14 DAY TRIAL // If you want to get your hands on Apple's latest OS X release, and you haven't already installed the 10.11 El Capitan release on your Mac when the first public beta versions were released, you can now install the first candidate for the golden master version.
As described by Apple in an e-mail sent to all testers of OS X El Capitan public betas, doing that is very easy and a very simple procedure laid out by the Cupertino guys should get your Mac running on the latest OS X version in no time.
According to Apple, to install the GM Candidate for OS X 10.11 on your Mac, you should first backup your system and, afterwards, open the Mac App store, go to the Purchased tab and click on the Download button next to the OS X 10.11 GM Candidate entry. If you haven't already installed a previous beta on your Mac, you should first enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program.
The next step is to click on Continue for downloading the GM Candidate full installer. After the download completes, the OS X installer will launch automatically and installing the new release is as easy as following the onscreen instructions.
And you're done.
A full system backup is recommended before installing OS X beta and candidate versions
If you install the El Capitan GM Candidate, you should be aware that this isn't a final release quality version, but one meant to allow Mac users and developers to evaluate the next OS X release ahead of its official release.
This said, it's important to understand that if you are using your Mac on a day-to-day basis or if you're using in a production environment, you should expect to encounter undocumented bugs and errors that might put your documents and important data at risk.
Therefore, creating a full system backup is recommended before starting the OS X 10.11 GM Candidate installation process and regular backups while running it on your Mac are also important to avoid data loss.
As disclosed last night during the September 9 keynote and as written on Apple's website on the El Capitan preview page, the final version of OS X 10.11 should be available through the App Store two weeks from now, on September 30.
For beta versions of other Apple software products, head over to Apple Beta Software Program website.