Word has it that Mac OS X 10.5.6 will be out and ready to install by the end of this working week. While all this is exciting news, the clues that have supposedly led to this conclusion seem pretty shallow.

TUAW cites Ars Technica's Chris Foresman, who notes that OS X 10.5.6 test builds are seeing rapid successive seeding, “perhaps signaling that the software is nearly ready for the public,” according to the TUAW report. "Though the signs point to a release soon ... I do not recommend holding your breath," the Ars author states.

The seed notes for the latest build (9G38) handed over to developers indeed list no known issues. However, history has shown that rapid successive seeding of OS X test builds is not always an indication that Apple is wrapping up development on a new maintenance update for Leopard. Nor is the listing of “no known issues” within seed notes accompanying the beta builds.

Take OS X 10.5.5 Build 9F17. This beta build listed no known issues after Apple's developers had already done some thorough testing spanning multiple betas.

The following build also listed no known issues when, all of the sudden, OS X 10.5.5 Build (9F23) did list such problems, particularly one related to general searching of email messages in Mail. The issue, clinging with its teeth to Leopard's Mail.app, was only fixed after three consecutive beta releases. Only then was Apple able to release a clean OS X 10.5.5 to the public. Needless to point out, the fact that Apple "knows" of nothing wrong with a beta build doesn't mean it won't find any issues the minute those seed notes are out the door, and passed on to the media by developers.

So, the point is that Mac users could be prompted to install the new maintenance and security update even by the end of this day. On the other hand, a serious issue with one of Leopard's core components could be found as we speak, delaying the public release of Mac OS X 10.5.6.

Still, Mac OS X 10.5.6 beta build 9G38 is issue-free, at the moment. This is clearly a good sign, and does provide some indication that development is coming along nicely. However, just as the above-mentioned source notes, you needn't hold your breath for a release any time soon.