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Xtraz · May 10, 2005, 01:22 PM

I'm running 10.3.9 on iBook G4.

After installing Security Update 2005-005, ALL the Apple apps (except for XCode for some reason) don't run anymore. The icon bounces forever, I get the spinning beach ball, and it uses up all idle cycles. A lot of non-java 3rd party apps work though, like I'm now typing this using Firefox.

I've tried repairing permissions, but it didn't work. Does anyone know what the culprit could be?

Xtraz · May 10, 2005, 01:32 PM

Okay, so I ran Safari and looked at the system calls its making.

This mach_msg_trap thing seem to be called a lot. Does anyone know what it does?

Safari 35 preemptions 83 context switches 1 thread 10:30:12
0 faults 96 system calls 0:00:28

TYPE NUMBER CPU_TIME WAIT_TIME
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
System Idle 0:01.036( 0:00.065)
System Busy 0:26.640( 0:01.946)
Safari Usermode 0:00.197

mach_msg_trap 1005(72) 0:00.014 0:27.111( 0:01.974) W
mk_timer_arm 335(24) 0:00.002 0:00.001
gettimeofday 1 0:00.000

Tsilou B. · May 10, 2005, 01:51 PM

First, download the combo updater for Mac OS X 10.3.9 from here:

http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...pdate1039.html

and reinstall it. If everything returns back to normal, install the security updates from:

http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...te2005004.html
and
http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...005client.html

If the problems return, or they won't go away after installing the combo update, ask here again. I guess it's faster to simply download the updates again than to find out what went wrong.

Xtraz · May 10, 2005, 03:06 PM

Unfortunately, Installer is also one of the apps that refuse to run, so I can't do any updates.

Funnily enough Software Update works.

alphasubzero949 · May 10, 2005, 03:15 PM

DiskWarrior?

CharlesS · May 10, 2005, 03:43 PM

That might be a case of messed-up prebinding information.

Try this command in the Terminal (if you can open the Terminal):

sudo update_prebinding -root / -force

Xtraz · May 10, 2005, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

That might be a case of messed-up prebinding information.

Try this command in the Terminal (if you can open the Terminal):

sudo update_prebinding -root / -force

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it and it didn't work. Then I rebooted into Safe Mode and that didn't make any difference either.

It seems to me it might have to come to a full reinstall, but I don't want to do that because I have a big project in progress ... (the reason I'm holding off installing Tiger).

CharlesS · May 10, 2005, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Xtraz

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it and it didn't work. Then I rebooted into Safe Mode and that didn't make any difference either.

It seems to me it might have to come to a full reinstall, but I don't want to do that because I have a big project in progress ... (the reason I'm holding off installing Tiger).

If you do an Archive and Install instead of reformatting the drive, you won't erase all your data...

Xtraz · May 10, 2005, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

If you do an Archive and Install instead of reformatting the drive, you won't erase all your data...

But wouldn't I have to reinstall all my perl modules, MySQL databases, avr compiler and such? Hmm... maybe I'll just use non-Apple apps as substitutes until I have time to reinstall.

Tsilou B. · May 11, 2005, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by Xtraz

Unfortunately, Installer is also one of the apps that refuse to run, so I can't do any updates.

Funnily enough Software Update works.

Try this command from a Terminal:

sudo installer -pkg package.pkg -target /

where "package.pkg" is the path to the downloaded combo updater. Maybe the command line installer still works?

Tsilou B. · May 11, 2005, 01:50 AM

Here's a link to iTerm, just in case you can't use the Terminal, either.

http://iterm.sourceforge.net/

If you cannot install iTerm for some reason or it doesn't work, either, you can also try single user mode. Here are the instructions for using the command line installer in single user mode (taken from macosxhints.com):

1. Boot into single user mode by pressing cmd - S at restart.
2. Mount the disk in read and write mode by executing the command:
mount -uw /

3. Start bootstrap daemons by executing the command:
/usr/libexec/register_mach_bootstrap_servers /etc/mach_init.d

4. Start DiskArb by executing the command:
SystemStarter start Disks

Now you should be able to use the "installer -pkg..." command.

Xtraz · May 11, 2005, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Tsilou B.

Try this command from a Terminal:

sudo installer -pkg package.pkg -target /

where "package.pkg" is the path to the downloaded combo updater. Maybe the command line installer still works?

Terminal does work and I was able to install the 10.3.9 combo updater successfully. Thanks. (and thanks for the tip on single-user mode).

Unfortunately, it didn't work. What's also weird is that some of my apps that don't work, like Mail and especially Proteus, would just launch themselves for no reason. I hope its not malicious code because I backed up everything to my G5 and I don't want the same thing to happen to it.

I think I'll just try an upgrade install of Tiger first and see if that works. If it does, I'll wait til I have nothing pressing at hand before doing a clean install.

Xtraz · May 13, 2005, 02:34 AM

Just to provide closure, I did an upgrade install of Tiger and everything works again! Woohoo! (except VPN, but I'll live). Thanks for everyone who gave suggestions.