Current Support for Apple OS X El Capitan

September 30, 2015 marks the official release of Apple's annual update to its OS X operating system.  As many folks on the Mac platform have admin rights, and therefore the ability to install the upgrade prior to official support by DoIT,  I thought I would take the opportunity to quickly share a bit of information with you regarding university property and the annual Mac OS update. 

What is the new OS X update called?

Apple's 2015 update to OS X is called "El Capitan" but it is officially known as version 10.11.

Does DoIT currently support the use of El Capitan on university-owned computers?

Not at this time.  However, full support will be forthcoming following sufficient compatibility testing with essential university applications, such as:  LANDesk, Kaspersky, Banner, Discoverer, Xerox/Windows server print, and network connectivity.

It's a brand new version, shouldn't everything that worked before the change work after the upgrade?

Yes, in a perfect world.  But given the huge complexity of modern operating systems and applications, the chances of having unforeseen conflicts are ample.  There are many examples of software updates across all platforms that break existing functionality and require that customers await a patch to the update.  If the impact to a customer-base is significant, the vendor's patches are many times generated very quickly while others can mean a painful wait.

How long should I wait before upgrading my university-owned Mac to El Capitan?

I recommend sixty days, based on the history of problems resulting from user upgrades to these annual updates.  Holding off a few weeks will allow Apple time to collect data on the failures.  Specifically, what functions are broken across a much broader spectrum of usage-types than can be replicated in pre-lease testing.  With this data they can generate patches that will prevent you from losing functionality while reducing technology frustration.

How will function be restored if I have already installed "El Capitan" and am now having problems?

Based on normal repair processes and resource availability, DoIT will work to recover available data from the device, then reinstall the supported version of the Mac OS.

Where can I call or write for additional information about support of my university-owned computer?

Please write servicedesk@creighton.edu or call 402-280-1111 then choose option 3.