The 10.15.3 Update Erases almost all of the log files in /var/log – System, Custom & Vendor Logs
The 10.15.3-10.15.6 Update Erases Almost all /var/log files
UPDATE: 09/01/20 – The problem is still in the latest build of 10.15.6.
Think about the last issue time that you had an issue and needed to troubleshoot. Right off the bat, you would start looking over the logs to pinpoint the exact point of failure. After installing the Catalina 10.15.3 Update, it’s going to be a little harder to do that. Almost all the /var/log files have been erased and start over the minute after the 10.15.3 update finished installing.
10.15.3 Update Problems
This is my 4th article on 10.15.3 Combo Update issues. If you have not seen them yet, you can view them below.
All log files have the exact “Created” date and time when the 10.15.3 combo update was installing.
Almost all /var/log files erased and have the same “Created time”. The install.log was spared.
What can I do about this?
Let Apple know about this! Hopefully this can be fixed in 10.15.4!
Until then you probably want your log files. The best thing you can do for now is to run a Jamf policy that will backup your /var/log files. We install our updates with a Jamf policy.
Right before we kick off softareupdate -iaR we backup all /var/log files to a temporary directory. We put them back with a LaunchDaemon that kicks off after the combo update reboot.
I hope that these articles have helped you! If you have any questions, leave a comment below or Contact Me.
10.15.3 Combo & Security Updates are no Longer Creating Restore Snapshots + 10.15.3 Update Deletes All Previous tmutil localsnapshots /
The 10.15.3 Combo & Security Update Automatic Backup Snapshots are no Longer Created.
UPDATE: 5/15/20 –A few questions came up on MacAdmins Slack about the current state of Automatic Snapshots today. To clarify, the following is now true.
Automatic Update Snapshots are no longer automatically created during the 10.15.3+ Combo but ARE for 10.14 & 10.13 Security Updates
The 10.15.3+ Combo Update REMOVES previous manual localsnapshots.
10.14 & 10.13 Security Updates do NOT remove previous manual snapshots.
Automatic Snapshots were never taken during an OS Upgrade.
UPDATE: 4/24/20 – Apple has removed the “Restore from snapshot” feature description from apple.com/macos/catalina/features! This means that the feature is no longer available in Catalina. I really hope Apple can fix this.
The APFS Update Automatic Snapshot was a new option offered when Apple released APFS in macOS 10.13 High Sierra. If you were worried about something going wrong after installing a macOS Combo or Security update, you could always fall back to a backup taken right before the update. The process was automatic and was performed by the Combo Update and Security Update Installer. To restore, all you needed to do is, boot to the recovery partition and restore to a tmutil localsnapshot / right before the update.
NOTE: you only have 24 hours to restore or the snapshot is automatically deleted.
Automatic Update Backup Snapshots are no Longer Working.
Something happened in the latest set of Apple updates released on January 28th. The Automatic Backup Snapshots are no longer working!!! At first, I thought it only happened on the 10.15.3 Combo update. I then checked the 2020-001 Security Update on High Sierra and it’s not working either!
I found this out while I was writing another article on Catalina Logs. I built a 10.15.2 device and updated it to 10.15.3. I booted to recovery to restore the from the automatic snapshot only to find that it was missing!
Manual tmutil localsnapshots are deleted during the 10.15.3 Update installation!
Ok, what would happen if I created a manual snapshot before the update? If the automatic snapshot is not working, I could get by with just creating one right before I install the 10.15.3 combo update.
Manual tmutil localsnapshot / created before the 10.15.3 combo update.
After installing the 10.15.3 Combo Update, I booted back into Recovery only to find that the manual tmutil localsnapshot / that I created was gone!!!
What should happen after the update.
Below is what you should see if you booted to recovery after a combo or security update. The below example is a backup snapshot taken by the 10.14.2 Combo Update.
This is what you should see if you booted to recovery after a combo or security update. (within 24 hours after the update install)
Let’s take a look at the logs
What do the logs say? Well first I would like to see what a successful snapshot says. Searching the install.log, I found exactly what I was looking for.
That is just what I’m looking for. The automatic snapshot was taken right before the installation.
Let’s take a closer look to see what’s happening during the 10.15.3 combo update install. Looking at the install.log again, I found this entry.
The 10.15.3 Combo Update purging snapshots.
There it is, the Installer is purging available snapshots on /Volumes/Macintosh HD. The 10.15.3 install.log does not contain any of the log items like the one from 10.14.
The good news is that the (2020-001) 10.14 and 10.13 Security Update installers do NOT purge your manual tmutil localsnapshots.
What’s going on, is this a bug?
I am not totally sure what’s going on here, if I had to guess this a bug. I wanted to let you know about this. The last thing you want to do is rely on that automatic backup snapshot only to find out it was never created.
Either way, please let Apple know about this!
If you have any questions or comments please Contact Me or leave a note below. Thanks!
If you set custom /etc/pam.d or sshd_config settings be sure to re apply the after the 10.15.3 update!
If you use custom pam.d or sshd_config settings, you will need to apply them again after the 10.15.3 Update.
Apple allows us to set multiple custom settings using pam.d configuration files. We can use pam.d configuration files to set different options for, sudo, login, su, screensaver& Smart Card.
The following is a few examples of what you would set in the pam.d configuration files.
/etc/pam.d/screensaver = Set the screensaver window to allow the local admin to get past the Mobile Account password lock.
/etc/pam.d/sudo = Enable smart card-only for the sudo command.
/etc/pam.d/sudo = Enable Touch ID for the SUDO command
/etc/pam.d/su = Enable smart card-only for the SU command
/etc/pam.d/login = Enable smart card-only for the LOGIN command
Custom /etc/ssh/sshd_config Settings
The same goes for the the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file. This file can be used to set custom ssh settings.
Set SSH Banner File (so ssh users see a banner warning message)
SSH HostKey Settings
SSH Logging
SSH Authentication
Kerberos Options
PAM Authentication
In comes the Catalina 10.15.3 Update, only to revert everything!
I started noticing reports of pam.d and sshd_config settings getting reverted back about a day after the 10.15.3 update went live.
For those who’ve modified /etc/pam.d/sudo to enable Touch ID for sudo auth, looks like 10.15.3 reverted this to stock.
MacAdmins user markcohen – 01/30/20
Other MacAdmins started to check and confirm that the same thing. Some of the specific settings revolved around Smart Card controls. Apple explains the Smart Card settings in the document below.
Allen Golbig then noted that the same thing happened to the /etc/ssh/sshd_configfile!
Is it normal for /etc/ssh/sshd_config to revert during point updates?
MacAdmins user golby – 01/31/20
The test and verification
When reporting issues like this, it’s important to verify the problem as much as possible. For this test, I built out a fresh copy of 10.15.2. I then edited the following files.
/etc/pam.d/su
/etc/pam.d/sudo
/etc/pam.d/login
/etc/pam.d/screensaver
/etc/ssh/sshd_config
I modified the files using pico and set some of the Apple recommended settings. I noted the modification date of all the files and tested to make sure the modifications worked.
I then used softwareudpate to install the 10.15.3 update.
Results
Sure enough, after the 10.15.3 update was finished, I checked the files and all 5 of them were reset back to the original modification date of
Nov 9 2019 at 4:xx AM
This problem may not be “New”
I noted in my previous article that some of the pam.d files were reverted back to stock on twitter. A few users noted that this issue is not new and has happened in previous updates. I can’t verify if this is true right now but would like to hear from you if noticed this.
I hope Apple will fix the update process so it will not revert our custom settings.
If you have noticed other custom settings that were reverted by the latest Catalina update, let me know below!
Have you noticed anything new that is fixed or broken in the new update? Let me know!
Active Directory Domain Admin Access Removed!
This issue was first reported in the MacAdmins Slack a few hours after the 10.15.3 update was release.
I just installed the 10.15.3 update and now I can’t admin elevate using an AD domain account. This was working this morning pre-update and nothing has changed on the AD domain.
The domain account is in a security group that is set in Directory Utility > Active Directory as allowing administration. I can authenticate with the account successfully in Terminal using su, it’s just the admin rights that are broken.
MacAdmin User aaron
A few other users started to report the same issue after Aaron did.
Let’s Examine the issue.
The issue will most likely be reported by a user who says this…
I updated to 10.15.3 and when I use sudo I get this error.
User is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
Reported to who? Am I in trouble now???
User
Let’s check to see if Active Directory Group “Domain Admins” has admin access on your Mac.
/usr/sbin/dsconfigad -show
This command will give you a list of all your Active Directory Settings.
The screenshot below is what you will see AFTER the 10.15.3 Update.
The Domain Users group group was removed and is now “not set”
This is what you SHOULD see.
This is what you SHOULD see, Allowed admin groups = domain admins.
Quick and easy command to show just the Allowed admin groups value.
HT goes out to Eric Holtam(@eholtam) for the command!
You could still have the issue even if “Allowed admin groups” shows domain admins.
In one of my tests to confirm this issue after the 10.15.3 update finished, I still had the domain admins group but my admin access did not work.
Do you use a custom Active Directory Admin Global Group ?
What if you use a custom AD group like “Pretendo_Admins” ?
You can have the same issue.
I did not have this issue after updating
Did you use a profile to bind? This is one example that I was unable to test.
Was the Mac connected to your directory for a few hours -1 day ? See Fix #3 below, it’s possible that the AD connector refreshed your information.
How can I fix this Problem?
The issue can be fixed in 3 ways.
Re-Bind to Active Directory
Run dsconfigad to set the group access again
WAIT – It was reported that the issue is fixed automatically after the Mac is left online for a certain amount of time. The configuration is refreshed. – Thanks to MacAdmins user awickert for testing this out.
To reset the domain group setting run this command.
dsconfigad -groups "DOMAIN\domain admins"
NOTE: If you use a custom AD Global group for admin adccess you need to replace domain admins with your custom group.
dsconfigad -groups "DOMAIN\Pretendo_Admins"
You can now run dsconfgad -show then check the Allowed admin groups and it should say = domain admins or your custom group.
You can also run this command to double verify the user now has admin access. (Thank you to a well known MacAdmins wizard for this command)
MacOS Security Updates – Mojave 2020-001, High Sierra 2020-001 & Safari 13.0.5
On January 28th, Apple released macOS Mojave Security Update 2020-001 and High Sierra Security Update 2020-001. Below you will find Build Versions, Download Links, Update Sizes and previous Security Update Links. MacOS Sierra is no longer supported.
How do I keep track of all the macOS Build Versions?
I document all of the macOS Build Versions like the latest Mojave 2020-001 High Sierra 2020-001 along with most Apple Applications, XProtect, Gatekeeper and MRT updates in one database. You can check out the link below.
HT goes out to Dan Kuehling, for the Mojave Security Update Build Version!HT goes out to Nicolas Aragone, Ian Trimnell & Joost-Wim for sending over the Security Update Download Links!
MacOS High Sierra Security Update 2020-001 (17G11023)
10.13.6 High Sierra Security Update 2020-001 (17G11023)
macOS Catalina 10.15.3 Update (19D76) is now Available
macOS Catalina 10.15.3 Update (19D76) is now Available.
10.15.3 is Catalina’s third update and was released about a month and a half after the 10.15.2 Update. MacOS Catalina 10.15.3 is now available for download as a full installer.app, delta and combo update. Let’s take a look at the Catalina 10.15.3 Update (19D76) to see what’s new.
10.15.3 Patch Notes Summary
1 Known Issue
1 Undocumented Fix
2 Resolved Issues
EDIT: 23 Security Fixes
Apple’s Public Patch Notes / Release Notes Documentation
Boot to Internet Recovery, Recovery Partition or Diagnostics from macOS using nvram or Recovery Selector.app
How to Boot to Internet Recovery, Recovery Partition or Diagnostics from inside macOS.
UPDATE 01/25/21 – Martin Nobel @martinnobel_ – If you want to make an Intel Mac boot into the Startup Manager automatically, type into terminal: “Sudo nvram manufacturing-enter-picker=true”
This means that we can boot to almost every single recovery mode EXCEPT for Internet Recovery!
When an undocumented macOS command or option is discovered, the MacAdmin community gets pretty excited. This is one of those times, as a new nvram key and value was uncovered over the weekend.
If you need to boot to Internet Recovery, you first need to remember the Mac Boot Up Keyboard Combination. Can you remember all of them? I can’t and I work on this stuff every day! Below is the complete list Mac Startup Key Combinations. The second article adds two additional keyboard combinations bringing the total to twelve! The first one will “Reinstall the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.” The second command will “Upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.”
Tim, announcing the first version of Recovery Selector.app that could boot to the Recovery Partition from macOS.
Tim found an undocumented nvram command that you could use to boot your Mac to the Recovery Partition from macOS! From there, he had an idea to create an open source app that would allow you to boot to the Recovery Partition without knowing the exact command.
Someone found additional nvram keys and values!
I replied to Tim’s tweet letting him know that I put in an Apple Enterprise Support ticket to see if we could uncover if an Internet Recovery key existed. Before I could hear back from support, someone found and sent the new key internet-recovery-mode over to Tim. He then improved the app allowing you to boot into four different modes!
Nvram Keys and Values
The commands that we needed are set with two different keys and four different values.
The new values and keys are
recovery-boot-mode = Local Recovery Partition Value
unused Boot to Recovery Partition
internet-recovery-mode = Internet Recovery Value
RecoveryModeNetwork Internet Recovery (Shift-Option-⌘-R)
RecoveryModeDisk Recovery Partition (⌘- R)
DiagsModeDisk Boot to Local Apple Hardware Diagnostic (D)
DiagsModeNetwork Boot to Internet/AST Diagnostic (Option-D)
Let’s put it all together, keep in mind you must run the nvram as an administrator.
All four different nvram internet-recovery-mode values and keys
Your Mac will immediately reboot and start up in Internet Recovery Mode.
Compatibility, Caveats and Requirements
UPDATE 01/27/20
I tested the above commands with the following hardware and OS versions.
2018 T2 15″ MacBook Pro = 10.15.3 Beta 2
2016 13″ MacBook Pro = 10.14.6
2010 13″ MacBook Air = 10.13.6
This should confirm that the command works from 10.13.6-10.15.3 and on Mac Hardware from 2010-2019.
Network Requirements (For Internet Boot Options)
Wired Ethernet Connection
Wifi = Any WPA2 saved connection.
WPA2 Enterprise WIFI is NOT Supported
The WiFi network Internet Recovery will the Top “Preferred Network” listed to boot to Internet Recovery. If for some reason the Mac can’t connect to that network you will be prompted in firmware to connect to a different WiFi network or ethernet network.
Boot Security Requirements
Firmware Password Protection – can be ON or OFF. If ON then you will be required to enter in the firmware password.
Secure Boot – can enabled , the commands works fine.
FileVault – can be enabled, you do not have to enter in your FV2 password.
Restart Requirements
You do not have to reset the boot disk, clear out nvram commands or reset anything. When you restart the Mac, it will boot right back into macOS.
Twocanoes Recovery Selector.app = Easy Mode!!!
Are you going to remember all of the different nvram keys and values?
Probably not
Why not use one simple open source application to do this for you?
Recovery Selector.app menu = easy mode for your test Mac or VM!
Tim had the great idea to take all the above command options and put them into one application. Two clicks gets your Mac rebooted to the Recovery Partition, Internet Recovery, Local HW Diagnostics or Internet HW Diagnostics.
Note: Admin access to reboot is not required, the app uses a LaunchDaemon.
You can download and try Recovery Selector.App below.
We are only missing one critical nvram Internet Recovery Value.
We are only one nvram value away from perfect.
Option-⌘-R
“Upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.“
I am going to change my Apple Enterprise Support ticket into an Enhancement Request. If this final value is added we will have all 5 boot modes available in macOS.
If you have any questions please comment below or Contact Me!
List of Mac BoardIDs, Model Identifiers & Machine Models.
Every Single Mac Board ID from 2006-2021 + M1 Apple Silicon DeviceIDs
This page will be updated with the latest list of Mac BoardIDs, Model IDs and Machine Models. Apple started to document attributes like ModelID on the page below but stopped after 2017.
Most BoardID’s are scattered all over the web but are not all in one updated page. I started with the version Intel based version and will update when new BoardID’s are introduced.
Can I upgrade or downgrade macOS on my Mac?
I wrote an article including every Intel Mac since 2006. The list includes the lowest and highest macOS version that you can install on your Mac.
The macOS installer.app uses the boardID value to figure out if the Mac Model is supported when the user starts the install.
You can find this list inside the macOS installer.app. Look for the InstallESD.dmg After you mount the DMG navigate to /System/Library/CoreServices/PlatformSupport.plist
Inside this plist you will find the list of logic board ID’s that installer supports.
How do I find the Mac BoardID?
To find your BoardID use this command.
ioreg -l | grep -i board-id
The output should read like this
"board-id" = <"Mac-942C5DF58193131B">
How do I find the Mac DeviceID?
To find your T2 DeviceID use this command. HT @eholtam for the command.
Index of Intel & Apple Silicon-Based Mac Hardware (2006-2023)
1. Macbook Pro – (2006-2021)
2. Macbook Air – (2008-2022)
3. Macbook – (2006-2017)
4. Mac Pro – (2006-2019)
5. iMac – (2006-2020)
6. iMac Pro – (2017)
7. Mac Mini (2006-2020)
8. Xserve (2006-2009)
Article Updated: 1/07/23
DeviceID & ModelID
The macOS Big Sur installer is now checking T2 Macs for the DeviceID attribute. Hat Tip #1 goes to @rickmark who maintains the main DeviceID list here. Help us fill in the blanks! Hat Tip #2 goes to @grahamrpugh who found the new code in Big Sur.
// Next compare T2 devices against the list of supported deviceIDs. … // For legacy hardware T1 and older, we use boardIDs
iBridge Product ID
DeviceID
ModelID
Description (Product ID)
iBridge2,1
J137AP
Apple T2 iMacPro1,1 (j137)
iBridge2,3
J680AP
Apple T2 MacBookPro15,1 (j680)
iBridge2,4
J132AP
Apple T2 MacBookPro15,2 (j132)
iBridge2,5
J174AP
Apple T2 Macmini8,1 (j174)
iBridge2,6
J160AP
Apple T2 MacPro7,1 (j160)
iBridge2,7
J780AP
Apple T2 MacBookPro15,3 (j780)
iBridge2,8
J140KAP
Apple T2 MacBookAir8,1 (j140k)
iBridge2,10
J213AP
Apple T2 MacBookPro15,4 (j213)
iBridge2,11
J230AP
?
iBridge2,12
J140aAP
Apple T2 MacBookAir8,2 (j140a)
iBridge2,13
J214AP
?
iBridge2,14
J152FAP
Apple T2 MacBookPro16,1 (j152f)
iBridge2,15
J230kAP
Apple T2 MacBookAir9,1 (j223k)
iBridge2,16
J214KAP
Apple T2 MacBookPro16,2 (j214k)
iBridge2,19
J185AP
Apple T2 iMac20,1 (j185)
iBridge2,20
J185fAP
Apple T2 iMac20,2 (j185f)
iBridge2,21
J223AP
Apple T2 MacBookPro16,3 (j223)
iBridge2,22
J215AP
Apple T2 MacBookPro16,4 (j215)
iBridge2,19
J185AP
Apple T2 iMac20,1 (j185)
iBridge2,20
J185fAP
Apple T2 iMac20,2 (j185f)
N/A
J274AP
Macmini9,1 Apple Silicon M1
N/A
J293AP
MacBookPro17,1 Apple Silicon M1
N/A
J313AP
MacBookAir10,1 Apple Silicon M1
N/A
J456AP
iMac21,1 Apple Silicon M1
N/A
J457AP
iMac21,2 Apple Silicon M1
N/A
J314sAP
MacBookPro18,3 – M1 Pro 14″
N/A
J314cAP
MacBookPro18,4 – M1 Max 14″
N/A
J316sAP
MacBookPro18,1 – (16″ Pro, 2021)
N/A
J316cAP
MacBookPro18,2 – (16″ Max, 2021)
N/A
J375cAP
Mac13,1
Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2021)
N/A
J375dAP
Mac13,2
Mac Studio (M1 Ultra, 2022)
N/A
J413AP
Mac14,2
MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
N/A
J473AP
Mac14,3
Mac mini (2023) M2
N/A
J414cAP
Mac14,5
MBPro (14-inch, 2023) M2 Max
N/A
J416cAP
Mac14,6
MBPro (16-inch, 2023) M2 Max
N/A
J493AP
Mac14,7
MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)
N/A
J414sAP
Mac14,9
MBPro (14-inch, 2023) M2 Pro
N/A
J416sAP
Mac14,10
MBPro (16-inch, 2023) M2 Pro
N/A
J474sAP
Mac14,12
Mac mini (2023) M2 Pro
N/A
J504AP
Mac15,3
MBPro (14-inch, 2023) M3
N/A
J433AP
Mac15,4
iMac (24-inch, 2023) M3
N/A
J434AP
Mac15,5
iMac (24-inch, 2023) M3
N/A
J514sAP
Mac15,6
MBPro (14-inch, 2023) M3 Pro
N/A
J516sAP
Mac15,7
MBPro (16-inch, 2023) M3 Pro
N/A
J514cAP
Mac15,8
MBPro (14-inch, 2023) M3 Max
N/A
J516cAP
Mac15,9
MBPro (16-inch, 2020) M3 Max
N/A
J514mAP
Mac15,10
MBPro (14-inch, 2023) M3 Max
N/A
J516mAP
Mac15,11
MBPro (16-inch, 2023) M3 Max
1. MacBook Pro (2006-2020)
The MacBook Pro was introduced by Steve Jobs at Macworld Conference & Expo on January 10th, 2006. The MacBook Pro has seen five redesigns over the last 15 years. Starting with Gen 1 (2006-2008), Gen 2 Unibody (2008-2012), Gen 3 Retina (2012-2015), Gen 4 Touch Bar (2016-2019) & Gen 5 16″ Scissor (2019).
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
MacBookPro16,4
(16-inch, AMD Radeon Pro 5600M)
Mac-A61BADE1FDAD7B05
MacBookPro16,3
(13-inch 2020)
Mac-5F9802EFE386AA28
MacBookPro16,2
(13-inch 2020)
Mac-E7203C0F68AA0004
MacBookPro16,1
(16-inch Late 2019)
Mac-E1008331FDC96864
MacBookPro15,4
(13-inch Mid 2019)
Mac-53FDB3D8DB8CA971
MacBookPro15,3
(15-inch Mid 2019)
Mac-1E7E29AD0135F9BC
MacBookPro15,2
(13-inch Mid 2018)
Mac-827FB448E656EC26
MacBookPro15,1
(15-inch Mid 2018)
Mac-937A206F2EE63C01
MacBookPro14,3
(15-inch Mid 2017)
Mac-551B86E5744E2388
MacBookPro14,2
(13-inch Mid 2017)
Mac-CAD6701F7CEA0921
MacBookPro14,1
(13-inch Mid 2017)
Mac-B4831CEBD52A0C4C
MacBookPro13,3
(15-inch Late 2016)
Mac-A5C67F76ED83108C
MacBookPro13,2
(13-inch Late 2016)
Mac-66E35819EE2D0D05
MacBookPro13,1
(15-inch Late 2016)
Mac-473D31EABEB93F9B
MacBookPro12,1
(13-inch Early 2015)
Mac-E43C1C25D4880AD6
MacBookPro11,5
(15-inch Mid 2015)
Mac-06F11F11946D27C5
MacBookPro11,4
(15-inch Mid 2015)
Mac-06F11FD93F0323C5
MacBookPro11,3
(15-inch Mid 2014)
Mac-2BD1B31983FE1663
MacBookPro11,2
(15-inch Late 2013)
Mac-3CBD00234E554E41
MacBookPro11,1
(13-inch Late 2013)
Mac-189A3D4F975D5FFC
MacBookPro10,2
(13-inch Early 2013)
Mac-AFD8A9D944EA4843
MacBookPro10,1
(15-inch Early 2013)
Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F
MacBookPro10,2
(13-inch Retina 2012)
Mac-
MacBookPro10.1
(15-inch Retina 2012)
Mac-
MacBookPro9,2
(13-inch Mid 2012)
Mac-6F01561E16C75D06
MacBookPro9,1
(15-inch Mid 2012)
Mac-4B7AC7E43945597E
MacBookPro8,3
(17-inch Late 2011)
Mac-50619A408DB004DA
MacBookPro8,2
(15-inch Late 2011)
Mac-
MacBookPro8,1
(13-inch Late 2011)
Mac-
MacBookPro8,3
(17-inch Early 2011)
Mac-942459F5819B171B
MacBookPro8,2
(15-inch Early 2011)
Mac-94245A3940C91C80
MacBookPro8,1
(13-inch Early 2011)
Mac-94245B3640C91C81
MacBookPro7,1
(13-inch Early 2010)
Mac-F222BEC8
MacBookPro6,2
(15-inch Early 2010)
Mac-F22586C8
MacBookPro6,1
(17-inch Early 2010)
Mac-F22589C8
MacBookPro5,5
(13-inch Mid 2009)
Mac-F2268AC8
MacBookPro5,4
(15-inch Mid 2009)
Mac-F22587A1
MacBookPro5,3
(15-inch Mid 2009)
Mac-F22587C8
MacBookPro5,2
(17-inch Early 2009)
Mac-F2268EC8
MacBookPro5,1
(15-inch Late 2008)
Mac-F42D86C8
MacBookPro5,1
(17-inch Late 2008)
Mac-F42D86A9
MacBookPro4,1
(15-inch Early 2008)
Mac-F42C89C8
MacBookPro4,1
(17-inch Early 2008)
Mac-F42C86C8
MacBookPro3,1
(15-inch Late 2007)
Mac-F4238BC8
MacBookPro3,1
(17-inch Late 2007)
Mac-F42388C8
MacBookPro2,2
(15-inch Late 2006)
Mac-F42187C8
MacBookPro2,1
(17-inch Late 2006)
Mac-F42189C8
MacBookPro1,2
(17-inch 2006)
3A107
MacBookPro1,1
(15-inch 2006)
3A106
2. MacBook Air (2008-2019)
The MacBook Air was first introduced at Macworld San Fransisco by Steve Jobs on January 15th, 2008. For the 1st Generation from 2008-2010 the screen size was or a 13.3″ and included a Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. The Second Generation introduced in 2010 added an 11″ version. From 2017 on you could only get the 13″ Model. The 3rd Generation 13-inch MacBook Air was released in 2018.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
MacBookAir9,1
2020
Mac-0CFF9C7C2B63DF8D
MacBookAir8,2
(TT Retina, 2019)
Mac-226CB3C6A851A671
MacBookAir8,1
(Late 2018)
Mac-827FAC58A8FDFA22
MacBookAir7,2
(Mid 2017)
Mac-937CB26E2E02BB01
MacBookAir7,2
(13-inch Early 2015)
Mac-937CB26E2E02BB01
MacBookAir7,1
(11-inch Early 2015)
Mac-9F18E312C5C2BF0B
MacBookAir6,2
(13-inch Early 2014)
Mac-7DF21CB3ED6977E5
MacBookAir6,1
(11-inch Mid 2013)
Mac-35C1E88140C3E6CF
MacBookAir6,2
(13-inch Mid 2013 )
Mac-7DF21CB3ED6977E5
MacBookAir6,1
(11-inch Mid 2012)
Mac-66F35F19FE2A0D05
MacBookAir5,2
(13-inch Mid 2012)
Mac-2E6FAB96566FE58C
MacBookAir5,1
(11-inch Mid 2012)
Mac-66F35F19FE2A0D05
MacBookAir4,2
(13-inch Mid 2012)
Mac-742912EFDBEE19B3
MacBookAir4,1
(11-inch Mid 2012)
Mac-C08A6BB70A942AC2
MacBookAir3,2
(13-inch Late 2010)
Mac-942C5DF58193131B
MacBookAir3,1
(11-inch Late 2010)
Mac-942452F5819B1C1B
MacBookAir2,1
(13-inch Late 2008)
Mac-F42D88C8
MacBookAir1,1
(13-inch Early 2008)
Mac-F42C8CC8
3. MacBook – (2006-2017)
This Section covers the original 2006 13-inch MacBook all the way to the 2017 12″ Version. The MacBook has seen 4 different designs since 2006. Gen 1 Polycarbonate (2006-2008), Gen 2 Aluminum Unibody (2008-2009). Gen 3 Polycarbonate Unibody (2009-2010) & Gen 4 12″ USB-C (2015-2017).
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
MacBook10,1
(Mid 2017)
Mac-EE2EBD4B90B839A8
MacBook9,1
(Early 2016)
Mac-9AE82516C7C6B903
MacBook8,2
(Early 2015)
Mac-F305150B0C7DEEEF
MacBook8,1
(Early 2015)
Mac-BE0E8AC46FE800CC
MacBook7,1
(Mid 2010)
Mac-F22C8AC8
MacBook6,1
(Late 2009)
Mac-F22C8AC8
MacBook5,2
(13-inch C2D Early 2009)
Mac-F22788AA
MacBook5,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2008 Aluminum)
Mac-F42D89C8
MacBook5,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2008 Aluminum)
Mac-F42D89A9
MacBook4,1
(13-inch C2D Early 2008)
Mac-F22788A9
MacBook3,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2007)
Mac-F22788C8
MacBook2,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2006)
Mac-F4208CAA
MacBook2,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2006)
Mac-F4208CAA
MacBook1,1
(13-inch Core Duo 2006)
Mac-F4208CC8
4. Mac Pro – (2006-2019)
The Mac Pro was first introduced at WWDC on August 7, 2006. It has seen 3 Generations from 2006-2019. Gen 1 “Cheese Grater” V1 (2006-2012), Gen 2 “Trash Can” (2013) & Gen 3 “Cheese Grater” V2 (2019).
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
MacPro7,1
(2019)
Mac-27AD2F918AE68F61
MacPro6,1
(Late 2013)
Mac-F60DEB81FF30ACF6
MacPro5,1
(Mid 2010)
Mac-F221BEC8
MacPro4,1
(Nehalem 2009)
Mac-F221BEC8
MacPro3,1
(Eight Core 2008)
Mac-F42C88C8
MacPro2,1
(Eight Core 2007)
Mac-F4208DA9
MacPro1,1
(Quad Core 2006)
Mac-F4208DC8
5. iMac – (2006-2020)
The iMac was first introduced at an Apple Special Event at the Flint Center, Cupertino on May 6, 1998 by Steve Jobs. The First Intel Based iMac was introduced at Macworld Conference and Expo on January 10, 2006 by Steve Jobs. It has seen seven different designs since 1998.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
iMac20,2
(Retina 5K, 27-Inch, 2020)
Mac-AF89B6D9451A490B
iMac20,1
(Retina 5K, 27-Inch, 2020)
Mac-CFF7D910A743CAAF
iMac19,1
(27-Inch 5k, 2019)
Mac-AA95B1DDAB278B95
iMac18,3
(27-Inch 5k Mid-2017)
Mac-BE088AF8C5EB4FA2
iMac18,2
(21.5-Inch 4k Mid-2017)
Mac-BE088AF8C5EB4FA2
iMac18,1
(21.5-Inch Mid-2017)
Mac-4B682C642B45593E
iMac17,1
(27-Inch 5k, Late 2015)
Mac-65CE76090165799A
iMac17,1
(27-Inch 5k, Late 2015)
Mac-DB15BD556843C820
iMac17,1
(27-Inch 5k, Late 2015)
Mac-B809C3757DA9BB8D
iMac16,2
(21.5-Inch Late 2015)
Mac-FFE5EF870D7BA81A
iMac16,1
(21.5-Inch Late 2015)
Mac-A369DDC4E67F1C45
iMac15,2
(27-Inch 5k, Late 2014)
Mac-FA842E06C61E91C5
iMac15,1
(5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
Mac-42FD25EABCABB274
iMac14,4
(21.5-inch Mid 2014)
Mac-81E3E92DD6088272
iMac14,3
(21.5-inch Late 2013)
Mac-77EB7D7DAF985301
iMac14,2
(27-inch Late 2013)
Mac-27ADBB7B4CEE8E61
iMac14,1
(21.5-inch Late 2013)
Mac-031B6874CF7F642A
iMac13,3
(iMac Late 2012)
Mac-7DF2A3B5E5D671ED
iMac13,2
(27-Inch Late 2012)
Mac-FC02E91DDD3FA6A4
iMac13,1
(21.5-inch Late 2012)
Mac-00BE6ED71E35EB86
iMac12,2
(27-inch Mid 2011)
Mac-942B59F58194171B
iMac12,1
(21.5-inch Mid 2011)
Mac-942B5BF58194151B
iMac11,3
(27-inch Mid 2010)
Mac-F2238BAE
iMac11,2
(21.5-inch Mid 2010)
Mac-F2238AC8
iMac11,1
(27-inch Late 2009)
Mac-F2268DAE
iMac10,1
(iMac Late 2009)
Mac-F2268DC8
iMac10,1
(iMac Late 2009)
Mac-F221DCC8
iMac10,1
(iMac Late 2009)
Mac-F2268CC8
iMac9,1
(20-inch Mid 2009)
Mac-F2218EA9
iMac9,1
(24-inch Early 2009)
Mac-F2218FC8
iMac9,1
(20-inch Early 2009)
Mac-F2218EC8
iMac8,1
(24-inch Early 2008)
Mac-F227BEC8
iMac8,1
(20-inch Early 2008)
Mac-F226BEC8
iMac7,1
(24-inch Mid 2007)
Mac-F42386C8
iMac7,1
(20-inch Mid 2007)
Mac-F4238CC8
iMac6,1
(24-inch Late 2006)
Mac-F4218FC8
iMac5,2
(17-inch Late 2006)
Mac-F4218EC8
iMac5,1
(20-inch Late 2006)
Mac-F42786A9
iMac5,1
(17-inch Late 2006)
Mac-F4228EC8
iMac4,2
(17-inch Mid 2006)
iMac4,1
(20-inch Early 2006)
3A103
iMac4,1
(17-inch Early 2006)
6. iMac Pro (2018)
The iMac Pro was introduced at WWDC on June 5, 2017.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
iMacPro1,1
(5k, 27-inch Late 2017)
Mac-7BA5B2D9E42DDD94
7. Mac Mini – (2006 -2018)
On January 10, 2005, the Mac mini was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo by Steve Jobs. He said at the time the Mac Mini was “the cheapest, most affordable Mac ever”. The Intel Version was announced on February 28, 2006.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
Macmini8,1
(Late 2018)
Mac-7BA5B2DFE22DDD8C
Macmini7,1
(Late 2014)
Mac-35C5E08120C7EEAF
Macmini6,2
(Late 2012)
Mac-F65AE981FFA204ED
Macmini6,1
(Late 2012)
Mac-031AEE4D24BFF0B1
Macmini5,3
(Mid 2011)
Mac-7BA5B2794B2CDB12
Macmini5,2
(Mid 2011)
Mac-4BC72D62AD45599E
Macmini5,1
(Mid 2011)
Mac-8ED6AF5B48C039E1
Macmini4,1
(Early 2010)
Mac-F2208EC8
Macmini3,1
(Early 2009)
Mac-F22C86C8
Macmini2,1
(Mid 2007)
Mac-F4208EAA
Macmini1,1
(Late 2006)
3A102
Macmini1,1
(Early 2006)
GMC2
8. Xserve – (2006-2009)
I almost forgot about Xserve. How could I forget about one of my favorite most reliable Macs ever created? The Xserve was introduced on May 14, 2002. The First Generation was based on a G4 Processor. The 2nd Generation was based on the G5 and the 3rd and final Generation was based on Intel’s Xeon Processor.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Board ID
Xserve3,1
(Quad Core Early 2009)
Mac-F223BEC8
Xserve2,1
(Eight Core Early 2008)
Mac-F42289C8
Xserve1,1
(Quad Core Late 2006)
Mac-F4208AC8
If you have any information to add to this list or find an error, please Contact Me. Thank You!
List of Mac BoardIDs Mac Machine Model Board-ID Model-ID
What’s New in the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 Update (19C57)?
macOS Catalina 10.15.2 (19C57) is now Available.
10.15.2 is Catalina’s second update and was released about a month after the 10.15.1 Supplemental Update for the new 16″ MBPro. The combo update is now available for download as a full installer.app, delta and combo update. Let’s take a quick look at the Catalina 10.15.2 Update (19C57) and see what’s new.
10.15.2 Patch Notes Summary
5 New Features
12 Resolved Issues
13 Security Fixes
Apple’s Public Patch Notes / Release Notes Documentation
The macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update improves the stability, reliability and performance of your Mac and is recommended for all users.
New Features
Apple News • New layout for Apple News+ stories from The Wall Street Journal and other leading newspapers
Stocks • Get links to related stories or more stories from the same publication at the end of an article • “Breaking” and “Developing” labels for Top Stories • Stories from Apple News are now available in Canada in English and French
New Resolved Issues
Music • Restores the column browser view for managing the music library • Resolves an issue that may prevent album artwork from appearing • Fixes an issue that may reset music equalizer settings during playback
iTunes Remote • Adds support for using an iPhone or iPad to remotely control the Music and TV apps on a Mac
Photos • Resolves an issue that may cause some .AVI and .MP4 files to appear as unsupported • Fixes an issue that prevents newly created folders from appearing in Albums view • Addresses an issue where manually sorted images in an album may be printed or exported out of order • An issue that prevents the zoom-to-crop tool from working in a print preview
Mail • Addresses an issue that may cause Mail Preferences to open with a blank window • Resolves an issue that may prevent using undo from retrieving deleted mail
Other • Improves the reliability of syncing books and audiobooks to your iPad or iPhone through Finder • This Fixes an issue where reminders may be out of order in the Today smart list in the Reminders app • Resolves an issue that may cause slow typing performance in the Notes app
Security Updates Mojave 2019-002 (18G2022) High Sierra 2019-007 (17G10021)
On December 10th, Apple released macOS Mojave Security Update 2019-002 and High Sierra Security Update 2019-007. Below you will find Build Versions, Download Links, Update Sizes and previous Security Update Links. MacOS Sierra is no longer supported.
How do I keep track of all the macOS Build Versions?
I document all of the macOS Build Versions like the latest Mojave 2019-002 High Sierra 2019-007 along with most Apple Applications, XProtect, Gatekeeper and MRT updates in one database. You can check out the link below.
