14 DAY TRIAL // Apple this week is treating developers to a new build of Mac OS X 10.6.8, the eighth maintenance update about to be handed to end-users of the Snow Leopard operating system.
Likely to arrive in its final form ahead of OS X 10.7 Lion, Mac OS X 10.6.8 is probably the last incremental system update Snow Leopard users will ever see, if history is any indication.
So far, Apple developers have made little changes in the software, or so we’re left to understand based on the focus areas listed in the seed note for build 10K531.
Unchanged, the documentation asks devs to focus their coding skills on Airport, Graphics Drivers, Mac App Store, Networking, QuickTime and VPN.
10K531 is the third 10.6.8 test build issued to developers in just as many weeks.
It is yet unclear why those who are familiar with the software could not confirm the inclusion of a patch for the widely publicized Mac Defender threat.
Even though Cupertino is on track to issue a standalone software update that specifically addresses this issue, OS X 10.6.8 will need to include the fix as well.
Since the seed notes do not bear any references to said patch, it appears that Apple hasn’t been able to produce it just yet.
However, once it’s made available, Apple will undoubtedly incorporate the fix in the final OS X 10.6.8 update as well. It will most likely be documented in a typical knowledge base article detailing the security content of Mac OS X 10.6.8.
Weighing in at 1 GB as a combo update and roughly 450 MB in barebones delta form, Mac OS X 10.6.8 Build 10K531 is immediately available to registered developers via Apple’s Mac Dev Center.
The public version of the update will most likely be available next week, with WWDC 2011 just seven days away now.