uses a 32-bit kernel that supports 64-bit applications. It has a 32-bit EFI, so its days are numbered with Lion. There are no updates forthcoming with this system. Shame, that, as 6 GB RAM and a 960 GB SSD ensure that it's still quite spritely despite its declining years.

 

I'd complain about the tethering, but I've never actually even tried to do USB tethering. So I'll hold my whining for another day."

I knew I should have qualified that "inexplicable" 

Yes, I'm aware that the first Core 2 Duos (and other machines) ran 32-bit kernels.

 

What is "inexplicable" to me is why anyone with a 64-bit capable machine would still run a 32-bit kernel these days, given the existence of easy apps like "32- or 64-bit Kernel Startup Mode Selector", plus the fact that it lets you address all your 6 GB of RAM address space instead of 4 GB per-process.

 

I'm aware that someone with a 2 or 4 GB system might say "Why bother?", but to me the compelling argument is that the slight performance hit is worth it given the fact that Apple is throwing 32-bit users under the bus - either by design or by accident.

 

(Conveniently "forgetting" to put a dual-architecture .kext into the iTunes 11.4 distribution is another signpost on that road.  The fact that they wouldn't release an updated bash and sh for 10.6.8 to cure the recent "Shellshock" UNIX® shell vulnerability is another case of throwing the users under the bus, too.)

 

While Startup Mode Selector might be useful for a fair number of users, MacBooks are excluded from the party. Apple has absolutely disabled booting the kernel in 64-bit mode on MacBooks. This may have been undone in later iterations of the MacBook or MacBook Pro, but even holding 64 during boot has no effect whatsoever other than to elicit further keyboard wear here. An Early 2008 MacBook4,1 cannot boot to a 64-bit kernel with an un-hacked OS X. Unless, of course, there's something out there of which I don't yet know. (Always a possibility.)

I wonder if those "issues" could have something to do with "protecting" iOS against future JB actions. After all, if you want to JB your phone, you must plug it to your Mac (or your PC) via USB.

What if...?

If you look at Apple Support Downloads now you'll see now that version iTunes 12.0.1 is out they also have an 11.4 for OS X 10.6 also available.

Apple - Support - Downloads

I believe Apple may of been distributing two versions of 11.4. One version for Snow Leopard and another for Lion and up. The reason I think this is because I updated my MacBook Pro's iTunes to 11.4 running 10.6.8 and my USB tethering broke. I searched for and ran across the Apple Support thread shown below and was able to begin tethering again with the fix from DopeyDupe on page 3.

USB tethering lost after installing iphone configuration utility

However, after I updated to Lion just few days later the USB tethering once again broke. So I once again began to look for yet another fix for Lion. That's when I ran across this thread. I decided to try the solution given in this thread and re-download iTunes via a downloaded dmg file. That's when I discovered iTunes 11.4 for OS X 10.6. So that made me think that if Apple was distributing version 11.4 for 10.6, they must of been distributing a version of 11.4 for Lion and up. And these versions might of been 32bit and 64bit respectively. Whether this is true or not, I don't know. However after I downloaded iTunes 11.4 for OS X 10.6, deleted the kext file and iTunes (http://osxdaily.com/2012/02/06/delete-itunes-mac-os-x/), reinstalled iTunes with the downloaded installer, and reloaded the kext that Fab11 from the above thread made available (http://www.mediafire.com/?zo22n2u2eml78vc) I once again was able to tether my iPhone to my MacBook via USB.

"If you look at Apple Support Downloads now you'll see now that version iTunes 12.0.1 is out they also have an 11.4 for OS X 10.6 also available.

Apple - Support - Downloads"

ALERT!  ALERT!  DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!

Do not ... I repeat *** DO NOT *** download/install this 'new' "iTunes 11.4 for OS X 10.6" version!!!

IT IS THE SAME OLD/BAD VERSION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.

IT IS NOT THE 'FIXED' "iTunes 11.4++" version from September 23rd!

Look for yourself:

[14:58] nightowl:/<2>Disk images/iTunes % ls -lt iTunes11.4*

-rw-r--r--@ 1 earle  staff  242940774 Oct 18 04:44 iTunes11.4 Oct-18-2014.dmg

-rw-r-----@ 1 earle  staff  242433227 Sep 25 13:17 iTunes11.4++.dmg

-rw-r--r--@ 1 earle  staff  242940774 Sep  9 05:52 iTunes11.4.dmg

Apple does it again!  <facepalm>

Okay... The above is awesome advice. However, I was forced to update to iTunes 11.4 because I could not connect my iPhone 5 via USB to my MacBook Pro mid 2009 with OS X 10.6.8. I still could not connect my iPhone after doing that because obviously there is a problem with kext file. After searching the internet I found this solution:

DopeyDupe     Apr 25, 2012 7:30 AM 

Re: USB tethering lost after installing iphone configuration utility

in response to FastGTR

FastGTR's solution works extremely well with The File Fab11 Posted.

Here's what I did. Rather simple.

1: Download

The File Fab11 Posted

2: Go to Finder and press

cmd + shift + G

3: Paste in this and hit enter:

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

4: Replace this file with downloaded one

AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

5: Search for disk util in spotlight and

run disk utility > select your root drive (Macintosh HD) > Repair Permissions

This may take a few minutes.

6:

Restart and done.

I did not even reinstall or uninstall anything. Confirmed it works, solved 2 sets with the same issue. All the best. If it doesn't work. try uninstalling iphone config util like they said above.

Ohh right System profile.

Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3, iPhone 4 16GB White, with my iPhone Configuration Utility 3.5(289) still installed.

Message was edited by: DopeyDupe

From this Apple Support Community forum thread:

USB tethering lost after installing iphone configuration utility

This solved my issue and I had no problems until I decided to upgrade to Lion so that I could use the latest Airport Utility. The upgrade per say did not break my USB connectivity but allowing Software Update to once again update my iTunes to 11.4 again did (Even though I had 11.4 installed already). When I tried the above fix to fix the issue again, it did not work. However when I downloaded iTunes 11.4 for OS X 12.6, deleted the old iTunes 11.4 and the kext file, and then reloaded 11.4 via the iTunes 11.4 for OS X 12.6 download and applied the above fix, I was able to once again tether my iPhone via USB. As far as I can tell, I also have none of the other issues described in this thread.

I only suggest that people go this route if they are using Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion and are having issues with iTunes and their kext file. If they are having issues like not being able to connect their iPhone via USB to their MacBook Pro or any other Mac and they want to try the above fix before rolling back to an earlier Time Machine version and/or reloading their whole OS again, they might then give it a try. Otherwise sit and wait for Apple to issue a fix (good luck)!

FastGTR's solution works extremely well with The File Fab11 Posted.

Here's what I did. Rather simple.

1: Download

The File Fab11 Posted

That's very strange.  Why would he post the actual AppleUSBEthernetHost binary rather than the entire AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext it's enclosed in?

Without the whole .kext, you lose context like the bundle version and whatnot.

Without the accompanying .kext bundle's version.plist/Info.plist files there's no way to know which version it is from.

(I presume it's either from 2.2.0 or 2.3.0 but the checksum on the Fab11 binary does not match the two 2.2.0/2.3.0 binaries I have lying around.)

In short, it might work but Fab11 really should've posted the entire .kext, as a ZIP file or something.

UPDATE:

I do not know which version of AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext that Fab11 uploaded (I suspect version 2.3.6) but it works in both Snow Leopard and Lion from my experience. However, previously in the above mentioned thread someone purported that a person should use one version for 10.6.8 and another for 10.7 and 10.8. I'd say try the 2.3.6 version with iTunes 11.4 for OS X 12.6 download and if that doesn't work try version 2.2.0. They are as follows:

Version 2.2.0 (Working on 10.6.8) http://db.tt/Fahk9VBe

Version 2.3.6 (Working on 10.7 & 10.8) http://db.tt/U674UcOV

P.S. Fab11 upload the above mention kext file on this date:

fab11

Mar 27, 2012 12:31 PM

Re: USB tethering lost after installing iphone configuration utility

UPDATE:

I do not know which version of AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext that Fab11 uploaded (I suspect version 2.3.6) but it works in both Snow Leopard and Lion from my experience. However, previously in the above mentioned thread someone purported that a person should use one version for 10.6.8 and another for 10.7 and 10.8. I'd say try the 2.3.6 version with iTunes 11.4 for OS X 12.6 download and if that doesn't work try version 2.2.0. They are as follows:

Version 2.2.0 (Working on 10.6.8) http://db.tt/Fahk9VBe

Version 2.3.6 (Working on 10.7 & 10.8) http://db.tt/U674UcOV

That "12.6" is a typo for 10.6, right?  (You keep making it - are you living in the future?  )

The 2.3.6 version isn't from iTunes 11.4, the version in 11.4 is 7.0 (no, I don't get the big version number jump either).  It might be from iTunes 10.6.3 but as I recall, that didn't work either.

I think the only prayer of getting it working is with either version 2.2.0 or 2.3.0, but as I've stated elsewhere, if I kextload (or load via kextutil) either one of them into my Mac Pro running Snow Leopard 10.6.8, it doesn't seem to have any effect and then it mysteriously gets unloaded some minutes later.  Maybe I need to do a full reboot to see what happens, but I hate to do that because my Apple RAID card setup is fragile and it hates rebooting. 

Yeah, sorry... It is "10.6." It must be some kind of auto correct thing or something!

Curious about those who downloaded the fixed  "iTunes 11.4++" before it was pulled again.

What does the Where from:  in the "More Info" section of Get Info (command-I) of the downloaded dmg say?

Wondering if it's still there at that url, but just no longer linked from apple.com.

(And yes I'm running 10.6.8 32 bit for a variety of reasons.)

Thanks.

Edit: Whoops. Just checked the iTunes 11.4 for OS X 10.6 download site - and the 242433227 bytes version is back at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1774   which linked to https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/iTunes11/031-07683.20140923.rewr3/iTunes11.4.d mg  - Will try it tonight.

Curious about those who downloaded the fixed  "iTunes 11.4++" before it was pulled again.

What does the Where from:  in the "More Info" section of Get Info (Command-I) of the downloaded dmg say?

Wondering if it's still there at that url, but just no longer linked from apple.com.

Great idea!  It says

https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/iTunes11/031-07683.20140923.rewr3/iTunes11.4.d mg

(I have no idea why this displays in the post as ".d mg" but click on the link anyway, it works.)

https://swdlp.apple.com/iframes/82/en_us/82_en_us.html

The Frame link now points to the 12.0.1 download, but the direct .dmg link still works and it's the "iTunes 11.4++" .dmg!!!

Bookmark it people!!!

Edit: Whoops. Just checked the iTunes 11.4 for OS X 10.6 download site - and the 242433227 bytes version is back at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1774   which linked to https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/iTunes11/031-07683.20140923.rewr3/iTunes11.4.d mg  - Will try it tonight.

Wha...?

Maybe it's a Firefox page cache issue or something, but I just went to that DL1774 page and for me the Download link is showing it still linked to the old "9/09" version .dmg.

Thanks to you and all posters for documenting this issue, and working to keep this topic alive. The "new" dl solved things for my system.

I'm not even going to TRY to out-guess Apple's servers. After reading your "Wha...?" tried that "main" dl page several times on different browsers - and even got linked to the different dmgs in different tabs in the same browser!

Hi all,

I had this bug some weeks back but decided all the solutions that were being suggested in this discussion were beyond my limited technical abilities to follow.  Instead I've decided to wait and see if Apple would come out with a fix.

I'm not sure whether they have, but iTunes 12.0.1.26 and Yosemite have come along.  And I've installed both of them, in that sequence.

Does anybody out there know if they cure this bug?  I'm frankly confused about what I should be looking for at this point :-)

Hi all,

I had this bug some weeks back but decided all the solutions that were being suggested in this discussion were beyond my limited technical abilities to follow.  Instead I've decided to wait and see if Apple would come out with a fix.

I'm not sure whether they have, but iTunes 12.0.1.26 and Yosemite have come along.  And I've installed both of them, in that sequence.

Does anybody out there know if they cure this bug?  I'm frankly confused about what I should be looking for at this point :-)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010), OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)