Misplaced Pages

macOS Catalina

Version of the macOS operating system
Screenshot of the macOS Catalina desktop in dark mode
Developer	Apple Inc.
OS family	Macintosh Unix
Source model	Closed, with open source components
General availability	October 7, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-10-07)
Latest release	10.15.7 Security Update 2022-005 (19H2026) (July 20, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-07-20)) [±]
Update method	Software Update
Platforms	x86-64
Kernel type	Hybrid (XNU)
License	APSL and Apple EULA
Preceded by	macOS Mojave
Succeeded by	macOS Big Sur
Official website	www.apple.com/macos/catalina at the Wayback Machine (archived November 9, 2020)
Tagline	The power of Mac. Taken further.
Support status
Unsupported as of November 30, 2022. Finder is still able to download driver updates to sync to newer devices.

macOS Catalina (version 10.15) is the sixteenth major release of macOS, Apple Inc.'s desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. It is the successor to macOS Mojave and was announced at WWDC 2019 on June 3, 2019 and released to the public on October 7, 2019. Catalina is the first version of macOS to support only 64-bit applications and the first to include Activation Lock. It is also the last version of macOS to have the major version number of 10; its successor, Big Sur, released on November 12, 2020, is version 11. In order to increase web compatibility, Safari, Chromium and Firefox have frozen the OS in the user agent running in subsequent releases of macOS at 10.15.7 Catalina.

The operating system is named after Santa Catalina Island, which is located off the coast of southern California.

macOS Catalina is the final version of macOS that supports the Unibody MacBook Pro, as its successor, macOS Big Sur, drops support for its mid-2012 and final model.

System requirements

All standard configuration Macs that supported macOS Mojave support macOS Catalina. 2010 to 2012 Mac Pros, which could run Mojave only with a GPU upgrade, are no longer supported. Catalina requires 4 GB of memory, an increase over the 2 GB required by Lion through Mojave.

• iMac (Late 2012 or later)
• iMac Pro (2017)
• MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
• Mac Mini (Late 2012 or later)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013 or later)

It is possible to install Catalina on many older Macintosh computers that are not officially supported by Apple. This requires using a patch to modify the install image.

Changes

System

Catalyst

Catalyst is a new software-development tool that allows developers to write apps that can run on macOS, iOS and iPadOS. Apple demonstrated several ported apps, including Jira and Twitter (after the latter discontinued its macOS app in February 2018).

System extensions

An upgrade from Kexts. System extensions avoid the problems of Kexts. There are 3 kinds of System extensions: Network Extensions, Endpoint Security Extensions, and Driver Extensions. System extensions run in userspace, outside of the kernel. Catalina will be the last version of macOS to support legacy system extensions.

DriverKit

A replacement for IOKit device drivers, driver extensions are built using DriverKit. DriverKit is a new SDK with all-new frameworks based on IOKit, but updated and modernized. It is designed for building device drivers in userspace, outside of the kernel.

Gatekeeper

Mac apps, installer packages, and kernel extensions that are signed with a Developer ID must be notarized by Apple to run on macOS Catalina.

Activation Lock

Activation Lock helps prevent the unauthorized use and drive erasure of devices with an Apple T2 security chip (2018, 2019, and 2020 MacBook Pro; 2020 5K iMac; 2018 MacBook Air, iMac Pro; 2018 Mac Mini; 2019 Mac Pro).

Dedicated system volume

The system runs on its own read-only volume, separate from all other data on the Mac.

Voice control

Users can give detailed voice commands to applications. On-device machine processing is used to offer better navigation.

Sidecar

Sidecar allows a Mac to use an iPad (running iPadOS) as a wireless external display. With Apple Pencil, the device can also be used as a graphics tablet for software running on the computer. Sidecar requires a Mac with Intel Skylake CPUs and newer (such as the fourth-generation MacBook Pro), and an iPad that supports Apple Pencil.

Support for wireless game controllers

The Game Controller framework adds support for two major console game controllers: the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 and the Xbox One controller.

Time Machine

A number of under-the-hood changes were made to Time Machine, the backup software. For example, the manner in which backup data is stored on network-attached devices was changed, and this change is not backwards-compatible with earlier versions of macOS. Apple declined to document these changes, but some of them have been noted.

Applications

iTunes

iTunes is replaced by separate Music, Podcasts, TV and Books apps, in line with iOS. iOS device management is now conducted via Finder. The TV app on Mac supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR10 on MacBooks released in 2018 or later, while 4K HDR playback is supported on Macs released in 2018 or later when connected to a compatible display.

Find My

Find My Mac and Find My Friends are merged into an application called Find My.

Notes

The Notes application was enhanced to allow better management of checklists and the ability to share folders with other users. The application version was incremented from 4.6 (in macOS 10.14 Mojave) to 4.7.

Reminders

Among other visual and functional overhauls, attachments can be added to reminders and Siri can intelligently estimate when to remind the user about an event.

Voice Memos

The Voice Memos application, first ported from iOS to the Mac in macOS 10.14 Mojave as version 2.0, was incremented to version 2.1.

Removed or changed components

macOS Catalina exclusively supports 64-bit applications. 32-bit applications no longer run (including all software that utilizes the Carbon API as well as QuickTime 7 applications, image, audio and video codecs). Apple has also removed all 32-bit-only apps from the Mac App Store.

Z shell (executable "zsh") is the default login shell and interactive shell in macOS Catalina, replacing Bash, the default shell since Mac OS X Panther in 2003. Bash continues to be available in macOS Catalina, along with other shells such as csh/tcsh and ksh.

Dashboard has been removed in macOS Catalina.

The ability to add Backgrounds in Photo Booth was removed in macOS Catalina.

The command-line interface GNU Emacs application was removed in macOS Catalina.

Built-in support for Perl, Python 2.7 and Ruby are included in macOS for compatibility with legacy software. Future versions of macOS will not include scripting language runtimes by default, possibly requiring users to install additional packages.

Legacy AirDrop for connecting with Macs running Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion and Mavericks, or 2011 and older Macs has been removed.

Support for legacy Safari extensions such as uBlock Origin, and WebSQL has been removed in Safari 13.

Security

Ars Technica reported that macOS Catalina contained a critical privilege escalation vulnerability, which resulted in a backdoor being installed if users visited a Hong Kong pro-democracy website. The vulnerability was reported to Apple in August 2021 and patched in a Catalina update in September, but it had already been patched by Apple in macOS Big Sur 11.2, released 234 days earlier on February 1. Security experts have criticized Apple for not patching critical known vulnerabilities in older versions and for not being transparent about older versions only receiving some, but not all, security patches. The latest major release of Apple's operating systems (macOS, iOS, and others) receive all security updates.

Reception

Catalina received favorable reviews on release for some of its features. However, some critics found the OS version distinctly less reliable than earlier versions. The broad addition of user-facing security measures (somewhat analogous to the addition of User Account Control dialog boxes with Windows Vista a decade earlier) was criticized as intrusive and annoying.

Release history

References

1. ^ "macOS Catalina". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
2. "Apple security updates". Apple Support. July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
3. "Apple previews macOS Catalina" (Press release). Apple Inc. June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
4. Carman, Ashley (November 10, 2020). "Apple announces macOS Big Sur release date". The Verge. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
5. "Apple unveils macOS 11.0 Big Sur, featuring a new aesthetic and redesigned apps". TechCrunch. June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
6. "1175225 - chromium - An open-source project to help move the web forward. - Monorail". bugs.chromium.org. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
7. "1679929 - Cap the User-Agent string's reported macOS version at 10.15". bugzilla.mozilla.org. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
8. "217364 – [macOS] Bump reported current shipping release UA to 10_15_7". bugs.webkit.org. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
9. "How to upgrade to macOS Catalina". Apple Support. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019.
10. "How to upgrade to macOS Mojave". Apple Support. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019.
11. "macOS Catalina Patcher". dosdude1.com. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
12. Statt, Nick (February 16, 2018). "Twitter discontinues its Mac desktop app after years of spotty support". The Verge. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
13. ^ Warren, Tom (June 3, 2019). "Apple unveils new macOS update with iPad apps". The Verge. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
14. "iOS apps will run on macOS with Project Catalyst". June 3, 2019.
15. "SystemExtensions". Apple Developer Documentation.
16. ^ System Extensions and DriverKit. Apple Developer Documentation.
17. "Kernel Extensions Won't Work in macOS 10.16". The Mac Observer. March 26, 2020.
18. "Apple begins phasing out kernel extensions in macOS 10.15.4". AppleInsider. March 25, 2020.
19. "DriverKit". Apple Developer Documentation.
20. "Developer ID: Upcoming Requirements". Apple Developer.
21. Shankland, Stephen (June 7, 2019). "Here are 6 MacOS Catalina security changes coming from Apple this fall". CNET.
22. "Voice Control" (PDF). September 2019. Voice Control lets users control the entire device with spoken commands and specialized tools, while Siri is an intelligent assistant that lets users ask for information and complete everyday tasks using natural language. Voice Control offers comprehensive capabilities such as voice gestures, name and number labels, grid overlays, text editing commands, and deep customization, while Siri assists with setting reminders, making appointments, looking up directions, and learning game scores.
23. O'Hara, Andrew (June 3, 2019). "You can use your iPad as a second display with Sidecar in macOS Catalina". AppleInsider. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
24. Cunningham, Andrew (October 7, 2019). "macOS 10.15 Catalina: The Ars Technica review". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
25. Peters, Jay (October 7, 2019). "You need a MacBook with a butterfly keyboard or a modern Mac desktop to use macOS Catalina's Sidecar". The Verge. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
26. "Supporting New Game Controllers". Apple Developer. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
27. "Apple adding support for PS4, Xbox One controllers to iOS, TVOS and MacOS". CNET. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
28. "iOS 13: How to connect a PlayStation controller or Xbox game controller to your iPhone and iPad". 9to5Mac. September 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
29. "How To Connect PS4, Xbox One Controller To iPhone, Apple TV, Mac". ValueWalk. September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
30. ^ Oakley, Howard (November 11, 2019). "Time Machine and backing up in Catalina". Eclectic Light. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
31. Carman, Ashley (June 3, 2019). "Apple breaks up iTunes, creates separate Podcasts, TV, and Music apps for macOS". The Verge. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
32. Roettgers, Janko (June 3, 2019). "Apple Is Officially Killing iTunes, Replacing It With Three Dedicated Media Apps". Variety. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
33. Conner, Katie (September 10, 2019). "235 Mac apps get the ax with Apple's next update. Here's how you find them on your rig". CNET.
34. "Use zsh as the default shell on your Mac - Apple Support". Retrieved July 1, 2019.
35. Landau, Ted; Frakes, Dan (December 20, 2005). Mac OS X Help Line, Tiger Edition. Peachpit Press. ISBN 9780132705240.
36. Statt, Nick (June 4, 2019). "Apple will permanently remove Dashboard in macOS Catalina". The Verge. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
37. "macOS 10.15 Catalina Deprecates UNIX Scripting Languages". The Mac Observer. June 5, 2019.
38. "macOS 10.15 Beta Release Notes". Apple Developer. Retrieved June 6, 2019. Scripting language runtimes such as Python, Ruby, and Perl are included in macOS for compatibility with legacy software. Future versions of macOS won't include scripting language runtimes by default, and might require you to install additional packages.
39. "Can not connect my 2 macs with AirDrop". discussions.apple.com.
40. "Apple neutered ad blockers in Safari, but unlike Chrome, users didn't say a thing". ZDNET. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
41. "Safari 13 Release Notes". Apple Developer Documentation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
42. Cunningham, Andrew (October 27, 2022). "Apple clarifies security update policy: Only the latest OSes are fully patched". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
43. Cunningham, Andrew (November 12, 2021). "PSA: Apple isn't actually patching all the security holes in older versions of macOS". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
44. "Analyzing a watering hole campaign using macOS exploits". Google. November 11, 2021. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
45. Cunningham, Andrew (October 7, 2019). "macOS 10.15 Catalina: The Ars Technica review: Conclusions". Ars Technica. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
46. Shayer, David (October 21, 2019). "Six Reasons Why iOS 13 and Catalina Are So Buggy". TidBITS. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
47. Mod, Craig. "Brilliant Hardware in the Valley of the Software Slump". Craig Mod. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
48. ^ Gruber, John. "My 2019 Apple Report Card". Daring Fireball. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
49. Bohn, Dieter (October 7, 2019). "macOS Catalina review: transition period". The Verge. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
50. Gruber, John. "What You See in the Finder Should Always Be Correct". Daring Fireball. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
51. Snell, Jason (January 31, 2020). "Apple in 2019: The Six Colors report card". Six Colors. Retrieved June 23, 2020.

External links

• macOS 10.15 Catalina at the Wayback Machine (archived November 9, 2020) – official site
• macOS 10.15 Catalina download page at Apple

v t e Operating systems by Apple
Apple II, III, Lisa	Apple II Apple DOS ProDOS GS/OS Apple III SOS Lisa Lisa OS MacWorks
Mac	Classic Mac OS System 1 Systems 2, 3, and 4 System 5 System 6 System 7 Mac OS 8 Mac OS 9 macOS History NeXTSTEP OpenStep Rhapsody Public Beta Core Darwin XNU Desktop Mac OS X Public Beta 10.0 (Cheetah) 10.1 (Puma) 10.2 Jaguar 10.3 Panther 10.4 Tiger 10.5 Leopard 10.6 Snow Leopard 10.7 Lion OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion 10.9 Mavericks 10.10 Yosemite 10.11 El Capitan macOS 10.12 Sierra 10.13 High Sierra 10.14 Mojave 10.15 Catalina 11 Big Sur 12 Monterey 13 Ventura 14 Sonoma 15 Sequoia Server Mac OS X Server 1.0 Other projects Shipped A/ROSE A/UX AIX for Apple Network Servers MAE MkLinux PowerOpen Environment Cancelled Star Trek Taligent Copland Nukernel Vanguard
iOS derivatives	iOS iPhone OS 1 2 3 iOS 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 iPadOS 13 14 15 16 17 18 Others tvOS Apple TV Software visionOS watchOS audioOS bridgeOS
Others	Newton OS iPod software
List • Category

• 2019 software
• MacOS versions
• Products and services discontinued in 2022
• X86-64 operating systems