Discussion:
Problem with OSX 10.11.5 and iTunes 12.4
(too old to reply)
Robert Peirce
2016-05-17 15:40:43 UTC
Permalink
Is there a way to go back? I have ample backups but I am not sure if or
how to restore an older version.

The specific problem I have is an app I use called Pure Music is not
compatible with iTunes 12.4, but 12.4 was part of the system update.
Also, recent iTunes releases seem to be deeply imbedded in the OS
itself, so I'm not sure I can run iTunes 12.3 under OSX 10.11.5,
assuming I could even restore iTunes without touching OSX.
Robert Peirce
2016-05-17 16:01:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Peirce
Is there a way to go back? I have ample backups but I am not sure if or
how to restore an older version.
The specific problem I have is an app I use called Pure Music is not
compatible with iTunes 12.4, but 12.4 was part of the system update.
Also, recent iTunes releases seem to be deeply imbedded in the OS
itself, so I'm not sure I can run iTunes 12.3 under OSX 10.11.5,
assuming I could even restore iTunes without touching OSX.
My backups are SuperDuper!, not Time Machine. TM seems to be fairly
straight forward.
Robert Peirce
2016-05-18 13:01:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Peirce
Post by Robert Peirce
Is there a way to go back? I have ample backups but I am not sure if or
how to restore an older version.
The specific problem I have is an app I use called Pure Music is not
compatible with iTunes 12.4, but 12.4 was part of the system update.
Also, recent iTunes releases seem to be deeply imbedded in the OS
itself, so I'm not sure I can run iTunes 12.3 under OSX 10.11.5,
assuming I could even restore iTunes without touching OSX.
My backups are SuperDuper!, not Time Machine. TM seems to be fairly
straight forward.
This turned out to be equally simple. I booted from the backup, erased
the internal HD and used SuperDuper! to restore it. It seems to be fine
at this point. Of course any changes since the last backup were lost
but I don't think there were many of those.

Jolly Roger
2016-05-17 16:14:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Peirce
The specific problem I have is an app I use called Pure Music is not
compatible with iTunes 12.4, but 12.4 was part of the system update.
Does the author of Pure Music plan to update the app?
--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR
Robert Peirce
2016-05-17 17:12:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jolly Roger
Post by Robert Peirce
The specific problem I have is an app I use called Pure Music is not
compatible with iTunes 12.4, but 12.4 was part of the system update.
Does the author of Pure Music plan to update the app?
Yes, but he has indicated iTunes 12.4 isn't as good as 12.3 so for the
time being he would prefer people not upgrade. I was perfectly happy
with 10.11.4 and 12.3. One of these days I will learn not to jump when
the App Store tells me to.
David Empson
2016-05-17 22:37:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Peirce
Is there a way to go back? I have ample backups but I am not sure if or
how to restore an older version.
The specific problem I have is an app I use called Pure Music is not
compatible with iTunes 12.4, but 12.4 was part of the system update.
Also, recent iTunes releases seem to be deeply imbedded in the OS
itself, so I'm not sure I can run iTunes 12.3 under OSX 10.11.5,
assuming I could even restore iTunes without touching OSX.
iTunes 12.4 was not part of the OS X 10.11.5 update, but it was released
at the same time. By default, App Store collapses multiple Software
Update items into a single item, so if you noticed the pending system
update and clicked UPDATE you would have got iTunes 12.4 at the same
time. There is a "More" link which expands the Software Update item to
show the detail of all pending updates, which can then be installed
individually.

I haven't tried iTunes 12.3.3 on 10.11.5 (I installed the iTunes 12.4
update first, so I know it worked on 10.11.4), but I expect it will
work.

The problem: iTunes is regarded as part of the operating system and is
protected by System Integrity Protection, so reverting to an old version
is not simple. The iTunes 12.3.3 installer (if you have a copy - Apple
probably didn't keep one available) won't replace a newer version, so
you would need to restore the application from backup, after disabling
SIP.

iTunes is more than just the application - there are system level
components it installs, and the combination of updated system components
with an older iTunes application may be unstable. It would be safer to
do a full system restore to a point just before you installed the OS X
10.11.5 and iTunes 12.4 updates.

Furthermore, iTunes 12.4 changed the library file format (as usual), so
if you do revert to iTunes 12.3.3 by copying just the application rather
than a full system restore, you will also need to pull the previous
library out of "~/Music/iTunes/Previous iTunes Libraries".
--
David Empson
***@actrix.gen.nz
Neill Massello
2016-05-18 02:42:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by David Empson
I haven't tried iTunes 12.3.3 on 10.11.5 (I installed the iTunes 12.4
update first, so I know it worked on 10.11.4), but I expect it will
work.
The problem: iTunes is regarded as part of the operating system and is
protected by System Integrity Protection, so reverting to an old version
is not simple.
Did that happen with the 10.11.5 update? On my 10.11.4 system, iTunes
12.4 does not show as rootless.
David Empson
2016-05-18 03:49:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by Neill Massello
Post by David Empson
I haven't tried iTunes 12.3.3 on 10.11.5 (I installed the iTunes 12.4
update first, so I know it worked on 10.11.4), but I expect it will
work.
The problem: iTunes is regarded as part of the operating system and is
protected by System Integrity Protection, so reverting to an old version
is not simple.
Did that happen with the 10.11.5 update? On my 10.11.4 system, iTunes
12.4 does not show as rootless.
It looks like I was mostly wrong on that point.

The application and most of its installed support frameworks, etc. are
not protected by SIP, with one exception: AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext, but
the version of that extension installed by 10.11.5 is newer than the
version in the iTunes installer anyway, so the system one will be used.

Even if that one extension is ignored, it will be difficult to manually
revert to iTunes 12.3.3 with matching versions of all the frameworks and
extensions it updates, some of which probably can't be deleted or
replaced because they will be in use.

One I noticed:

/System/Library/PrivateFramworks/CoreADI.framework was updated by iTunes
12.3.3, OS X 10.11.5 and iTunes 12.4, with version/build numbers in that
order. That means the OS X 10.11.5 version should be used with iTunes
12.3.3, but the iTunes 12.4 version might be safe to leave there.

The other files in /System would require more research than I have time
for at the moment.

Two iTunes-specific frameworks (one in /Library and one in /System) have
version numbers which match the application, so should be reverted in
sync with it.

Using Pacifist to do a forced reinstall of selected files with Pacifist
might work, but I don't know about the "currently in use" question.
--
David Empson
***@actrix.gen.nz
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