system-update.sh seems to keep failing (10.9 / Mavericks)

[bdejong]

It looks like the updates are totally failing for Mavericks:

2015/11/13 14:41:22 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading and installing system updates...
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading and installing system updates...
2015/11/13 14:41:34 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Software Update Tool
    virtualbox-iso: Software Update Tool
2015/11/13 14:41:34 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Copyright 2002-2012 Apple Inc.
    virtualbox-iso: Copyright 2002-2012 Apple Inc.
2015/11/13 14:41:34 ui:     virtualbox-iso:
    virtualbox-iso:
2015/11/13 14:41:34 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Finding available software
    virtualbox-iso: Finding available software
2015/11/13 14:41:34 ui:     virtualbox-iso:
    virtualbox-iso:
2015/11/13 14:41:34 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading OS X Update Combined
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading OS X Update Combined
2015/11/13 14:41:34 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading iBooks Update
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading iBooks Update
2015/11/13 14:45:45 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading iTunes
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading iTunes
2015/11/13 14:45:52 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Error downloading iTunes: Didn't get a response from the Apple Software Update server when downloading iTunes.
    virtualbox-iso: Error downloading iTunes: Didn't get a response from the Apple Software Update server when downloading iTunes.
2015/11/13 14:47:00 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Error downloading iBooks Update: Didn't get a response from the Apple Software Update server when downloading iBooks Update.
    virtualbox-iso: Error downloading iBooks Update: Didn't get a response from the Apple Software Update server when downloading iBooks Update.
2015/11/13 14:47:00 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloaded OS X Update Combined
    virtualbox-iso: Downloaded OS X Update Combined
2015/11/13 14:53:45 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Installing OS X Update Combined, iBooks Update, iTunes
    virtualbox-iso: Installing OS X Update Combined, iBooks Update, iTunes
2015/11/13 14:53:45 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Done with OS X Update Combined
    virtualbox-iso: Done with OS X Update Combined
2015/11/13 14:53:45 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Done.
    virtualbox-iso: Done.
2015/11/13 14:53:45 ui:     virtualbox-iso:
    virtualbox-iso:
2015/11/13 14:53:45 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Error downloading updates.
    virtualbox-iso: Error downloading updates.

I saw some errors in the "Closed" list which sound a lot like these. Is this possibly a problem with Apple no longer providing these downloads?

[timsutton]

I see the SUS servers have issue from time to time. (A couple weeks ago they were having issues for the better part of a day, leading the CLI tools downloads to fail). I'd suggest waiting a while and trying again.

Not sure what's the "Closed" list you're referring to, though..

[bdejong]

Aha... I shall try again on Monday, let's see what happens. I was referring to this closed ticket: https://github.com/timsutton/osx-vm-templates/issues/33 Which seems vaguely related...

[timsutton]

#33 was specifically about the CLI tools not being available in Apple's software update server catalogs for 10.9. The error you're posting is about a general response from their update server for the system updates script, which in this template comes later. You might want to check whether the earlier step of installing CLI tools worked or not.

[bdejong]

That one did work...

[bdejong]

Tried again today, failed again, but with a slightly different error:

2015/11/18 16:25:00 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Error downloading updates.
    virtualbox-iso: Error downloading updates.
2015/11/18 16:25:00 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Nov 18 08:24:58 osx-10_9.vagrantup.com softwareupdate CLI[588] <Error>: /usr/sbin/softwareupdate: XPC error in __60-[SUCommandLineTool _runSessionWithUpdates:skippingInstall:]_block_invoke (Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4099 "Couldn’t communicate with a helper application." (The connection was invalidated from this process.) UserInfo=0x7fa201c1b480 {NSDebugDescription=The connection was invalidated from this process.})
    virtualbox-iso: Nov 18 08:24:58 osx-10_9.vagrantup.com softwareupdate CLI[588] <Error>: /usr/sbin/softwareupdate: XPC error in __60-[SUCommandLineTool _runSessionWithUpdates:skippingInstall:]_block_invoke (Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4099 "Couldn’t communicate with a helper application." (The connection was invalidated from this process.) UserInfo=0x7fa201c1b480 {NSDebugDescription=The connection was invalidated from this process.})

[timsutton]

I'd be curious to see the exit code from softwareupdate if you can reproduce this. People who manage large fleets of Macs saw some intermittent errors like this specifically with Mavericks.

[bdejong]

So, just to make sure: just log into the box and try softwareupdate manually, let you know what happens?

[bdejong]

Strange: this time no errors were reported while creating the box:

2015/11/19 10:50:54 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading and installing system updates...
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading and installing system updates...
2015/11/19 10:51:06 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Software Update Tool
    virtualbox-iso: Software Update Tool
2015/11/19 10:51:06 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Copyright 2002-2012 Apple Inc.
    virtualbox-iso: Copyright 2002-2012 Apple Inc.
2015/11/19 10:51:06 ui:     virtualbox-iso:
    virtualbox-iso:
2015/11/19 10:51:06 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Finding available software
    virtualbox-iso: Finding available software
2015/11/19 10:51:06 ui:     virtualbox-iso:
    virtualbox-iso:
2015/11/19 10:51:06 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading OS X Update Combined
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading OS X Update Combined
2015/11/19 10:51:06 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading iBooks Update
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading iBooks Update
    virtualbox-iso: Downloading iTunes
2015/11/19 10:55:10 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloading iTunes
2015/11/19 10:55:10 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloaded OS X Update Combined
    virtualbox-iso: Downloaded OS X Update Combined
2015/11/19 10:55:10 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloaded iBooks Update
    virtualbox-iso: Downloaded iBooks Update
2015/11/19 10:55:10 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Downloaded iTunes
    virtualbox-iso: Downloaded iTunes
    virtualbox-iso: Installing OS X Update Combined, iBooks Update, iTunes
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Installing OS X Update Combined, iBooks Update, iTunes
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Done with OS X Update Combined
    virtualbox-iso: Done with OS X Update Combined
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Done with iBooks Update
    virtualbox-iso: Done with iBooks Update
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Done with iTunes
    virtualbox-iso: Done with iTunes
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso: Done.
    virtualbox-iso: Done.
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso:
    virtualbox-iso:
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso: You have installed one or more updates that requires that you restart your
    virtualbox-iso: You have installed one or more updates that requires that you restart your
2015/11/19 11:03:17 ui:     virtualbox-iso: computer.  Please restart immediately.
    virtualbox-iso: computer.  Please restart immediately.

However, logging into the box and running softwareupdate -i -a a bunch of packages are downloaded and installed. I suppose this is the more normal situation... Especially as one of the updates needed a restart...