The latest macOS update breaks Java Virtual Machine, among other things

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Facepalm: A few days after receiving a new, updated version of macOS Sonoma, users of Apple Silicon-based machines are experiencing widespread issues with software and cloud services, including Java applets and applications no longer running correctly.

The recently released macOS 14.4 update is seemingly causing a lot of compatibility issues for owners of Apple Silicon systems. Software doesn't work, and Oracle is highlighting how Cupertino changed the way its OS operates in certain conditions while running on M1, M2, and M3 ARM-based processors.

Oracle Senior Director of Product Management Aurelio Garcia-Ribeyro explained that after installing macOS 14.4, the Java process started to terminate "unexpectedly." All Java version from Java 8 to early access builds of JDK 22 are affected, and there is no workaround available except for deferring the installation of the OS update.

The issue was not present in early access releases of macOS 14.4, and was only discovered after Apple began rolling out the update to users. The problem stems from a feature included in Apple Silicon chips, which has been designed to control how dynamically generated code must behave when accessing protected memory regions, Oracle said.

Before macOS 14.4, in "certain circumstances" the macOS kernel would send a "SIGBUS" or "SIGSEGV" signal to those processes trying to access protected memory. The process could choose how to handle this signal and then proceed with normal execution. Now, macOS just sends a "SIGKILL" signal that causes unconditional termination of processes operating in write mode.

Java Virtual Machine's dynamic code generation and protected memory access are needed to improve correctness and performance, Oracle said. Meanwhile, pre-compiled applications created with GraalVM Native Image should continue to work as expected. As macOS provides no easy way to revert to a previous OS version after installing a major system update, users should postpone the update if they work with or develop Java software on ARM-based Apple devices.

And it's not just Java, as macOS Sonoma 14.4 also seems to have troublesome effects elsewhere. As highlighted by MacRumors, the update is corrupting printer drivers, erasing files saved on the iCloud platform, causing connectivity issues with USB hubs and monitors, and causing compatibility issues with iLok License Manager and other PACE products. Apple has yet to provide an official comment on the issues plaguing its latest OS update.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102328-latest-macos-update-breaks-java-virtual-machine-lot.html

 

[m4a4]

Ooof, the infallable Apple Windowsed this update up.

 

[trparky]

Oh gee, Apple owns the software and the hardware stack, and they can't even get it right. Yeah, and people expect Microsoft to get it right when people are trying to run Windows on everything from a highend gaming system to a potato of a PC. Please, show yourself the door.

 

[Hai Karate]

Ooof, the infallable Apple Windowsed this update up.

Microsoft's approach to backwards compatibility is one of the reasons Windows is so ubiquitous, but it also holds it back in many ways.

On the other hand, Apple just goes ahead and does sh-t like this whenever it feels like it, backwards compatibility be damned. I honestly don't think they care about much other than ensuring that the money keeps flowing in from their own products and services.

 

[envirovore]

"it just works"

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Given 95% of their audience is browsing Facebook at Starbucks, I'm surprised anyone noticed.

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

Given 95% of their audience is browsing Facebook at Starbucks, I'm surprised anyone noticed.

I generally like how most Apple stuff "just works". And I like their design. I'm not a fanboy though... this comment however, was hilarious.

 

[VariableSpike]

Well, looks like Apple's QA and testing team work about as well as Microsoft's "we use our users as testers" methodology, and that is with every single element controlled by them, like how do you mess that up? Not that its done remotely well on Windows, but that is an extremely low benchmark, kind of a clear show why Apple push so much for a closed ecosystem and their brand, if you make the user believe they could never use anything else and that they are using a superior product no matter what, they will follow you, even if the laptop they paid many $K won't work properly because someone couldn't spend some extra time making sure everything works on their very own machines

 

[daffy duck]

Thank god I do not have automatic updates turned on. Will avoid 14.4 entirely.