App Store annoyance

Recently there was an AppStore update for AirPort Utility (6.2).

Since I have no Airport devices I have no need for this update.

Or does this update also cover the iMac AirPort (which I rarely use).

The option is "Update". No option to ignore.

Is there a way to get it off of the update list? (Esp. so the 'badge' on
the app in the dock disappears)?

(Not to mention the usual annoyance of App Store not showing the cost of
the update (how many megabytes) - have to go to the Mac Support site and
dig around to find it (not so much in this case @ 21 MB)).


--
"There were, unfortunately, no great principles on which parties
were divided – politics became a mere struggle for office."
-Sir John A. Macdonald

Alan Browne <> wrote:

> Recently there was an AppStore update for AirPort Utility (6.2).
>
> Since I have no Airport devices I have no need for this update.
>
> Or does this update also cover the iMac AirPort (which I rarely use).

No, it is just the management/configuration software for AirPort base
stations (including Airport Express, Airport Extreme and Time Capsule).

> The option is "Update". No option to ignore.
>
> Is there a way to get it off of the update list? (Esp. so the 'badge' on
> the app in the dock disappears)?

Yes, but it is yet another annoying example of an invisible feature in
the user interface that you have to know about, rather than having a
visible button or menu item to choose.

Run App Store and go to the Updates tab.

If an update is shown there which you never want to install, do a
secondary click (Control-click or typically right click with a
two-button mouse) anywhere in the item description, to get a contextual
menu. There is a "Hide Update" option. Choose that.

If you want to unhide the update later, the details vary depending on
whether the item you hid was a "Software Update" or an App update.

For Software Updates, a "Show All Software Updates..." item is added to
the bottom of the Store menu if there are any hidden software updates.

For App updates, you need to view your account (which can also be done
via the Store menu), click on the "View Hidden Purchases" link, then
click UNHIDE next to the item in the list.

> (Not to mention the usual annoyance of App Store not showing the cost of
> the update (how many megabytes) - have to go to the Mac Support site and
> dig around to find it (not so much in this case @ 21 MB)).

Yes, that's my main bugbear with Software Updates being merged into App
Store in Mountain Lion. Furthermore, your suggested method doesn't tell
you the correct size, as Software Update will often download a smaller
version than the manual installer.

There is another way to find the size of a Software Update: you can use
the command line tool to see what updates are available and it does tell
you how big they are. In Terminal, use this command:

sudo softwareupdate --list

(Note that this only tells you about software updates, not App updates.)

--
David Empson

As far as receiving a notification from Apple that there is an update
to some software I have I just run the update, figuring that there may
be either an increase or decrease in the memory consumed, and not
worrying whether the update is in regards to a feature I use or not
use, and for all I know there might be a connection that might not be
obvious to me.

--
James Leo Ryan - Austin, Texas

In article <1kzd7sf.127pic32mizlwN%>,
(David Empson) wrote:

> Alan Browne <> wrote:
>
> > Recently there was an AppStore update for AirPort Utility (6.2).
> >
> > Since I have no Airport devices I have no need for this update.
> >
> > Or does this update also cover the iMac AirPort (which I rarely use).
>
> No, it is just the management/configuration software for AirPort base
> stations (including Airport Express, Airport Extreme and Time Capsule).
>
> > The option is "Update". No option to ignore.
> >
> > Is there a way to get it off of the update list? (Esp. so the 'badge' on
> > the app in the dock disappears)?
>
> Yes, but it is yet another annoying example of an invisible feature in
> the user interface that you have to know about, rather than having a
> visible button or menu item to choose.
>
> Run App Store and go to the Updates tab.
>
> If an update is shown there which you never want to install, do a
> secondary click (Control-click or typically right click with a
> two-button mouse) anywhere in the item description, to get a contextual
> menu. There is a "Hide Update" option. Choose that.
>
> If you want to unhide the update later, the details vary depending on
> whether the item you hid was a "Software Update" or an App update.
>
> For Software Updates, a "Show All Software Updates..." item is added to
> the bottom of the Store menu if there are any hidden software updates.
>
> For App updates, you need to view your account (which can also be done
> via the Store menu), click on the "View Hidden Purchases" link, then
> click UNHIDE next to the item in the list.
>
> > (Not to mention the usual annoyance of App Store not showing the cost of
> > the update (how many megabytes) - have to go to the Mac Support site and
> > dig around to find it (not so much in this case @ 21 MB)).
>
> Yes, that's my main bugbear with Software Updates being merged into App
> Store in Mountain Lion. Furthermore, your suggested method doesn't tell
> you the correct size, as Software Update will often download a smaller
> version than the manual installer.
>
> There is another way to find the size of a Software Update: you can use
> the command line tool to see what updates are available and it does tell
> you how big they are. In Terminal, use this command:
>
> sudo softwareupdate --list
>
> (Note that this only tells you about software updates, not App updates.)

I have a different complaint. Before it became incorporated into
AppStore, Software Update told you whether an update had already been
downloaded in the background. If there is any straightforward way of
finding that out now, I'd appreciate the details.

On 2013.03.06 21:11 , David Empson wrote:
> Alan Browne <> wrote:
>
>> Recently there was an AppStore update for AirPort Utility (6.2).
>>
>> Since I have no Airport devices I have no need for this update.
>>
>> Or does this update also cover the iMac AirPort (which I rarely use).
>
> No, it is just the management/configuration software for AirPort base
> stations (including Airport Express, Airport Extreme and Time Capsule).
>
>> The option is "Update". No option to ignore.
>>
>> Is there a way to get it off of the update list? (Esp. so the 'badge' on
>> the app in the dock disappears)?
>
> Yes, but it is yet another annoying example of an invisible feature in
> the user interface that you have to know about, rather than having a
> visible button or menu item to choose.
>
> Run App Store and go to the Updates tab.
>
> If an update is shown there which you never want to install, do a
> secondary click (Control-click or typically right click with a
> two-button mouse) anywhere in the item description, to get a contextual
> menu. There is a "Hide Update" option. Choose that.

Perfect. Well, imperfect. But did the job. Thanks.

Why not just add an "ignore" button (rhetorical).

> If you want to unhide the update later, the details vary depending on
> whether the item you hid was a "Software Update" or an App update.

I doubt it. If I ever get (another) AirPort device that would provide
the opportunity to bring all up to date. I returned the one I had.

>
> For Software Updates, a "Show All Software Updates..." item is added to
> the bottom of the Store menu if there are any hidden software updates.
>
> For App updates, you need to view your account (which can also be done
> via the Store menu), click on the "View Hidden Purchases" link, then
> click UNHIDE next to the item in the list.

This is interesting. I never look at the "purchases" list. Stuff gets
installed it works. Forget about it. Updates occur. Run it, forget
about it.

>> (Not to mention the usual annoyance of App Store not showing the cost of
>> the update (how many megabytes) - have to go to the Mac Support site and
>> dig around to find it (not so much in this case @ 21 MB)).
>
> Yes, that's my main bugbear with Software Updates being merged into App
> Store in Mountain Lion. Furthermore, your suggested method doesn't tell
> you the correct size, as Software Update will often download a smaller
> version than the manual installer.

Fair enough, at least I get an idea of the size (usually). I know there
are often discrepancies - but to the low side.

Since my ISP caps monthly, I usually DL towards the end of the month
when I see there is ample free BW. Or, when I purchase a "block" when
it's clear I'll be going over, that block is usually too much (30 or 60
GB blocks) - so I'll use up some of that for updates.

> There is another way to find the size of a Software Update: you can use
> the command line tool to see what updates are available and it does tell
> you how big they are. In Terminal, use this command:
>
> sudo softwareupdate --list

Got it.

>
> (Note that this only tells you about software updates, not App updates.)


The imperfect world.


--
"There were, unfortunately, no great principles on which parties
were divided – politics became a mere struggle for office."
-Sir John A. Macdonald

On 2013.03.06 23:43 , TaliesinSoft wrote:
> As far as receiving a notification from Apple that there is an update to
> some software I have I just run the update, figuring that there may be
> either an increase or decrease in the memory consumed, and not worrying
> whether the update is in regards to a feature I use or not use, and for
> all I know there might be a connection that might not be obvious to me.

I'm from the "ain't broke, don't fix" school. As I don't have AirPort
devices there is nothing broke.

It also goes against my grain to use bandwidth needlessly for downloads
that aren't needed. The one in question is pretty trivial at 21 MB mind
you.

IAC, David's answer fixed the issue.

--
"There were, unfortunately, no great principles on which parties
were divided – politics became a mere struggle for office."
-Sir John A. Macdonald

Alan Browne <> wrote:

> On 2013.03.06 21:11 , David Empson wrote:
> > Alan Browne <> wrote:
> >
> >> (Not to mention the usual annoyance of App Store not showing the cost of
> >> the update (how many megabytes) - have to go to the Mac Support site and
> >> dig around to find it (not so much in this case @ 21 MB)).
> >
> > Yes, that's my main bugbear with Software Updates being merged into App
> > Store in Mountain Lion. Furthermore, your suggested method doesn't tell
> > you the correct size, as Software Update will often download a smaller
> > version than the manual installer.
>
> Fair enough, at least I get an idea of the size (usually). I know there
> are often discrepancies - but to the low side.

Sometimes extremely low side: incremental updates to the next OS X
version via Software Update have on occasion been in the order of 10% of
the size of the manually downloaded delta update.

I rarely use Software Update for these anyway as I download and keep a
copy of the combo update for installing on several computers.

> Since my ISP caps monthly, I usually DL towards the end of the month
> when I see there is ample free BW. Or, when I purchase a "block" when
> it's clear I'll be going over, that block is usually too much (30 or 60
> GB blocks) - so I'll use up some of that for updates.
>
> > There is another way to find the size of a Software Update: you can use
> > the command line tool to see what updates are available and it does tell
> > you how big they are. In Terminal, use this command:
> >
> > sudo softwareupdate --list
>
> Got it.

Note also that the command line tool shares the same "hidden" list as
App Store's Software Updates, but the command line uses the term
"ignore" rather than "hide". An item hidden in App Store will not show
up in the list of available updates for the command line tool (or vice
versa), and you can reset hidden/ignored items from either interface
(but have to quit and relaunch App Store for it to catch up, if you
reset the ignore list from the command line).

See man softwareupdate for details of the other commands.

Also worth noting that if you hide/ignore an update, a subsequent
version of the same update will not be hidden.

For example, I've avoided iTunes 11 so far, and I had to re-hide it for
11.0.1 and 11.0.2.

--
David Empson

On 2013.03.08 02:57 , David Empson wrote:
> Alan Browne <> wrote:
>
>> On 2013.03.06 21:11 , David Empson wrote:
>>> sudo softwareupdate --list
>>
>> Got it.
>
> Note also that the command line tool shares the same "hidden" list as
> App Store's Software Updates, but the command line uses the term
> "ignore" rather than "hide". An item hidden in App Store will not show
> up in the list of available updates for the command line tool (or vice
> versa), and you can reset hidden/ignored items from either interface
> (but have to quit and relaunch App Store for it to catch up, if you
> reset the ignore list from the command line).
>
> See man softwareupdate for details of the other commands.

Thx, but I doubt I'll resort to that very much.


--
"There were, unfortunately, no great principles on which parties
were divided – politics became a mere struggle for office."
-Sir John A. Macdonald

In article <1kzd7sf.127pic32mizlwN%>,
(David Empson) wrote:

> Run App Store and go to the Updates tab.
>
> If an update is shown there which you never want to install, do a
> secondary click (Control-click or typically right click with a
> two-button mouse) anywhere in the item description, to get a contextual
> menu. There is a "Hide Update" option. Choose that.
>
> If you want to unhide the update later, the details vary depending on
> whether the item you hid was a "Software Update" or an App update.
>
> For Software Updates, a "Show All Software Updates..." item is added to
> the bottom of the Store menu if there are any hidden software updates.

David-

My problem is that the one App I've purchased from the App Store, stays
on the list of available updates after having installed it. This has
happened each time for the last three updates. For the first time, I
installed it again, not realizing it was the same version already
installed.

Your process doesn't seem to work with my one update. Nothing happens
when I Control-Click or Right-Click anywhere in the App's description
window under Updates. (I'm using 10.8.2.)

If I click on Purchases, Right-Clicking brings up the option to hide
that App. But even when invisible under Purchases, the App is still
visible under Updates. (Right-Clicking still doesn't work.)

Do you have any ideas? Someone else mentioned having the same problem a
few weeks ago, but there was no resolution.

Fred

Fred McKenzie <> wrote:

> In article <1kzd7sf.127pic32mizlwN%>,
> (David Empson) wrote:
>
> > Run App Store and go to the Updates tab.
> >
> > If an update is shown there which you never want to install, do a
> > secondary click (Control-click or typically right click with a
> > two-button mouse) anywhere in the item description, to get a contextual
> > menu. There is a "Hide Update" option. Choose that.
> >
> > If you want to unhide the update later, the details vary depending on
> > whether the item you hid was a "Software Update" or an App update.
> >
> > For Software Updates, a "Show All Software Updates..." item is added to
> > the bottom of the Store menu if there are any hidden software updates.
>
> My problem is that the one App I've purchased from the App Store, stays
> on the list of available updates after having installed it. This has
> happened each time for the last three updates. For the first time, I
> installed it again, not realizing it was the same version already
> installed.

This might happen if you have two copies of the app on your computer, in
locations where Spotlight can find them. Try using Spotlight to search
for the app by name.

Updating the app only updates the first copy it found. If the second one
is an older version, it will still show up as an available update.

That second copy may be in a different folder on your main drive, or a
backup on a different drive (e.g. do you have a clone backup of your
main drive, which is currently connected?)

It shouldn't show up for Time Machine backups, since they are handled
via an independent Spotlight index and aren't supposed to be updated by
App Store.

> Your process doesn't seem to work with my one update. Nothing happens
> when I Control-Click or Right-Click anywhere in the App's description
> window under Updates. (I'm using 10.8.2.)

I was mainly describing the process for hiding unwanted Software
Updates. I didn't have an App update available at the time to confirm
whether the same mechanism worked, but based on your observation it
appears my assumption was wrong and you cannot hide an unwanted App
update, short of completely hiding the App (on the Purchases tab), which
would ignore all future updates of the App.

--
David Empson