Apple's OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.5 update arrives
The latest update promises to squash more bugs and comes as Apple is gearing up to release the next major version of its desktop OS.
After nearly three months of beta testing with developers, Apple has rolled out another update to its desktop operating system.
OS X 10.8.5, which went out as a free update on Thursday, brings a handful of bug fixes and security patches. Key among them is a fix for a bug in Apple's mail software that would keep the program from displaying messages, the company said in its change log, pasted below:
The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.5 Update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users. It improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. This update:
Fixes an issue that may prevent Mail from displaying messages Improves AFP file transfer performance over 802.11ac Wi-Fi Resolves an issue that may prevent a screen saver from starting automatically Improves Xsan reliability Improves reliability when transferring large files over Ethernet Improves performance when authenticating to an Open Directory server Addresses an issue that prevented a smart card from unlocking preference panes in System Preferences Contains the improvements included in MacBook Air (Mid 2013) Software Update 1.0
Apple first began testing the 10.8.5 update in late June and has rolled out eight additional beta versions of the software since.
The update comes weeks ahead of when Apple is expected to release OS X 10.9, dubbed "Mavericks." That software, which is rumored to be arriving near the end of October, brings over a few more iOS features like Apple's Maps software and iBooks, as well as under the hood changes designed to improve battery life.