Public beta GM questions

[mrdm]

I am a part of the public beta but never installed El Capitan for a variety of reasons. I'd like to install El Capitan sometime this week so that everything will be compatible with IOS 9 releasing tomorrow (e.g. iCloud Notes). So, I'll be upgrading from Yosemite directly to the El Cap GM. Assuming this is the only GM between now and the end of the month, will I have to update El Cap on 9/30 or will the software releasing 9/30 be identical? Also, will I automatically receive the first maintenance release, 10.11.1, per usual in the app store when it is available?

 

[QuickDraw]

There is no El Cap GM. There is a GM Candidate, and likely there will be a Candidate 2 or more before they cut the final GM. That's just how it goes usually.
GM Candidate (from my experience) means, that at the point in time they cut the image, they didn't have any significant showstopping bugs, so if release testing doesn't dig up any showstoppers anymore, the Candidate can be blessed to be the final GM. Usually they go through a few Candidate iterations until the final GM.

 

[aevan]

I am a part of the public beta but never installed El Capitan for a variety of reasons. I'd like to install El Capitan sometime this week so that everything will be compatible with IOS 9 releasing tomorrow (e.g. iCloud Notes). So, I'll be upgrading from Yosemite directly to the El Cap GM. Assuming this is the only GM between now and the end of the month, will I have to update El Cap on 9/30 or will the software releasing 9/30 be identical? Also, will I automatically receive the first maintenance release, 10.11.1, per usual in the app store when it is available?

The GM1 should update to any potential future GM release and the final version. If the final version is the same as GM, then there won't be any new update until some future official release.

Please note that since you are in the public beta, you may receive betas for 11.x releases as well, which will also update to final versions.

 

[mrdm]

There is no El Cap GM. There is a GM Candidate, and likely there will be a Candidate 2 or more before they cut the final GM. That's just how it goes usually.
GM Candidate (from my experience) means, that at the point in time they cut the image, they didn't have any significant showstopping bugs, so if release testing doesn't dig up any showstoppers anymore, the Candidate can be blessed to be the final GM. Usually they go through a few Candidate iterations until the final GM.

Thanks - I realize there could be another candidate. That is why I specifically included the phrase "assuming this is the only GM" between now and the final release in my original question. So, if this GM is blessed to be the final GM, can anyone help with my questions?

 

[mrdm]

The GM1 should update to any potential future GM release and the final version. If the final version is the same as GM, then there won't be any new update until some future official release.

Please note that since you are in the public beta, you may receive betas for 11.x releases as well, which will also update to final versions.

Perfect - thanks Aevan!

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

The idea of GM and RTM is dead because Apple and MS don't have to ship millions of install DVDs anymore. Now the release candidate builds that can be updated to latest builds. MS already stopped using the term RTM. Next year or two Apple will probably stop using GM.

 

[kwokaaron]

The idea of GM and RTM is dead because Apple and MS don't have to ship millions of install DVDs anymore. Now the release candidate builds that can be updated to latest builds. MS already stopped using the term RTM. Next year or two Apple will probably stop using GM.

Not necessarily. Microsoft could forgo these terminologies since Windows 10 automatically updates the build without requiring the user's consent at all. Apple however still requires users to manually update their OS and is therefore still useful to label builds like GM for clarification. Unless Apple follows Microsoft's route (which I hope not), they'll probably keep using them.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Not necessarily. Microsoft could forgo these terminologies since Windows 10 automatically updates the build without requiring the user's consent at all. Apple however still requires users to manually update their OS and is therefore still useful to label builds like GM for clarification. Unless Apple follows Microsoft's route (which I hope not), they'll probably keep using them.

There are already the beginnings of automatic updates without user permission but right now it is only for defence against malware.

 

[cjmillsnun]

There is no El Cap GM. There is a GM Candidate, and likely there will be a Candidate 2 or more before they cut the final GM. That's just how it goes usually.
GM Candidate (from my experience) means, that at the point in time they cut the image, they didn't have any significant showstopping bugs, so if release testing doesn't dig up any showstoppers anymore, the Candidate can be blessed to be the final GM. Usually they go through a few Candidate iterations until the final GM.

I cannot like this post enough! I've seen so many people calling it the GM who have no idea how Beta software works. Of course it isn't helped by Apple's terminology.

This is one of the few areas that MS are better. They call this iteration a release candidate, and the final version the GM.

 

[kwokaaron]

There are already the beginnings of automatic updates without user permission but right now it is only for defence against malware.

True... but then again malware definition updates have been implemented in OS X since 2009.

 

[patternjake]

I'm pretty sure that the GM we have now is the final one until the .X update.

 

[ABC5S]

I'm pretty sure that the GM we have now is the final one until the .X update.

10.11.1 Beta should be out in a few days

http://osxdaily.com/2015/09/17/os-x-el-capitan-10-11-1-beta-1-released-for-testing/