First Snow Leopard update makes minor fixes

The unfinished Mac OS X 10.6.1 update -- now in distribution to a small number of developers -- so far only makes a minor number of fixes, accounts say. These include improvements to compatibility, stability and security, such as better support for Sierra Wireless 3G modems, and the proper display of printer compatibility drivers in the Add Printer dialog. A more critical fix prevents freezing in Motion 4.

Some other errors addressed include unexpected stops in DVD playback, problems with removing Dock items, and two different issues in Mail. The first can cause automatic account setup to fail, while the second results in Command-Option-T bringing up the Special Characters menu, instead of moving a message.

The v10.6.1 update is not expected to reach the broader developer community until at least next week, and it may be weeks after that before it is distributed to the public. More changes will likely be added over time.

Update: Modifications not highlighted by Apple have been uncovered by separate sources. The patch should for instance allow people to delete manually-coded DNS entires in DHCP configurations, using Network Diagnostics controls. Some other Mail adjustments tackle two SMTP problems, involving blank server responses and upgrades for e-mail accounts that require authentication.

Bluetooth printers can now connect to Macs properly on startup, and drivers for both Bonjour and USB printers are being made available through Software Update. Miscellaneous tweaks affect graphics drivers, WAN cards and the DVD software. The preinstalled Flash plug-in has been upgraded, critically, to v10.0.32.18, instead of a vulnerable earlier version.

by MacNN Staff