# Software Update... download folder



## sohdubom (Jan 2, 2009)

hi. this is a newbie question ... when downloading files from Software Update... where is the default ddl directory?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jan 2, 2009)

http://letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=where+does+software+update+download+files?


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## Mikuro (Jan 2, 2009)

ElDiablo, that works better when the results of the Google search actually answer the question. :\

On my system, they're saved into ~/Downloads (that is to say, the "Downloads" folder in your home folder). That's in Leopard. In Tiger I'm not sure where they're saved.

If you want to save the updates for some reason, like to install them on multiple systems without re-downloading, it's best to download the updates from Apple's web site. The packages you get from the built-in Software Update are tailored to your specific system (to minimize download size), so they might not work on other systems. The packages you get from Apple's web site are designed to work on a wide range of systems.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jan 2, 2009)

The first result on the page I linked to gives the answer in no unclear terms (in the 4th forum posting).

I'm sure by modifying the search string slightly, we could get ALL the results to give the answer.

My point in posting that link was that the question was easily answered by one's self with a super-simple, 3-second Google search.  Instead of asking others to do the legwork for you, it's much easier to bang in a quickly-formatted search string in Google... posting to a forum then waiting for a reply requires much more effort and time (not to mention it's his/her first post, so in addition to typing a question, they also had to register) to gain an answer to such a simple question.  And, as I always say, "Work smarter, not harder."


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## Mikuro (Jan 2, 2009)

We must be getting different results for some reason, then, because the first result for me is AVG's (a Windows antivirus program) web site, and the subsequent results are no more relevant. Odd.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jan 2, 2009)

Following the link I posted, the first result is this:

http://forums.macnn.com/90/mac-os-x/375898/where-does-10-5-store-software/

This is the direct link from my results page:

http://www.google.com/search?btnG=1&q=where+does+software+update+download+files?


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## Mikuro (Jan 2, 2009)

ElDiabloConCaca said:


> This is the direct link from my results page:
> 
> http://www.google.com/search?btnG=1&q=where+does+software+update+download+files?



That link gives me the Windows-centric results, same as before. Which doesn't surprise me, really, since there's nothing in the search terms to suggest you're looking for Mac sites, and "software update" is a general term. I usually throw "mac os x" (in quotes) into my search phrase when looking for Mac stuff, otherwise all I get is Windows links.

I'm still confused as to why we're getting different results. Are you logged into your Google account? Maybe Google knows you're a Mac guy and adjusts your results accordingly.


FWIW, on my system they're saved in ~/Downloads, not /Library/Updates. But maybe that's just when I select "download only" intending to actually install them later when I'm ready to reboot.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jan 2, 2009)

Nope, not logged into Google.  Using both Safari and Firefox on Mac OS X 10.5.6, Intel MacBook.

Weird.

At any rate, my point was more to educate the poster that there are easier and faster ways to get answers to simple questions other than posting to a forum and waiting for someone to do the work for you -- you know -- the whole "give a man a fish vs. teach a man to fish."

If a person is deterred if they don't get the answer they're looking for after one Google search, that, to me, could indicate laziness.  Simply modifying the search string, like you suggested, would yield more accurate results.  I was simply showing what can be accomplished in a short amount of time with a simple (albeit malformed, as we've proven) Google search.


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## sohdubom (Jan 6, 2009)

Mikuro said:


> If you want to save the updates for some reason, like to install them on multiple systems without re-downloading, it's best to download the updates from Apple's web site. The packages you get from the built-in Software Update are tailored to your specific system (to minimize download size), so they might not work on other systems. The packages you get from Apple's web site are designed to work on a wide range of systems.



[thanks for the tip ... actually my ddl folder is: ~/library/updates]


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## icemanjc (Jan 6, 2009)

Mikuro said:


> That link gives me the Windows-centric results, same as before. Which doesn't surprise me, really, since there's nothing in the search terms to suggest you're looking for Mac sites, and "software update" is a general term. I usually throw "mac os x" (in quotes) into my search phrase when looking for Mac stuff, otherwise all I get is Windows links.
> 
> I'm still confused as to why we're getting different results. Are you logged into your Google account? Maybe Google knows you're a Mac guy and adjusts your results accordingly.
> 
> ...



Hmm, the first result I get is the link to the forums, so its something on your side.....

I just enjoy watching the Let Me Google That For You Site type in what I want to Google for me.....


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## fryke (Jan 6, 2009)

I get the same windows results on my up-to-date MacBook Air. AVG being the first link. I think your suggestion has been received, though. Maybe we should add a link that actually works for everyone... -> http://tinyurl.com/ayaz8y ... Ouch. Mine shows Apple Software Update for Windows. What's WRONG here?! Lemme try it again with "Mac" in it as well...? http://letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=Where+does+Apple+Software+Update+download+Mac+files+to? I still don't find your forum link, it seems... :/


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jan 6, 2009)

The only explanation I can come up with is that all of your computers are set up incorrectly and you're all insane, while my MacBook is running perfectly and I'm totally sane.

I honestly cannot think of any other explanation.  

Also, fryke, your search string is different from mine... by about two letters, but to a computer, that's as different as "fast" and "banana."  Also, I tried my original search string on a Windows XP computer in IE7 and Firefox, and I do not get the same set of results that I get on my MacBook with Safari and FireFox.  The first link from the Windows searches was for Sony BMG, and the second result was the AVG stuff.

I think Google (the website) is doing some browser user-agent parsing (or some other browser variable) and returning results that are somehow influenced by that.  I just tried switching my user-agent environment variable in Safari, and I cannot get anything other than the forum link to show up first -- so Google must be parsing, perhaps, the operating system variable or something to modify the list of results to be more "tailored" to the platform you're searching from.


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## fryke (Jan 6, 2009)

That wouldn't explain it, though. THE OS variable on your MacBook should be the same as mine on all my Macs. Just checked on my iMac: Same thing. Even changed the system language to English just for trying. Same thing.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jan 6, 2009)

fryke said:


> That wouldn't explain it, though. THE OS variable on your MacBook should be the same as mine on all my Macs. Just checked on my iMac: Same thing. Even changed the system language to English just for trying. Same thing.



Well, then by Occam's Razor, we have:


> The only explanation I can come up with is that all of your computers are set up incorrectly and you're all insane, while my MacBook is running perfectly and I'm totally sane.


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## Mikuro (Jan 6, 2009)

Interestingly, if I enter that same search into http://www.google.com/mac, I seem to get the same results as you, with that forum thread as the first hit.

I'm still assuming that Google knows more about you than it knows about me, for some reason. Perhaps it's because I filter all connections to google-analytics.com (a service which gives me no perceivable benefit and occasionally slows my browsing to a crawl).


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## fryke (Jan 6, 2009)

So you're running LittleSnitch then? I'm doing that as well. I'm not filtering any google-stuff, though.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jan 6, 2009)

That's what you get for being paranoid, then! . incorrect google results!


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## Mikuro (Jan 6, 2009)

fryke said:


> So you're running LittleSnitch then? I'm doing that as well. I'm not filtering any google-stuff, though.



I am running Little Snitch, but I actually do my web filtering with Privoxy now. In the past I used Adblock/SafariBlock/PithHelmet/whatever-browser-specific-method, but now I just use Privoxy. It's quite powerful and applies to ALL my browsers. I also use it to filter outgoing HTTP referer headers. (And now I use Camino, which I avoided previously because its built-in filters are sub-par and it doesn't have any good add-ons like Firefox and Safari do.)

I just tried loading the results without Privoxy enabled, and I got ElDiablo's results. Then I turned Privoxy back on and.....I still got ElDiablo's results. Maybe my one visit to google.com/mac changed something. Hmmmm. The plot thickens.


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